The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-01-23

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whas does Senator Tplman think
4of President Roosevelt's tribute to
Ger. Lee on the occasion Of the cen
seminal celebration of his birth?
The Governor of Jamaica is a swell
headed and churlish individual to
say the least. His treatment of Ad-
miral Davis was the action of man
OF very small calibre-
The legislative grind has begun IN
earnest, and among the deluge OF bills
any well posted man can find a num-
Der of the useless variety. The legis-
1ator who makes it his-business to kill
undesirable bills renders his constit-
uents the greatest service.
Instead of piling up appropriations
for all sorts OF things that can be
postponed as well as not-the Cal
houn statue, the supreme court build
snE, for instance-the legislature
shouId be concerning itself to devise
means for putting the State on cash
basis so that it will not be necessary
to borrow hundreds of thousands OF
dollars every year to pay interest on
bonds and other current expenses.
Some members Of the legislature
seem to have gone wild on the sub
5ect Of pensions, and if they are per-
rnieted to have their way will over
burden the State with taxes. The
needy Confederate soldiers should be
Densioned and it is duty that the
state should not shirk, but there Is
"a Limit to all things. The very idea
yo9 making an annual appropriation OF
$4sa,eo0 for pensions IS preposterous,
when the financial condition Of the
State is taken into consideration.
Secretary Taft, the big man Of the
Republican party, says that Charles
ton is the South Atlantic port par
excellence and a naval base of the
greatest strategical Importance. All of
which is true, and it is to be hoped
that Mr.. Tafts endorseemnt will in
nuerce the people of Charleston and
she government at Washington to
make greater efforts to- utilize the
natural advantages of the city and
port.
The investigation Of the State dis
pensary has furnished a topic for lots
eof talk and made good campaign ma
aersaa, but seems to have been inef-
@ective insofar as the punishment OF
any OF the grafters is concerned. The
effort appears to have been to kill
the dispensary system, but to let the
smen who have robbed the STATE in
ssiresse and brought the system into
dsrepute go scott free with all their
m-gotten wealth.
The len law may be repealed this
yearsf ought to at any rate-but we
fear it will be LETT untouched on one
specious pretext or another. There
are influential interests that do not
desire the repeal of the law, and these
Interests will have strong representa-
dyes, ana adroit pleaders will rise up
co champion the cause Of the poor
Farmers whose very existence, SO they
w1u assert, is dependent Upon the
continuance of the lien law. There
Is big money in the lien business in
oralnary years, and there is, Of
course, strong opposition to killing
the goose that has been laying golden
eggs for many years.
Speaker Cannon IS said to be bit
terry opposed to the Appalachian for
est reservation which will require an
appropriation of about ss,oo0,ooo, all
told. but favors the ship-subsidy
graft, wn.ch will start out with
grab OF .core than 100000 year
and WIZ increase Indefinitely. The
Apaalac;.;an reservation will benefit
znilnons cf people and Will save mil
ions af de.lars worth of property an
1ually zor all time, while the ship
subsidy graft is for the benefit and
further enrichment of the members
OF the merchant marine trust. A
measure where it benefits the public
and net favored few has no chance
OF becoming law, while rank graft
r., -,,,f 71,h1ic pnoney into the pockets