The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-07-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.
What the Washington of5ce-RoId-
ers Say About the Nomination
of Judge Parker.

of Judge Parker.
Washington, July 10.-The report
this morning that after an all-night
session the Democratic convention at
ST. Louis has nominated on the first
ballot Judge Alton B. Parker is re-
ceiyed by leading Democrats here with
much satisfaction. The platform, too,
is all that was hoped for, though it is
quite too prolix and some Of our peo.
pie would have preferred an approval
Of the income tax and others wanted
the insertion of the Hill plank guaran-
teeing the country against financial
changes. It is expected, however, that
the latter defect Will be remedied by
Judge Parker himself when he makes
his first responsive utterance in his
letter of acceptance.
Some surprise has been expressed at
the admission of Philippine delegates
By the, Republican convention and
their rejection by the Democratic con-
Tention. But, as Congressman Cow
herd, chairman of the Democratic
National COMMITTEE, says, How
could it be otherwise Republicans
claim that the Philippines have been
subjugased and rightly robbed and
appropriated, and are now a part of
our insular possessions, while Dem
ocrats hold that their s1hiugation is
crime to be repented of, and that they
are entitled TO their Independence.
In Porto Rico the case is different,
because the Supreme Court has decid-
ed that Porto Rico is part of our ter
sisory.;'
Secretary Hay signalized the hot
weather term by boldly asking the
British ministry what they mean By,
violating the inegrity Of China by
sending an armed exped dition through
Tibet. The British government, as
usual, has frankly disavowed any
.sulterior purpose and declares that
Gen. Macdonald s army had made ar
rangements to retire before 1t had
begun to advance! The killing Of a
few thousand Hbetans more or less
was made necessary by the jealousy Of
Viceroy Curzon who thinks that his
rights and feelings had not been
properly considered. It will be inter
esting to the American public to
watch the British column Of invasion
and observe the aIacrity with which
it faces about for home. OF course
we must keep on terms of perfect amity
with John Bull and permit him to loot
Lassa ifshe finds it necessary to do so.
g Since his arrival in this city Secre-
tary Paul Morton has devoted almost
his entire time to acquainting himself
with his new duties at the head Of the
naval establishment, and studying
the details Of the business requiring
has personal attention. He has called
on the various admirals and bureau
chiefs at their desks and has found
time in the intervals of inspection to
visit a Arlintgon, the Soldiers Home,
and some of the other departments
and to makestwo trips down the Poto-
mac on the yacht . Sylph, = which by
an odd figure OF speech is called
= the Presidents. Paul seems to be
q tender -hear5d father of the floating
contingent: Ris first duty was to con-
firm the conviction of Lieut.. Reginald
Hogan of the Marine Corps, found
guilty Of scandalous conduct, Of at
tempting to kill q negro in fit Of
drunkenness and of,violently resisting
arrest by the police. Secretary Nor
ton attended to the case by remitting
the punishment and telling Hogan not
to do so again.
Clergymen here have just been scan
dalized by the appearance among them
Of ReY. William Hoffman, Of Mount
Pulaski, Ills. recently elected pastor
of st. Matthew's Lutheran Church,
Hagerstown, just over the Maryland
lire. He returned from the west with
his bride, Miss Amelia Roth, whom
he married at Pekin, Ills, June 29th.
The young couple were shocked yester-
day By delegation from the Hagers-
town congregation waiting upon them
and asking them why they occupied a
room together at a hotel in Pekin on
Sunday night, June 26th, and we're
registered there as Rev. Hoffman
and wife, three days before the mar
riage. The young couple explained
that there was nothing wrong abont
it; that on the Sunday night in ques-
tion Hoffman and Miss Roth went to
Pekin together after service, missed
the car back, and were forced to stay
in Pekin all night. They explained
that they went to tie hotel, register
ed as husband and wife, occupied the
same room, and .ssat up the entire
night and conversed. -
Hoffman says he registered Miss
Roth as his wife for her protection,
and the meddlesome hotel keeper adds
that they occupied one room for the
same reason, for "tbere we're lots of
other rooms.s' The Hagerstown
church considers the explanation salts
factory. Miss Roth was secretary Of
the Sunday School connected with Mr..
Hofman's Pulaski chrage.
The effort to protect Texas from the
ravages Of the cotton boil weevil which
threatens to destroy the cotton crop of
that state and to sweep across the
entire cotton belt if not arrested, is
accompanied by many suggestions, to
stay the advance of the plague. Pro-
fessor Cook of the Agricultural De-
partment here has brought from Qua
temala to Galveston large number
of. voracious ants peculiar TO the
fauna of Central America, whose func-
tion and pleasure it seems to be to