The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-10-14
WASHINGTON NEWS NOTES.
TALK ABOUT THE POLITICAL SIT.
UATTON.
Washington Has the Largest Negro
Population and In Consequence the
Jail Is OvercrOwded With Negro
Criminals.


echoes here In Washington. 1t is said
the campaign headquarters are real
ly in the White House. Surely the
President Is there and has been for
two weeks. 1t is his campaign in a
very special sense for he might have
been the nominee IL he had not turn
ed his back on the nomination and
said mo" Nominate my represent
ative-the man who has helped me
shape and launch and direct the pol
icies with which I have been credited,
but which are as much his as mine."
Surely there has been an unprecedented
popular approval of these policies
such approval as has not been known
tefore in the political history of the
country. The approval was popular,
lure and simple, for prominent poll
ticians in and out Of Congress have
opposed the Rooseveltian policies in
many instances to the ruin of their
political prospects. But this is sn
old story. The election Is now but
three weeks off. when Washington
and the country will know who will
occupy the White House until 1912.
IL it shall be Mr.. Taft. the changes
will not be great for it is understood
that some members Of the prese mt
cabinet will be invited to remain and
many chiefs Of bureaus in the various
governmental departments will doubt
less hold over. But II It shall be Mr..
Bryan. the changes will be great and
far reaching both In official and in
social matters. The Roosevelt re-
gime has been from q social stand
roint splendid beyond precedent. The
PRESIDENT. beyond almost all his pre-
decessors, Is a man Of education. trav-
FL and savoir faire. What other pres
ident could have talked to a German
or Frenchman in his own language?
Jefferson, believe, understood
French. but not German. Mr.. Taft
and Mr.. Bryan confine themselves
strictly to English and for the best of
reasons.
In the dearth Of startling political
or social doings. 1t may be interesting
20 know that decision has just been
rendered by the Commissioner Of In
ternal Revenue that it is expected will
stop altogether the practice prevail
ing for years among certain liquor
dealers Of putting on the market tn.
same product under different names.
This decision reverses the ruling Of
the former Commissioner, Yerkes,
who held that rectifiers and whole
sale liquor merchants could place on
the market the same product under
half dozen different names without
being taxed specifically for each.
Commissioners Capers. in an elabo-
rate opinion. decides that any person,
firm or corporation carrying on busi-
ness as a wholesale liquor dealer at
one place or time under different
names. must pay a separate special
tax for each name or style under
which he transacts business. II the
practice Of carrying on business by
the rectifiers or wholesale dealers is
continued, 1t will doubles, add large
iy to the public revenues. but Treas
ury officials believe that there will
be a discontinuance Of the practice
The question of names and styles,
1t Is understood, was brought to the
attention Of the Department by active
prohibitionists who are sleepless in
their contention against the liquor
dealers. In many States careful watch
Is kept Of whiskey shipped, and the
name Of the brand or the wholesale
dealer often leads to the prevention
OF further importations OF the same
kind. When such prevention becomes
effective. the same liquor dealers will
ship into the prohibition States an
other lot of whiskey, only changing
the name. 1t was the discovery Of this
practice Of substituting names that
brought the matter to the attention OF
the Internal Revenue Bureau and
caused the decision. which will be ee-
fective throughout the country.
The District Jail In Washington Is
full to Overflowing and the inmates
ure mostly Of the African race. 1t Is
now pretty generally known that
Washington has the largest negro
reputation Of any city I'm the world.
One hundred of 9. ase prisoners are
to be transferred to the United States