The Fairfield news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1881-1900, December 15, 1897, Image 1
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VOL. LII. WINNSBOBO, S. C., WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1897. NO. 19.
ll ECKLES OWNS UP 1
AND THEREBY PUTS HiS FELLOW ;
| GOLCBUG31N A HOLE.
He Admits th? Insufficiency ol Oar 2Ionty
H? Recommends Ih? Expansion Through I
l.WTgfcr Issues of National Har IJ3--Soma
Striking Figures.
Tbe annual report cf James H.
asgfc Eckles, comptroller of tfce currency,
n^ior the year ended October 31, 1897,
Bens with a brief review cf the bis,
BV7 of the legislation -which consti
s the present national bank actaid
invites the attention cf congrtss
to amendments lo the law recommended
in former reporis without specifica:ly
repeatirg them. On the subject
of bank not circulation the comptroller
says:
"It is noticeable that all thechanges
which have been wrought in the
^ national currency act from its incep
tion to tne present i:mp, tne leaiure
subject to criticism, but which was
intended should consti uie the principal
benefit to bs confer.ed, has remained
comparatively unchanged,
D?meJy, the note isiuing function.
"Whatever justification there was ia
tie first instance for restricting the
issuing of notes against the bonds of
the government deposited with the
treasurer of the United States to 90 per
cent, of par value thereof has long
ceased.
' In the report of every comptroller
of the currency during the past 20
years the wisdom of chancing the exlew
cr? KnYlt<f STld thrOU^h
^ . thern the communities in which located,
might have the additional tenefit
of an added loanable capital has been
urged. Despite all this, the law still
remains wiibout amendment. Not
only should the bank act be amended
in 'his particular, but congress should
seriously consider such a change in
the method of bank note issues as will ,
enable the banks of the currency to
more adequately meet the demands of
, trade and commerce in all sections of
the country. The business of banking,
* like every other form of investment,
must be made attractive to capital. If
rr it is placed upon a footing different
v.' fri m other undertakings, embarrasst d
through unnecessary restriction?, and
deprived of proper sources of profit,
the result cannot be otherwise than
that mvestible capital will seek oiher
means of employment and to suoh extent
deprive the people of the benefits
of the agency most requisite to com
mercial activity.
"Tt is hv pvptv oreat cam
merciai government*except the United I
States to be the sole province of backs j
to issue paper which cii crates as cur- jj
k rency. The belief in a bank note cur ;
f rency as being better and safer than a
government paper currency prevailed
unquestioned in this country until
under the apparent exigencies cf the
war the government undertook to is
sue paper currency. Even under
such circumstances the promise was
' always given, however, that it should
be retired at the earliest practicable
the admission freely
made that it was neither a wise measffi
nor a safe fcrm of currency.
^Between the competition of the
Bernment note issues on the one
BjRid and the unnecessary restrictions j
pgP^^impcsed by law upon the other, to-1
f -with Ihft im*!r easing Tiricsoff
r bonds required to be deposited as security,
the note issuing function of
the banks has been permitted to become
merely an incident of the conduct
cf the national banking associations
of the country. It has been se
riously suggested more than once that
the bank cote issue bs done away
with and all ps per be Issued by the go v
k ernment instead. The dinger of
such a course is not to be overestimat|j*_
ed. Tie experience of every governH
ment has been that governmental cur1IS|
rercy pajer is a source of weakness
and danger. In the United States,
HHjkK where there has been the nearest ap
proach to success, with the.volume of
the Federal paper comparatively limitH
ed in amount, the credit of the gov
Bf ernm :.it has baen more than once put
BBfc in jeopardy through it and the bus:
Kf ness interests of the country subjected
to umecessary loss and confusion.
"Ihe argument, that the government,
better than ihe banks, can pro
f vide for the redemption of paper note
issues will not stara ihe test of a care
* ? mi - 4.
iui. analysis, me gGYrrumeub ws u.u
means for carirg: for iis demand ]ia
bililies except through borrowing and
through the levying of taxes. Upon
the other band, the banks hava asse:s
"which can b9 promptly converted into
cash meet their cutsancing notes when
presented. Their abili:y to command
gold has always been bey or d that of
tAiiim m ii 111 i i( fiii ' i i 'i fia&Ecial
jp> exigency whi.'h has confronted the
government tbe banks have furnished
to it the amounts necessary to mantain
itssolvency. It is impossible to believe
that with a system of bank note issues
based in pari upon securities and in
part upon bank assets, the country
r cannot be provided with a sound, safe
and elastic bank note issue,ai ways C3m
mensurate with and responsive to de
^ mandsof trade. The bank of England,
tank o' Sothnd and tee bank o? Ire
land have been four.d to be ample in
their resource; to provide the note issues
for use in the trace cf the United
Kingdom. The same is true of tbej
bark of Fr&rce. The DeutscheRicbs- j
bank, or German Imperial han& has 5
^ for more than 22 vears issued^bankj
^^^^note paper against assets which hasi
fl|SHtayintained its value and has been sc j
Hkclled as to successfully meet the!
BB^MWgseds of the empire "
-r ^ The comptroller calls attention ic
the organization cf this bank and publishes
some interesting statistics in
connection therewith. Teetotal number
of national banks organized since
the system was put into operation in
1S63 is shown to have been 5,085. On
Oct. 31 last there were in active opera-1
tion 3 617, having an authorized csni j
m tal of $630,230,295. The total outIP
standing circulation of the binks then j
' in operation was $229,199,SSO, of!
which $202,894,555 was secured by j
?* - bonds of the Unit:d States and the
balance by mosftv cODOsiitd
with tne treasurer of the Uaitec1 States.
^ The total c'rculation outstanding of
?-r ; all national ban::s cnO-jt. 31 lsst was
wss ?230,131,005, cf which amount
55S,SC0 was secured by bonds held for
account cf insolvent, and liquidating
banks, and $25,205,325 by lawful
money deposited for their account and
by active banks redueirg circulation.
The ret decresse in the amount cf circulation
secured by bonds during the
year was ?12.536,334. and the gross decrease
in the circulation was *4,851,292.
;
The 3,617 Links in operation are divided
geographically as follows: 5SS,;
with an authorized capital s'.cck cf.
?159,291,620 in tho New England j
Slates; 9S6. with an aggregate capital
stock of $195,121,275, in the eastern J
states; 516, *ith a capital stock of $20,- j
761,900, in the soul hem States; 1.046,1
wiih a capi.al stock of $160,163,967, in I
the middle States; 357, with a capital!
stock of $32,654,160, in the western
States, and 124, with a capital stock of
$17,465,000 in the Pacific Slates. During
the year 44 banks were orgasized
with an aggregate capital stock of $4,420,000.
Duricg the year 71 banks
went into voluntary liquidation.
There was paid to creditors cf
of icsolvent banks during the jear
, - ~/\ " J!..: ] J ~ w^orvv,;
ji-i l&y.vsi m uiviueuus. uj^UI
aide of this unequaled rtcord, the re
port says, will b* more forcibly ilius
traied if considered in the light of
what has been accomplished hereto
fore in the way cf dividend payments
to the creditors of insolvent instiiu
lions.
In 1S93 there were paid in dividerds.
$8 433 647; in 1S94 $5,124 577;
in 189o,$3,3S0,552; in 1896, $2,451,959,
andinlS97 ?13,109,781, makins: a total
of dividends paid wiihin five year
f'om 1S93 to 1897 cf $27,560,516, or
36i per cent of ail the dividecds that
have ever been paid to creditors of ic
solvent national batiks. i?'rcm 15S310;
1S97 there has been paid in dividends]
$75 835,925, and in the year embraced j
in this report $13,169,7S1, or 171-3
per ce-t of all the dividends that,have
been paid during the period of 34 j
jeirsof the *xi;terc.icf the system.
Since October 31 at the end of the report |
year 17 additional dividends have been j
ordered, amounting in the aggregate |
to about $625,0C0. 'The report con-j
tains the latest compiled statistics relative
to the worla's monetary system
and the s'.cck of gold, silver and paper
currency. A very interesting feature
of this statement is the per capita
amcuni cf each kind cf money in the
countries named. The per capita
averages in the principal countries are
as folia^s: CJnited-States, $33 70; the j
United Kingdom, &2J.65; France, j
?3163; Germany, $LS95; Austria-:Hungary,,19.33,
and Russia, $3.95
The comptroller renews nis recom j
mendation of last year, urging that
national bank examiners be paid in annual
salaries instead cf fees as now.
Lock Oat lor Burglars.
Willistcn, in Aiken County, vras
i? t 1?~ ?~
VlSltSCL Oy UUIiJicUra \J1SV iijguu iiwv j
week. The store of the Williston Sap-1
ply company was entered through the j
front door, -he safe blown open and j
robbed of about $250. The pc-sicffise
was broken into also, and a safe dyna- I
mited but it proved to be the wrong
one. The office had changed hands
Wednesday. Miss Marie H&rley taking
the place of Mr. E E Bruce, and
and all {he moneys, stamps, etc., had
been changed from the old safe to a
new one. The old safe was the one
chosen for destruction and from it |
ihev eot nothing. The new safe contained
$700 or $800. It was not troubled.
Three strangers spent Sunday
night at the Williston Inn and were
seen in town Wednesday. The Inn
porter s?>ys he saw these men gamb j
'intr with snnsn cecroes Sundav after- i
nooa, but he did not inform the nroj
prietcr of this until they had gone.'
These are the suspects. Telegrams,
have been seat in several directions
in the effort to intercept them. One
of the men was about 50 years old.
one about 25 and ihe other seemed to
be not ever IS. The above is taken
from the State. A special to th3 Register
from Batesburg says: Three
well dressed white men, supposed to
be the Williston safe burglars, were
captured here tonight and are now in
the lock-up. They made their appear-J
ance in town about 7:30 o'clock this
evening, coming across the country,
from the direction of Williston. After
taking supper at the hotel, they
went out on the streets, where their
general appearance, taken in connection
with the way in which ihey came
to to to. aroused susoicion. About 9
o'clock the town marshal, accompa-l
nied by a score of citizens, approach j
ed the trio and told them to consider
themselves under arrest. They immediately
"showed fight," and, drawing
pistols, told the citizens to stand back,
on pain of getting their heads shot
cif. In an instant the saspects were
covered by a score of pis'ols, wiiere
upon they quietly submitted to arrest.
They gave their names as Charlie
Jones, Harry Joces and Joe John
stoa. When searcfced there was found
upon their persons ?19 in silver, three
pistols, several valuable diamonds,
and a number of pieces of fuse. There
is little doubt that they are genuine
crooks.
Tho 21<&sarc cf Strength.
A ! .4. 1 I
iin amusing siury nets uccu
the rounds of the newspapers lately,
A gentleman saw at a lecture one
night his barber. Tne next time he
wss in the barber shop he asked tbe
barber if he enjoyed ihe lecture. ''Not
at all," was the response '"M? whoJe
eveoing wss a failure, for from where
I sat iu the gallery I cculd see that
your hair was not parted straight."
This man is fairly representative of
a large proportion of people iu this
?rorid. With them one defect bio's
ouievery possibility oi eoj Jjmentand
happiness, It is the same in th^-ir
es:;mate and er j jyment of people
The one defect cf character obliterates
u e ninety Dine virtues; the one act cf
vrbich ihey disapprove blots out the
memory oi the manj cf which they do
approve.
It is wisdom ic count the pleasures,
ir.e inspirations, the possibilities, the
virtues, which are a part uf cur life,
and to let the^.i blot cut, as th?y surely
outnumber, the sorrows, the weights,
the defeats, the sins, of cur lives. Is
there greater folly than to go through
life watching the crookei p?.st? It I
takes strength oi rnind, and phibso j
phy, which is but another name fori
intelligence, to tester the defeats j
the disagreeable things that j
come to us. And it cannot be disput- j
ed that the positive evidence of wtak I
:.es5 in any character is that of count- j
int; only,the thicks that subtract from
the joy of living. There are people
77ho think that the measure of righteousness
is the inability to laugh. There
is no relation between dy spepsia and
righteousness. G?d mads this world
beautiful to make his children happy.
The trials of life, great and small,
should be accepied like the hills and
mountains met in a journey?difficult
of ascent, but presenting greater beau j
ty and bringing the climber nearer
heaven in proportion to ice strength !
called for in'the upward journey. |
That msn does not go far nor high <
vrho sits down to look at the dirncul- j
lies that lie below him. His intelii-;
gciice and power of reaching the full:
measure of the image in which he was '
created depend on his ability to forget
the pisi and live ia. the present of
triumph.
HIS MANIA WAS TO ?J,.\Y.
EXTRAGSD'In^RY career of vachER,
MURDERER OF MANY PERSON . j
Hii Serl' ? of Gileses?Tw?aty thrco Asstesln-.tlors
3cc-u&ht H?me to Him? K< cord
Without Parallel?ii&cd of ijJrasglers ia
Paris ard I 3 Chief.
Thsre is Eothicg in modern histcry
with which to compare the sanguioa
rv career of the Frscch slaughterer,
Yacher, savs the London correspondent
of the New York Sua. The Jack
the Ripper murders in London ten
years ago arc c:<mple!?ly eclipsed by
it, and the revelation is still incomplete.
Twcatj th-ce assissinations
have already been brought home to
this blood-thirsty wretch, and sc^rely
a day passes that another is not added
to the list. It is doubtful if the murderer
himself knows the number of
his victims. He nonchalantly tells the
story o* some fresh tragedy io the ex
amming magistrate from time to time ;
as the details recur to his diseased
mi^d- Investigation ia each case so
far has produced full corroboration of
the murderer's narative. Tne;e cases
include several crimes not heretofore
discovered, but the victim's body has
in each instance been found where in
dicattd?in a disused well or ioneiy
thicket
The story of this man, who killed
merely forth? Saki ofkiJJiag, should
be made kno rn throughout Christendom.
for it constitutes the most start
liDg warning of modern tirre; against
the criminal folly of turning loose
upon society an iaaividu-?l subject to
tiis of homicidal nniiia Vacher, who
is only about 25 years old, vras a Diasant
liviog near Lyocs. Hi served
his military term in a regi ment cf
zouaves, and proved so good :i soldier
;hat he was made a non comm issioned
cifisfr. It was complained o? "him
that he was brutally severe to the ra
cruits uader him. A ^ouLg m*n, a
member of a renowned French i^miily,tells
hnw Vacher onse abused him
so savagely while drilling him that
he lost his temper and sprang at the
joung martinet. Luckily for the sol-!
dier, his companions seized him be j
fore h& had succeeded in striking his j
tormentor, otherwise court martial1
and sentence to death for assaulting
ail -cfucar might have been his fate
under the stern la^s cf military dis
cipline in France.
But there was no suspicion or
ground f:>r suspicion of Vacher''s san* j
ity at that time. Just after com - j
pleting bis service, Vacher was ill in j
the hospital for several we^ks. Dur- \
ing his cjnanement he attsmp'.ei to :
blow out his brains with a revolver, i
and ha still carries the bullet somewhere
inside his skull. The shot produced
recurrent fits cf insanity of so
violent a charactor that he was confined
for a time at the lunatic asylum
at Dole. Di. Gilbert, the well-known
expert- in mental diseases, says that
the physicians at the asylum released |
Vacher, although the?"knew he was
not fit to be at large, because they
were afraid of an outcry in the press
against the arbitrary confinement of
a citizen under the pretest that he was
insane.
That was three years ago. Since
that time Vaeher has wandered I
through the country districts of
France, leaving everywhere a trail of ;
blood, but undetected, even uasuspec j
ted, until by mere chance he was
caught almost red nanded near Lyons
abcu1: three weeks ago. Most of his
victims were shepherd bays and eirls,
whom he found tending their flocks
in lonely fields or on hillsides,^bat
sometimes he killed men and women.
In each case he seemed seize! with a
*-< >-"~ ttwl-ini- (intsTi hie xriffim
XX Ci- JUJ aikCi mv n m a*4w i av*?mmj ;
and cut and slashed and often dis
membered the body. He told the
magistrate one day that he considered
himself a source, sent by Providenci
to slU'et humanity. But his motive
was often more rational and sordid.
Oae man he killei because his victim
wore a clean-looking shirt wiaich Vacher
coveted. Sometimes, he admits,
he killed because he needed money j
and food.
The murderer was always remarka I
ble clever in shifting suspicion from '
hirr-self. Two years ago he killed a j
shepherd boy on a country road a few j
miles from Lyons. He hacked the:
body almost into pi^c^s and then j
strolled on Within a few minutes;
the mu.ilated corpse was discovered j
ana there was immediate search for
the murdrrer in all directions. A gendarme
mounted on a bicycle soon
overtook Vacher, and ceiled upon
him to pr.jcuse his papers He readily
handed over his discharge from the
z:-ums as a non-commisiio^ed officer.
"Why, that is my old regiment/'
exclaimed the tfesdarme. "I am hun
iog a man who just cu'. a bo>'s
throat. Have yc.-u seei. anj suspicious
character a< you came aloug?"
"O*-, ?es," responded the murderer
witfcou. the least siirn of discomposure.
'"I saw a maa running acri ts the
fields to thenor?h about a mile b^ck "
And lL? geisdaime hurried off afier
the imaginary culprit
Oocasivnaiij by some J inky chance
a victim escap d him. A boy of 13,
samtd Rosier, was h-;rding c:>ws
nesr Clermont Ferrand ore cay in
; Oclober, a year ago, when he saw an
lugly looking, fringing fellow, approach.
He was a tramp, poorly
a hicr h-i.o- on his
bsck and a heavy stick in his hand.
The bo; was frightened at the tramp's
appearance, and as the strar>ge- came
near, ycutig Rodi'.r, under pretense
of minding his cow?, ran away. The
stranger, Yacher, followed.
"' It's bitter cold," he said when be
came near '"Why don't you light a
fire? If you want matches, I cm give
you soma."
"I want none," s\id the boy, ".snd
don't be roming afier me, but keep cn
the path."
But V^cher came cn, and the boy
kept moving off until ho got to the
brow of the hiil, where a man and a
woman were digging. Y7hen the
tramp saw them, he stopped short.
T.iey ejed him also, snd thought there
was something wrong about him. The
man wss so sure Vac her meant mischief
that he tock up a pitehferk to be
ready for the fcrst- The tramp said:
4,This is a horrid country. The
people are worse than dogs. I have
wn fasting for twodavs. and nobody
hss enured m2 a crust." Ee had, not
20 minutes before, murdered Rosine,
the ii year cid s^sier of youns: P.odier.
but her bed 7 was not feu ad until a
week lateh
At another time three cr four women
in. turn eiCiped him. A Mme.
ilarchand has identified Yaeher as a
man who attacked her on the road
4
near L^ons at Easier, 1895. She <- as I
returning from market, where she had
sold some oranges, and a man came
behind her and seized her by the
ihroat. She struggled violently,
managed to scratch hc-r assailant's
face and succeeded finally in screaming.
Several persons heard her, "but
before they reached her her assailant
I fiei. Three ether women were at
I tacked in the same way that afternoon
l but were unable to escape in a similar
manner.
Yscher's most t-rominent victim was
j the Marquis de Villeplaine, who was
I killed while walking in his park in
I southwestern France, not far from
l the Spanish frontier. The murderer
crept up behind him, felled him Dy a
blow on the head with a heavy stick
nnd then cut his throat. The murderer
carried off bis victim's coat aDd a portfolio
containing some baik notes
Vacher went to Spain soon after this
murder.
One of his more rccent crimes,
which might never have become
known but for the murderer's boastful
volunteered description of it, was the
killing of a boy of 16 named Bully
near Lyons, poacher and chicken
siealer, so that bis disappearance was
made little account of. Vacher told
the magiitate this week that he met
B jlly en the hi^h road and dispatched
him in an unoccupied house, where
they went to pass the night, Bie spent
soma hour? in cutting the bedy to
piec?s and finally threw it down a
well on the premises. Parts of the
remains b*ve now been recovered by
following Vacher's directions.
Tnis extraordinary criminal is sane
enough under ordinary observation, I
and therein, of course, lies thd danger \
to society from creatures with such
.,?An^v,r.nl.,. Thj rvinct r] icjn sf i 71 Or
O X.AJ.V i?4VU W f->
feature of the wbo'.e frightful record
is the fact that a criminal, sane or in
sane should bs able to go about for
three jears in a civilizjd, weii p)pu
ialed country,taking life at will ana in
an almost wholesale way was, and ^et j
ba comparatively free from :he pursuit
of ihe aeenls of the law. It is the
fashion in Europe, to rcgari America
cs a more or less lawless wilderness,
i where human lsfe is cheap. In ihe i
i face of this revelation in a country
which prides itself on the skill of its j
detectives, America should be safe, for j
a time at least, from the repetition of j
these slanders. j
THE COMMON CRiME OF MURDER
Its WcXul Picvaleccs ThrcaghouJ th?
United States.
There is not a Sia'.e or Territory in
the Union in which there is not a trial
for murder psnding. In the State of!
Kentucky therj are forty-seven cases!
Cjiiueriiiiig Ninety uisc unsji^ia
murder awailiag trial. *Ia'Virginia
there are at least tweaty three charges
of murder. Ia the first State only
saven of the men in j til to be tried lor
the capital offence of murder are ae?recs;ia
Virginia there are eight.
North Carolina has twenty cases or
more, Georgia twenty-seven, Lo?r.siaa
a ic )re, Texas thirty two or thirtythree,
Missouri twenty-four, Illinois
sixteen, Icdiaaa sevea, Michigan
three, Ohio ei?ht, Peansylvania
twenty six, New York forty-two Cca
necticut, Rbode Island aad Vermont
one each. New Hampshire has just
'settled one of her three by si sentence
j o* thirty years imposed upon a crazid
i assassin. California has twenty-seven
! cases on her docket, aad. altogether,
with a dczm more or less, there are
2S0 charges of murder cn the criminal
dockets of the various States aad
Territories. South Carolina, we re
^ret to say. has her full share and
more. Some of these have only passed
as yet from the hands of the coroner
or committing magistrates, others are
on trial, some are on appeal, and a
few aave gone through ail the judicial
procedure, aad the convicted men are
only awaiting the executive action of
the law to complete their record.
There is no domiaatinf? cause of these
? ? ? 1 ?* "U <N r i V> * 1 rt
crimes, uniess it us mat m ^
| cities they are more frequently con
neeied with robbery. Love, revenge,
madness, pure thirst of sneddingjbiood
gain, j >alousy, political wrangles,
family feudb and drunken brawls are
a few of the'sources from which the
nomicide acts have origin. Some
seem not to have even the plea of
madness, to which so many of the
[ causeless crimes are referred. I-, is a
; mooted point whether legal punish
j ment has any deterrent effect upon
| crime, but no one can note the terribly
j suggestive figures given abore without
| an earnest wish that punishment have
i a real test.
I The Comp roller Issues Another Gircalar. |
Comptroller General Ecton is pus'v
; ing the matter of the returns of the
! property and capital of new eaterj
prises. He sent out the following1
i litter to county auditors, asking for
i;.formation whic.i will tell him
j whether auditors are doing their drtty
; ia tr;is matter or not, The letter
j r.^ads:
[ Dear Sir: la CDmplvine with the
I duties rfqiiredof your of Hie under
| St-cti'cn 267, Rjfis-d Statuses 1S93.
j will you please jjivs me the number
| o? J2x j&y srs placed on youradditional
j cuplicite; also, give me the number o?
names turned over to your county
: superv sor as delinquent returns u^ider
; Section 263 Rjvised Statutes, 1S?3. |
Yours verv truly,
*L P. Eotcu,
Comptroller General. !
i The report of the auditors to the
! comptroller's offi;?, in compl anc3
with tbis letter, will necessarily ini
elude a report of the number and value
of crigina! package establishments
doing business in this Slate. All of
the original package businesses have j
baen established sines ths closing of
the auditors' original duplicate and <
^ill be amoni: those oa the additional J
lists. The delis q tents reported to the !
! etmc.yiTie~.f2 V>T7 Ki;r$ifnr Will UMb?- j
| 'oiy be only tne transient stand keep- j
j ers who move about from placs to j
J clace and seldom pay o:her than city j
j license taxes.
j Suicide at a Jadge.
! Judge Horace R. Buck, associate
| j.;s!.ice of the supreme court cf Men!
una. shot himself through the right
I fye about midnight at his home in
; L'enox, a suburb of Helena. He had
! spent the evening with a party of
friend* at a neighbor's house, seeming
very cheerful. " After chatting for a
vcbile with his family, he went t) his
'room, and soon afterwards the shot
j that ended his life was heard. H:s
wife ran up stairs and found him lyi
ing on the floor, dead. The judge Lad
* 1 -1 ? ? *
I L?cH DreS.JiiDg UU.Y.U 1:1 i;cai.o ivi j
j some time s-nd it is thought vras seized!
| with a sudden impulse to end his un-!
; easiness. He vras 41 years of age, aj
i native cf Vicksbur^, Miss., acd a;
i graduate of Yale. He c^me to Mon-,
: taca in 1879.
a
THE COTTON PROBIEM.
TME FARMERS MUST FIGHT THE
DEVIL WITH FIRE.
Th? Colcmb'.a Statd JastJy Contends that !
as Long as Iras*.# Exist tlie Farmers are
JastlC^d la Orgsa'z'.ng Oao to Frotec:
T bemsslvej.
Prof. R Means Davis contibutes to
The S:ate a thoughtful letter 011 the
issue of the day in the south?the
means of raising the price of cotton,
be reducing the acreage, cornering
the product, or otherwise. We print
it with pleasure, although we do no'
agrf e vcith several of his conclusions.
Oar friend is a teacher, a professor
of poli'icsl economy. It is his duty
in life to announce certiin rigid doc
trices, to teach them and to adhere to
theoa regardless of consequences. It
is the obligation of others, in other cc
cupations, to maie theory conform to
necessity, to make an honest living
even at the cost of subordinating doc
trines theoretically s -und. Farmers
may disspprove of trusts, but if they
steno present pros; est of destroying
those that already exist to their oppression
and have the hope that by
-organizing one of their own they may
secure living n.'ices for their great
staple, they will not eisily fce persuad
ed to stay their hands. Tne pinch of
| poverty is ever more powerful than
| the allurements of "blanked barren
idea ity." Hence we do not thick
j that any consideration of consistency
j will keep them from going into a cct
ton trust if they think a cotton trust
| -will relieve them from th^ir present
I financial plight.
j As we have said in previous ariicle?.
! we gi-eatly doubt the ability or the
miili jc farmers of the south, widely
scititred over a great area, variously
'circumstanced and unused to cooperation,
to effect and maintain a combina|
tion for the purpose of reducing the
cotton acreage: and the same difficulties
attend the plan of organizing a cot
ton trust to corner the staple. Yet we
would not discourage either ol these
movements, cecauss if either should
li3ppen to ?U2C3ed it would be of great
value to ibe farmers and the people of
the south generally. Even if they
ihould not be organized and operated,
the free dkcassion of them would concentrate
the mi^ds of ths cotton plant
ers upon the necessity for a curtailment
of production; and might promote
by individual action that which
could not be gained by cooperative ac
tion. To realize the nature of a ciseas
is to make c.a advance toward cur- J
|ing it; and the disease we suffer from j
! is an excess of cotton on the brain. :
I Prof. Davis is seriously misinformed, j
we think, as tj the area in E?ypt suit- j
I able for cotton culture. Oar under- j
J standing is that it is quite limited, j
The India cotton is very inferior and j
j can never ta the uiace of our fine j
white staple. Ia Russia the industry j
is in its earliest infancy. In none of
these countries could it be rapidly ex
pand^d, in response to a rise in price,
to a degree which would supply the
mills of the world from other fields
than ours. Even at the cotton famine
prices of our yjax lime, though the cul j
ture was very profitable, the foreign
supply could not app.-oach the demand.
It would take very high
prices, maintained for years, to make
outside production formidable to us.
That theso'jth can produce cotton
more cheaply than any other part of
the world is admitted by Prof. Davis.
Bui why should we for this reason
produce all we can ? Because we can
raise it at a cost of 5 cents a pound, is
it rational to raise so mush of it that
it can onlv brimr 5 cents? Surely not.
If the crop is uuDroficable it ought to
b3 abandoned by those who cannot
make money out of it?let those who
can, keep up their production, and increase
it if they like. If the total crop
is so great as to make the pries run
down to the average cost of production,
then the total crop should be re
duced until the average farmer can
make something by planting it.
We entirely agree wiih Prof. Davis)
that what we commonly call over-:
production is rather underconsumption,
ciused by the impaired purchas
ing power of the people under the
operation of the gold standard. For
this we are seeking by the ballot a financial
remedy, and when we get it a
crop of 10.000,000 bales will not be
too much. But for this relief we must
wait years; iur iijc ui uo j
trusts we must wa t years; for every- [
thing save what we can accomplish i
unaided by Jaw we must waitjeirs. <*
In the meaatime are we to go on giv- j
in? our time, labor and thought to the j
: uclimned production of a crop that
o'o.sn't pay? Not if we h-ive i?.aif-j
sense.
Tue farmers of the south will not be j
likely lo arq lire a love for trusts if]
they make a cotton combination. Tne ;
trusts pinch theca, as well a^ our
friend, too hard and in too many j
places They will be glad enough to'
sacrifice t^eir o&n for ibe sake of
sweeumj? a:vay ihe hundred owners
jM^anwhile, it is possible lor ttrm
with propriety to denounce all trusts
while ?a>iiiir that so long as trusts are
pe-mitted ihey intend to create for
ifct rnselv-'S sucla as ih^y f q ur^
W'-iii we accept the name of trust;
as applied to Mr. Rodd^y's proposed |
: crgan'z *tion we do not admit its ap j
<plicabiiity 'o trie proposed cjaifiia <
i ii ;n of farmers to reduce ihe acreage j
' in cotton. The two things are very j
ditffrent in character and purpose, i
Oae is a close corporation created to stifb
competition, and pliader the |
public; the other a mere association,!
aiming to include a miiiion men, hav- i
in?rno purpose to destroy competition, I
and aiming only at cooperation in re- j
ducing the excessive planting of an:
unprofitable crop. A siagle piea will j
justify ic, and that is, self-preservation.
?Sta'.e _ _
U id>3 Skxii ilis V? laoivs.
The house comcnitiee met Wcdnes }
day and took action that is intended to ?
correct the alleged repidly growing !
abuie or young women marrjing old ;
soldiers and sailors for th^ purpose of I
becoming their wido*s and drawing j
a pciisi'-n i'rora the ^overnmc-nt. This j
subj-Ci has been much disousred ini
vie .v of the cor.parutiueiy lsrge num- j
cer of vriuow claimants on account of j
the revolutionary war of 1S12 and;
Mexican war service of husbands, j
The committee au'.hcrfz :d Chairman .
?>_?? r-Umir, *V a nnmmilt!!? r>-n !
bU \J KJ iiC'Ui V? . ,
rules an order or rale permuting an j
amendment to the pension appropria-;
tion providing that no pension shall |
hereafter be graced to the widow of a I
soldier or other person who is married j
to such soldier or person after the;
passage cf ihis act, excepting, how;
ever, ail soldiers, sauors, officers, etc.;
now in or who may hereafter enter <
the military or navai service of the;
United S'.ates.
k
CONCERNING COTTON j
A Plan to Abolisli Gambllrg lr Faturta.
The following is the full test of
Representative Stokes's bill which!
will be introduced by him at an early!
day:
A Bill to Abolish Gambling in Cotton \
Futures and Others Agricultural'
Products.
Section 1. From and after the pass- j
age of this act, it shall be unlawful
for any individual, or corporation cr
association to c-ngage in gambling operations
whose tendency is to affect artificially
the market price of cotton or
other agricultural products.
Bee. 2. D or tie purposes ot tn;s act,
gambling operations include all contracts
for purchase and sale, commonly
known as "futures." in which the
tender and delivery of the actual commodity
named in the contract is not
made.
Sec. 3. Eich contract for future delivery
of cot ton, corn, wheat, and oats
shall relate to one gradd only and all
such contracts shall specify the
amount and grade contracted for. and
no under of a different grade from
that named in the contract shall be a
legal tender.
Sec. 4 Any pt rson or corporation or
association, their agents, representa
lives or officers. violating any of the
provisions of ibis act, shall upon conviction
there of b3 fined in a sum not
less than $L,C00 for each offense, cnehalf
of which See shall be paid to the
informmt; or imprisoned for not less
tban six months, or both fined and im
pris >ned in the direction of the court:
Provided, That in addition to said
fine acd imprisonment, any person
rho has suffered injury by r. ason of
such unlawful operations may recover
rfamAops in anv rnurt of comr?3tent
jiiisdiction.
Sec. 5. All :c'.s and parts of acts ia- j
consistent with the troviiiocs of this j
act are hereby repealed.
Dr. Sickts was seen Wednesday af j
ternoon after the adjournment of the!
house, at his room at the Metropolitan
Hotel and made the following: statement
ia reference thereto:
' The purpose of this bill is plain
and its provisions if enacted into law
will do ail that legislation can do toward
the end in view.
'i have made a close study of the
problem since the cotton growers' convention
met in Columbia last month
and appointed me a delegate at large
from my sta:e to the interstate cotton
growers' convention calledtc meet in;
Atlanta on the 14th inst. At that!
meeting, I will present a plan of co
nTji.0omnrtf /^'Yfrnr; Cr.?rt?7f>rs t.hftt *
will them control cf the spot!
market. This bill will wip3 cut the
gambling market and leave the pro j
ducersof CDtton in position tocontrol j
the price of their product within
reasonable limits. It is needless to say
that under the provisions of the bill,
the same remedies may b3 applied
j ist as effectually to all other agricultural
products?corn, wheat, oats,
etc. I speak of cotton speciacally bec
iuse my people are mostly interested
in it.
"The section of the bill requiring
ea3h contract to relate to one grade
only w'li of itself revolutioniz) the
transaction on the cotton exchange, j
Under th3 existing rul-s the sailer of j
futures can deliver any grade from
gocd ordinary to fair. This shuts ouS !i
spinners and actual buyers of actual |
cotton, practically, from the cotton ex-j
change, because the spianer when he
buys cotton wants to buy a certain
graci3. j
'"If we compel the delivery ct the j
grade specified, then spinners can I
have a snowing 021 the exchanges.
"Irepcit; the bill will give there- j
lief the farmers need, if it becomes j
law; and it will become law if the
farmers demand it."
A Llqior-Dzinktes Boat.
They say that the Dsmocratic is a
drinking party. Pennsylvania elected
overwhelmingly a Republican,
legislature last fall, and this is the record
it left when it attended the dedication
of General Grant's monume-iS
in New York:
Table supplies . ?....?$L,67S SG'I
Wines and liquors 3,02560 j
/-* _x T-*. l-i i_ -_ 1+1 nn I
cupper ai .raiiaaejpiiia...... qi jv j
Cigars. 450 Of-)
Hire of silverware. lS7 5f'.'
Service of waiters.... 240 00 ]
Stoves...................... 70 001
Freight... 8 27 |
Building kitchen 175 00 |
Car fare cf waiters.........* 209 50 j
j
Total $6,107 12 !
To iiq iors returned......... 157'!0|
To s.*i-rof s'oves............. 32 00:
I
Total ...$5 91116 }
This Vita saoh aa -us utTiirj
th&t 'he g- viroor ve'oed t'oe an;;r< j
pria'ioci. It s<^eds that ;>a!y $2 869 60 >.
wortb of wine- Hctii :rs e n> ]
su^ed by the 250. Whether th* ii j
q a rs ar#? *ver oaidi for cr not, thess j
zcxz'itjg Re >u'ihcin- d-*a-:k t'aeoi
L >oks Life- ? ?.rop<.
We havp. rec ivfd Lsrhaoi, Ajpx*n-,
d-r & Co's crop f3l*'arxyi3 of t~e 7g^ |
as follows: 'k3ising our coii
elusions upon a a exhaustive co ves ;
poncence with all the cotton-gro^ieg j
counties in ih-3 Southern States. rein |
bio information secured from travelers i
through i>* sou'b, ar.d upon the psr-;
c'jctages c' the crop m?.rk9ied at nu
tn&rous. points, the following is cures-:
timate cf the 5it-Id by Slates. We;
submit it v*ith the confident belief that::
it will prove as i.exrly correct as anj
that could b3 made at this date, after
a carsf ui consideration cf the cotton
movement thus far this year: To'al
CiCp of Alabama. 1,109,000 bales; Arkansis,
852,000; Florida, ?6,000; Georgia,
1.430,000: Louisi&n?, 7u3,000;j
Mississippi, 1 373.003; North Carolina}
Si)iOCO; South Carolina, 875,035;
Tennessee, etc.. 395.000; Tpx*s ?>td
Indian. Territory. 2 7S5.000. Total
10,188,COO Sales.1' Greai Neiii: "Where
-yo a id we have b^en if we had
a c;o? failure ?
Won 2\>r Snirit-r.
When the 8:ate Boatd cf Control
met Thursday in Coiumbiathe following
loiter was read:
Ssmic-r, D^c. 8. 1S97.
State Board of Control, Coium'e;*.. 3. C.
The county beard of control of Sum- j
ter county requests that the shsra oi ]
net profits from the cispensary be not j
paid to the city, but that a constable j
be emplojed to suppress the ilL cii; sale j
of whiskey here. The city councilhas
rented:: store to an c. p. dealer.
J. T. Hayes, Chairman.
H. C. Cutiixo. Clerk.
W. J". Dejects. i
Upon toe strength of this cjtmn/uni !
cation the board decided that the
share of dispensary profits gcir.g to
the city of Sumter to ^ithr.eld.
THE WILSON VS. THE DINGLEY ACT.
rhs 2Torxn?r Better than ths Letter aa a
Bsvonne Salter,
The Dingley Tariff act &s a producer
of revenue promises to be a three toone
failure when compared with the
Wilson law. Upon the basis of resu'ts
so far attained, it is estimated bj
unprejudiced authority that the first
year s deficit under the Dingley law
wiil equal the deficiency for the three
vears under the Wilson law. The
statement made by Secretary Gage
that the excess of expenditures ever
receipts for the' first year under thenew
tariff wiil not go beyond $25,000,000
is ridiculed by financial experts.
Even permitting Mr. Gage to use
tbe entire $58,000,000 derived from
the sale of tbe Union Pacific railroad,
as though it had been obtained tbrouh
the collection of duties on importations,
his estimates are still below those
mzid* by reliable accountants in the
government service at IseTr York.
The officials of the administration
have become so alarmed at the continuous
deficit producing character of
theDingley bill that ttiey have resori '
ed lo unusual methods in endeavoring
to hide its defects
Such an opportunity was presented
when the Union Pacific railroad was
sold to the reorganization syndicate,
ana the first payment on this account,
?13 615.250. anceared vesterdav in th?
treasury statement among; the ordinary
receipts of the government for
November. By thus jiggling with
figures Secretary Gage was aMe to!
present a surplus of receipts over ex-1
pecses for the month. Tne deficit by
months since June 30 hss been:
July 11,673,000
August 14,565,0001
September 3,235,000,
October 9 310.000
Novcuber 8.543,0001
Secretary Game's figures for Novam i
bsr, secured by carrying into the cash
813,645,250 daid on account of the
Union Pacific sale, niakes a surplus
for the month o? $5 553,000. Bit this
money is no pari of tne revenue derived
from the Dingley act, and must
be deducted from govercm3nt revenue?
to ascertain ^tat the law is producing.
When President ilcKinlev succeed
ed Mr. Cleveland the available cash|in
tae treasury was $211,S37,255. Immediately
the preparation of a high tariff
bill commenced, and under its influence,
importers having taken advantage
of lew duties and fearing
much higher ones, the cash in the
treasury was increased from March 1,
lo August 1, until it reached $233,010,000.
From this point, with the Dingley
act in full operation, the atlbit has
continued until November 30, when it
was, for that portion of the fiscal year
already completed, $46,000,000, and
running at a ratio of more than $100,*
000,000 for the entire year. During the
three years the Wilson act was in
operation the deficit was:
1895... $?2,S05,000
1S96~?.??? 25,203,000
1S97 18,052,000
Total 86 060,000
Admitting that there will 12 an increase
of importations during the latter
pari; of the year, it is claimed by experts
whose authority caDnot be questioned,
that the deficit will reach at
least $S5,060,000, -will be as much of a
delhis in one year as was accumulated
under the Wilson act in three years.
When President Cleveland assumed
office March 4. 1893, there was an
available cash balance in the treasury
of $124,C00,0C0. When Mr. McKinley
became President on Msrch- 4, 1897,
there was an available cash balance of
$212,000,000.
This balance aside from the ordinary
revenues for Mr. Cleveland's term,
was increased by the sale of bonds to
mest the excessive and permanent
expenditures that had been saddled
upon the treasury by the preceding
It'.publican congress. These bond
issues were made as follows:
1. February, 1894....$ 50,000,000 5s
2. November 1894.... ?0,000 000 5s
3 February. 1895..... 62,315 400 4s
4. February, 1896..,. 100,000,000 4s
Total $262,315,400
Upon these issues the premiums
realized amounted to $31,138,786 (cents
j omiied), as follows:
| First issue........ ........$ S.6S3.295
,Second issue.............. 8,538.400
I Third is>ue.... 2 S0U:S44
Fourth issue 11.166,246
[ Addins the principal and premium
! the Cleveland admiui-lration iacreas
ed its revenue from this ex'raor *inary
source to the extent of $293 454 186
Ar.d of this amount Cleveland left to
his successor ?212,000.000
The ^orJsoJ ? Fiend.
Oae of the most atrocious and inhu
I m?o tfiurders oo record in the south
; was committed 'Vt-d:;esday niaht in
jt.^e ed&e of S:d p-on counly Miss
I Brosrn Smith, a farmer, aad a son of
i 2X-Rei^r sestaiiv-e Ed Smith, o Simp
sou c vjfctv. ]ef: hi.5 faa::i> at his name
in ii'i c u:.trv, t-: g<>ir> to-^n for shop
pi?? pu." noses, of no possi
i'o'edaoger 'or th m. Thursday morn
iuz whtn .-;e returned ha found his
wife acd five children, welte i g in
their bleed a c apparently all dead
An alar.n wiisr^iocd i33mediately and
: me entire neighborhood turned cut to
bum for the inrpelratcr of ibis fouJ
t &i d blocdy crime.
I Tne:e be jag 110 t ieersph connec
! i- j,f/<ma in
j UT lAilS Ui. iOJL Uiuv.i vwuav **-.
slowly, but it was reported Thursday
evesisg that one of thglittls girls sup
j posed to have b:en cea^ has revived
j enough to tell what she knew of the
(occurrences. Sba said she kno^s ths
! man who committed the deed, that i!
f a negro, and <Iescrib:d him. A
posse is cow on the trick cf the aurdertr.
and there is great probability
that ha wiil be apprehended Jbe'ore
rurrsiog, and there can be but little
doubt of his meeiicg speedy justice
; -'hen caught, without awai'icg the
: formality of a court. It is learned
: that Mrs Smith and four of her chil;
dree. are dead, and that one of the chil
1 ' - r. t ;rc.
i'lre.i is s;iii iiTing-. oiieriu*
i of Lincoln. and Thompson of Copiah
J counties have gore to the scene cf the
i murder, each with a pack cf trained
blcodJhcunds.
j Tortured lo Uontb.
The Athens correspondent of The
O.hroiiicie s'.ys :lut oa Monday last
t?/0 soldiers m the imperial service at
i the Yildiz Kicsh, the paiace cf the
j sult2.11, made an attempt on the life cl
i ihs sultan. This was frustrated bj
I the attendants. The sultan had the
: men. tortured in ths hope of extract!
icg the names of the instigators, but
both succumbed without revealing
; anything.
'Ji
I .TfllSIDEM'S MESSAGE.
SENT TO CONGRESS WHEN THAT
EODY MET LAST WEEfO
It Is Quite a Lengthy Document and la
v
More Bemaxkable Tor What It Hoes Contain
than What It Does.
When Congress assembled last week
President McKinley sent in his first
annual message. The message after
declaring everything is lovely ani
the goose hangs high immediately
proceeds to show wherein it is not and
commends a currency reform which
is without material differemc8 the
same that has been advocated by
President Cleveland and Secretary
Carlisle for the past few years. He
calls attention to the necessity which
the government is under of paying *
gold on demand, without the ability
to demand gold -when it receives its
revenues; to the further fact that there
is no way to procure gold except by
bon'd issues and requests that legisla t|pn
facilitating the secretary of the
treasury in these issues, on long or
I short time, be passed, if it is intended
to continue the present system. JbLe
recommends that national b%aks be
allowed to issu; notes to the full faca
value of the bonds they deposit, and
be taxed only one-half of 1 pep cent
on their issues, .which shall be in
notes of $L0 and upwards. When
baLkers or others bring United State3
notes and demand gold, he recommends
that these notes be not'again
pxid out ezsept for gold. The president
admits the failure thus far of the
effort at international agreement for
the coinage of silver, but still holds
out the hops that it may D2 accomplished.
President McKinley devotes a large
nart n* hie rr.PccflcA ttiA rjnhan
question, and reviews it fully in all
its bearings. He declares th'3 recognition
o! Cuban independence is out of
the q lestion, and the recognition of a
state of bslligerency would prove a
great hardship upon the insurgents.He
outlines the great improvement that
has taken place under the government
of Sagasta sinca the withdrawal of
Weyler, and declares it is the duty of
this government to longer wait for the
test of the new uolicy that Spain has
entered upon. H9 says there are no
longer any American prisoners in
Cuba, and the conditions Jiave been
greatly ameliorated for the non-fighting
Cubans. He thinks there is promTTTO*
-!1 flio nour
idc ui cuuiu^ tu? n ax uuum huv mv n
regime and contends tha-; it is our
duty to await a fair test of it. His
positions are plainly taken and forcefully
argued hut will probably prove a
disappointment to those who think
Spain has trifled already too long,and
that this government should go
promptly to the relief of the insurgents.
He favors a prompt ratification
of the treaty for the annexation
of Hawaii, and recommends material
changes in the laws relative to Alaska.
The message commends the principle
of international arbitration, and
approves the enlargement of the scops ,
and effectiveness of the civil service. The
enlargement of the navy is re*
c'jmaiciiucu ill ouuiv puuviuaia, ??
the need for mo^-e dry docks is emphasized
. These are the only subjects
treated at length in the message.
History repeats itself in the course
of McKinley. Before aDd while he
was a candidate he was an outspoken
advocate of Cuban independence. He
assured at least one man we know
that if elected it would be his aim to
accomplish it. The platform upon
which' he was elected committed the
Republican party to give "independence"
to the island. But now that he
is President, Mr. McKinley professes
himself satisfied with a scheme of au- ,
tonomy which is clearly .farcical and
fraudulent, and ignores liis own and
his party's committal to the promotion
of absolute independence. The
reasci is the same as in Grant's case.
The moneyed men of the east who
elected him do not care a snafp for
platforms and sneer at sentiment
rr" ?* *
lflCy UU JJLUL W aub U U>3
ed" by any patriotic or humane manifestation.
A drop in stocks or an increased
rate of maritime insurance
might come from the recognition of
Cuban belligerency or independence,
and they simply put-the screws to
j their man in the white house to prevent
anything of that sort. We do
not share their sordid spirit, but we
cannot altogether blame these easterners
for making McKinley stultify
himself to please them; they bought
his election and they are entitled to
his services
We rcah'zj too well the extent to
which the money power has bound
President McKiniey to put the least
faith in his suggestions of ultimate
action on the line of his past professions.
The e are mere sops to placate
a public grealy shamed and deeply
,,fc A KIaa^o/^ nnl.
ILLL jJH.' ICU v UJ U"Ji lUC Wiu wivuwvu |^VA
icy of their government. Tbey mean
, do more than did Cleveland's hints of
j in'errtntion at some unstated time,
j Until V7t- have a President elected by
the preference of the masses rather
. than by the money of the few we cannot
hops for a policy in accord with
ths? sentiment of tho masse?.?State.
Cub s Patriots 2Iak? a Baiae,
A. dispatch from Havana says it was
officially announced from Spanish
i headquarters that a "group of rebels"
| had entered Chaimanera, near Guani
tanamo, * favored by tJhe treason of an
officer/' Cainuxnera. is the port of
Guantan?mo. is situate 15 miles by
rail fron the latter place. Caimanera
: is on the bay of Giuntanamo, o'her.
wise Cumberland harbor. The insur'
geat force, the official report adds consided
of forty guerii Jas, volunteers and
i natives of Cuba. They are alleged to
i have piuadred a store and to have car;!
ried oil the sum of $30,000, which was
on a wharf, and which had recently ' ?^
art-rived at Caimanera from Hyasa.
It is a]so said that the insurgentl killed
the police inspecior.3 and two gendarmes
on duty and seriously wounded
a Spanish paymaster named Jose
Vigil. More Spanish guerillas, the official
announcement concludes, have
joined the insurgents.
zx. iitauuiiLi vuiiuuu
Instead of breaking a bottle of wine
ever the prow, when the Japanese
launch a new ship, they liberate a
i large number of singing birds from a
; cage zvrirgisg from t..e bowsprit. The
i c ge is so constructed thai pulling a
: s'.rin,?. j ist as the vessel slides down
j the ways, causes it to fall to pieces
i. and the birds flut cer merrily about the
: new ship that is to skim the waves
:; like a liberated bird. It is a pretty
; ngure, ana ramer uas me ? a vantage
: over the broken bottle,
i
i.
' - is