The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-05-11
WASHINGTON NEWS NOTES.
Items Of Current Gossip Gathered
by Our Regular Correspondents.

Items OF Current Gossip 6aineTe0
by Our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, May looking into
the House Of Representatives yesterday
found two members still lingering IN
their seats, pulling out letters from
their desks and strewlng the hoor with
fragments. They looked lone some and
probably felt ''like one who tresds lone
the banquet hall deserted. A dozen
or two Democratic Congressman are
still in the city conferring and a score
or two of Republicans whose seats are
not In danger still hang round the
White House and offer valuable sug-
gassions concerning the campaign.
Is is generally agreed that the House
got ahead of the Senate In the wind
nm Uncle Joe and other prominent
members having seconded the lndlg-
rauS speech of Bourke Cochran con-
eerning the supurations Of the P2esi-
dent and Senate. The Senate bill pro-
yiding an elaborate scheme Of govern
mont for the Panama canal zone was
relentlessly TUNED down by the House
and the great river and haroor Dill
was flung into the waste basket just
as it came from the Senate. These
Evidences Of resentment on the part
OF the House made an impression and
it is conceded that the good result was
largely due to the vigorous coopera..
ton Of the Democrats. In personne!
the Senate is much more masserful
than the House. Indeed, people are
inquiring what is to become Of the
House unless the present leaders are
superseded by stronger men. Cannon,
never a great leader, like Reed, is
now of the floor; Grosvenor is sort
OF inane clown; Hill is dominating
only In his specially, banking; Dalzel
pipes only in falsetto; Tawney, the
blacksmith, has not forged any th1n-
derbolts yet. and Hepburn and Little
field are so independent of party tram,
msls that they are always considered
insurgents by the Republican captains:
Even Payne, chairman of ways and
means, and ex-oficio leader, is always
in the attitude OF sluggish follower.
s.The old lead Steers of Roosevelt's
ranch badly reed reinforcing If they
would hold tleir own.
Secretary Taft, in an interview
with your correspondent few months
ago. attempted to justify the subju-
cation Of Che Philippines by the seiz-
ure of Louisiana under the purchase,
as he termed it. I suggested that the
Louisiana province was not seized:
but was appropriated with the full
consent of the people who dwelt there.
i see that the Governor is out again
exploiting the Louisiana Purchase as
Justification of our criminal aggres-
sion in the east. Does he not remem-
ber that Jefferson refused to use force
In Louisiana and that he sent Cover
nor Claiborne as commissioner to as
certain the wishes of the peoples Gov
ernor Claiborne went to New Orleans
and consulted the population, and.
after obtaining authority to exchange
the French flag for the America, re-
ported to President Jefferson. We
raised the stars and stripes yesterday
amid the .acclamations Of the inhabi-
tants. -
Governor Taft knows perfectly well
that that is not the way the stars and
stripes were raised in various parts OF
the Philippine Islands while he was
governor there. Acclarnations instead
of execrations. Does he really think
there is at least resemblance between
the two?
There is no doubt that the tariff
ouestion in It's various phases will be
prominent in the platforms OF both
parties and in the fall campaign. The
Republicans will exclaim I've stand
pat. But when we think the tariff
needs revision, We'll revise It, - The
Democrats will retort that party
which has maintained an unjust law is
not party to be trusted to amend it
in the interest of justice. Senator
Aldrich, the Senate leader of finance,
was greatly annoyed by Charles NJ.
Schwab,s letter demonstrating that
steel rails sold to Amer1cans for $2S
ton were, under the tariff, delivered
In England for Sl3 ton, clear rob-
berry of the American consumer OF hfty
per cent. Aldrich fumed. perspired,
onibbled, and even denied bat made
no effort whatever to disprove the as
ssrtion. This revelation will enter
into the campaign as we'll as the po-
tancy of the tariff as trust-breeder.
LQG .6SaISG DOOLUO4S 44Oo W&VA q w
erloo defeat yesterday at the precinct
election here. 1t seems odd that in
the capital Of this great republic that
is the only kind of election that is
ever held-an expression about as val
liable as the straw vote taken on rail-
road cars. Self government does not
exist in this district. We are taken
care of like helpless children by three
nurses called commissioners appointed
by the President who tax as and spend
ten million dollars every year ostensi-
bly for our health and comfort. There
are signs of revolt against this state
of things as good many of our people
are willing to face the perils of self
government rather than to continue
the meek and helpless subjects OF an
oligarchy.
Mr. Hearst is a particularly busy
man. He spends some time every day
at the spacious residence on Lafayette
Park, where a boy babv looks up from
a cradle and calls him papa" or