The Fairfield news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1881-1900, May 05, 1897, Image 1
VOL. LI. "WINNSBOKO, S. C, WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1897. NO. 39.
WATTEKSON IS SAVAGE.
ft SAYS CLEVELAND IS SCHEMING FOR A
W THIRD TERM AS PRESIDENT.
; "What Oae of Cleveland's Allies la the
Late Presidential Election Thiclcs cl j
| Him Xow-A Fair Estimate of the Man. j
Recently the Louisville Courier
! Journal published the following causttic
article from the pen of Henry
Watte rson on Cleveland's speech in
New York before the Reform Club:
"Forewarned is forearmed.
"The first gua of the battle of 1900
is fired somewhat early, but it was
fired by the Reform club of New York
last Saturday night. The reform
club is made up exclusive! v of the
personal followers cf Mr. Cleveland.
It exists:a point of fact to exploit the
J ~ 'Jm.nnil t'r>o iritprpst. nf
lailit! ULU. iu euvan>.b .
the ex President. The Barnes of Fair j
W child and Eorhblcwer and Peckham J
; are a sufficient guarantee that the j
i association his no other source of in
spiration, nor any further point of I
destination.
"The dinner, an account of which
appeared yesterdsy, wss given to
place Mr. Cleveland in the field as a
candidate for President, and from
rthis time forward ail the appliances
of a small but energetic and intelli
gent machinery will te put forth to
make a campaign of education and a j
canvass for Mr. Cleveland synony-!
fow"! i
xjuvjua Luuo.
"It is a grievous feature of public j
affairs that great issues are so often <
complicated by lesser issues, and that j
the virus of private aim not infre- j
quentiy percclates the veins of the i
lairest'policies.
CLEVELAND ASD A THIRD TERM.
"By no possibility c*n Mr. Cleveland
affect the cause of genuine reform
except for ill. He has had his :
day?a sad one for his party?and
whatever contributions he made to the
cause of good government during
that day are upon the record and go
to'his credit. 'But his n&me in connection
with ihe Presidency can be
only a reproach, because, aside from
the contaminations and frictions it in- :
volves, it carries with it the odius j1
idea of a third term, antagonizing a I
law unwritten, it is true, but deeply !
imbedded in the popular mind and 11
heart.
"Mr. Cleveland can never ag3in be j
President of the United States- Under!
? B
tto circumstances ought he to be. j
That he should contemplate another ?
|j^ candidacy affords strong evidence of a J
Isck in him of integrity and virtue. j
That a club of satellites should con- j
spire to place him again in nomina- j
tion is not merely proof of the treason j
of its members to their country and to j
the party to which they profess alle-11
giance, but of a degrading sacrifice of j
of patriotism and manhood. No par-1;
ty which is worthy the popular conn-1
dence could or would put him in nom- j <
ination. Any party seriously con-1
templating it would be consigned to |
L everlasting mi amy. ?
"It was said net along ago and ]
very truly that Mr. Cleveland would |
be a candidate for President e^ery i
lour years as long as he lived- The I <
circumstances of his life, in the ab- j;
sence of any elevated principle of cai-1
fculation or unselfish rule of action, j
bear him out in the belief that he is a
law unto himself, contradicting all 1
precedents He has impressed this be- ;
lief upon the group of persons who
immediately surround nim. They 1
ought to be good Christians, for they
seem' to have been created for no oth- i
purpose than to serve their creator; :
and, if assidity ana constancy be mer i
its, they are surely, meritorious. But {
they are short-sight;.' Their notion j
that Mr. Cleveland :s within himself I'
_ both a party and a platform and that |
he' can command a following'
strong enough to win an election j
against the so called Democrats and!
the so called Republicans, is an illu- j
sion. If it could be realized the event j
vrouldlhen and there Mexicanize the |'
Dnbiic administration: for. once a ?? in !
in power, like Diaz, Mr. Cleveland j
would find the means to continue in j
power the residue of his natural life. [
'Better the Mexican ization of the currency
than the overthrow of liberty,'
would be the well-nigh universal cry
of the nation, so that the very best
hope the free silverites can have is
the candidacy of Mr. Cleveland, fatally
dividing the elements of sound
economics and making a sure highway
for the forces of fiscal and other j
adventures.
"But there can be no reason to ?
doubt the fact that Mr. Cleveland is j
the one man to be reckoned with by j
those who seek to attain good govern J
gw* meat as uisuuguisueu irum mc vjjciation
of rampant party ism, swinging
||& the pendulum from one to the other
^5 dizzy height of political excess. From
?r?t to last this callous, self-seeking J
man has been the cause, the sole j
association of all our undoing.
' Togo back no further than the |
last, internal Democratic conllict. If I
six months before tbe nominating pe j
riod of 1S96 Mr. Cleveland had firmly }
said: 'I will not be a candidate undtr i
an circumstances, nor allow my name j
to be used by anybody,' the elements S
of orcer in the pariy cculd gst togeth-1
er and uni.ed on some leader equal to j
tbe task of meeting and beating the j
extremists. But Mr. Cleveland could
not be induced to make the slightest
? . sign. He was as silent as an oracie,
sTac ding the while exact!v where the
- - - ? - - " > t
lightning might be expected to strise. I
Except for this paralvziog: Carlisle,
^Kentucky could sot have held; Ken- j
^J|ucky gone, the rest followed like a j
riacdslide. Mr. Cleveland was known f
to be a covertly candidate, ami, j
handicapped by him, the friends of j
g' sound money and revenue reform
were overwhelmed by the malcontents, I
raised up in the first place, by Mr. j
Cleveland's exasperating temper and 5
* incompetency for leadership.
Br "It is discouraging to the friends of j
a9L. reform in the south and west that {
pir thus prematurely the movement for j
Ip. honest and sound money should be
freighted down by a name which is j
^ potent only for evil. But it is still j
more discouraging to reiiect that the j
man behind ihis name is as indefati- <
gable as he is mischievous, that he is
o?rr?rt?? rvf tiio nGffT- i
of which he complains; that he is the f
author of the protection gibberish j
which the national convention in j
1SC'2 refused to sdopt; that elected on i
a pledge of laritr reform, he sent the!
tarill' to the rear, and, advancing the !
money issue to the front, lost Doth: i
that he is very much richer than ever j
* he was ana much more ambitious!
than ever he was: thai his removal!
was the first adroit step in his new {
i plan of campaign; that every day of!
I his life in that hne effeminate Italian !
hand, he will write from two 10 fifty j
letters, addressed to persons in every i
part of the country; that posicg as a j
retired statesman and philosopher, and j
playing upon tue credulity of the sirn- j
pV minded ana easily flattered, he
will leave no string untouched for
stimulating the activity of the expectant;
and day and night this Reform
club, having in charge the circulation
of Democratic literature, will be si
lentiy, sureiy working to the one ena
which he, and they, have before them
?his nomination in 1900.
"If Mr. Cleveland were possessed of
the faculty for conceiving any public
affair apart from his own interest?
even if he had any real sense of persons!
dignity?he would rid the great
questions at issue from the embarrassment
of a presence which is not a
help, but a hinderance. Instead of
pl&ymg the part or a pniiosopner ana
statesman, while exhausting every
artifice to regain the presidency, he
would perceive the grandeur of being
such in point of fact, and of enjoying
like a statesman and philosopher, the
repose of his old age and his honors,
but he would not be himself if he considered
anything else than his own
desire and will. The executive office
represents both. He Hues the power,
the emoluments and the employment.
He has a talent for industry. He is
dominant and experienced.
t-To him the Presidency has become,
what he indeed made it while he had
it?a personal affair, held regardless
of party obligations. Destitute of
imagination and of sympathy, he
subjected every thing and everybody to
his unbounded and unquenchable egotism,
this egotism indeed, became so sincere
that he grew at last to believe that
he did actually know something of the
questions of his time and had some
nr>K<Tc nther than the ^ratification of }
his love of power and display. It is
just as well that Democrats who seek
the rehabiliation of the party on
sound political lines of action and
thought should know, to begin with,
what lies across their path, and that
they should begin to cast about tbem
how to shake from their shoulders
this veritable Old Man of the Mountains.
He is with us only for what it
will bring him. Nothing could have
induced him to appear in public ex-1
cept to keep himself before the public, [
and there is not a word uttered Dvj
him to depreciate the idea of another
candidacy.
"All his life an cfficeseeker and an
officeholder, he differs irom the riffraff
of his class only by his high pretensions
and profound duplicity. He
hopes in the hurly-burly of affairs to
force himself upon the country as the |
representative of clean politics and the i
public order. He represents neither. |
He represents only his own lust fori
- A A - ?v* AUIA f
ja. grc<*t au juu^ic must
not be thus desecrated. Apcs-j
? ible party rehabilation of the greatest I
moment mast not be obstructed by
such a death's head at the feast.
'If Mr. Cleveland has not the wis-I
dom to see his duty and the grace to step |
down and out, he should be compelled I
by the opinion of decent people io step
down and out, for the elimination of \
his ambitions is indispensable to any
progressin the direction of reform,
which, while he stood as its official
smef, encountea nctnmg out omoquy
a ad defeat."
Pleasure in Prospect.
President E H. Aull and Secretary
0. C. Langston have announced the
arrangements that have been made
tor a pleasant and profitable meeting ;
of the State Press Association to |
meet in Newberry on May 25th next!
and spend two dajs in discussing va- i
tious topics of interest to the profes-j
?ior> and inmdentalveniovNewberrv's I
proverbial hospitality, after which a S
visit will be made to the^ Thorn well j
Orphanage at Clinton, where lunch j
wili be served by the ladies of the j
lown, ana then to the celebrated Har-1
ris Lithia Springs, where an elegant j
banquet will be tendered by the pro-1
prietor. Leaving this place on Friday j
night, May 28, the Association will go |
an an excursion to the Tennessee Cen- j
tennial Exposition at Nashville, stopping
en route at Chattanooga :o visit
Lookout Mountain and other points of
interest. The whole scheme iscer
tainlv highly attractive, and there |
will doubtless be a large turn out of |
the members to enjoy the rare oppor- 1
tunity afforded.
F!?ctric Car Causalty.
An electric street car filled with
passengers was run into Thurday afternoon
by a railroad train on the cutskirts
of Tampa, Fla., and one passenger
was killed, two fatally and others
slightly injured. The street car was
without a conductor ana the motorman
was taking fares. One Cuban i
refused to pay and when seized to be 1
nut off the car was rescued by three j
other Cubans, who assulted the mctorman,
holding him down on the |
rear platformcwbile the car ran down j
grade to the crossing. The nam? of
the man killed is Manul Arcano. The
injured are Antonio Sierra and "Wil- j
liam Forepaugh. The two first named
are Spaniards. Forepaugh is nroprie- !
tor of a circus.
K.!.og; Found at X.ast.
John C. King, the long lest hei''
of his brother, Louis King of New
Orleans, that was supposed to be con- j
cealed in Troy by persons who wished j
to set possession of the property, aopeared
before the district court ia New
Orleans on Friday to prove his identity.
An attempt to prove that he
was unfit to control the large fortune
failed, and the court ordered Kirg
put in possession of the property.
King acknowledged that he was a
heavy drinker ana that he was a
tramp, sleeping in the police station !
at Troy when he heard of tne death of j
property.
A Confederate Xonumest.
The Confederate monument erected
through the efforts of the Daughters
of the Confederacy of Dallas, Texas,
was unveiled Friday morning. The
Hon. John H. Reagan delivered a
eulogy on Mr. Davis. Other eulogies j
were pronounced as follows: On i
Gen. E E. Lse, by the Kon. George
N. Aldrige; on Gea. Stonewall Jack-j
son, by Judge K. W. Lightfoot; on
fisn .Trih?;tr>n hv f.r.A T-irtn !
Norton G-. XittrelT; on "The Private," j
bv the Hon. A. T. Watts.
~ i
3Iake Home Happy.
This is an injunction that v^ili be j
heeded by aii vrno look to the promo-1
uon or me pleasures 01 ciners. ^;
happy home is indeed the happiest of |
places. One source of happiness in J
the home circle is good music. A i
sure source of gooa music is a good j
piano?such as may be bad from M. i
A. Malone, Columbia, S. C. Headi
^hat ne has to say in his nevr adver-!
tisement.
I CLEVELAND'S SPEECH
I
I
I AT THE BANQUET OF THE NEvV YORK
REFORM CLUB
i
| Commented on by W. Jennings liryan,
| Late Democratic Candidate for the Presidency?
He is Courteous but CriticalRead
What He Say:
The Hod. W. J. Bryan writes, as
follows to the New York Journal in
commenting on the recent speech of
Ex-Pressident Cleveland before the
Reform Club of New York:
The presence of Mr. Uleveiana, two
members of his cabinet and such eminent
gold Democrats as ex-Congress
man Turner, Bynum and Patterson
made the banquet an important polit
ical event, and the address delivered
by Mr. Cleveland may fairly be accented
as setting forth the present
views and future purposes of the bolt
ins* Democrats.
Probably the most unexpected thing
in the address was his reference to the
Republican'administration. He borrows
emphasis from a scriptural text
and accuses the Republicans of returning
in hot haste to ttnir wallowing in
the mire of extreme protection. This
is an unfair criticism, because the Re-J
publicans have never shown any disposition
to abandon extreme protec
tion.
ON X'EoKLEY DEMOCRATS j
Mr. McKinley won political fame as1
tbe apostle of a tariff, and during the
late campaign reiterated his devotion
to this policy. Those Democrats who
voted for Mr. McKinley voted with
their eyes open to tariff possibilities.
Neither have those Democrats reason
to complain of McKinley's attitude
on the money question. To be sure,
the President has sent an argosy
abroad in search, not of a golden
fleece, but of an object equally elusive
namely, an international agreement
'or tbe restoration of bimetallism, but
in so doing, he is only carrying out a
pledge contained in his platfSrm.
unless me goia j-;emocrais were m i
possession of assurances not given 101
the public generally, or expected the
President to abandon his platform,
they ought to be satisfied witti his financial
policy. He promised to maintain
the gold standard until relief
comes from abroad, and he is doing it
in spite of the continued distress
caused by such a policy.
CAN CONDEMN POLICIES.
The Democrats who supported thej
Chicago platform can consistently!
condemn both the tariff policy and j
-CW^AV. ? 4 UA t-% v*inicfro . j
lac yoj.ivj' U1 aumiuubiu
tion, but those who supported Mr.
McKinley are only receiving what
they had a right to expect.
1Ar. Cleveland accuses the Republicans
of a determination "to repay partisan
support from the proceeds of increased
burdens of taxation placed
upon those already overladen."
He knew that the Republicans had
collected a campaign fund larger than
ever before known in Ameican politics.
Did it ever occur to him that
the contributors would expect repay
mem inrougn legislation meatuy iuj
their interests. Has not the Dmgiey!
bill been drawn exactly upon the j
plan cf the McKinley bill? It may|
differ in its schedules, but it does not j
diJfer in its general plan and prepara- j
tion. But if those Democrats who]
supported Mr. McKinley have no rea- j
son to criticise his course, what shall
we ssy of those Democrats who sup j
ported the Indianapolis ticket? What j
claims have they to consideration at j
the hands of the President?
illtUJi iSUJUlUNW
Mr. Cleveland asserts that when the
fate of the nation seemed in the balance,
deliverance came through the
bolting Democrats. Does he mean
through those Democrats who voted
directly for Mr. McKinley. or through j
those who voted for the Indianapolis ]
ticket. The leaders among the goldi
Democrats claim to have voted for
Palmer and Buckner. Certainly this j
did not entitle them to pose as saviors i
of their country. They knew that!
the contest would be close, even Mr. i
Cleveland refers to the campaign as
one of doubt and fear.
Was it patriotic for gold Democrats
tn thrnw thp.ir vntps a wfiv i!DOn a tick- i
et which had 110 chance when their
support might have decided the contest?
There is a touch of humor in the
boisterous intentions of those who,
during the contest, watched the struggle
from afar and after the battle was
over claimed all credit for the victory.
HIS WAR DECLARATION.
The important part of Mr. Cleveland's
address, however, is found m
bis declaration of war against those
TrrVin env-NYi iho. P!KlnQcr/> tiftlrpt. Tn
this last address he has given more
aid to his opponents than to his sup
porters, j ust as he did by his official
acts. His surrender of the executive
branch of the government into the
hands of the Wall street financiers
during bis last administration did
more lhan any one thing to arouse the
American people to a knowledge of
the gold standard.
His thinly disguised support of the
Republican ticket in the campaign did
much to drive the silver Republicans
"Davm*UI?ao w r?o t-t on/^ f K v?
UUL Ui LUC ivc^uuii^au yax uj , auw bnwj*.
loyalty to oimetallism has not been
shaken by defeat. In his address Saturday
night he aided the silver cause
still further by removing whatever
danger there might have been of concessions
from the regular Democrats
to the bolters.
If he had discussed the fundamental
principles of Democracy and then
urged union o? force upon a platform
composing differences on the money
question he might have done us harm
in seme seclion, but his dogmatic insistence
upon a foreign financial policy
and his endorsement of the organi
zaiion of the gold Democrats will nave
a wholesome influence in convincing
timid Democrats of tL^ folly of any
attempt to reunite the Democrats who
are wedded to gold monometallism.
CONTEST IN* ITS INFANCY.
Mr. Cleveland recognizes that.the
contest over the money question, instead
of being ended, is just beginning;
he recognizes it as an irrenressible con
Hict, and in this he reasons rightly.
The Democratic party will in 1900
| reiterate its demand for free and unlimited
coinage at 16 to 1, and it will
| be opposed by those who at that time
| believe in a gold standard. This being
| as certain as any future event can be,
I why should those alliiiate cow who
| expect to engage in combat so soon
| hereafter.
We now have a harmonious Demo
| cratic party, and we have a bolting
| organization which cliamsto represent
; another kind of Democracy. Let them
: both exist and time will determine
! which is fittest to survive.
I If any bimetallist is converted to
[ the gold standard -he can join their!
organization; i? any gold Democrat!
repents he can return to the fold, j
XJ-U WCVCi uiuta v?g ujwj aavula >
ilr. Cleveland we must admit his I
courage.
A less resolute man would hesitate!
to assume the leadership of a little i
band of 130,000, many of whom voted j
the Indianapolis ticket bv mistake,
and then accused o,500,0U0 voters of |
I being either designing agitators or the j
UUDts oi u^siijiniig ajiiisiurs.
A man with less self-reliance would J
re-examine his o^n conduct to see]
whether it was his folly or theirs!
which separated them from 5,000,000 j
of Democrats who once idolized him, j
but m the lexicon of Mr. Cleveland's j
ruaturer years there is no such word i
j as "mistake "
POWERLESS TO RELIEVE
The goid Democracy is impotent to J
j bring any real relief to the country,
j it is locg on platitudes and short on
I performance, it reaches its maximum j
j at a banquet and its minimum at the |
polls. It is the toy of those financiers j
who prate about national honor while !
they fatten on the nation's extremity, !
and is powerless to protect the people ]
! from the extortion o." trusts and the
| greed of unrestrained corporations. j
Those Democrats who believe in j
equality before iho law will naturally !
gravitate toward the regular Demcc-j
racy and those Democrats who believe ;
[ in a irovernment by syndicates ana for j
j syndicates will naturally drift into the |
Republican party, because it offers
j them the best prospects of success.
The lload Law.
Section 1. Be it enact'd by thej
; General Assembly of the State ofj
| Souih Carolina, That an set entitled j
: "An tr> nr-nvlHp a of r.nun- >
j ty government for the counties of this j
; State, so far as it reiales to the work!
ins ancl maintaining: the roads and j
j highways ia this State," approved:
i March 23d, 1S9G, be. and the same is {
hereby, ameaded b;? striking out Sec- j
tion 4 thereof and inserting in lieu of J
said Section the following:
Section 4. That ail able bodied i
! male persons and all male persons!
i able to perform or cause to be per!
formed the labor herein required, be-1
jtweenthe ages of eig teen and fifty!
iyears, except in Horry 3nd Spartan-!
| burg counties, where the ages stiall be i
! from twenty-one to fiftv and also ex|
cept ministers of the Gospel in actual j
I charge of a congregation, and persons
; permanently disabled in the military!
j service of this State, and persons who j
| served in the late war, shall be liable
| annually to do and perform four days
| labor on the highways, urder the di j
! rection of the Overseer of -j road dis-1
i trict in whici he shall reside, except s
i in the in the counties of Soartanburg,
i Anderson, Greenville and Darlington, j
| wherein tne number of working day a j
; shall be three, and the counties of j
| Orangeburg, Pickens. Saluda, Elge- |
I held, CoJleton, Chester, Barnwell, j
i Newberry and Williamsburg, where-1
: in the number of working days shall j
be six, and the counties of Charleston, j
Georgetown, Beaulort and Florence,
wheiein the number of working days j
shall hp: fi.^ht: Prnvitirid that the,;
County Beard of Commissioners of j
any county may cause to be levied an ?
additional tax, not to exceed o;ie mill, ]
on all the taxable property of any'
township in their CDunty, when so re !
quired by a written petition signed by ]
t-vo thirds of the .freeholders of such ]
township, such tax to be collected as j
the other taxes, and to be expanded on j
the roads and highways of each town- S
'ship.
r-".,,?,,.,,., r> tii i. <i. ;j i ,1 <
s xcai lue saiu uyi, ue, auu
| the same is hereby, further amended
! by striking out Section 27 thereof and
| inserting in lieu of said Section the
I following:
Section 27. That the County Treas- j
! urers 01 tne counties ot tms state are 5
! hereby authorized and empowered to i
! receive from any arid ail persons lia!
ble to road duties as commutation tax;
| in the counties of Abbeville, dollars,
to be fixed by the County Board
| ol Commissioners; Aiken, one doliar;
[Anderson, one dollar; Birnwell, one
l /InlUn. f rrrr\ "R^vlrA- I
} X/uU Ui VI b T? s/ AVAAU1 <? ^ w> ? ?fcV ?
ley, one dollar; Chester, two dollars;!
! Chesterfield, one dollar; Charleston,
[two dollars; Colleton, two dollars;
Clarendon, one dollar; Darlington,
one dollar: Edgefield, two dollars;
Fairfield, two dollars; Florence, two |
dollars; Georgetown, two dollars;
Greenville, one dollar; Hampton, one
dollar; Horry, two dollars; Kershaw,
one dollar; Lancaster, one*dollars;
Laurens, two dollars; Lexington,
one doiiar; Newberry, one dollar;
Marlboro, one dollar; Marion,
two dollars; Pickens two dollars;
Richland, two dollars; Spartanburg,
one dollar; Saluda, two dollars; Sumter,
one dollar; Union, one dollar;
Oconee: one dollar; Orangeburg, two
dollars; Willismsburg, two dollars;
York, two dollars; and all monejs -o !
paid shall be set apart and known as
the county road fund: Provided,
That such commnfaii m lax be paid for
the fical year 189(5 between the first
j day of March and the iirst day of j
i April, and hereafter said commutation
| tax shall be paid for the succeeding!
| year when State and couutv taxes are [
paid, and that the County Treasurers I
shall furnish a receipt to the person so j
| paying the same; Provided,Tneamend- j
rnents as to Pickens county shall not j
apply to the present fiscal year. That
the amendments to this Section shall
not so into effect until the first day o.r j
I July next.
Six Convicts Pardoned.
I The Governor issued the following j
i pardons Friday on the recommeadi- j
| tion of Dr. Pope, surgeon of the Peni- j
| teotiary:
Joseph Br>les, conrict.ed in Beaufort, j
1S%, of hcuic breaking and iarceny,
and sentenced by Judge Earle to
eighteen months.
Monroe Holland.convicted in Aiken,
1805, of house breaking and larceny,
and sentenced bv Judge Garv to live
years.
j Peter G-reeo, onvicted in Beaufort,
j 1895, of burglary, aau sentenced by
Judge Gary to five years.
William Leysoth, convicted of t;an
attempt to murder by poison" in Qr!
angebur?, 1S9G, and sentenced oy
! Judge Townsend to live jears.
| Dr. Pope says they are all vrell ad- j
vanced :in consumption and cannot!
live many ^eeks longer in prison and j
are a constant source of danger to the j
j other coavictsi
I Starving Chinamen Fight.
Hong Kong: advices say letters from!
j Szchuan province show ihat 30,000;
Chinamen are massed ia one army in j
I toe eitv of Kicho-^ to enforce demands J
for fooc. Two pitched battles have 1
taken place between the mobs and!
! eovernniect troops in which 12U sol- j
Jdiers were killed and wounded. Two;
j regiments of regular troops have left!
jChun? Kiang for the seat of trouble. j
"GIVEN TO GAREUS."
MR. GASTON'S OFFICIAL REPORT AS
TO THAT TRUNK.
Important Ordefu Have Been Issued by
Gov. Ellttrba?"What He Says-Questions
for BIr. Gaston to Answer.
The foilowicg communication -was
published in the IS'aws and Courier
Wednesday:
To the Editor of the News and Courier:
Since the jury who sat on the case of Williarri
Beckroge vs. Tin State of South Carolina
in ihe Uunited States Court haa given a
verdict of ?SfX> damages to the plaintiff, it is
reasonable to suppose that a return of the
captured trunk and contents goes 'with the
verdict. During the trial of the case the
attorney for the plaintiff propounded the
questions tD the Assistant Attorney General:
"Where is the trunk?" "Whore are the cigars'.'"
Tc both of which, if I am corrcctly
informed, he replied, ''la Columbia, 1 suppose."
.now, 1 visa (o ask. Did he suppose they
were ia Columbia'.' Had he not the information
to the contrary!
Now I propose the following question, and
call on the named gentlemen to give us all
the knowledge they have in reference thereto,
and I ask each of them directly and seperately
for this information:
Where io the trunk? We would like for
Co'.. Wilie Jones,chairman of the State Board
of Control, to say what, he knows about this.
Then we would be glad to have Mr. Set h
Scruggs, the chief clerk of the State Board,
to tell what he knows. Then Col. JohnT.
Gaston, ex-Acting Commissioner, to say, and,
lastly, we would be glad to have Mr. C W.
ining committee for tbe Dispensary, to say
what he knows about i.he trunk.
Next, where are the cigars? I think, perhaps,
all vf the members, all five of them,
can say s-. meshing or. this subject. Then
ler Colonel Gaston, who was in charge of them,
saj' where they are. Then Mr. Scruggs can
come up ana have his little say, and finally,
perhaps Mr. Charlie Lynch, who is an employee
in the office, can enlighten the pub
lie.
Next, where are the wedding shoes? They
must have been fine shoes to be in keeping
with the balance of the contents of the trunk.
Where arc they? Colonel Gaston, tells us,
and let ail of the above named gentlemen
give the people of South Carolina an account
of their stewardship. The people should
know just how* things are beiag worked and
managed at the great moral institution, and,
if honestly and correctly, then they will
only have to say soandslop suspicion, and
if not, and they fail to satisfy the public,
then they must bear the stigma. Come up,
gentlemen, an anxious public awaits replies
e i. 1 s??
iruiu auu cvci v uuu ui juu, itau ouwuiu
there be anything out of place let it rest on
th>; shoulders where it properly belongs.
Truth Seeker.
The Columbia Register saxs Colonel
Jones stated that he had never
S32n the trunk or any of its contents,
and certainly had not smoked any of
the cigars. The trunk had been sold
to Mr. C, vV. Garris. As to the cigars,
t&c., he knew nothing, but was
having the matter in vestigated. The
trunk wasi sold jusi. as barrels or any
other eld thing is sold from the Dis
psnsary. The trunk: naa not oeen
paid for co far as he knew. Mr. Scruggs
said the wholo thins: simply amounted
to making a big thing out of nothing.
Governor E'lerbe, in speaking of
the matter, seemed to be considerably
angered about it. He said Judge
TWnsend wanted to see tbe marks on
thetrun'^to use as an argument in
tbe case, but ronorted that he
could not find it. Governor Ellerbe.
in inveitigatiag, called upon Colonel
Gaston, who replied by letter and
sent a simitar one to Chairman Jones.
This no doubt has some information
the public would like to get, but the
Governor did not care to give it out,
pending the investigation he is now
making. He concluded by saying
that as long as he is Governor he will
not allow such things to go on if he
can prevent them.
This, ihen, is the status of the present
case. It must be confessed that it
ft i"? f U Awn llnAM TYr 1 /> Vl
la LUt w'LiC Ui LUC UbUCId upyu rv UlOU
complaints have been made, but none
heretofore received such an investigation.
Mr. J. P. K. Bryan made a formal
demand for the trunk, and this
brought the matter to a crisis. In
mar>y of the other cases there have
been only mutterings and nothing has
come of them, but this one seems to
be loaded with a genuine sensation.
The report of ex Commissioner John
T. Gaston of the State dispensary on
the Beckroge trunk and its contents
is as :ollov7s:
Columbia, S. C.. April 14, lS^'T.
lion. W. A. Barber, Attorney General of
South Carolina:
Oil. WJ.LLL JKJU.L iU?[UCOl tUU*
cerning a certain trunk seized in Charleston
by the State constabulary and sent to State
dispensary, I have this to say: A large
drummer's trunk was received here by the
authorities, containing (to the best ot my recollections)
three two-gallon jugs of
whiskey, nine bottles of wine, 10 boxes cigars.
two cans peaches and I think one dozen
lemons. The trunk was not to my recollections,
marked so that you %ould know it
contained whiskey. A card marked glass
was on the trunk in several places. Mr: C
W. Carris of Colleton told me, that Mr.
Scruggs, the bookkeeper, told him that he
could have tne trunK ana 1 let mm nave it.
The whiskey has Lcen dumped, the wines are
here in my possession: the cigars, the
poaches and the lemons arc cone. That is
about the status of the trunk business as I
recollcct. Yours respectfully,
John T. Gaston,
Acting Commissioner.
Governor Eilerbe is quite willing to
permit the search light of public opinion
to penetrate into the remotest cor
ner of the dispensary workings.
To a reporter of The State he said
that he only heard of the Beckroge
trunk for the erst time a few days
ago It was when the above report
of Mr. Gaston vras referred to him
from the attorney general's office. It
was a Ibcrough surprise. The governor
continuine, said that he had had
a talk with Clerk Scruggs soon after
the report was referred to hi:n. Cierk
Serusgs said that he had sold the
trunk t> Mr. C W. Garris.
Col. ^Wilie Jones was sent for by
tae governor and to him said that that
was t.ae first time he had heard of the
trunk.
Though the governor did not say
so, from his tsik:.t was seen that he
--7as surprised when he read in The
S:ate of yesterday that Colonel Jor.es
racaiiea tnat toe trunli naa ceen put
in. the dispensary and a report made
of its arrival to the board of which he
is chairman.
Governor Ellerbe did not mince
vrords in speaking of the trunk incident.
"The? had as well take the dispensary
liquor that is bought by the
State,'' said he, '"and present it to their
friends."' Contraband goods are the
property of the State a& much as the
iinnnr that 15 hmiirht lio ar:H
j9^?, ? - ? -tn-re
vras no warrant or excise i.r
ihern to beeocsidered in any oiher
light. Tie constables are paid by the
Slate to seize contraband goods and
the seizures should go as far as possible
to pay for the maintenance of the
constabulary.
It is all right for the officials to use
the samples of whiskey, he said, and
he could see no harm in an official
even giving a bottle sometimes to a
friend.
"I would not hesitate," declared the
governor, "to go in. the sample room
and get a bottle of whiskey if I felt
the need of it, but I would never thick
of taking any of the contraband liquor
no matter how choice it might
bD."
Coniiauing, Governor Eilerbe said
he had advised the board to turn over
th'j management of the details of the
d:spensarv to Commissioner V ance.
It would be well nigh impossible for
a board meeting once a month to man- j
acre everything about the dispensary.
The duties of the board, he thought,
were like those of the board of regents
for the hospital for the insane. It
was to exercise a general supervision
over all the aifairs and leave to the
management to execute.
On one point the governor was particularly
emphatic. He did not think
it wise to leave the purchasing of
whiskey to one man. That the board
ought not to do.
Returning to the question of contraband
goods he said that even if the
Esckroge trunk was sold that it had
not been sold in a businesslike and
proper manner. It should have been
sold to the highest bidder, he declared.
,kI have given Yance order -, however,"
be said, "not to let any contra
band things go out of the dispensary "
He went on to say that hereafter
trunks, cigars and smn like things
seized with liquor would be advertised
and sold to tiie nignest oiader. ine
seized liquor could not be disposed of
in this way. but after having analyzed
it could be bottled and sent out if up
to the required stai.dard. He has already
given orders t at a list of every
trunk, isair of shot. or anything of
the sort must be kep .nd that he was
going to bold the .sons in charge
responsible for ever, .ning.
Governor Elierbe in conclusion said
that he was gomg to try and carry out
his pledge of a clean and business administration
of the dispensary.
Scr?p Book and Diary.
We would urge upon our young
friends of both sexes to use an occasional
golden hour and a few of the
brilliant fragments of Time in devotion
to the scrap book and diary. They
will never regret it. Many moments
fly away in dissipated thought never
to return, in which incidents happen
worthy of record. The world is making*
history very rapidly, and there
are many things they may wish to recall
in the future. should their lives
be spared. And then their own
thoughts, their best thoughts, come to
tViAm nftpn as the hirHs (!nmc_ unhid
den and unlocked for, yet ever wel- j
come, to build their nests under the j
eaves, and, if not recorded, may never
return in the same'connection. "Pelion
is piled upon Ossa" of incidents,
happenings and data, daily, and will
be buried in oblivion if not noted.
I Tnese exercises will develop an orderly
and disciplined mind, and be of
p:reat advantage.
] "Take this lesson 'with you, take it, hold it I
j fast,
The mill will never grind "with tiie water j
tiiat is past."
Clemson'a Income. I
The C^.uoibia Star.e says a compari-;
sen of the amounts received by the i
State treasurer from the privilege tax j
on fertilizers for this and last year.
shows that the difference is small, in j
spite of the alarming report sent out j
by correspondents that never before ]
had such amounts of guano, been sold ]
i tr, thm'w ^7 <v V? V\/-iy?V> e Pa* "fHlC !
year the privilege tax up to tfrs time j
ajrgreg-fites$55,975.93 while last year]
it was $54,524 37; a difference o? $1,- j
451.56 in favor of this year. The j
privilege tax is 25 cents a ton and j
four times ?1,451.56 gives the number j
of tons mora sold this than last vear, i
which is 5,806 tons. Proportioned j
equally among: the counties of the *
State the amount of fertilizers used in |
each this year is 145 toe? in excess of
that used "last. All of this tax goes to
the support of Clemson. Though the
amount is $55,975.93. Clemson has to
pay back to tbe State $10,000 which
was overpaid one year by a clerical
error. That is to be returned to the
State this year, and will reduce the
colleges^ revenue that amount.
A Tale cfKorror.
The French fishing vessel Yaillant,
Csptain Pierre, bound from St. Mig
uel, struck an iceberg on the Grand :
Banks on the 16th instant and almost j
immediately foundered. She had j
seventy-three fishermen on board and j
all took to the boats; but only one of j
these boats* has thus far been heardj
from. When she left the vessel her j
complement was seven men. Three |
cf them perished from exposure and!
hunger. The bodies of the first two I
were thrown overboard, but the survi- i
vors, in their desperation, were driven j
to cannibalism and ate ttie third. The '
boat was p;cked up Thursday by the
schooner Victor Eugene, which ar- j
rived at St. Pierre. The survivors are
in a shocking condition and are so
badly frost bitten that tneir arms must
be.amputated. j
A Monument to Grant.
The tomb of General U. S. Grant
was dedicated ic Xew York city, Jast
week, with the most imposing ceremonies
of the kind that have ever
been witnessed in this country. It is
now 12 years since Grant died, and
ever since, the movement to complete
the monument to his memory has been
pushed with an earnest persistence.
Trie amount, raisea is aojut ^/uv,tjuu.
The principal features of the ceremo
nies were a great military parade, participated
in by the regular army,
Grand Army and Confederate Veterans,
and a speech by President Me
Kinley. Mrs. Grant was present and
rtceived a great ovation. The visitors
from all pans of the country num?
"t- ?J V,-! i 4 rt 1 * Q rv*.i 1
UCr?U ^s^ULLClillLL^ Jwic4.ii a, uinii\/u*
Soot Water for Plants.
boot water, made from the scot o?
wood tires, is said to be an excellent
fertilizer of house or outdoor plants,
j The soot should be brushed down from
the chimneys wita a lone: handled
brush, gathered iuto a quart bag and
soaked in rain-water over night. The
water, black as iuk, will be readv for
use the next morning. To use about
timico nlant'C usVinnln hf? rrmsinftrah!v
! diluted. It has a tendency to bake the
| soil and can easily be too strong for
j the little amount of earth in vrindo'^
I box or pot. It is a petect destroyer of
| iDsects and worms that sometimes inj
'est house plants and may be used in
i suca cases ones cr twice a vreeK uniu
j they disappear.
SPANIARDS DONE UP.
150 Troops Killed or Insurgents Under
Garcia.
A dispatch from Havannasays Gen.
Nicolas del Rey has been recalled to
Habana from Santiago de Cuba by order
of Gen. Weyler. The cause of his
recall is the great victory obtained
over G^n. Rey by Gen. Calixto Garica
near Guamo, a report of which was
published last -week.
Further details concerning: the battle
received from ilanzanillo under
date of Asril 19, have created a sensation_in
Savanna. Tney show that
the Spanish column of 2.000 men was
utterly put to rout by the dynamite
bombs ibat exploded, and instead of
10 soldiers being: killed as the official
report declared 200 were blown up by
the bombs and 250 were slain by the
insurgents during the confusion and
excitement of the panic-stricken column.
The bombs were planted iirthe
road on which the Spanish were
marching. They did not explode prematurely
as was declared last week.
j The six bombs exploded simultaneous|
ly in the centre of Gen. Icey's column.
A Spanish officer writes the fallowing
description of the battle to his
family m Habana:
''The explosion was so terrible as to
curdle the blood of the bravest men.
From the centre of our column a sudden
shock came which threw us to the
ground. We remained deai and
blind for a few seconds. The cries of
our wounded soldiers were awful.
When I was able to stand, I saw
around me heads entirely cut oH
from bodies, pieces of human limbs
scattered here and there, and men
without arms or legs crying to heaven
in the gasp of death. It was perfectly
easv a few seconds later for our sue
cessful enemies to rout us and disperse
our column, in which nothing of military
oider and discipline remained.
4,As soon as the first shots of the insurgents
were heard after the explosion,
our general, followed by his staff
and some other officers and soldiers,
fled to Guamo. Our panic-stricken
c.owa followed the general^ party,
closely harrassed by the Cuban cavalry,
which made havoc in our ranks."
The writer of the letter adds that
the Spaniards left on the field nearly
all their arms and ammunitions besides
a considerable convoyof provisions
they -wsre carrying to Guamo."
From other letters it is learned that
General Garcia in person led the Cubans
and that since the landing of
General RolofFs expedition in Cuba,
the use of dynamite by the Cubans is
incessant in Oriente. This has put
the Spanish soldiers into a state of terror.
The Spaniards protest against
the use of dynamite in the war as
barbarous, notwithstahding the fact
that, thov hflvp a ten triad tn pmnlnv it
but unsuccessfully, 011 account of
the swift military movements of the
insurgents.
The Diarlo del Ejercito, which is
the newspaper organ of the Spanish
army, publishes cffisial figures showing
that the number ox armed men on
the Spanish side during the two years
oi war in Cuba has been 272,282.
Four Parsons Burnt to Death,
Four persons lost their lives in a
fire at 1278 Third avenue, Brooklyn,
Thursday. The dead are: Mrs. John j
ilCWCll aJUU UCl LftU ^UUUlCii, < > |
and 5 years, and Mrs. Celia Barnett,
aged 33 years. The flames began in
the lower hall, and spread with great
rapidity through tfce building, completely
cutting off the escape of the
Newell family, which occupied the
top floor. When Mrs. Newell found
j the stairway burning and the hall
j filled with smoke, she threw her children,
Louis aged S, and John aged 5,
j from a window to the street below,
I where four men held a blanket to
! _ _ * _ l_ 11 mi_ ^ T JAJ
! caico. mem. i.ne cnuarea. oounueu
I from the blanket and were killed by
j falling on the sidewalk. Mrs. Newell
j was afraid to attempt the leap and
j was found suffocated later in her
I apartments. Her husband escaped
i with slight burns. On the floor below
| lived Mr. and Mrs. Barnett. They
; reached the street in safety, but Mrs|
Barneit ran back into the burning
| building to secure some jewelry she
1 had left behind. She was subseauent
j ly founu ia an alcove room dead and
slightly burned- The loss is estimated
at $25,000. The fire, it is said, was
of incendiary origin. That many more
lives were not lost is only due to the
prompt action of police.
I .
Backing up -ttcLaarln.
Governor Atkinson of Georgia
takes the same view of the tariff ques
tion as does Congressman McLaurin of
this State. He believes that if proteci
tion is to be the policy of this govern|
ment its alleged benefits should be
I shared by ail sections In the course
! j.I.' a^AJ "L? ^
! ui a fcyeeuu utuivereu uy ium a. icw
! dajs ago Gov. Atkinson said: "The
| South should have her proportionate
j share of protection even though her
! statesmen would not inaugurate it as
i a policy of government, and it would
| be a eross wrong for Congress to disj
criminate againgt Southern manufacj
turers because our people believe the
! best general policy is a tariff as low as
the needs of the government will per
mit. When the majority decides for
nrotection, then all should share alike.
It is a olunder in our public men
to permit one section to have
protection and refuse it for the
South. If protection is the banner
hoisted bv the msioritv. it should
float over all sections without discrimination.
We must meet conditions as
we find them. We pay our share of
the taxes; we are entitled to protection
if it is given to other sections."
A Police Officer Killed.
Lieutenant of Police W. E. Gruber
was found lying in a patch of brush
in the northern part of Jacksonville,
Fla, Friday morning foully murdered.
i He wac on day duty yesterday and
| left the police station about 8:30 last
night and that was the last heard of
him until his body was found cold in
| death by a negro about 10 o'clock this
1 forenoon. Near by was a woman's
belt and a handserchief, leading to
j the belief that C-ruber was murdered j
either by a woman or by a jealous
lover or husband. Gruber's skull was
crushed in, siving evidence of having
been hit by a club. vVhen found he
j was Iving on his face. His pistol was
| gone," but otherwise nothing had been
' disturbed. An investigation will be
made by the coroners jury tomorrow
i morning.
w
Tortureii with Hot Irons.
Three masked men entered the Hew- j
! itt House, a small tavern near Sharon, i
| Pa., and committed a brutal assault
i cn Lambert Hewitt, the proprietor.
) They heated irons over a lamp aad.
i applying taeai to him, compelled him i
! to teii where his monev was hidden. I
J They stole $300 and escaped.
WEATHER AND CROPS.
DIRECTOR BAUER'S WEEKLY SUMMARY
OF CONDITIONS.
I
Some Damage by Fro8t?Need of Bain
Generally Reported?Weather Favorable
for Farm Work, but too Cool and Dry
for Growing Crops,
The folio wing is the weekly bulletin
oi ine condition 01 ine weamer ana
crops in this State issued last week by
Observer Bauer of the State Bureau:
TEMPERATURE.
The temperature averaged 5 degrees
per day below the normal. The days
were sufficiently warm, but the nights
were cooL The maximum temperature
was 89 on the 24th at Gillisonville,
and the minimum 28 on the 21st
at Saluda, and 32 at Florence and
Santuc. The mean for the State being
the average of 53 stations, was 60 and
the normal approximately 65.
The north central and northeastern
portions of the State reported the lowest
average temperatures. Along the
lower coast and over the southeastern
nni4?nnc it woe fwim 1 tr> 9 nei'
day cooller than usual.
rajnfall.
No rain fell in any portion of the
State during the entire week.
Ail correspondents report the need
of rain. In the western portions of
the State, to soften the baked soil so
that plowing, preparation for planting
mav bfi finished, this work beinf now
largely suspended, and to aid recently
planted corn and coiton to germinate.
In the eastern portions rain is needed
for growing crops generally, but
more particularly for transplanting
tobacco; to bring up late planted com
and cotton; for the trucking interests
and gardens and for oats, which, are
beginning to head.
Stands of late planted corn and. cotton
very irregular, owing to the lack
of moisture.
Normal rainfall for the week 0.80
of an inch.
SUNSHINE AM) WINDS.
It was practically a cloudless week.
The estimated percentage of possible
sunshine ranged from 80 to 100 and
averaged 94 per cent The normal is
about 6S per cent.
The winds of the week were high?
northeasterly?becoming variable.
FROST.
Frost was reported on the 18i?L, 20th
and 21st, quite general over the entire
State on the last date, but injurious
over the northeastern counties only,
where considerable corn, young cotton,
tobacco in beds, peaches and gardens
were partially destroyed. Ice
formed in Chesterfield, Marlboro, Marion
and Horry counties on the morning
of the 21st. Over the western
counties it is believed the high winds --prevented
a killing frost on that date.
CBOPS.
The weather was extremely favorable
for farm work, but too cool and
dry for growing crops and for breaking
up bottom lands or clay soils generally.
Corn planting is about completed
over the eastern and central portions;
of the State. It is coming up very
well in places, in others very poorly.
Stands are consequently very irregular
even in the same counties. Worms
and crows damaged stands seriously
from Hampton and Beaufort northward,
necessitating replanting in
many places. Frost cut corn to the
ground in Horry and Marion, but resorts
state that it is cominer ud aerain.
Chinch, busrs have attached com in
Chester and York. From York west
ward, corn planted early in March
vrill have to be replanted.
Cotton planting progressed rapidly
and is now about half finished over
the western and central counties. In
many places, in eastern sections,planting
practically completed. Slow germination
and growth owing to cool
nights and want of moisture. Stands
very uneven. Beplanting necessary
over northeastern counties, where
manv fields were destroved bv frost.
Rain and warm nights would prove
beneficial. Sea Island cotton practically
all planted and good stands
have been secured.
Some tobacco has been transplanted
but rain is needed to push this work
on a large scale. Uncovered beds injured
by frost; damage immaterial.
Rice planting made rapid progress,
and stands generally satikactory.
Wheat continues to look promising.
Chinch Dugs have damaged it some in
Chester and York counties. Bain
would benefit it
Oats stand in need of moisture generally,
and are beginning to turn yellow
for the want of it, in ifce more
easterly counties where it is begin- ?
ning to head. In Chesterfield some
fields apparently injured by frost
Peaches are not as much injured as
earlier rennrta indicated . Snmfl local
ities, in same section, reporting a fair
"set" and others that all are killed.
Apples promise well, a few reports
only indicate any injury to them.
Plums, cherries and apricots plentiful.
Dewberries ripening in Barnwell.
Blackberries blossoming profusely
over the central and northeastern
counties.
rior-.^s m^lnn<5 snd nasfni-ps matincr
slow growth.
. Too cool and dry for the coast truck
farms. Potatoes, strawberries and
beans at a standstill for want of rain.
Sweet potatoes in beds not growing
well generally. Irish potatoes coming
up and doing well
The national bulletin of April 19
reports the condition of corn and cotton
as follows:
4\Xo corn has yet been planted north
of the Ohio river; practically none
north of Maryland; westward of the
Mississippi, none north of Missouri,
In the southern states corn has been
unfavorably affected by low temperature
and needs warmer weather."
"Some cotton has been planted in
/M 1 1 i.1 'I
Uiiiaaoma. soumern mssouri ana
Tennessee; about half the crop planied
in Arkansas. In northern Texas
planting and growth of cotton have
been retarded by cool weather."
A Slav Zttiner Killed.
The badly mutilated body of John
Skilko, a Slav miner, was found be
side the Southern Railway tracks
Thursday morning between Cardiff
and Brockside, eighteen miles west of
Birmingham, Ala. Two theories are
advanced as to how he came to his
death?one that he was murdered by
negroes last night for the purpose of
rooDery ana men iaia across ine traces
and was run over by a train; the other
1 that while intoxicated he walked on
' the track and was ki-led by the train.
Coroner Barkhalt-r held an inquest
! over the remains.