Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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LOCAL"(TMENCL AN IMPERATIVE NEED IN RURA COMMUNITIES. Expcnt'm'i* iiikI t'raclii'e in ( rent Krilnti The I". S. Second Uanii-Ciil. Youiiihii ConvMiciiifc ArjrtiiiM iil Against Nation: Curroww. To the Editor of Tlic Stat* : in m precedingrirtieJes I have endeavoredt show that gold :s tm sc^rco to al<??i constitute t!:^ ?r.o;!f*v of final l-edemj tion. That, as t > money basis. it i entirely too narrow to sustain a vo ume of eirenlati-n sallicieiii to met the re<[uirem".ntsoi' i'seres'sin:* pojtnl; tion? anu ex |?:inclin^ b'.:.sinos>ac iivitie< and tli.it its failure to cll^.-iently pel form this function results 1 i; a con parative contraction of thrniouev vo ume. which disturbs property value: dislocates prices a:id produces that in certainty 4 apprehension and gencit distrust, which chills enterprise an investment, paniiyzes industry an < spreads broadcast want and distress That the gold standard is most hazart ous for this coun.ry, lirst. becaus England, controlling' about two bi lions of American securities, thre< fourths of them payable in gold, hokl practically ail open lien on our-final ces more than.fifteen times as large 11 our treasury reserve, and four time as great as our entire volume of golc mi 1 * elm /toil AV^tYM^O S] -LUIS lltHl, \Yiiiv.n .->11^ vuu . .. any time by throwing1 these seouritie upon our market, not oul subject our entire financial system* to ho whims and caprices, but giving he control of our currency, gives her als control of our exchanges and enable her to set the price of our foreign e> ports; and in conjunction with tli Northeast, she is helping herself t our cotton and wheat at prices, whic they have set below the cost of pr< duction. Second, because placing u on the same financial plane with Ei rope, it not only exposes our syster to the hazards of drainage and col lapse by every panic and war in Ei rope, but compells us to repress ou labor and reduce our prices below th European level, so as to be enabled t underbid Europe for gold. Theinev table result of which will be to dc grade eighty-live per cent, of our pec pie to a parity with the toil, subjectioi and wretchedness of 'lie pauper masse of Europe. The pretense - that any f; nancial system which we may adon will unsettle our exchanges or disk cate our rerun icrsial relations wit! TT.nivma aw. ?il t !- merest twaddle "We do not no nor ha\ e we eve conducted these exchanges with tli ^lightest regard to our lin uncial svsteu or even to our coinage laws: while i is true that the Bank of England usu ally receives tiie Kussian imperials the French Napoleons ami the Ameri can Eagles without vtjelting, it onl; does so because of r.'ieir standan weight. We settle our ba'ar.c^s witl Europe not by coins but with bullioi and by weight: and to settle tins fals cry of "full value money of th world," I will quote the highest au thority on finance, Sir Waltei B::ge ot, see Lombard Street, page 44 "Within a country the action of i government can settle the quantit; and therefore the value of its currenvy but outride its own country no govern mentoandoso. Bullion is tiie casl of international trade; paner currcn cies are of no use there, and coins pas only as they contain more or less bul lion." ? \W mi?? Kin'mif ii bullion when we '.vers on an incon vertiblo paper basis, we settle in tin same manner now, and willcontinu to do so, no matter vvhat standard w may adopt. As it is my purpose ii this article to discuss the Alliance ?yi< Pop.ilist idea of confining our note is sue? entirely to the Federal Treasury and to deal with a .theory similar n Eomo respects, that all of our pape circulation should be guaranteed Ir the Federal go.vrnmeut, so as to ren der it equally current in all section of ill2 Union, I j-i-opose to lay down a the outset and to sustain the proposi tion, as a well established fact, tlui any currency which circulates equally at par in every section of a country will congest at the great conimercia centres and flow freely only in tin great arteries of trade, lea dug the ru lal districts and more remote section bare of money and subjected to a usu rious rate of interest. This kind 01 ; currency once concentrated in tin great channels of trade, as it will b by an inexorable law of finance, liier are no automatic influences to redis tribute it. Consequently this redistri bution is only eil'ectcd by the aj)plica tion of some extra stimulus, which us uallv amiears iti the fniisft of extvain terest and .heavy brokerage. To dea intelligently with the questions o of this nature, we cannot be governei by the edicts of political parties, o the expressions of otl'-hand opinion but only by a careful investigation o the plienomina resulting from simila financial conditions 111 ilie past. Th records of the great continental na tions furnish but a meagre field fo this investigation, subjected not onl; to the disturbances of internal dissen tions, but to the greater risk of foi eign invasion and plunder, wliicl they have several times realized dui ing the last century. They have onl recently begun to develop a tendenc towards perfection in their iinanciu systems, and this development ha been seriously retarded by the apprt hensions of their people, natural], arising from the experience of loss b, these disturbances and invasions?rt suits which have caused a strong tei: dency among them to hoard, and t display a timidity towards the depos: system. In England, a country whose linar cial system has remained stable fc centimes, free l'roni violent revolt lions, and undergoing its mutation gradually to correspond with change surroundings, is presented a Held i which the su!-.ieet of li nance may I studied with eu.iiv.ilion in almost* e^ ery phase and from almost any stand ^oint. It is here that t lie Scio.ieec money has been most diligently st?u ied, and most thoroughlyamd??\stoo( and it is here that the system of oni a national money has been rejectee It must be borne in mind that the ui answerable arguuui,,'.s advance against this system, which could n( be rebutted by the ablest and mo: poweriui 01 moneyed muueiic< of England apply with moi than double force to the Unite States. In corapai ing the areas of tlie tw countries, wo find, that whilst Ore: Britain comprioia an extent of oi'l b8,0(JU square miles, the United St\t< comprises an area ol over t^500,00< nearly equal in extent to the whole c , Europe. Now, the arguments used i this territory, smaller than thecombir cd area of Georgia and Alabams against a monopoly of note issues b L the Bank of England and its branche ?institutions occupying in Englis finances a position very similar to ou National banks?most ably and spec n' ously presented in a memorial by th country bankers to Earl Grey an (1 Lord Altherpe, June 12, 1893, see Gi bert * 'On Banking,'' vol. 1, pages 101 110, 111 and 112, were that "ever v man possessed of practical informatio who understands the subject know ? that by giving the exclusive circuk if ! lion of notes to the Bank of Englan j abundance will becreated inthemone is market, and in the great commerce 1- eiuporiunis?raising the price of pul i lie securities and stimulating the pre i- (luce market?while unexampled scai ci'y v. ill be the consequence in th I *. lAm^ovmoiicimor ! - j C>?U III rv, prtlUUUiUg piuuaiiiuaui^L \- unions the cultivators of the soil an 1 .ill who are dependent upon them * * % If all bankers should be compelled t i- supply their customers with tne note ;1 of tlie Dank of England, a charge of cl per cent, for the interest of loans t d graziers, farmers and dealers in agr <. cultural produce would not remuneral 1- the country bankers so well as 4 or ;e per cent, does now upon the preset I- system * * * From these premise ?- it results that the free application c Is labor to land would be prevented, th i- cost of cultivation enhanced, market is and the sale of produce impeded an s the pursuits of agriculture deeply ir I. jured." it With all the claims which the Ban s of England has upon the governmenl ?s as its creditor and financial agent, an r with all the influences arrayed on it r side, which arise from the power an o prestige of' great wealth, it has beei :s unable to prevail upon the govern ment to sacrifice the rural sections b; e taxinff out of existence the countr; o banks of circulation and to give it h monopoly of note issues. The Scotc ?- maintain their system of note issue? s restricted to adequancy, and even i: i- England, an area less in extent tha.1 11 the State of Georgia, they have a dou - ble currency?the notes of the Bank c i-, .England and the notes of the countr; r banks?the circulation of the forme e convertible into gold to supply th o great channels of trade and conduc i- foreign exchanges; the circulation c !- the latter convertable into the notes c )- the Bunk of England to sustain loea 11 industry in the rural districts andmor ;s remote sections. If in a country les i- in extent than the States of Geortri t and Alabama it was considered indis >- i pensible that Scotland should have he h seperate system of finance and emir J ently necessary in England, less in ea r stent than the State of Georgia, tha 0 they should have country banks of cii a j cubilion to supply the local demam 11 of the agricultural sections, how mucl -1 more necessary that this country, com 1.1 posed of forty-four great States, am i-1 comprising a territory Jiearly equal ii y extent to the whole of Europe, that w j should have a local currency?a cur 1 reucy which will not centralize, bu j remain at home to support the pro o ductive industries of the rural section e and that could be directly loand to th i- farmers at one interest charge. !- To one who has investigated thi : question and has no pride of opinioi x or selfish interests to struggle against v but merely looks to the provision of; ; wholesome system ot nnance, wmci - will impartially promote the interes 1 of all classes and redound to the wel fare of the public, the question hardly s seems to admit of argument. But 1 - the correctness of the arguments pres euted by the country bankers in 189c i to the Chancellor of the Exchequer an< - the Lord of the Treasury, which coul< e not be satisfactorily answered by all o e the ability at the command of such j e powerful organization as the Bank o i England, to the effect that a nationa 1 circulation will congest in the grea i- commercial emporiums and How free . ly at reasonable interest only, in tin i great arteries of trade, "while unex r am pled scarcity will be the consequent f in the country, producing embarrass - j incut ana discontent among me cum s vators of the soil and all who are de 11 pendent uwon them," is not admitted - they can be amply confirmed by thi i experience in this country with th? v* notes of the Second Bank of the Unitec f Sutes and the direct and positive op?r 1 ations of an army of the most eminen b statesmen who figured in^public lifi - from 1812 to 1840. This tendency O s its issues to congest at the great tradi - centers of the Nort heast was discovere< i after the establishment in 1816 of th< e Second Bank of the United States a e early as 1820. For we find that in De e cembcr of that year a memorial wa !- presented to Congress by the Presiden i- and directors of the bank, complain ing that as these notes were curren !- everywhere and everywhere receivable - in payment of government dues, the; 1 flowed continually to the great center f of receipts and disbursements, and lef i the South and West without a nation r al circulation; and to remedy this evil . they petitioned Congress to so amen< f the charter as to make these notes re i' celvable only for government dues a e the branch banks, where they wer i- made payable, except at the office ii r Washington. The purpose of thi y amendment is perhaps more plainly i- stated in a recommendation of a simi - lar nature from the Secretary of tfi li Treasury. Mr. Wm. H. Crawford in the same year, from which 1 quote y "The effect of this modification woul< y be to make the notes of the offices o il the Bank of the United States, excep s the office in this district, a local cui i- rency, which will enter and continu y in the local circulation of the State ii y which they are issued." This amend i- ment was refused by Congress, an< i- Mr. Langdon Cheves, the president o o the bank, at the tri-ennial meeting o it the stockholders in 1822, again 4'state< this law of circulation and explains l- the inevitable tendency of the brand >! bank notes to How to the Northeast i- and the impossibility of preventing it. is With a view of retaining the notes o d the branch banks at the place of issue n ilie management then directed th >e branch banks to give drafts on th K '-.torn cities as a meahs of rctaminj i- their nutes, but says Prof. Albert Bo! >1 les, in his financial histy of the Unite 1- States from 1781) to 186H page 323, "th 1, branch notes and the drafts issued i v consequence of these intsructions, wei I. swept Eastward by the operations c )- trade. A vacuum in the circulatatio ti was thus produced that could only I )t supplied by the local notes." >t In a speech delivered in the Unite s States Senate in 1834, sec Benton e "Thirty Years in the Unitad State d Senate," vol. I., page 451, ThomasBer ton, who was the right bower of Pres o dent Jackson's administration, said k ll A f llOrVMTT V\n*?lr AltinilloflAn ATTC XL jl ji^/ iuwij vi uaua. v/iivuiauuu vtv y an extended territory is this, that jro js may put out as many notes as yo ), may in any one place, they will in )f mediately fall in the track of con n merco?into the current of trade?int i- the course of exchange?and follow i, that current wherever it leads. In y these United States the current sets i is from every part of the interior and h especially from the South and West r into the Northeast?into four commeri cial cities north of the Potomac, Bait- : e more, Philadelphia, New York and d Boston, and all the bank notes which 1 1- will pass for money in those places fall ? \ into the current which sets in that ] y direction. Where there is nothing in j n the course of trade to brin<j them back. , s There is no reflex in that current! It i- is a trade-wind which blows twelve 1 d months in the year in the same direc- ; y tion." The president of the bank, Mr. j il Biddle, testified before a Congressional . )- investigating committee in 1832, that J v tlierfi was an absorbing tendencv of < r- the branch bank paper "to flow to the ,e Northeast." 'J Mr.Calhoun,in a speech in the Unid ted States Senate, September 19,1837, said: 4'Theconnection of the govein0 ment with the banks whether it be a combination of State banks or with a ' national institution will necessarily 0 centralize the system at the principal point of collection and disbursement." ? Mr. Webster, in a speech in the . United States Senate, March 12, 1838, said: /'Government notes are no sooner issued than they commence their march towards the place where _ they are most in demand, that is the j place of the groatest pub] ic of the greatest public receipt. If you want centralization, sir, and enough of it, if . you desire to dry up the small streams , of commerce and fill to overflowing 1 the deep aud already swollen main channels, you will act very wisely to , that, end if you keep out of the receipts of the Treasury all money but such paper as the government may furnish and which shall be not otherwise re? deemable than in receipts for debts ? due the govrnment, while at the same time you depress the character of the local circulation." The correctness of ' my proposition so fully confirmed by ? past experience and endorsed by the contemporaneous utterance of our abj lest statesmen, is also thoroughly sus' tained by the conditions in our present y financial aifciint.imi. We now have only a national money?a circulation ? equally current in every section of the l Union?"where every dollar is as good every-where as every other dollar." I And what do we behold? A thorough 1 repetition of past experience, the am? pies' confirmation of the authority I nave quoted. Our circulation congest, ed in the great trade centres, freely accessible only in the great channels of trade, while in the rural districts and l~ more remote sections we have unex"7 ampled scarcity and a most usurious rate of interest. ^ In the great trade emporiums of the h Northeastern cities it is piled up by h hundreds of millions, and, while alj, most a drug on that market at the 2 tjery lowest interest, yet it is only to e be"had on reasonable terms in the Sreat arteries of trade; in the rural istricts money is scarce and only to * be obtained at an exorbitant interest. s In this section the farmers cannot bore row it for less than 12 and 13 per cent. As was stated in the memorial4 of the s English country bankers*it has to be j borrowed from these great centres by local operators and reloaned at a doul ble charge of interest, one charge at 1 1 1 ? J ?J nf 4V?o j me iraue cumre turn auuiucr am wv ^ point of local disbursement. Under , . the present system of finance, money ~ is distributed in the rural districts and , f more remote sections only after several transfers, and: at every transfer I an additional interest rate is charged, ^ j so that by the time it rerches the rural j borrower it is freightened down with f such a heavy brokerage that no avoca- 1 x tion except successful mining or gamf bling can long survive it. 1 1 To those organizations which are t sincerely endeavoring to. better the - condition of the agricultural classes, , g and to those modest men who publicly - claim to be statesmen, md are yet , 5 fighting the establishment of a local i- currency, professing to believe that c - our only relief is to be had by exces- k - sive.issues of government notes, made ^ , legal tender, I desire to commend for e their consideration in addition to the . s quotations already cited, the follow- 1 1 ing, first, from Wm, H. Crawford's , - report, us Secretary of the Treasury, t made to the House of Representatives e February 24, 1820: "If a national cur- J f rency should be established the deb mand for it in the Southern and West1 ern States, for the purpose of trans- , b- mtssions, would be incessant, whilst s its return by the ordinary course of i- trade, especially in the latter, would s be slow and in some decree uncertain. , t * * * It is, then, believed that the - evils which are felt in those sections t of the Union where the distress is ? e most general, will not be extensively ? y relieved by the establishment of a na- 1 s tional currency." Second, frpm ? t Thomas Benton, who, in a speech in 8 - the United States Senate, 1834, allud- t , ing to a petition from North Carolina, e 1 praying for an additional issue of the !- notes of the Second United States I t Bank, to relieve a stringency existing1 fc e in that State, said: "If ahundred mili lions of United States bank notes were s carried to the upper part of North y Carolina and put into circulation it i would be but a short time before the 1 e whole would have fallen into the cur- t mTTrnnrvo +vvo rvorvQ* fv?of t ,, re 11 b WillbU O VY CCJ/O bUV jJCi/pw. VI vuwv : bank to the Northeast." Mr. Benton I 1 ' 'held it to be fully established, first by c f argument, founded in the nature of e t bank circulation over an extended I - territory and secdndly, by proof, de- I e rived from the operation of the pres- s a ent bank of the United States, that t I- neither the present bank nor any one "s 1 that the wisdom of man can devise, f f can ever succeed in diffusing a gen- I f eral paper circulation over the States 1 i of this Union." a i In my next article I shall attempt 1 h to show that our hope for a low rate * j. of interest and prosperity in the rural c sections mainly depends upon the es- J 'f tablishraent of a local currency?that j !> it is our only hope to decentralize our j 8 circulation and relieve us from fin an- J e cial thraldom. L. W. Youmans. ] j> Fairfax, S. C., Feb. 11, 1895. ^ Henry M. Bruns, LL D.. the oldest ' e s n living graduate, and for many years a \ e professor of the college of Charleston, I >f died at Summerville, S. C., on Thurs- ^ " day, in his 87th year. He was very 5 e prominently identified with the edu. cational interests of Charleston, and | was the father of the late Dr. John 8 Dickson Bruns, of New Orleans, is ' ] j~ Since the year 1891 more than 11,- r [. 000 claims, aggregoting $40,000,000, j :r have been made for land taken from the t u Indians. The sums paid sincc 1799 un- < u der the act passed that year for what ] l- are called depredation claims will s i- amount to more than one hundred bil- i o lion dollars. It COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED. To Work for the State Exhibit all Over the a State. Columbia, S. C., Feb. 20.?Governor Evans yesterday proceeded to T Tiake the appointments of the men to secure a State exhibit for South Carolina at the Cotton States and Interna;ional Exposition to be held at Atlanta, in accordance with the plan agreed C; jpon between himself and the Young tl Men's Business League of Charleston, jj Fully detailed yesterday. Governor Evans, as already stated, is to be the p jxofficio chairman of all committees ti for the entire State. He has made the s si following appointments. It should be itated, however, that there are several other appointments yet to be made to ti make the committees in several coun- v iies complete, and to complete the jj organization: p Commissioners for (he State at large ci md manager of the South Carolina " sxhibit, E. L. Roche. Assistant commissioners in charge ? of the work of preparing the exhibits 11 "or their respective districts, who shall *1 be known as the central committee " md executive board of the South Car- s olina exhibit: First district?J. C. Hemphill,(Jharleston. J Second district?W. H. Mauldin, ^ Eampton. " Third district?John E. Bradley, ? Abbeville. " Fourth district?W. A. Clarke,Richland. | Fifth district?LeRoy Springs, Lan- J iaster. ? Sixth district?J. D. Montgomery, a Marion. v ? Seventh district?George H. Cornel- 4 >on, Orangeburg. Three commissioners for each of the * several counties of the State, as fol- J. lows: * " Abbeville?J. K. Durst, L. W. fl White, R. R. Hemphill. Aiken?Thomas J. Davis, B. F. Hoi- f, ley, T. S. Williams. ' i] Anderson?P. K. McCulloch, J. Belton Watson. ? Barnwell?L. W. Youmans, S. G. | Mayfield, Robert Aldrich. fl Beaufort?J. H. Averill, H. D. Elliott, Thomas Martin. ? Berkeley?E. J. Dennis, H. L. Bar- ' <er, J. B. Morrison.. Charleston?J. Adger Smyth, W. ? 3. Welch and L. A. Emerson. Chester?R. A. Love,T. J. Cunninglam, 0. Barber. ? F Chesterfield?O. T. Redfern, W. P. Pollock, H. M. Finlavson. < ' c Clarendon?D. J. Bradham, J. E. ' Cindal, C. S. Land. ' ' t Colleton?M. R. Cooper, M. P, a Eowell, Benjamin Stokes. ' Darlington?R. W. Boyd. _ Edgefield?B. R. Tillman, R. B. p 5Vatson, John C. Sheppard. ' Q Fairfield?Thomas W. Woodward, t, W\ J. Johnson, J. Q. Davis. . . ' Florence?W. F. Claytoli, F. M. p dodgers, J.'0. Byrd. Georgetown?Mites Hazzard, Sol. Emanuel, W. R, Congdon. ' " u Greenville?H. B. Btiist, John Fer- ^ fuson, J. A. Hoy t. Hainpton-rM. B. MeSweeney, C. J. 3. Hutson, John J. Garnett. . Horry?E. Norton, C. P. Quattle- * mum. ' ' R Kershaw?W. M. Shannon, J. D. ti rrantham, J. W. Lloyd. tl Lancaster?Ira B. Jones. b Laurens?J. D. M. Shaw, J. 0. C. ei Fleming, J. B. Humbert. 0 Lexington?J. W. Lybrand, G. E. larman, C. M. Efird. % Marion?William Evans, C. A. p SVoods. ^ ? Marlborough?(J. S. Jflcuan, ? c Breeden ? Newterry?E. H. Aull, H. C. Mose- n ey, Thomas W. Hollo ?vay. ? C) Oconee?S. Y. Stribling, J.R, Earle, ja, >. P. Dendy. u Orangeburg?Thomas M. Raysor, J. q N. H. Dukes, L. D. Bates. c Pickens?Julius E. Boggs, T.C.Rob- 0 nson, D F. Bradley. : - 0 Richland?John T. Sloan, L. D. }hilds, J. Q. Marshall. " Spartanburg?T. J. Moore, Sfanrarne Wilson, Joseph Walker. ^ Sumter?Altamont!; Moses', J. H. 5 lycock, L. M. Knight. ,, Union?Senator Douglass. W. A. n Nicholson, T. C. Duncan. p Williamsburg?R. C. Logan, Dr. A. |i i. Williams. Sl V 1." XKT T \Tonl T R 1 UIA Y T U. JLWUUVJ j - aivim) v. rj Srice. . fj Commissioners of finance, Andrew p 5imonds, E. H. Pringle and E. H. n jparkham, of Charleston, who shall lave charge of the finances of the 5outh Carolina exhibit, and to whom a ill contributions or collections shall la >e sent and upon whose joint order all c< :xpenditures will be made. 5( Samuel W. Wilkes has been ap- pi jointed resident commissioner for the C State of South Carolina at Atlanta. pi President of Winthrop College. A Columbia, S. C., Feb. 22.?Tuesday (v light at a meeting of the Board of C Trustees of the South Carolina Indus- E rial and Winthrop Normal College, tl ^rofessor D. B. Johnson was elected tl 'resident by a unanimous vote. The c( imposition to him, which was predict- tl :d did not develop. It was generally le >elieved that he would be elected. Ji Nevertheless, such a vote was a hand- L ome* compliment. The two things C hat weighed most with the Board vere his executive ability and his inluence with Northern educators, es- ft lecially the Trustees of the Peabody c< ?und, to which the College looks for A tid. Professor Johnson has been h welve Years Superintendent, of the si ?ity Schools and nine years President tl >f the Winthrop Normal College, for 01 vhose more extended work he has \v >een selected. Professor Johnson was b< >orn in LaGrango, Tenn., January 10, j< l85(J, where his father was founder w md President of the LaGrange Female ti Jollege. lie worked his way through tl :ollege and graduated with the degree '( )f A. B. at the University of Tennes- ki iee, Knoxville, Tenn., in 1877, with V ;he first honor of his class, and wjtli ai ilie senior captaincy of his battalion, n Immediately after graduation he was ai ;lected assistant principal of the ir Knoxville High School, in which ol position he served ten years, when he tl was elected assistaut professor of tc mathematics in his alma mater. In u 1880 he was awarded the degree of A. u M. by the University of lennessee. ir The young ladies of the Winthrop Normal College presented an address :o the Governor and the Board asking D :hat Professor Johnson be elected, w He will remain in charge of the li schools for the remainder of the ses- lj jion and will go to Rock Hill in Sep- h member. fc COLUMBIA LETTER. BATCH OF INTERESTING ITEMS FROM THE STATE CAPITAL. he Cold Snap anil ItH Eflfecta - What in Doing In Politic#?Kvents of Greater or Less Interest to the People of Sou(.h Carolina. Columbia, Feb. 23.?Special: The apital city has about recovered from he freeze?which, by the way, was nprecedented. There lias been snow efore?sleet before?sufFering before -but not of the extent or the kind exerienced last week and the early por;on of this. The weather is wintry till, but the sun shines," and the Ereets are not fit for folks to walk in without rubbers. There was a good eal of suffering. The w?ather puting an end to business, many people rere thrown out of employment for tie time?and these of the class who ve by their daily labor. Charitable eople and benevolent organizations ame to the rescue, however, and iuch has already been done for the rfr ;ef of the sufferers. Business has ommenced again, and soon we shall, i the enjoyment of the beautiful (jring for which Colupnbia is proverlal, will be so well upon us tnat we ball have quite forgotten the freeze. ^ ABOUT POLITICS. Considering that this is an '"off ear," and that even the fight over the Constitutional Convention ought not d commence for some montns yet, we re having a good deal of politics on and. The meeting of the convention calld by "the forty" has been postponed, lut there was, first, the conference, etween Representative Conservatives nd Reformers, and then the issuance t tue address ot tne Democratic state Executive Committee. The confernce was held with closed doors, and 11 the participants have been doggedy reticent about the proceedings. It i stated (and the statement appears to ave commanded general credence) hat the conclusion reached was about hus: The two factions, in each couny, are to hav6 equal representation in be Convention. In the counties enitled to an uneven number of deleates, the odd delegate is to be asign?d to that faction which carried lie county in 1892. Such is the newsaper account of the action of the cnference. Until there shall be some uthoritative statement of the matter,, eople may amuse themselves with onjectures on the possible effects of ie alleged plan of settlement, 011 the arty and on the Republican enemy. THE NORMAL COLLEGE. Much interest has centered in the hoice of President of the State Norlal and Industrial College at Rock [ill. It was said .that there were iveral applicants, but the board of mstees seemed to have made up their iinds_ in_ advance of the meeting. 'rof. D. B. Johnson, superintendent f the ciiv schools of Columbia,and of le Wiritnrop Training School, was nanimously elected to the position, 'rof. Johnson is admirably equipped >r the position. A first-lfonor gradate of the University of Tennessee, e has been actively engaged in school rork for the past eighteen years. He rganized the system of common jhools in this city, and his good work ; shown in their great efficiency-and opularity. He originated the Winirop Training School here. The 'ustees of the Woman's College, at icir meeting, handled only routine usiness of no public interest. The lection of professors is to take place n the 15th of May. THE VOLUNTEERS ENLIST. The Richland Volunteer Rifle Comany, commanded by Capt. Joseph K Jston, at their meeting last night, deided, after a very full consideration f the subject,- to enlist in the State lilitia under the Act passed at the resnt session of the Legislature. The ction of the men is said to have been nanimous. The Volunteef Rifle, 'dtnpany is one of the oldest military rgani'/.ations in the country. Its recrd is throughout a most, honorable ue. THE NEW. FACTORY, Ground has been broken for the lie hi arid Mill. A large force of arid? hafc already been pat at work y Col. Coleman, the contractor, and o time will- be lost in pushing the rill to its completion. Mr. R. S. ringle has been placed in charge of le company's property as general iperintendent. He expects to rush lings through, and within seventyve good working days, fair weather revaillng, he hopes to have the big lill building closed in. THE STATE'S WATERPOWER. The Supreme Court has just decided case of some interest to the State at irge. When the Columbia canal was ided to the city, the State reserved )0 horse power, for the use of the i i* TTTl Xl. _ T.ll A J . T I A snitenuary. vv nen me Hiieciriu .mgui ompany started business the waterDwer was procurred under a contract ith the penitentiary authorities, fter wards the owners of the canal vho purchased it from the City of olumbia) brought suit against the lectric Light Company, to restrain tern from using the waterpower? lis on the ground that such use was >nfined, by the terms of the law, to ie penitentiary, and could not be ased or transferred to other parties* udge Hudson decided for the Electric ight Company, and the Supreme ourt sustains his judgment. A NEW ORDER. There was a meeting last evening >r the purpose of organizing a looal nincil of the Junior Order of United merican Mechanics?an order which its been established in this country nee 1853. Among other things in ie declaration of principles of this rder appears the following paragraph, inch is self-explanatory. It should e stated, too, that it costs nothing to >in the order: k,In the strictest sense e arc a national political organiza011, but we oppose with unanimity ie slightest taint of partisanship. )ur Country1 is our motto, and we eep this motto steadily before us. ^e are cognizant that there are great nd powerful enemies within our lidst, requiring the strictest surveilnce of all who are at heart, word and 1 deed Americans. We, as members f this order, aflirm our allegiance to ic objects of the order as paramount any partisan alliliation, and urge pon the membership harmonious, nited and intelligent action in carryig out the principles. INFANTICIDE. About 9 o'clock yesterday morning r. Lester was called to see a negro oman, named Rebecca Green, who ves near Waverly. He found a newr born infant lying dead in the ouse. The woman seemed anxious >r a certificate to the ell'ect that the 7 A child was born dead, and was so per- 7 sistent that Dr. Lester's suspicions were aroused. He withheld the certificate and notified the Coroner. In the afternoon a jury was summoned iand Drs. Talley and Lester made a | post morjlem examination. Finger J prints oh the cold's throat and other evidences of strangulation were found. The jury found that the mother killed the child; and ^hp has been committed to jail. -' '' J OTHER MATTERS. The wooden portion of Allen University, a college for colored peopl?, located in the eastern suburbs, wa? J destroyed by fire on Thursday morn- J ing. The new brick annex was not injured. The origin of the fire is unknown. The several railway companies in- 7 terested have accepted the new "joint rates" proposed by the railroad commission. Mille Rhea, an actress of considerable note, will appear in the opera I house on Monday night, in the popular play, "The Parisians." A number of Clemson College students have passed through th& city in the past few days, on their wav to i Fort Hill. Governor Evans and Ex-Governor Tillman have gone to. the North?for what purpose is not definately known, i Dr. K. F. Maurice, a prominent cit- " izen of Kingstree, died in this city on Wednesday. He had been in bad health for some time, and had come . fr\r* fwiofmonf I The semi-annual examinations at the South Carolina College have recently closed. The progress of the . students, as shown by these examina- J tions, is said to hare "been highly satisfactory. ' The Supreme Court has granted a new trial to J. Mims Sullivan, con- 4 victed of the murder of Herman Gilreath, in Greenville, about two years I ago. ' ' . j THE MURDEROUS MOOSHIR. \i An Eye Witness Tells of tlie JButch.ery of ( Thousands of ChrlstainPt i Boston, Feb. 22.?The. Globe publishes the folio w;ing from. Moosh, Asia Minor, which it says is the first description by an eye witness of Mooshir Pasha's.' 'march, of blood." (M ooshir Pasha is the military governor of l?rzerjan and started, by order of the Sul- I tan into the Sassoun district last September. Innumerable burned villages j and'7.263 lives was the nriee of this I official visit.) I * Moosh, Asia Minor, Jan. 7.?The numbers of our dead countrymen in the four towns visited by Mooshir Pasha will not be far short of 7,500. Thi& is from the bodies counted and t ljno.wn to have perished. We cannot tell how many others there may be. The first town entered by Mooshir iJ was Shinik. It contains four villages, g Shinik, Mezera, Koojock and Dopy. When our people here heard of the ar- d rival of the Pasha Fr. Johannis, 240 t of the leading townsmen went to meet e him to have mercy upon them. "They were surrounded by soldiers long before they could get to Mooshir Pasha and every one was killed. Their ? bodies were putin the church, and j burned. Then they proceeded to burn the villages. , The number killed from Shinik proper*number.623," and 317 frbm the rest of the villages. Those .. who ASAAned are now in the villarfts surrounding this town, but the village. ers are themselves very poor and i many go hungry. . Mooshir Pasha left Shinik to go to the next town in the Sasosun district This town is Alyanand, has fourteen villages. The people heard of his coming and how that he had twenty-four companies each-100 men besides twenty three cannons. They knew that it was useless to appeal to him, so they fled to the village of Chi because of its rocks and steepes, and there ihey could better escape him. They stayed in the mountains for almost twenty days, and when all food was gone and there was nothing left to do they fledas best 5 they could. Two thousands bodies were left behind at Chi. Gali-Gazan was next an because the town has twenty-two villages around it, Mooshir brought Kurds, Ahmidie and Irregulars, numbering 30,000. The town was desreted, for the people, with all the food they could carry, Vio/J rto/l iVio lnmmfninc Thiiv. J UaU iXV/U bV UUV iuviUAWMiuw. a stayed in their fastnesses for thirty I days and at last with a frenzy born of hunger and despair, they made a terrible rush down the mountain sides and attacked the tyrants instead, of waiting to be killed. Patriot Vartan was like a god and killed nineteen men with his own sword before he feli dead. Fr. Bedras was a soldjpr, too, and encouraged his children, and when he> was at last killed; his body was cut in pieces and giv^n to the dogs, Alpag was the last town that the bloodthirsty tyrants visited, and this place contains eight villages?Verient, Chaden, Mpodavar, E.ukik, Kalaxaz. Choroop, and Davlorig. The people had for the most part made their escape, but when Mooshir and his soldiers went their way 1,300 bodies were found even here. Many more were burned, but their number cannot be known. All bodies were left where they were butchered and those who would travel this district must risk their lives through the pestilential odors that go up from so many dead. All who es ' ' % ? /] i f w i /? f />QtM A CSpCU Xrum UlC Oaaauuix uiomv/u vhuav to the villages and plains of Moosli, and hungry, destitute and brokenhearted, they look for hope and help and sympathy from the civilized world to whom the news of their terrible lot may come. RICE MILIA We offer a complete Rice Mill in one machine. The rough rice In placed In hopper and comes out cleaned and polished ready for table use. Machine can be operated with horee Bower and will clean ioo bushels of rough rice ner day. CORN MILLS Of the latest designs, vertical and horizontal, double and., single gear. Holler Mills, Saw Mills, Engines; Gins andiTresses, i Wood working machinery V. C. BiDHAitf. OOLUM-BIA.S. 0.. I ? - ?w ai~ ' . j SEYER I DELAYED _ ' ;f!J PAYMENT I SOEVER ' ;*|| COMPROMISED I OLAIM. I VEVER % SAD I LAWSUIT. 1 Soch Is tbe record *)f^the| ^ ^ , :;^jH STAUNTON LIFE INSUfeANO* M \ COMPANY, lumbers of Beneficiaries Promptness and SgRqdoess. Natural Premium Iowa ace oa the dm, Apgmred Ptana., The new "Coupon Policy'' ofvtflr 8*c? | on Life is a model of slmpUatty. Inaddl- .-'"C Ion to all the best features of modern 1M? ? \;j|j ami ranee it provides for the payment of he "coupon" IMMEDIATELY after eath, without notioe or .tbe loraaO* .. 7 of proofs. The "coupon"" covertf* par -la ent of the face of the policy, and totn ad- ition {hereto.. ' Agents wanted. Liberal CMmMn. .)% live men can make big money. Address. Jno. S. Reynolds, General Agent, . COLPMBIi, 8. i', | A $700,00 PIANO I $275,00. wm This announcement willoertaloly, interest everybody that intend! to. V v ^ purchase a piano in the near futum . > -$ We h^ve be^n carrying Mpaloal !* ^ stni^enti for several year* in eon- & nectloa with ourFarnltare borta?t ' Cafj but tor reasons satisfactory to ear- #8 selves, we have decided to (Maeoo- ... 'M tlnue the sale of plaooe* and offer j| our entire stock at maoafartarai' cost We do this believing that It Is / cheaper to dispose of then at what they cost us rather than earry them mah*K liMkliia km Mft m. -V LUUUILI BLIIV1 muu?? uuyiu? ww n small profit for Item. rue Instruments that we tiler art v first cl&jt; fa every respect and Art . t most positively guaranteed to bo fully equal to aay instrumeat on the market witbo at regard to aaae or ' price. We shall be please* to tend a eafe> loRue dt olanos to anyboiy who Will send us S cents postage for thesaao, .4 And if you are interested and ozpoot to buy a piano la the near faiori you will certalaly save-quite a Mm ' * :'i or money to purchase from us before ?> our stock Is exhausted. Remettber that when tbe stock Is gone wo shall buy no more and that tbis opportan- < lty will close forever as the Instruments are sent out. We iedro to say that we bwve an Illustrated catalogue of Furniture, embracing everything usually carried In a first class furniture store. We will bo pleased to mall tbls catalogue npoo applioatlou. L. F. PADGETT, I 816 BROAD STKKET, 9 Augusta^OaJl r^COTwl 5 | Makea 4c. PRICES, even oa jj | PIANOS & ORGANS | I H! Bargain List and Wonderfully |g - fjjj Easy Installment Terms. ig ? 4c. PRICES. | ^ A new Mathiuhe* Plane I30 lass than 3 ver before sold. In 40 Saved on a Sterling Piano. (j> T?rniT Nearly Miv Sonars Pianos Is Qj at New YortfglTe awij Pricoa. jg r3 Fifty New Uprigttt?from B?rt Mik- 0 jfl era at Out'Prices. Jj K Rich Mirror Top Orgma M]y #& . M 3 SAVE MONEY by baying fr^mth# h H Greatest Southern Music Houtfo. Rj | LUDDBH 6 BATES, | S SfiTannah, 6a. | gJ ctelnw?v p1?bm at fl B tP ^ Factory rriew. S