Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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-. * p p * pL~. tg 'p* -. * V * 5b. ______________ IlK VOL. XXII. PICKENS, S. C., THURSDAY, MARCh 15, 1894. NO, 26. TIE CAMPAIGN OPENED. A BIG MA88 MEETING AT ABBEVILLE COURTHOUSE. John Gay Evans and sampion ope wired Their Opening Gunx-hat They Said--No Other Candidate* Present Large Crowd In Attendan go. ABEMLE, S. C., March 9.-Near. ly a thousand citizens were present on last Monday to hear the gubernatorial candidates speak. It was quite a dis appoinment to the crowd that all of the candidates were not present, for the people were anxious to bear and com pare them. Messrs. John Gary Evans and Sampson Pope were present and were most cordially received. The fol lowing Is Evans' speccb: Mr. President and Fellow Citizens: It is with much pleasure, commingled with some embarrassment. that I have accepted the invitation of your commit %e to address you upon the national and btate issues which today confront our people. I am pleased for the reason that I feel when I look into your honest and so many familiar faces that I have your sympathy in the grand cause for which I am dghting. Its success will be a grand victory for the people. I am embarrased from the fact that I speak to scores of the constituency of Calhoun and McDuffie and to a people who have always led in all great reforms, moral and political, and so you continue to do -to-day. My own countrymen, the d:ctrices of Calhoun are as live and clear to you to. day as when he uttered them from the red hills of old Abbeville fifty years ago. It has been truly said that the life of a republic depends upon the virtue of the people, that of a monarch upon the igno-. rance of its people, Under our form of government the people alone are sover eign and their rulers are simply their ser vants. It is evident then that to instill virtue into their officers it is the right of the sovereign people to assemble in mass meeting and the duty of the servant to appear before them, give an account of his stewardship and receive from the people good and wholesome Instruction, and he who falls to respond to the call of the people cannot be called faithful nor even entitled to the name of h good citi zen. The time is past in South Carolina when any man, or set of men, can die tate to her people. It Is boasted that in, the birth of Abraham Lincoln and of Al exander the Great in Russia that with one stroke the shacales were stricken irom 40,000,000 slaves. The future his torian in South Carolina will say that the ieform movement and Ben Tillman remoyed in one y ear the shackles frojm 1,000,000 white political slaves and we meet today upon the level of equal rights to all and special privileges to none. Our national and .State politica have become so interwoven that it will be im. possible to diAcues the one without the other and it Is well that it should be bo for our greatest oppression comes from national legislation. I do not propose to discuss national affairs from any but a Southern standpoint. Our ecuntry Is too large and our interest too antagonistic to think of legislating tor the above with out injuring one,ot its pointh. The rule should be to enact such laws as opvress the fewest number of citizens, but the reverse has been the case witbiour Con. 10 ' gress since the civil war, The policy of the North towards the SoUth and West has robbed us almost ot our patri mony. Congress has legislated for the robber barons to such an extent that now 16,000 people of our#56,000,000 own over one half the wealth of our country and 120 families in the North own over one-twelfth of the wealth of our country. All obtained by a flkancial system of government kept up for the express pur pose of robbing the South and West. When the Roman republic waa de --storyed, 1,800 people owrtad all cf her * wealth. This state of agairs was sought to be perpetuated by government issues of free coin to the farir ers who boi e the Lurdens of taxation whenever they threatened~to overthrow it. A lhke con dition exists in cur country today. New York city is feeding 10,000 unemployed, Chicago a like number and nearly every large city in the N~orth is compelled to feed its starving laborers to keep down revolution and anarchy. Shall we not profit by the history of the past nations? I thank God tat such a condition does not exist in the South today. It is not because the government biaa not in vited it, however. We are blessed with a country and a climate where we can alwayis be comfortable and dig a living - out of the ground. And of this no one can rob us. During the late panic JI visited a Noi th ern city and I was asked if we had a panic down South. I asked what they meant by a panic, and I was told "mna bility to get money." My reply was that we had seen no such thing for many years and had learned to get along with out it; all we needed with money was to send North to support the poor Yankee * soldiers we killed during Jhe war and to keep Jay Gould and the millionarles Irom starving and having their notles protested in New York. 4 1t is wonderful to notice the growthi ~ Ak of these dead Yankee whom we planted during the war. They have sprung up like dragon's teeth. In 1870 there were 198,686 on the rolls and they cost us $27,780,811,81. Last y4ar there were 966,012 and they cost us $158,155,342. 5 . 7. Of this the South pays one-third and gets nothing in return. We have paid since the war enough pensions to buy a Slate three imes as rich as the State of Squth Carolina and ceded. it to the -North and the ball has just comnienced. Tis would not be so bad should it "stop here. We are being robbed more P ystematically by the present financial -polhcy of Grover C)leyeland than we were byHarsri of the blackest Rdpubh can living. We were hooted at by the -Democrats of the nation for opposing ~ ~ the nomination of this man,. and you 'heard a great deal of the Latimer reso lution, but they -are .with us now and the 4'' Democi atic party is ready to pass similar resolutions. The passage of the bill demonetizing bilver was the worst viece of class West that was ever passed by any con iress and the reult has clearly proven t. The bill was passed by Cleveland 3uckoos and Republicans, under the leadership of Jhon Sherman and in Birect opposition to the silver plank of the Democratig platform, which do 3lared for the free and unlimited coifi ige of silver. The history of silver shows that as It rises and fall,, so goes motton and agricultural products. Our motton crop last year, based on the price )f silver in 1873, would have been worth over three million of dollars more tban it actually sold for -had It not been ror the passage of the repeal bill. We bave the anomalous condition today of 3otton selling for less in March, after he crop is out of our hands, than it lid in November, in the face, too, of a ihort crop. Yet we were told that just epeal this bill and cotton will go up md some $ongressmen were fools mough to believe It. It was repealed to contract the currency and thus in. 3rease the debts of the farmers and de 3rease the value of our agricultural pro lucts so that today a tdollar costs a rarmer in the South over five times as much as it did when silver was good money. We have nothing In the South to buy dollars with save our cotton and agricultural products, and it is to the interest of the Northern shylock to get is much cotton as he can for just as little money and, of course our inability to pay pensions and tariff and other debts is aggrivated . as, he succeeds. Upon the heels of the passage-ef tbis bill, Mr. Carlisle, to prove that Cleve land is a tool ot Wall street, issued 450,. 000,000 of the United States bonds for the ostensible purpose of putting gold in the Treasury to redeem outstanding indebtedness, but Mr. Carlisle knows that under his construction, as dictated by Cleveland and Wall street, of the resumption Act, this $50,000,000 can'be drawn out of the Treasury by New York bankers any moment they see fit to do so by simply converting their bonds into greenbacks and presenting the greenbacks to Mr. Carlisle, who Is com pelled to give gold in exchange. It was done simply to perpetuate national banks and the corrupt financial policy of Wall street. Ai of these securities Ifurnish the millionaires with non-taxable prop. erty in which to invest their money, and yet when we ask for an income tax to make them bear their share of the bur dens of government we find this man Cleveland, opposed to it and that mil lionaires' chief orders the United States Senate organizers to defeat it. If we can succeed in taxing incomes, it will more than pay the pensions bearing so heavily upon our farmers, and yet I am ashamed to say South Carolina was represented by a Congressman who joined with the Republicans in Congress to defeat it. These men call themselves Cleveland Democrats. They know that they cannot stand uvon the Democratic platform and be consistent, so they qualify their Democracy by putting airs upon it. They are not Democrits, out Mitgwumps, but are ashamed to use that term for fear of being run out of the Democratic party. They are mules, who, in order to show their pedigree, call themselves "jackass horses." The only true Democrats in the State are the teformers, or Ocalaites, as the Mug wumps are wont to call us,- and right here I desire to say that I endorse every plank of the Ocala demands. Our only salvation rests ih their speedy enact ment into law and if we persevere they will be. The iouth and West must come to gether. Their interests are in common and the Democratic platform suggested at Ocala and nromulgated at Chicago is broad enough for all of us. We have heard a great deal said of the sub-treasury plan and this is Lhe stumb. ling block and the only one the Mug wumps can find in the document. It this idea, with a few changes, were en acted Into la w, the result would be that the South would immediately become the financial and agricultural section for the world. It would destroy the power of Wall street and the North, and make us the most progressive people on the face of the earth. No Southerm or West. ern man can object to it. It is time we had some class legislation for our section. God knows there has been enough for the North. Our greatest need is mors money and it is the duty of Congress to furnish it, whether from the sub-treasury plan or something better. Either will do, so the end is accomplished. How are we to accomplish this? you ask. My ans wer, ie : "Through the Farmers Al liance." This organization has accom plishied more for th6 short time of itus existence than any similar one since the formation of our government, It is fouinded on truth and justice and is bound to perpetuate its principles. No good citizen can object to this organiza. lion of an oppressed people and I grieve when I see men of my State who are de pendent upon agriculture alone for ex istence, opposing our Alliance and en listing with the enemny in this, the great est battle for freedom and self-preserva tion that the world has ever known. Stand like men for your platform and Uod, who rules the destinies of nations, wllsee to it that victory perches upon sour banners. John C. Calhoun was the first advo Ote of the Farmers Alliance. In le treatise on government, this great statesman observes that the right of suffrage is not sufflcient of itelf to pro tect the people from oppression by their rulers, but the only safeguard is in the separate organisation of each interest in the State. Speaking through this intel ligent mouthpiece the voice of each in temest could be easily heard and never misunderstood. The complaints of one man are never heeded by legislators or rulers, but he is in i ariably looked upon as a crank; but when an organIsr~1on of farmers speaks through resolutions in telligently drawn, even presidents. lend an ear to its voice. Never tell us that we must not go into pblitics, that it will destroy our organization, that you should meet and discuss pumpkins, etc., and ad journ, but fellow citizens, tisl is but the volce of the toilers who seek to steer from the path upon the roiks for ihe purpose of destroying you. It Is the diuty of every good citigen to mnter politics and have a voice in the ad iinistration of his State government. show me a people who take no interest n affairs ef Stateand I wil, show you. nlsgoverned ignorant and worthless ace. Did you ever hear of bills tieing ntroduced in Congress for the relief of the agricultural classes, bills to prevent gambling in futures, sub-treasury bill, ncome tax bills and tariff reform bills inder the organization of the National Allianoe? Remember, the next four years will bring to us these measures in n the shape of laws if you will be true ;o yourselves. Already the Northern Democrats, seeing the Inevitable union )f the South and West have deserted .heir party and now assisting a Ropub Ican minority to breaK f quoru-u and de eat the will of the people. The Bland ill, however has passed the House, but ,t Is understood that boss Cleveland is )pposed-and it will meet deieat in the lub house. Why Mr. Cleveland should )bJect to coining the silver in the Treas ury, which has been robbed from West )rn miners, but who now make no claim ipon it, and paying the debt of the na 3ion instead of issuing bonds Is Incom prehensible to any honest man. Will he jackass horses please explain? We have been branded at Washington as being third pattyites, the scum of the Barth and unworthy of recognition by the Democratic party and these men who are responsible for it are now bow ig down and asking you to rostore them "the decent element,1 to office and un)ou a Cleveland Democratic platform. I am a Democrat and one standing Equarely upon the Chicago platform, and I pro pose to show you that it is almost iden lical with the Ocala demands.. (Mr. Evans here read the two platforms and 3ompared them.) Who now are the true Democrats, the Alliancemen or the lackass horses? I rest my Democracy here and will aow proceed to discuss State affairs. rhe historian Gibbon characterized the reign of the Antonles over the Roman Empire as the only instance where the lappiness of the people was the sole ob ect of their rulers. Well and truly may he same be said of the reign of the Re formers in South Carolina. Recognizing dhe principle that the best educated peo ple are the happiest and best cltizens, dhe.fret object of the Reform govern nent was to build up the common school system. Under the bill intro uced by myself, separate school dis tricts have been organized in nearly all Af our counties and in most of them by the addition of a small tax our public schools are now run from six to nine months and I am in favor of making every district in the State separate and allowing it to govern itself as to its schools and the method of maintaining them, aided, of course, by the State ap propriation. A constitutional convention should be called and our school law expunged from the Constitution and left entirely With our Legislature, as at present it is dangerous in the extreme and a menace to our entire system of common schools. We have built and equipped a col lege, modern in all its reatures, where our poor boys may obtain an education at the smallest expense. The best evi lence of its success and its necessity for its establishment is the fact that over six hundred etudents are now en rolled within its walls and others are knocking at its doors for admission. We have maintained every institution of the old regime and not a dollar of extra taxation has been placed upon the people in comparison with the rate of the past opposing administrations. Recognizing the great injustice done to our women and the indifference shown them by "the best element," we have in process of construction an in dustrial college for women which will be the pride of our State. It will be as grad asucess as Clemson College andi il alongfelt want, it is sad to re late, however, that "the toughs" of the State were the first to recognize the claims of her lovely women. We have crushed out the Coosaw monopoly created bjy Republica~n and sought to be maintained by "the beet element," and today the State is in pos session of all her rights and her prop ertv inoluding Agricultural Hail, which was attempted to be stolen from us by carpet-baggers and fraudulent bondholders. We have endeavored to equalize tax ation by assessing the property of cor porations commensurate with that of real estate owners, but by reason of being in the hands of United States Court receivers they have all defied the State's authority, tendered only the amount of taxes they thought due and are now indebted to the State in the sum of $201,000. There is not a rail road in.the State*, considering the in terest paid on a legitimate bonded mn diebtedness, which is not assesaed lower than the average farm,considering the interest received by the farmer upon his investment. Little did we think when Daniel HI. Chamberlain was driv en from the kitate at the point of the bayonet that he would so soon return and snap his fingers in the face of our governmnent, sustained by men who hddnuced him as a thief and scoundrel, guardian not only our larg est corporations, but also of our United States Circuit Judge's principle and the editors of some of our largest news papers and a criterion of our D~emoc racy, and ban quetted by the elite of Charleston. We are forced to exclaim: To what base uses have "the better element" come. H-ad these railroads paid their taxes and the revenue from phosphates not been destroyed, your taxes would now be only two and a half mills. In spite of this, by strict economy, we have refunded the State debt of $5,500O,000, exempted the storm stricken sections from taxes, paid the old soldiers an extra sum of $5,.000, and lowered your taxes half a mill. Sala ries have been reduced over ten per cent., but could not lie made to take effect until next year, for the reason that the Legislature refused to cut their own down. We have been accused of being in competent and ignorant and incapable of running the Stee government. When the State debt was to be refund ed, the banks of Charleston refused to co-operate with us and sak~i that the State could take care of hierself and Charleston weald do the same. W6 Wenlt to New York and actually "thie patriots of South Carolina fly-b lowed us and not a banker in that city would take her bonds, stating that they had been offered to them at a cheaper rate thsn was offered by our State authori ties, Who alone had power to sell them. We went to Baltimore and scceededl DESIRES NO THIRD TERM. B. R. TILLMAN IS NOT A GUBERNATO RIAL CANDID ATEi Mr. .1. E. Tindal Explains His Peaktion in the Race-Let tars of Regret from W. D, Evana and W. if. Ellerbee-Dr. Timmer man Deelred to be Present. ABJmEVILLIC, S. C., March 5.-The fol lowing letters were received by the committee in charge of the meeting here today: Columbia, S. C., Feb. 24, 1894. Messrs. John It. Blake, R. R. Hemphill, J. H1. Morrah, Isaac 11. McCalla,John E. Bradley. Gentlemen: Your letter of the 22nd instant inviting me as one of those who wilt probably be candidate for Governor, thus to address a mass meet iug at Abbevillo C. H. on salesday in March, reached me yesterday. In reply permit me to say I am not a candidate for the office of Governor not desiring a third term. Therefore I do not come within the category of those you wish to hear speak. Such being the case, I respectfully decline the invitation and will not be with you. Thanking you for the compliment, I am, Very truly, B. R. Tillman. Messrs. John R. Blake, R. R. Hemp hill, John H. Morrah, Isaac H. McCal la and John E. Bradley, committee,Ab beville, S. C. Gentlemen: I have the honor to ac knowledge the receipt of your invita tion to address the people of Abbeville as a candidate for Governor. I desire to express my thanks for the compli ment, but I have never declared that I would or would not be a candidate. I had not supposed that the Reformers would again place candidates before the people by a convention, but that the people of their own motion would gravitate to some man or men in suf ticient numbers to warrant him or them in entering upon a canvass of the State, with reasonable hope of success. At present our people are puzzled and in a somewhat chaotic condition. Un less we proceed wisely, discord and dangers are before us. My judgment opposes any nominating convention either narly or late. I am no schismat ic and wil I cheerfully abide by tha de cision of the majority; but deem it my duty to earnestly advise against it. I was one of the first promoters of the Farmers Movement, the aim of which was an Agricultural College. We expanded that in to the Reform party, and appealed to the people of all classes against a political combination called a ring. which had opposed and for a time defeated the college and had practically deprived a majority of the people of their proper influence upon public affairs. Our object was to se cure to every Democratic voter in the State the privilege of casting his ballot direct to every officer from Governor down. The farmers being scattered and re moved from centres of political Infor mation were practically disfranchised, because before they could become aware of what was going on,slates were made, convention packed and nominees de clared. This was due to the Convention plan of nominations, in presence of a negro majority, which prevented revolt. The men who composed the so-called ring were of no worse type of human na ture than politicians generally. No one belIeves they were. But a ring is inherent in the convention system un der our political conditions If we therefore return to it, another ring must inevitably evolve sooner or later in our ranks. And who will compose it ? Evidently the most extreme and violent. The scarecrow of the old ring was "Radical Rule." The scarecrow of the future ring will be "Anti Rule." The people willl throw up their hats in honor of a victory, as they s uppose of their party, while in fact they are re enslaving themselves. For what do they when they commit their rights, power, liberty and means of self de fense to a few, who are autocratic ab solute andi responsible to nobody? There is no way to punish them ila case they bartered the nt0lces among them selves. TIhere is but one way for the people to maintain their Influence up on public affairs and that is to use in telligently their votes. I am aware that true and unselfish Reformers are advocating the Conyen tion, although it is going back upon our principles. Why ? 1st. Because we have not established a square pri mary, but a primary for electors. 2nd. Because as several candidates for Gov ernor may be in the race; itis8 feared that this will give the donservatives some supposed advantage. This fear in the face of our large majority must arise from distrust of the Reformers themselves, which is groundless. This mistrust hasm grown out of unfortu nate personal recriminations between some of our influential Reformers. All danger can, and must be averted, by thorough organization of the Reform forces to secure their full strength in the Democratic election. Our real danger is from the passions andl prejudices which exist. A violent minority in the State makes a violent majority. TIhere are Reformers al readiy, who if they could, would not al low Conservatives to vote at the De mocratic primary. And there are Con servatives who would disfranchise the whole Reform party. It requires mor al courage for the Reformers to be just to the Conservatives and vice versa. Passion is supplanting reason. Mud slinging and pulling down one man to build up another is low politics, but It thrives whore passion rules and when sellishness supplants patriotism. This is evil and hurtful to both fac tions and dangerous for the State. It is leading in a short line to a split in the D~emocratic party. i.rejudice and passion are the tools ulsedl to defeat or rob the people. Tihe Reopublican party has lived upon sec tionial prej udica. In 1833 when South Carolina tried to nullfy the tarliff, the manufacturers of Newv England organized an aboltion so ciety and some years later flooded the South with insurrectionary pamphlets, like a thunder clap in a clear sky. It was done to stir up passion in the South and to divert the mind of the people of the United States from the tariff to elavery. War ensued and re sulted in transferring four thousand millions of slave Property to the North in the shape of United States bonds, a great city, town and corporation debt, which today are a mortgen upon all the products of labor, and by means of which the South and West are mulch ed of 700 millions annually in interest alone. Hence it is that the farmers who owned 80 per cent. of the property of the United States now own but 25 per cent. The whole teaching of the Alliance is to allay passion, and' destroy preju dice, sectional and local. And why? That reason and prejudice might assert their power, the measures may stand upon their merits, and men of sincerity administer the laws "with equal rights to all and especial privileges to none." I appeal to the whole people against this passion and preludice which threaten to invade the courts.the juries the schools, the colleges, the churches and the whole social machinery. I ap peal to the Reformers especially for harmony in our ranks. Shall men in. spired with ahigh purpose, who have worked together nobly for popular rights and political justice bring re proach and possible danger to the whole party by suspicions and recrim ination? We want unity in our ranks and peace and justice for the whole State. The principles of the Reform party are right. They will stand the test of all fair criticism. The goverment is as honestly administered as ever in the history of the State, and will continue to be as long as it continues to be in the hands of the white people, or any faction of them. But should we divide into two poli tical parties, they will surely in the end - appeal for negre votes and then cor- L ru ption and disgrace will follow. What are the Reformers contending for? To secure a fair consideration of all measures affecting the interests of the people, under agreement, that any or all measures, about which a differ ence of opinion might arise, shall be settled at the primary election. The object being to secure, without danger to honest government, free political ac tion and progress, such as is secured to States of homogeneous populations by two political parties. The farmers through the Alliance seek to establish a political status, as will of itself deve lop the best talent not only of their clase, but of the whole population, to aid .in averting further ruins from them, and to the)Republic itself. They want men of humanity and men of sin cerity. The first step to this end is to get out of the old ruts, get rid of prejudice and passion, and let men who aspire to public honors know they can't secure tbem by coquetting with a few convention managers, but by winning the contidence of the peo pie. We cannot go backwirds, influ ence by any supposed plan or device of the Conservatives. Neither fear of the opposites nor mistrust of our friends should deter us from doing right. I know that some of my friends say that I am too conservative, and perhaps they are right. I am more conserva tive as I grow older. I risk less in busi ness enterprises. While forty years' effort to reform myself has given me a larger charity for my fellow men. I may, therefore, be too conservative, but my whole, experience has taught me that rashness is folly, that passion is lunacy, that extremes are dangerous; and history shows that all great popular movemeats have come short of their aim, by passion, by the extremes to which they went and by the inordin ate ambition of men. The Conservatives, although with the advantage of a monopoly of politi cal experience and training, were:easi ly'defeated, because passion bereft them or reason, judgment and justice. Let it warn the Reformers. A convention oi the Colleton plan is right, not to make nominations but to lay down a platform on the lines on which we have been moving, organizes the Reform forc to secure their unity and full strength, and to devise some means of avoiding confusion in choosing elec tors at the Democratic primary. Or if possible to secure a direct primary, which in my judgment is the only safe ty for the Democratic party, and for the unity of the white race in the fui ture. Respectfully. J. E. TINDAL . ColumbialC0., Feb. 27, 1894. Gen. R. R. Rlemphilliand others. Gentlemen: Your esteemed favor of the 22d instant, inviting me to be with you and address a mass meeting of the citizens of Abbeville County on 5th (salesday) of March, did not reach meoun til yesterday. It would afford me great pleasure to be with you and address the good people of Abbeville upon State and national issues, but circumstances and oflciai duties compel me to forego the pleasure. With best wishes for you gentlemen, and the success of your meeting and of the Reform party of the State, I am. Sincerely yours. W. 11. ELLERBE. Bennettsville, 8. 0., Feb. 28, 1894. Mr. J. R. Blake, Abbeville, 8. C. Dear bir: Please express my many thanks to the committee of the Reform Democracy of your county for the kind invitation sent me to address the citi zens of Abbeville sent on the first Mon. day lin March. I regret very much thia I cannot accept the invitation, as there will be a mass meeting of Refor mers here on the same day and my pres ence will be expected. At some future day, whether in the capacity of a candidate for Governor or nothing, it will give me great pleasure to meet my fellow citizens of your county. Yours respectfully, W. D). EVANS. Timmerman, Edgefleld County, S. C., February 26. 1894. Messrs. John R. Blake, Rt. It. 11emp hill .John W. Morrah 1 .II. McCalla, .Johin E. Bradley, committee: Dear Sirs: Yours of the 22nd has been received, courteously inviting me to address a mass meeting of the Demo crats of Abbeville county at A bbeville C. H. saleaday in Marchi next, upon the national and State issues of the day. Whilst not an announced candidate for the high position for which my name has been suggested, I hope to be able to comply with your kind invitation. Apart from any consideratio'n of a po litical nature, 1 have for a long time desired to visit your progressive town and mingle with its cultivated citizen ship. Very respectfully, Your obedilent servant, W. HI. TIMMERMAN. IN Kingman, Klan., there is a local ordinance forbiding minors to appear on the street after 8 p. m. unless they can furnish a satisfactory excuse for so doing. It is rigidly enforced, too, and all the growing youths are up in arms abohtnit. Voorhees Scored. INDIANAPOLIS, March 3.-There is a surprise in local political circles over an open letter addressed to Senator Voorhees by William Li. Higgins, o Elvator D, in this city, in response to an inquiry by the senator, addressed to manufacturers, for information relative to tariff revision. Altogether 35 ques tions are presented in the Inqiry, but Mr. Higgins makes answer to but one, the seventeenth, which he claims that the main cause of the present depres sion is an over production of senatorial courtesy, "which has become a byword and reproach in every corner of the land and which has caused your once honor. able body, the senate, to be regarded as l, stumbling block in the way of advance. nent and reform, and which has caused % widesprcnd feeling that it should be tbolished, or in some way made respon fible to the people for Its acts. The dis egard which it has shown for the suf ering country, "continues Mr. Higgins, ,has ts only historic parallel in Nero ind his fiddle." Mr. Higgins argues hai the people have already returned his verdict, and all the senate should do a to give juigment without stopping to :all upon the beneficiaries of a vicious ax system for opinions. Mr. Higgins hen aseails Mr. Voohees personally, laying that he, Higgms, is un ible to reconcile his present .onduct with his speech at the jotton exposition at Atlanta, and hat the young Democracy of Indiana, o which the writer belongs, is demand ng that lie show a reason for leager ontinuance in office. "There are no onger any Democrats In Pennsylvania," aye Mr. Higgins, "and ii' you and your associates persist in your present con luct there will not be enough Damo rats in our next legislature to caucus or your nomination." What Mr. Iiug ,ins evidently wants is for the senate to lo something and to do it quick. A Peou liar Unse. SAN FRANCISCO, March 6.-Mrs. Jharlotte Perkins-Stetson ,has applied n Oakland for a divorce from Charles Walter Stetson, and it is said there is a romance back of it, a romance in which % woman surrenders her husband in or [ier that he may wed another, whom he loves. Mr. Stetson is an artist of P'rovi. dence, It. I. Ills wife is president of the Pacille Coast Women's Press ass'> clation and editor of their journal, The Impress. The third character in the romance is said to be Grace Ellory Channing, poet and writer, the daugh ter of Dr. Uhanning, the scientist. Five years ago Mr. and Mrs. Stetson resided at Pasadena, California. The Channings were their neighbors. The two women became fast friends, and thus Miss Channing often met Mr. Stetson. Mrs. Stetson, it is said, was first to diecover the regard her husband grew to have for Miss Channing, but her love for the man whose name she bore was undi minished. ele counselled with Miss Channiog and with her husband, and the result, it Is said, was an agreement that Is now being carried out. Upon his return to Providence, Rt. I., Mr. Stetson tapplied for divorce on the ground of desertion. Miss Channing went to Europe and Mrs, Stetson re moved to Qakland, where she became known through writing and public speaking. A year ago the Providence courts decided against Mr. Stetson, for the reason that there had been no estrangement between him and his wife. Mrs. Stetson is a grandniece of Henry Ward Beecher. A Ttlekster Trapped. BRtIDGEPORT, Conn. March 6.-In an swer to an ad ve:tisement addressea to "persons wishing to correspond either for pleasure or with a view to imatri mony" a large number of letters have been received by the "Bridgeport Mat rimonial agency, P. O. Blox 165." Tue agency answered inquiries by request ing $1 for corre'spondence, or $5 to "se cure the ideal partner." Maiden ladies rejoicedl and remitted promptly. Even suspicious old bachelors sent their V's. After giving up their mnonpy the anx ious ones heard nothing more there from. Miss Cora Crawford, an attract ive young woman who had been thus victimizted, set a trap for the rascal by means of a registered letter. TIhis was called for by .J. Frank Stanton, of' No. 415 Iranistan avenue. As "oon as Miss Crawford discovered who had receipted for hier letter, steps were taken to have Stanton arrested. ie is a travelling salesman for the Plumb 11ardware company. lie has left town. P'ost master Stewart has the names of many dlupes who claim that no bonailde list of names was sent them, as promised of persons willing to correspond or enter into matrimony, and that therefore the U'nited States mails have been used to trick them out of money. George WVil son sent three or four letters with re. mittances, and is outsp~oken over the loss of his money, time and emotional wear and tear. Box,165 has been 11110(1 daily with letters, and disappointment among would be lovers is supposed to be very general. A Coitly HIsa. iNEW YORK, March 6.-P~olicemarj Lynch, the Adonis of' the Mulberry street station, was twisting his mus tache at U r'and street and the Bowery, when lie saw a neatly diressed young woman tripping towards him. "P'lease Mr. Policeman," she said, "escort me across the street. I'm so afraid of being run over." Lynch, who is known for extremn politeness to the fair sex, gallantiy p~ro ceedhed to comply wIth herrequest. 'The young woman was so delighted with her protector that she thxrewv her arms around his neck. "Oh, you darling man." she squealed. "Ill kiss you!" and she did. "Pnew I" ejaculated the policeman as he drew back. "You've been drinking yes, you're drunk, and you've been fool ing me. I guess Ill take you in." She gave her name as Bridget King in the Tombs, and .Justice Taintor lined her $5 for (disorderly conduct. Saved Is Brother. S'r. PAUL, March 6.-John Ryan was convicted of highway robbery a few days ago and sentenced to the state prison for 10 years. Saturday morn ing Jerry Ryan, his brother, appeared in court and announced himself as the real culprit, said lie could prove his case and offered to plead guilty. It seems that the brothers had arranged that the innocent one should be ac cused, intending in the event of convic tion to prove this, the real culprit mean while esceping. .dut John was so securely nete that the plan was abandoned. A DUEL IN MISSISSIPPI. NOT ACCORDING TO THE CODE. BUT MORE DEADLY. Populis litEitor and Ioittician Itaittliye K tiled Iopre3entetive. Jtck-snI a Demio crat-one noystander nt Iliad and A nother WoUndoll, NEW'% ORLEANs,, March 3.-The V~ic ayuue's Kosciusko, Miss., special says: One of the saddest and most lamen. table events known in the history of Kosciusko occured here today. The noble, honorable and genorous Samuel A. Jackson Is dead, the result of a loadly duel with pistols with W. P. Itatliffe: also two outsiders, S.Amuel ituasel and Will Sanders, young men living a few miles from the city, were hitt by the leaden messengens of death. The former was shot in the mouth and killed instantly, and the latter shot through the thigh and it is though mortally wounded The town is nat urally in a whirl ot excitement, and well it may be. it all came out of a newspaper pub ication in RIttlife's piper, claiming that Jackson, while at the last meet lg of the Legislature, voted for a. Populist in acommittee caucus of Dem :>crats. Mr. Jackson claimed that Rat lIff e miseepresented him. When last week's Star came out with a card sign ed by Jackson, applying an epithet to Ratliffe, the friends of both men nat Lirallyffelt very uneasy lest an encount 3r would take place between the two, ind some advances were made to re 3oncile the controversy p6nding, by rrtends of both men; but it is a lamen ;able fact that it was not continued, mnd now as a result of the negigence >f the p3acC-makers or the obstinacy :s the principals, two men lie cold in 1eath, one mortally wounded and one behind prison bars, and a family and Friends stricken with grief that knows no consolation. The particulars of tWe deadly encoun Ler was gathered by your correspond ent, are as follows: Today about noon Messrs. Jackson and Ratliffe met on the lower floor of the court house, and just in front ol' the sherill's oflice, where )eputy Sheritl Wallace was auc tioning ol some goods. As soon as the two men saw each other, a flght ensued, in which ItatlifTe got Jackson down on the lloor. The crowd that had gathered at the auction interfered and pulled Raitliffe away, and as Jaskson arose to his feet, two shots rang out, one, it is thought, from Jackson, one from Itatlilte, without effect. Before the men had time to fire again, Sheriff Love and his two deputies caught Rit. lifif and ushered him out at the south entrance of the court house and were taking him across the yard when J ackson came out a west entrance and going around the corner of the build ing, came upon the party with Itatliffe and then again the duel to I lie death began, each firing about three shots one of which hit Jackson in the head, killing him instantly and two other shots, it is supposed, from Rtatliffe's pistol, killing John Russell and wound ing Sanders. The principals of the affair were two of the best known men in this places. Mr. INtliffe was editor of the Alliance Vindicator, leader of the Populist. party in this section, and representing the county in the Legislature, and the opponent of lon. J. S. Williams at the last election for Congress, and needs no further introduction. Ile is well known all over the State. The more unfortunate Mr. Jackson was one of the best known and most popular business men of Kosciusko. A short time ago he at tenderi the best law school in the land, came away in every way litted to inter the profession, and was a few months ago elected to represent this county In the State Legislature, defeating a Populist by a good majority. Ils death is rendheredl more peculiarly sad by his leaving a loving wife and four little children to suifer the loss of a kind and affectionate father's protection and care. Htankc Trouon to the Party. NnEW Yoasw, March 3.-One of' the Unzitedl States Senators from New York, who reqjuestedl that his name be not used( in connfection with the matter, has statedl that the anury words 01 Senator Voorhees in the Damocratic caucus a few (lays ago, whmen he accused certain D)emocratlc Se'naltors with having formed a combination to (deet the Wilson bill, was literally true. You may assert, he said, that it is a fact that ten D)emocratic Umated States Senators have signed an agreement to oppose the Wilson bill, so long as atny one of the ten Is dissatisfied with thbo provisions of the bill, or till changes to the satIsfaction 01 all ten are made~l. Tihme Senator from whom this in. formation comes is one ol the teni sign. era of the agreement, it need1 hardly be sl ated that such a condition of affairs in tihe Senate would mean almost certain defeat o1 the bill, unless coal, iron, sugar, wool, collars anid culf and a numi ber of other items of the bill, over which a lively contest was waged in the House, are restored to a protective tariff basis. A lUlend's Act. MONT1OOMERiY, Ala., March 2.-.A special to the Advertiser from Suspen sion, Ala . says: Mr. A. D. Corey, the railroad agent at this place, was assult ed with a hatchet in the hands of some unknown ilend this morning about ?1 o'clock. lie was terrigly beaten about the head andl lace, and then to make sure of his work the brute pushed his face and arms into the fire, which was in in his oillce, and he was,badly burned lie has not been conscious since, and the chances are against his recovery. Mir. Corey is an old bachelor between lifty and sIxty years of age, and of one of the best families li tne State. lie has always been an inoffensive main and we are at a loss to account for this terrible assault upon him. A negro has been arrested under suspicion. nilown to Atoms. PuIILA intrr A, March 2.-A terrifIc explosion occurred in the waste separ atinig building of' the Rtepuano Cjhenmi cal 'Jompany at Glibbatown, N. J., this morning. T1he force of tihe shock was so great that it wa< felt in tow ns fiftreen milcs away. Fortunately there was only one man it the building at the time the explosion occurred. Levi Ivins, One of' the workmen, was biowvn to atoms. The separating build ing wvas destroyed, and the'surrounding strucires wore damaged.