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ARE THESE BRIBES ? UNHEARD OP STATE OF AFFAIRS IN WASHING? TON. Special Correspondence Washington, Jan 12-Three re cent events in Washington have taken away the breath of the states men whose political memories go back to the days before the Hanna ideas of politics came into vogue Possibly they both appear significant merely throngh an incidental coiuci dence, bm, if so, it reflects nearly as mach on the tact and common sense of the administration as it refects on its sense of decency if they arose throngh design. They are the nomination of James S Harlan of l?linos. eon of Justice Harlan of the supreme court, to be attorney general of Porto Rico ; the sudden and unwarranted promotion of Capt F. B. McKenna, son of Justice Mc Kenna of the supreme court, to a fat staff position and with higher rank ; and the urging of a bill by the administration spokesmen in congress to raise the salaries of the justices of tee supreme court by about 50 per ceat. At aa ordinary time, of course, seither of these facts woutd excite any comment other than favorable. Bat the present is not any ordinary time The great colonial cases now pending in the supreme eourt if decided one way, will bring honor and credit on the practices and judgment of the president and bis advisers ; if decided the other way, they will bring the Republican party te the verge of ruin, compelling it to reverse all it has done and revoke ali its conduct toward the island posses? sions and admit that it violated the constitution and the laws. ? such a moment, to offer what might easily be construed as bribes to the mem? bers of the court is either a colossal piece of insolence or else a piece of unheard of lack of tact and sense The universal respect with which Justices Harlan and McKenna are regarded by the American people, and the absolute confidence they bave in their integrity, have prevent? ed open press criticism which would surely have been incisive and vigor? ous under other circumstances Probably no one for a moment thinks of connecting the personality of the two great jurists with the matter. It is evident on the face of things that tiey have been thoughtlessly placed is a position of embarrassment by the president, whose past reputation 1er tact and delicacy renders bis conduct in this connection truly surprising to the country. How Mr McKinley could fail to realize that the appoinment of the eons of the supreme court justices to high places, while the case of the administration against the constitu? tion of the United States was before that august tribunal, would excite criticism and resentment, it is diffi? cult to understand The public know that the struggle is a desperate one to obtain a construction of ocr organic law, which, if given, wocld destroy the constitution as the broad sad sole base of government, and lay the territories open to a system of executive absolutism President McKinley could sot be oblivious to this widespread opinion. Knowing it to exist, it appears stange that he should permit himself to do anything which might justify a suspicion, no matter how unwarranted, that he would, or as an honest officer could, attempt to influence the judgment or decision of the supreme ooort, or of any ef its members. Further, the move by agents of the administration in Congress to pass tue proposed bill to increase the salary of Supreme Court Justices to fifteen thousand dollars a year, before a decision in the Porto Rican and Philippine eases can be banded down, is even more amazing. Never has anything more calculated to injure the highest tribunal in the land m the eyes of the people been conceiv? ed in American history. It ie not that suyoue would think for a moment that the proposed beneficiaries had the remotest connection with the project-the purity of our greatest bench is not, never has been, and probably never will te open to the slightest question. But th? inevit? able deduction will be that the ad? ministration and its trosted allies believe that patronage and emolu? ment might bright a result in the constitutional cases at issue other than that which would be dictated by sound reasooiDg, aod a just construe tioo of our fundamental law These acts become ail the more scandalous when it is re-caiied that skillful observers of the cases now in the court believe that that body ie divided 5 to 4 against the govern ment's contention in regard to the colonies C. M. -^mmm>~ .??.-?HM Brave Men Fall Victims to stomach, liver and kidney trou? bles as wei! as women, and all feel the results in loss of appetite, poisons in the bl"cd. back ?hce, nervousness, headache and tired, listle&s run-down feenng. Bat there's no need to feel Cke that. Listen to J. W. Gardner,' Idavil?e. Sod. ile says: "KV-?tric Bitters nra just tho thing for ? man when be is all run down, aod don't eare whether he lires or dies. It did more to give me new strength and good appe tite than anything 1 could take. I can now .at anything and have a now tease on life.' Only 60 cents at J. F. W. DeLorme'a Drag Start. Every bottle guaranteed, 3 This May Not Be True. Lord Kitchener Reports a Vile Act of the Enemy. London, Jan 13 -The war cffiee bas received the following dispatch from Lord Kitchener : '.Pretoria, Sanday. Jan 13. "About 1,400 Boers crossed thc line, attacking both Zuurfontein aod Kaal fontein stations, bot were driven oST. They were being pnrsaed by a cavalry brigade.** Lord Kitchener reports also several skirmishes at different points, with trifling British losses, and adds : "Three agents of the peace commit? tee were taken as prisoners to DaWet's laager near Liodley, Jao 10. One. was a British subject, was flogged and theo shot. The other two, burghers, were flogged by DeWet's orders v INDIGNATION IN LONDON. London. Jan 14, 4 30 a. m.-The brief report of the fate of the three members of the peaoe committee who were tent to see Gen De Wet excites the deepest indignation on all sides. Ooe or two papers express a hope thts Lord Kitchener has been mislead by false Kaffir reports ; bot it is generally felt that be would not bavs reported the matter to the war office without undoubted evidenoe. The Daily Mail heads the report with the word ''murder1' and disclaims aay further attempt to coax the enemy into submission. "PsWet has plaoed him? self outside the pale of humanity.*' says The Daily Mail "aod oot proclamations but large reen forceas en te most be oar wat ch ord.'* The Morning Post says: "This marks the poiot where the guerrilla phase ends aod the bandit phase begins.'* All the papers appeal stroDgly to the government to hurry forward reeoforee ments, since it is evident that the Boer leaders have now become desperate and conciliation is quite useless. The Pretoria correspondent of The Daily Mail anoouoces the return to Pretoria of Mr Pretorias, a former President of the late South African republic, from a futile endeavor to per? suade the Boer leaders to surrender. Details of the attaok upon Kaalfon teio aod Zuarfooteio, stations show that there were only small garrisons of about 125 men at each station. The British bad excellant trenches which enabled them to withstand the attacks until the Boers, having ascertained thit reeoforeemeots were coming to the garrisons, retired. At Zuurfooteio a party of Boers in khaki succeeded io capturing a British patrol of eight men whom they subsequently liberated. The railway and telegraph lines will be speedily ereoted. No further news has been received regarding the invasion of Cape Colony. Sir Alfred Miloer writes to a corres? pondent ia England, sayiog : ' It will be useless for me to notice the whole? sale lies that are spread about concerning me. If I attempted to do so, I would have no tiaae for anything else.'* THE ATTACK DESCRIBED. Pretoria, Saturday, Jan 12 -Tbe Boers cut the wires between Ireoo and Olifaotsfooteio stations last oigbt Early this morning 800 Boers, under Commandant Beyer, invested Kaalfoo teio atatioo. A bot rifle ire and shell fire, with two field pieces aod a Maxim, waa maiotained for six hours. AD armored train aod reenforce? ment* ware soot from Pretoria bat before they bad arrived apon the seeoe the garrison bad driveo off the Boers, who retired unmolested with a transport traio half a aile locg The Boers blew up the Hoe bey oed Kaalfooteic, ?ompeliiof the mail traio to retoro bera. It is supposed their object was to obtain sapplies, a great quaotity of which is stared at Kaalfonteio The British had DO casualties. Oar New Possessions. It is said that the supreme court ts divided on the question whether the ''Constitution follows the fUg" io distant possessions. Calbouo and Webster differed in maoy things, including their theories of State's rights, bat on ooe thing they were ever agreed Says Calbouo : "It is oar policy to increase by grow ing and spreading out into unoccupied territory ar.d regions, assimilating ail we incorporate ; to increase by acere tion and net throngh oonqueet aod addition of masses held together by the cobsMvc power of force.'* Mr Webster, regarded in the North as the great "expounder of theconstitu tion," express the same idea thus: "Arbitrary governments may have distant posseirStOGS, because arbitrary governments may rule by different laws and different systems. Russia may rule ber provinces by different codes We oas do such thing They must be part of us. oise strangers." Very few persons ever supDosed that the supreme oourt would be unanimous io its deoisioo of the great eocstitu tional question it has DOW ander consideration. We do not recall aoy iostanoe io which the supreme court bas agreed on any question involving tbe interpreta tioo of -tbe coostitution.-Atlanta Jooroal." Cuba is Independent. Supreme Court Benders Im portant Decision in Neely Case. Washington, Jan 14 -The United States supreme court today announc ed its decision io the case of C. F W Neely of Indiana, charged with embezzlement of the public fonds oi Cuba while weting as financial agent of the department of pests of that island, holding that Neely is subject to extradition and must be surrender? ed to the Cuban authorities. The court held that Cuba ie foreign territory, our only purpose in the war with Spain beiog to free the Cubans from Spanish dominion. The decision was based upon the act of June 6, 1900, which act was held to be constitutional Justice Harlan handed down the court's opinion, which was unani? mous An order was issued requir? ing that the mandate in the case be issued at once The opinion embraced a complete review of the case. Justice Harlan said that there was no dispute that on the 6th of June, 1900, when the act under which this proceeding is brought became a law Coba was "under the control of the United States," and "occupied by this gov ernment " The court said the question of Cuba's status was not difficult of solution and cited successive steps in and affecting the case It said : '-The facts above detailed make it clear that Coba is foreign territory within the meaning of the act of June 6, 1900. It cannot be regarded by any constitutional, legal or inter national sense, a part of the territory of the United States While by the act of April 25, 1898, declaring war between this country and Spain, the president was directed and empower ed to ese our entire land and naval forces as well as the militia of the several states to such extent as was necessary to carry the act into effect, that authorization was not for the purpose of making Coba an integral part of the United States, but for the purpose only of compelling the re linquisbment by Spain of its anthon' ty sod government in that island and the withdrawal of Us forces from Cuba and Cuban waters The legis lative and executive branches of the government by the joint resolution of April 20. 1898, expressly disclaimed any purpose to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction or control over (Juba, "except for the pacification thereof," and asserted the determination of the United States, that object being ac? complished, to leave the government and control of Coba to its own people All that bas been done in relation to Cuba bas bad that end in view and so far as the court is informed by the public history of the relations of this country with that island, nothing bas been done incon sistent with the declared object of the war with Spain "Cuba is none the lesa foreign territory within the meaning of the act of congress, because it is under a military governor appointed by and representing the president in th* work of assisting the inhabitants of that island to establish a government of their own under which, as a free and independent people, they may centrol their own affairs without in terference by other nations The occupancy of the island by troops of the United States was the necessary | result of tbs war That result could not have been avoided by the United States consistently with the prin ciples of international law or with its obligations to the people of Cuba. It is true that aa between Spain and the United 8tates-indeed, as be tween the United States and all for? eign natiocB-Cuba, upon the cassa? tion of hostilities with Spain, and after the treaty of Paris, was to be treated as if it were acquired terri* tory But as between the United States and Cuba that island is terri? tory held in trust for the inhabitants of Coba to whom it rightfully belongs and to whose exclosive control it will be surrendered when a stable government shall have bevn estab? lished by their voluntary action "Wheo the United States required and enforced the relinquishment by Spain of her sovereignty in Coba and determined to occupy and control the island until there was complete traoquility io all ita bordera and until the people of Cuba had created for themselves a stable government, it socceeded to the authority of thc dis? placed government so far at li3.?-t that it became ite duty auder international law ! and pending thf pacification of thc j i=iaud to protect tn al: appropriate lo^bl ; mode* thu lives, thc- liberty and tit* property of ail those who submitted to the authority of the reprc.*eo:sttves o? this country That duty wan recognized io the treaty of Paris and the ac: of Jane 6, 1900, so far as it applied to oases arising in Cuba, wa- io aid of that treaty and in discharge of its obligations. The power of congress to make all laws necessary at:d proper for carrying into exeou(ion as ?ell tho powers enumerated io section 8 of article 1 of the constitutive, aa all others Teated to tho government of the United States or io any departmeot or the officers thereof, ioolndes the power to eoaet snob legislation aa is appro? priate lo give effioaoy to any stipula? tions which it is oompeUBt for the pr?sident by and with the advice aod consent of the senate to insert in a treaty with a foreign power No crime is mentioned in tbe extradition act of Jone 6, 1900, that does not have some relation to tbe safety of life and prop erty. And the provision of that act requiring the surrender of any public officer, employe or depositary Seeiog to tb6 United States after haring com? mitted, in a foreign eouotrv or territory occupied or controlled by or nader tbe I oootrol of tbe Uoited States, the crime j of embezzlement or criminal malversa ! tion of tbe public funds have epeoial application to Cuba in its present relations to ibis country.'* Tbe court declined, Justice Harlan stated, to enter upon tbe question as to what the obligations of the Uoited States would have been in the matter of protecting life and property io Cuba if not required to do so by tbe obliga tions of the treaty of Paris The contention that the United States recog? nized the existence of an established government known, as tbe republic of Cuba, but is now using its military or executive power to displace or over? throw it, is without merit. The declaration by ooogress that the people of Cuba were of right and ought to be free and independent was iotended only to express the thought that the Cubans were entitled to enjoy-as stated by the president's message-tbat "measure of self-control whiob is the inalienable right of mao, protected in tbeir right to reap the benefit of the exbaonless treasure of their oountry." * * * "From tbe beginning to tbe end of the war the supreme authority io all military operations in Cuba aod in Cu* ban waters against Spain wan witb the Uoited States and those operations were not in any sense under tho control or direction of troops commanded by Cu bin officers " The final conclusion of tbs court was announced as follows : "The aot of June 6th. 1900, is not in violation of thu constitution of tbe Uoited States and this case oomes with io the provisions of that act The court below baviog found that there was probable cause to believe the appellant guilty of the offense charged, the order for hts extradition was proper aod no ground existed for his discharge on habeas corpus. "The judgment of the circuit eourt is, therefore, affirmed '" Success of the Dispensary. Columbia, January 12-Chairman Williams, as the committee of erne designated for that purpose, has com pleted the annual report of the State board of dispensary directors to the General Assembly, through the Gov eruor. It is as follows : To His Excellency, M B Mc Sweeney. Governor of South Caro? lina: We are pleased to have the honor to submit to you, and tbroogh you to the General Assembly, our re port of the financial transactions of the dispensary for tbe fiscal year commencing January 1, 1899, and ending November 30, 1900, a period covering eleven months You will see, by examination of the data hereto attached, that our total purchases amounted to $1.460, 236 78, and that our total gross sales for the eleven months were $2,421,* 340 22 The total net profits to the State on account of the school fund are $176,012 18 The total net profits to the counties and towns are $298, 166 28, making a total net profit to the towns, counties and school fund, $474,178 46. The latest Dispensary A ci, ap proved February 19, 1900. made our fiscal year close on November 30. which makes it necessary that this report only covers eleven months ; but should we consider December also, and reckon a whole year, you will find that the total net earnings are, for twelve months, $566.868 79, which is an increase over last year's profits of $152 686 95. We do not attribute thia pheno menai increase in earnings to any increase in consumption of liquors, but think that a better feeling to? wards the dispensary law has turned the trade to the dispensaries Re spectfully submitted. L J Wiliiams, Chairman, A F H Dukes, H H. Evans, Board of Directors. The members cf the board feel tbat in the showing above made they have touch cause for congratulation, inasmuch as Senator Tillman, at the time of the inception of the institu? tion, enthusiastically predicted that the net profits would aggregate $500. 000 annually, whereas the profits for the past year, as will be seen above, amount to the sum of $566,868.79 Lynching in Barnwell. Blackville, Jan 14.-About 10.30 o'uicos this morning nows was received of un outrage of the u.^ual kind about nix miles from this place near Elko Tho negro entered the house and attempted to ravish thc wife of Mr Melvin Hair The negro, Charles Lang, wae e&ogbt this evening about three miles from Blackville aod carried back to tbe socoe of his crime. Upon bsing ooo ooofrooted by his victim he confessed to having committed the deed Thc party of moo which bad bim io charge immediately carried bim a short way from thc house and, after swinging him up to a tree, riddled his body with bullets. The General Assembly. SHORT SESSION OP THE HOUSE SATURDAY. Colombia, Jan 13 -Tho boase was io eesaioo 3'eeterday only a short time, adjourning at ll o'clock to meet at 12 o'clock Monday. Tbe only bills of importance intro dueed were : By Mr Ffird A bill propo?ing an amend m 20!. to the constitution prcvid ieg fer biennial pessioos of the legis? lature Tbe biii anthoriz39 the subject to ?c sabaiitted to tbs totea at the next general election. By the Aiken Delegation. To regu? late the employaaeat of children io factories Colombia, Jan 14 -The senate met at 8 o'clock p. m. and was in session only a balf hoar A concurrent resolotiao offered by Senator Dian directing tbe committee on privileges and elections of the two houses to consider the matter of relo? cating the congressional districts of thc State and report by bili or otherwise was adopted. Several new bills of BO particular ira por tao cd were introduced. THE HOUiE. The boose of representatives met early todi.y aad got through with its j work befoie the di?oer hoer. To jad?o from thc comber of bills introduced today there will be oo let op tn (he work until the speaker's gavel falls for final adjournment. There ?as a perfect Ivalanche of aew measures The disposition seems to be to have special committee take hold of the larger questions and report baok soch bills as may be necessary. Soch a course baa already beeo adopted as to j the satanes of county cfBces, as to ali Iaw9 as to roads, bridges and lorries, as to the ??h and game laws and other mattera. Mr Tbos ? Mcleod was appointed to reprenant Somter Coooty on the committee oo laws relating to roads, bridges, etc Two hundred bushels of po? tatoes remove eighty* pounds ^ of "actual Potash from the Wk soil. Unless this quantity is returned to the soil, the following crop will materially decrease. . We bave books telling ?boat composition, use a=d value of fertilizers for various crops. Tbey are seat free. GERMAN KALI WORKS, 93 Nassau St., New York. PARKER RYE NONE NONE PURER, ?P BETTER. 'DVSPENSARIES. SASH ! - DOORS! BLINDS ! ETC. I am agent for a reli? able Sash, Door and Blind Factory in the State, and am prepar? ed to fill such orders with promptness and dispatch. mm You can save money by giving me your or? ders. Respectfully, A. D. HARBY. Leave all orders at H. Har by's Stable. Dec 12-3oa. Mrs. L. Atkinson MILLINERY. She has tbe largest and finest collection ebe bas ever exhibited, including scores of rieb novelties ia Imported Rouod Hals, Toques aod Bonnets, as well as a choice va? riety of bendsoma designs from ter work? room. Tte assortment is large enough and varied enough to iceure a perfect choice to every one, while tbe prices will be found more tbac attractive. IQ the Untrimmed Hat Department we are showing a meit extensive assotimeDt cf the newest ?od best erjapee and colors-at rea? sonable prices, la thia departmeot we are shoeing a particularly attractive assortment of Heady-to-Wear Torbans and Tcqces in Veltets, Felts, Panse Velvets and Tucked Silkl?. A choice variety of Children's Trims ed Hate, for school and dress wear, at moderate prices. 0?:t 3 CONSPICUOUS BEAUTY. Without tbe least touch of vulgarity, is n feature of every model io oar display of Trimmed Hats Many novelties are shown in mate? rial, ornament, shape aod mode of trimming. We offer a line of Hats which are both beautiful iu conception and de? velopment and rich in material. They cannot be duplicated at the money. Miss McDonald. FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF SUMTER, STATE? CITY AND COUNTY DE? POSITOR SUMTER, S. C. Fud up Capital.$ 75,00t? OC S arpies and Profits . - . . 25,000 00 Additional Liability of Stock* holders in excess of their stock. 75,000 0C Total protection to depositors, $175.000 OG Transacts a General Banking Business. Special attention given to collections. ?8A VINGS DEPARTMENT. Deposits of $1 and upwards received. Ia tureat allowed at tbe rate ot' 4 per ceot. per annum, on amounts above $5 and not exceed? ing $300, payable quarterly, on first days of January. April, Joly and October. R M. WALLACE, L. S. CAUSON, President. Caahisr. A. TlXfflMFOR 1901. OFFICE OF COUSTY AUDITOR, SUMTER COUKTT, SO?T?B, 6. C., Nov 21,19#t. Notice ia hereby given tbat I will attend, in person or by deputy, at the following places on tbe days indicated respectively, for the purpose of receiving returns of personal property sad poll uzea for the fiscal year, coaanacacing Jan? uary 1st, 1901. < At effie?. Sumter, S. C.. at alt other time? op CO Fet. 20th, 1901, ioctoiive. Tindall'a Store, Wednesday, Jan? uary 2 Privateer (Jenkins' Store), Thurs? day, January 3 Manchester (Geo T. Gedding'*), Friday, January 4 Wedgefield, Saturday, January 5. Stateburg, Monday, January 7. H ago od, Tuesday, January 8 Rembert, Wednesday, January 9. Smithville, Thursday, January 1&. Gaillard'? X Roads, Friday, Janu? ary ll Gordon's Mill, Saturday, January 12 Majesviile, Monday, January 14 Scottaville, Tuesday, January, 15. Shiloh, Wednesday, January 16. Norwood's X Roads, Thursday, January 17 Lynchburg. Friday, January 18. Magnolia, Saturday, January 19. Reid's Mill, Monday, January 21. Bishopville, Tuesday and Wednes? day, January 22 and 23 Mannville, Thursday, January 24 Bossards, Friday, January 25. The IHW requires that all persons owniag property <>r tn anywise having ?harge of such property, either JS agent, husband, guardias, trustee, executor, administrator, et*., retura the same under oath to the Auditor, who re? quests all persons to he prompt in makin * their returns ana save the ?0 per cent, penalty which will ha added to :he property valuation of a?? persons who fail to make r?-turn* within the time prescribed by ?aw. Taxpayers return what they own on the ?rs? day ot .January 1901. Assessorsand taxpayers wi!! enter the ?r?r given name of the taxpayer in full, also make :? separate return for each township where the property is located and also in each and every ease the Number of the school district must be give?. Every male citiseu between the age of twen? ty one and sixty years on the fir>t day of Jan? uary. 1901, except those incapable of earning a support from being maimed or from other causes, are deemed taxable polls, and except Confederate moldier* of years of age, on Janu? ary lat, 19C1. Ail returns must be made on or before the 20th day of February, next. I cannot take returns after tbat date and all retorna sade after the 2Stb day of February are subject tc a penalty of ;?r> per cent J. DIGGS WILDER, Auditor Sumter Coaoty. Nov 21.