University of South Carolina Libraries
THE SUMTER WATCHMAN, Established April, 1S50. 'Be Just and Fear not-Let all the ends Thou Aimst at be thy Country's, Thy God's and Truth's/' THE TRUE SOUTHRON, Established June, 1S6? Consolidated Aug. 29 1881. SUMTER S. G.. WEDNESDAY, JULY 4. 1906. New Series-YoL XXY. So 50 Published Every Wednesday, -BY OSTEEN PUBLISHING COMPANY, a SUMTER, S. C. Terms: $1.50 per annum-in advance. Advertisements: One Square first insertion.$1.50 Every subsequent insertion.50 Contracts for three months, or longer will be made at reduced rates. All communications which sub serve private interests wiU be charged for as advertisements. \ \ ?j Obituaries and tributes *of respects will be charged for. MONEY IN tALCOHOL. Mr. C. Fitzshnmons, General Manager of the Southern Oil Company, hr~* Points Out the Great Opportuni? ties Open to South Carolina Farm r ere-Some Valuable Information on the Subject To \he Editor of The News and Cou? rier: Please let me thank you for ??| your courteous editorial notice of the proceedings of our late convention ; here, and my remarks on the subject, of denatured alcohol. There is an excellent article in the i Manufacturers' Record of June 7 on the relation of cotton oil mills toe the y manufacture of denatured alcohol. Th^re is a most excellent article by Joseph Danna Miller in Moody's Fi / nancial Magazine, New York, for the month of May, on the same subject. Mr. Miller shows in his article that the United States department of agri? culture reported long ago that alco ^ hoi testing 94 per cent could be sold profitably for 15 centg per gallon. He goefe on to say: "We know that fuel alcohol is sold in Germany for 15 cents a "^gallon, and that an alcohol lamp, which "costs in Berlin' from $1.50^'o $2.50, gives a thirty-candle ? : hour; 100,000,000 gallons of alcohol are consumed in Germany in the arts and industries prior to the imposition of taxes upon the product, and but 10 per cent after the tax was imposed, v The removal of "he tax on alcohol I used in the arts and industries would furnish employment for thousads of workingmen and millions of capital. The farmer would benefit enormous? ly, since cheap alcohol would result in increasing the demand for the raw materials out of which alcohol is pro W duced-for example, damaged corn,' otherwise unmarketable-and at the same time supply him with cheaper power for his threshing and dairy ma? chines. When any of the farmers' pro? ducts fell below the normal price-as in some years when it is cheaper to ' burn corn than coal for fuel-such products could be converted into alco? hol; thus supplying the farmer with revenue from aN source always re? maining open. Two hundred million additional gallons of alcohol-which is not an extravagant estimate of the increase of consumption that the re? moval of the tax would cause-would create a demand for 60,000,000 bush? els of corn or other farm product." The tax is now removed and I have taken the liberty to go further in the subject with you, because of the inter? esting^ report in your paper of- yester? day by the government officials in.re? gard to draining our coast lands. I happen to know that gasoline engines are being used extensively through? out the Middle West and in the South? west, for threshing wheat * nd oats in the West, and rice in Louisiana and Mississippi. As stated the "denatured" alcohol is sold in Germany for 15 cents per .gallon retail, it is sold at from 12 to 15 cents in Cuba, and it takes the place of gasoline for such commercial purposes as automobiles, farm pumping machines, threshing machines, ginneries etc. With the manufacture of "denatured" alcohol in this country the cost of draining our rice lands along our rivers hy pumping plants would'not only be practicable, but we would not be burdened with the question of handling coal and wood, which would absorb a great deal cf labor, which we need for other purposes on the plantations. C. Fitzsimmons, General Manager. Washington, D. C., ' July 2.-By direction of the president. Secretary Wilson, of the Agricultural Depart? ment, today ' issued an official state? ment concerning the new system o? meat inspection to be immediately put into effect in accordance with the law passed by Congress last week. The statement is intended to restore pub? lic confidence at home and abroad in j regard to meat products of American j packing institutions. The congregation of St. Joseph's Catholic Church at Anderson will erect a new church building to cost s:o,ooo. i EDGEFIELD FOR MANNING. SENATOR MAXXIXG ENTHUSIAS? TICALLY CHEERED BY THE CROWD. A. C. Jones Says His Life Has Been Tlrreatened-Edwards Jumps on the Southern-Oilier Speakers and Incidents. Edgefield, S. C., June 28.-About ZOG persons, one-sixth of whom were ladies, assembled here today to hear the campaigners. mty Chairman T. H. Rainsford presided. Gubernatorial Candidate Blease opened with the remarks that he ex? pected Mr. Manning -would receive a handsome vote in Edgefield, as he had nominated the brilliant Sheppard of Edgefield, for governor along with the gallant Orr in the nominating con? vention of 1892. The dispensary is my religion, politics and platform, he said. In communities where there is so-called prohibition, blind ' tigers are convicted in mayor's court week after week. The serpent can't be killed, the best thing is to take' Charge of him and control him. The dispensary has no drummers, no pictures of nude% wo? men on the walls, no poker tablets to rob and debauch men. He urged his prohibition friends to think seriously of overturning the dispensary in fa I - ' V vor of something that would bring on hip pocket sales by negroes. Prohibitionist Candidate Brunsoh was applauded. He said Mr. Jones represents a combination of prohibi? tion, dispensary and high license. Mr. Jones had either trimmed his sails to catch every breeze or he lacks mental grasp to reach a conclusion or having reached a conclusion lacks moral sta? mina, to advocate it. He said Mr. Ansel was a prohibitionist at heart and it was har\l for him to see how Ansel could square his morals with the ad? vocacy of questions that are diametri? cally opposed. Mr. Manning is for purifying the dispensary, but offered no safeguard from doing as they have been. Mr. Manning is a remarkably clean man, but he advocated' a system which if he is elected will give him appointment of those who are to buy liquor. Candidate Edwards came to con? demn the evils afflicting the govern? ment. The most important duty of th? governor is to bring the law to bear on the lawless Southern railway. It is the largest sinner and lawbreaker in the land and it seems as if he is the only man who has the grit to stand up against it. Mr. A. C. Jones said he initiated the movement that formed law and order leagues and secured the passage of the Brice law. If the legislature didn't wipe out the State dispensary next year they would never have another opportunity. The system of county dispensaries is just as objectionable as a state system. He said Mr. Blease does not represent Newberry on the li? quor question and ought to resign his seat in the senate so that Newberry's voice can be Leard. Since he had tak? en up this work his life had been threatened and his store draped in mourning, but they could not fright? en him. Mr. Manning was greeted with ap? plause. He was glad education is no longer an issue in South Carolina, but he thought it a question for discus? sion always. If elected governor ev? en- energy would be expended in a firm and just administration of the law. The only objections raised against the dispensary law* are suspicious of wrong doing and belief among prohi? bitionists that it increases the sale of liquor. People should not be swept off their feet. It is a strong tempta? tion to swim with the tide, but he considered the only proper position to take is to consider it as a business .proposition calmly and without preju? dice. Mr. Ansel's urbanity leads him to say he favors county prohibition or county dispensary. This is an exceed? ingly pleasant and unanimous position, said Mr. Manning, and I apprehend that if Mr. Ansel is elected that the same urbanity and unanimity of feel? ing will make him feel satisfied .to let everybody do as he pleases, so that we would have a state of confusion and lawlessness. Addressing Mr. Ansef, Mr. Manning said: "I ask him to state whether he advises the adoption of prohibiton' or whether he advises county dispen? saries, and when he answers which, I will reply to him." Mr. McMahan wished that a true j campaign for better things could be inaugurated in, South Carolina so that candidates should not be restricted to the little question of liquor when there are so many better questions. He is opposed to Ansel's county dispensary plan, because he believed in ultimately eradicating liquor. He sympathized with the experiment of prohibition. He would not perpetuate such shame as ha'3 been uncovered in the State dis? pensary, but he is opposed to abolish? ing; the institution. This corrup? tion .forms a shame on our his? tory and if we abandon the dispensary as hopeless we will have a dark spot on our history for our children. We would thus say to the world we are unable to expiate rotten ness and corruption and that to save ourselves we must turn away. He be- 1 lieved the State should demonstrate thi.t we can find honest men to con? duct this great business. He is op ! posed to the humbug of local self-gov err.ment as talked these days. It is a demogogic theory to boil everything down to county or town control. The pride of South Carolina will not con? sent to abolish it. Mr. Sloan was for the Stete dispen? sary.- He criticised Mr. Ansel for trying to ride two horse at once, one the white horse of prohibition, the otfcera bay called Rye, and unless he gets off one he will break his political neck. The time havs? come when men mt: st declare unequivocally whether they are for or against the dispensary or prohibition. I ask him to tell me where he stands. One breath, he bk ws prohibition and in* another dis? pensary. Col. Sloan was proud he had voted for Tillman for senator. He detailed his efforts in behalf of the Citadel, Clemson, Winthrop and So ith Carolina college. Mr. Ansel said as solicitor .of his cir? cuit he had stood twelve years foi* law and order. He thought he had ms.de himself plain on the liquor ques? tion. He is opposed to the State dis? pensary and in favor of county option, eliminating any choice of high license leaving it to each county to have its own dispensary .under control of a county '.board or to have prohibition officers. As far as he was personally concerned he would always vote "dry," bu: believed every county and every individual should have its own way. Messrs. Ragin, McCown and Mor? rison, for secretary of state, spoke as usual. Messrs. Walker and Jones for comp? troller general, and Messrs. Boyd and Haskell for adjutant general con f'.\ \ sumed their five minutes. Railroad Commissioner Wharton, who has warmed the seat for six years Summersett, the irrepressible Cansler, Seders and Sullivan, had their usual brilliant encounter of wits. Mr. Lyon reiterated his unalterable opposition to dispensary. His oppon? ents, Youmans and Ragsdale, were not present.-Columbia Record. Lexington, June 30.-The first series of meetings of the State campaign ended here today. It was a very good meeting. There was much more snap and life in the proceedings than usual. A. C. Jones, John McMahan and R. I. Manning broke away from their even tenors and made things lively. But the sparkle of the meeting'^-was fur? nished in the speech of Mr. J. Willard Rf.gsdale, who ^s opposing Mr. Fraser Lyon for Attorney General. Mr. Ragsdale arrived here late and spDke after the Gubernatorial candi? dates. Mr. Lyon had spoken early and had kept close to the usual lines of his pravious speeches, but Mr. Ragsdale literally lit into Mr. Lyon with gloves off. He jabbed him wherever ,he thought there was an opening, and be? sides trying force, tried to ridicule his opponent. Three or four times he rose on his feet, and with arched fingers pointing to his bosom, exclaimed: "I am J. Fraser Lyon, the great pursuer of grafters .'".Then he would tiptoe and exclaim: "I am the great Fraser Lyon," who was going to do this or that. It amused the audience because it w?.s roasting the other fellow brown, and the average crowd enjoys a finish? ed roast no matter much who is roast? ed. Lyon Denied a Reply. Mr. Ragsdale wanted Mr. Lyon to an? sw er him categorically, but Mr. Lyon declined to do this, and begged to re? ply at the conclusion of Mr. Ragsdale's sp :ech, but Chairman Sfird declined to make any exceptions or to change the original programme, and Mr. Lyon spDke briefly at the very end of the meeting. Mr. Ragsdale, who arrived late and, who was eager for the fray, said he rode 700 miles to be here today. He seemed surprised that Mr. Lyon I shDuld have spoken after his regular time. He said he wanted to settle cer? tain issues here and now. He went on ? to say that Mr. Lyon had at a previous meeting said that certain statements he had made were not so. Mr. Lyon ha ?, he heard, made such a statement after his speech. Now he wanted to know directly whether Mr. Lyon had go iten double pay while serving on the investigation committee. He wanted to know if he had been paid as a legislator and as a member of the committee while it was in session during the legislature. Mr. Lyon t asked if he might answer in de from the record, and if so he wc gladly do so. Chairman Efird ? that he could not permit any exten statement. Mr. Lyon refused to swer yes or no,without ar. explanat: and then Mr. Ragsdale piled into 1 and said here was a great purl and chaser of graft taking $4 a i as a legislator and $4 a day at same time for service on the in\ tigating committee. He" said that S ator James Stackhouse, of Mari had told him 'that Mr. Lyon had^s he received the extra pay. Makes Many Charges. As to the itemized statement not ing filed, he got his information fr Mr. Blease. If such a statement 1 been filed, then it was all well s good. Then Mr. Ragsdale said 3 Lyon had been elected to the hoi from Abbeville as a dispensary ad' cate, and he wanted to know w) pledge the people had that he woi not ha ve. a change of heart in his pi suit of the grafters. No man shoi change his views without first const ing his people. . The Attorney ; G< eral at best had little to do in su cases. The solicitors do the pro cuting, and if Mr. Lyon will only g the evidence the prosecution coi now go on. He said Lyon was sim] making a grand stand play talki about pursuing the grafters. He S? Lyon was waiting to say: "I'll unfi this banner. I'll be the leader agaii graft," and incidentally draw $1,9 salary, which, he said, was mere th Lyon had ever made before, for I tja few years ago he was satisfied wi a Senate clerkship at $4 a day. 3 man, he said, ought to be elected w could not get the support of his hoi people, and he did not think Ly could now carry Abbeville. Ly should have resigned his place in" t House if he meant to fight the di pensary. Pokes Fun at Bristow. He made merry of Mr. Bristow ai the evidence of Mr. Bristow and i s'sted that it was all worthless and indefinite as not to be worth a penn He had ?a lot of fun-ridiculing tl Bristow evidence as a type of the wo: of the .committee. He said he was earnest in offering to get out of tl way of Gen. Youmans and knock* hard at the suggestion that he w; put up as a decoy to take Lyon O' out of the race. Lyon Makes a Statement. Some of the audience wanted Rag dale to talk on, but he only spol briefly over his time. After all tl speaking and when but few romaine^ Mr. Lyon said that it was an almo; universal precedent for members 1 accept pay as legislators and also t members of special committees thi served during the meeting of^the Lei islature. The question came up befor the investigating committee and, wit but one exception, as he remembere( all voted to accept the pay, as it ha always been done before. He accepte bothWalaries, as has always been dom Tht Legislature had ruled direct] upon such pay and all Legislativ committees working during the sessio' were provided with pay and have beei paid. In rare instances recently sud pay had been declined,, he understood As to the itemized statement, it wa published in the Journal of 1906, an< that ought to end it with any honor abie man. The House and Senate by vote ac? cepted this statement as satisfactory and directly refused to ask for anj further statement. Any one could have easily found that this staitment was printed in the official Journal. The only issue in Abbeville was on the 1-2 mill tax in the Brice iaw. He favored it. Mr. Lomax opposed this special tax. Both were elected; therefore, what was the position of his people? He did know his people stood for hon? esty and right and that was his no sition. and all he asked was justice. Mr. Lyon made his brief statement without any flurry, quietly, and im? pressed those who remained with his sincerity and honesty. Lyon's First Remarks. Mr. Fraser Lyon, after a few dashes at" good roads and public schools, jumped right on the State dispensary. He said he did not think this a popu? lar platform in this county, but he j ridiculed the "chemically pure" ad? vertisement of whiskeys; insisted that the dispensary has been paying more for liquor than any common bar. He predicted that as soon as county dis? pensaries came those who so strongly advocate the dispensary will largely change because of the loss of political influence. He would kill the State dis? pensary because he believed it cor? rupt, a fraud and corrupting. He wanted a chance to prosecute the vio? lators of law and those who denied Lexington its full liquor profits. He wondered how many "grafters" and despoilers of the State would be found 1 voting for him. He had nothing to ] J. T. PARKS KILLED IX PISTOL FIGHT IX ORAXGE BTJRG. Covar Xot Seriously Hurt-Business Transaction Leads tc Encounter Be? tween Two Former Partners in Xewspaper Work. Crangeburg, June 29.-A shoot? ing affair took place this morning on the public square, just in the rear of the court house, between Mr. James T. Parks, formerly of this city and now of Columbia?, and Mr. Robert H. Covar, which resulted in the wound? ing of both of the principals and the death of Parks. It was about .11 o'clock that a regular fusilade of shots was heard from the street in the rear of the court house. At that time there were not very many people on thp streets in that locality, although there were several spectators at a near distance and a number of spectators saw the shooting from a distance or running out at the first sound of the pistol shots saw a part of the affair. It was a genuine pistol duel and " it seems that both parties emptied pistols at the other. Spectators say that both parties manifested considerable nerve during the shooting. After the pistols had been emptied Mr. Parks walked off towards some of the offices on law range, while Mr. Covar walked on to? wards Mr. Parks and attempted to re? load his pistol. After Mr. Parks had either crossed the street or was very nearly across he also attempted to re? load. At tills stage spectators inter? fered and the., pistols were token from the principals. It is said that Mr. Covar had two fresh cartridges in his pistol, which are supposed to have been put in after the shooting. Mr. Parks was taken into the office of Messrs. Bowman & Bowman, which was nearest, and physicians were hur? riedly called. A partial examination was made at once, and then a stretch? er was produced and he was carried to the home of Mr. W. H. Perrey clear, the father of Mrs. Parks. Mr. Covar was taken into his printing of? fice, which was a short distance awajr, after which he was also taken to his 1 home on a stretcher. Mr. Cavar was shot through the shoulder and ? through one of his fingers. His wound j is painful, but is not considered neces? sarily dangerous. The latest reports are that he is resting very well, and it is thought that he will recover. , Parks Fatally" Shot. Mr. Parks seems to have been shot in three places. One ball struck in front of his body and passed through the stub end of a pocket check book ; that he had in his inside coat pocket. 1 He was shot through the chin. This wound, though painful, was not espe? cially serious. ^A third bullet pene? trated his left side and is-supposed to have passed through the body. At this time the exact facts cannot be as? certained in regard to this matter.' This last bullet may have penetrated the intestines. The doctors said that Mr. Parks has no hopes- for his. re? covery. It is said that he did not lose consciousness. In the excitement incident to such a deplorable affair statements vary and it has been quite a difficult matter to obtain the facts. Some of the nearby wetnesses state that they are unable to say which of them fired the first shot. Others say that Mr. Parks spoke to Mr. Covar and appeared to ask him a question. The reply from Mr. Covar seemed to be affirmative and then Mr. Parks struck him in the face with his fist. Then Mr. Parks fired and both pistols were emptied in an incredibly short time. Business Dispute. While Mr. Parks resided in Orange burg he owned and published The Patriot newspaper. Mr. Covar moved say against his opponents. Take a Breathing Spell. There will be a rest in the campaign from now till July 9, when the meet? ing will be held in Columbia. The week's rest of the campaigners gave them notions. They have unanimous? ly asked the executive committee to give the campaigners another week's rest. They want a week after the Lancaster meeting, July 28, and then want to resume the campaign at Winnsboro, August 6, and go to Chest? er, August 7, and then keep right on from that point, only making each date a week later than it is now ar arranged. This will end the campaign August 22, instead of August 15, as now arranged. The campaigners think this will be more satisfactory ill round, and Chairman Jones, who svas at the meeting today, thourht :he committee would agree to it. The expression today seemed to be i :hat Senator Tillman's recent letter '. lad been a solar plexus for State cam- : >aigms in future years. ! PICKS ANSEL TO WIN With Please as His Opponent in Sec? ond Primary-The Hope of a Lau? rens Paper. The Laurens Advertiser, in guessing mood, says: When the primaries are over it may be int?resting to talk about the fol? lowing predictions, based on a study of the facts: Mr. Lumpkin will receive about 20, 0000 votes against Senator Tillman? This leaves 80,000 for Tillman. Mr. Martin F. Ansel will lead in the first primary by at least 10,000 votes over his nearest opponent and be elected overwhelmingly, in the second primary. 'Four years ago he carried his old judicial circuit almost to a matt and it gave him about 12,000 votes tc* start with. He got mighty few else? where. Heyward and Talbert were known generally and he was not. Bar? ring accidents, he is as good as elect? ed. People who want band wagon seats take due notice. ' At present Mr. Cole L. Blease is leading for second place. If Senator Tillman joins in the campaign he will quietly undertake to put a stop to this and throw his influence to Mr. R. L. Manning-not that he likes Manning so much, but because he thinks Man? ning would prove a stronger man in the final heat. Meanwhile, if Mr. Blease continues to develop strengths Senator Tillman will be scared ott from interfering.' Mr. A. W. Jones will be elected Comptroller General and ought to be. The closest contest of all is be? tween Col. Lewis W. Haskell and CoL J. C. Boyd for adjutant and inspector general. We can't predict the result* The race for railroad commissioner is Wharton against the field, with Sul ' livan second. We hope Col. Tribble will be elected? " secretary of state. We believe that J. Frazer Lyon will sweep the state for attorney general, we believe in the people strongly Enough to take for granted that they will elect him overwhelmingly He de? serves ^lc-ciion more than any man; that has run for olhce in thc State in twenty years. :- In the cases of Tribble and Lyon the judgment of The Advertiser may pos? sibly be biased by its wishes-we do not; know, in the other cases we wish some of our "predictions" elected and some defeated. Of course, tins Lau? rens newspaper is for "Wharton first, last and all the time. Keep this and joke us about it when^ the votes are counted. . ? _ k Dr. Hugh K. Aiken has been elected"^ vice-president of the Bank of Laurens. to succeed J. J- Pluss, resigned. ? The dispensary following in Torie' county will nominate legislative tick? et to* run in the coming primary. here from Edgefield county to take charge of the mechanical work of the paper. When Mr. Parks moved to Co? lumbia about two years ago Mr. Co var became interested in the business, which was run in the name of Parks & Covar. Several (months ago Mr. Parks sold his interest in The Patriot and the printing outfit to Mr. J. H.. Funderburg and Mr. Covar, and the newspaper has since been published by Funderburg & Covar as publishers and proprietors. It is stated that since this transfer there has not been pleasant feelings between Mr. Parks and Mr. Covar. It is reported that Mr: Parks held a mortgage over the newspaper plant and that he was preparing to foreclose and it is thought that he came down from Columbia this morning for the purpose of making some arrange? ments. Both parties were together in a conversation for some time this morning and they separated. It was only a short time when they came to? gether again, and the shooting took place as above stated. It is reported that a gentleman telephoned itrt Mr. Parks at Columbia yesterday and ad? vised him not to come to Orangeburg today, asking him to have his business transacted either through other par? ties or by correspondence, stating tc* Mr. Parks that Mr. Covar had threat? ened to kill him if he foreclosed his mortgage. It is also rumored that Mr. Covar had been informed that Mr. Parks intended to kill him on account of some reports that he had heard. The fact is that both parties were well armed and prepared for shooting without delay. The father of Mr. Covar an old gentleman, who resides here* with his son was armed. He did not % attempt to shoot and returned his pla- : toi to his pocket when the pistol was taken away from his son, so your correspondent hears from an eye wit? ness. After the fusilade when Mr. Covar was walking forward after Mr% Parks, as stated above, the old gentle? man called to his son to stop.-Th^ State.