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The Press and Banner ABBEVILLE, S.C. Published Every Wednesday by THE PRESS AND BANNER CO w n. i?. <;rkexe. K<iii?r WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1916. "WHY MR. TAFT." The Greenwood Journal is usually right. It is sometimes wrong, as we see things. We think it takes too nnrrmv a view of the matter of ap pointing a man to the Supreme Court of the United States in its editorial under the above title. The Journal says: "A good deal has been said about President Wilson appointing Mr. Taft to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court, and even after it has been filled there are murmurings of discontent over the appointment. We know nothing whatever about the qualifications of the man chosen by President Wilson, but we wish to ask the question, Why should Mr. Taft receive the appointment? Is this not a Democratic administration, and are there not men who are members of the party who are capable of filling this or any other position that needs to be filled? It will be time enough to let down the gap when the Kepublicans get in the field. A mighty good way to let them in is to ignore Democrats in making appointments. If we are not mistaken this was one of the blunders that Grover Cleveland made." In the first place we would suggest that while this is a Democratic administration, there is as much difference beWeen a New England Democrat ant a Southern Democrat as there is -oetween the latter and a WesterF Republican. We have an abiding belief that the trials and burdens o_ -he people of this section are j more appreciated by the people of the West, regardless of parties, than by the people of New England. We know that Mr. Taft, as President of the United States was more than kind to the people of the South, re i.j ~ specweu uieir ui picjuuiwco, as a New Englander would say. But a Justice of the Supreme Court should be neither a Democrat nor a Republican. He should be a big American citizen first, and a lawyer of undoubted ability and good judgment in the second place. We do not say that a Judge should not have opinions on political issues, but we do say that he should keep them to himself. His business is to construe and declare the law for all the people of the land, to construe the constitution and laws of the country. His opinions will command little respect if they are tinctured with politics, and if the appointment of the judges is to be governed by the election returns. Mr. Taft was the Republican nominee for President, and he was elected President by that party. He failed of re-election because he refused to be a partisan. He endeavored to be the President of the whole United States on his own account, and as a consequence he was defeated. In his appointments to office, especially of Judges, he forgot party lines, and sought the right man. To say nothing of his appointment of a Democrat as Chief Justice of the highest court in the land, and of his appointment of Justice Lamar, and to come nearer home, we would remind the Journal that he passed by as good a man and lawyer as B. A. Hagood, a Republican, and as good a man and lawyer as Ernest F. Cochran, a Republican, and appointed a lawyer, who happened to be a Democrat, as Judge of the District Court of the Eastern District, because he believed the appointee was the best man in the state for the position. His appointments to the Bench were non-partisan, as they should have been, for after all the Bench is the last bulwark of the rich man against confiscation, and the only guarantee of freedom to the poor.! When his full measure shall have been taken, in the light of his ap-1 pointments of men to the Bench, he will be recognized as a man too big to be President of the United States, but fitted to be the head of the , Court to which he appointed the best I man in his opinion, though the ap- J nniritpp hnnnenerf to he a former i Confederate soldier and a former! Democrat. And for these reasons we believe ' that the appointment of Mr. Taft as a justice of the Supreme Court, a position which he would not likely have accepted, would have given satisfaction to the lawyers of the United States, who practice LAW and who are not politicians, and to people of the country at large who have no axe to grind, and nothing to seek at the hands of the court except a true and correct interpreta tion of the laws of the country as they are written. If the appointees of Woodrow Wilson to the Bench shall measure up to the high standard of those appointed by his predecessor, Mr. Wilson will prove to be less of a politician than the country gives him credit for being. Because he was the most worthy man in the United States for the appointment?that is "Why Mr. Taft." THE BURDEN OF THE BANKS. "At the annual meeting of the stock-holders of the Central National Bank of Spartanburg the other day President John A. Law stated that one-third of the total expense of operating the bank now goes for taxes ?federal, State, county and city taxes. "This is a startling statement.. If it is true?and of course Mr. Law | would not make such a statement if it were not true?it shows that there is something wrong. Banks nor any other kind of business can stand such taxation. "There would be ruin if one-third of the expense of operating a farm, or a store, or a newspaper, went to pay taxes. The people would rise in a revolt by the side of which the affair of 1876 would look like a pink tea affair. "The legislature would o well to give attention to the condition of the statement of Mr. Law." The above is taken from the Anderson Mail of Saturday last, and is a startling statement, but unfortunately it is true. The taxes levied on corporations are not tending to induce the investment of more capital in South Carolina, and the constant attacks on corporate interests are discouraging. The City National Bank of this city recently paid out fifty thousand dollars of its surplus as a dividend to its stockholders because the total taxes paid by the bank amounted to 4 1-2 per cent, and money when necessary < could be borrowed at a lower inter- i est by the bank than the rate of taxes demanded. One reason why I interest charges have been higher in 1 the South than in more thickly settled portions of this country, has ] been because of the scarcity of banking capital in the South; and yet those in authority over us are making it more and more difficult to ( secure the capital in our Southern ] States that we really need and require.?Greenville News. 1 c PEEPLES HOLDS IT UNLAW- ] FUL TO WHIP PRISONERS * I It is unlawful for prisoners in the i State penitentiary or in the county t chain gang camps to be whipped, i That is the opinion of Attorney Gen- 1 eral Peeples in reply to a direct ques- c tion from Mr. Albert Sidney John- I stone, secretary of the State board of z charities and corrections. Mr Peeples says in his written opinion: s "In reply thereto I will say that c Article I, section 19, of the Consti- I tution. provides that "excessive bail } shall not be required nor excessive b fine imposed, nor cruel and unusual \ nor cVinll anv r puiuou Ultimo liuuvi/vv*) w t witness be unreasonably detained. 1 Corporal punishment shall not be in- t flicted. The power to punish for 'j contempt shall not in any case extend I to imprisonment in the State peni- t tentiary. "The prohibition against the infliction of corporal punishment extends, i in my opinion, not only to prohibiting the courts from sentencing a convict to corporal punishment, as was formerly permitted years ago under some of our laws, but in my opinion t this prohibition extends also to con- ? victs who are confined in the peni- I tentiary or upon the chain gangs, I and it is unlawful to inflict corporal \ punishment upon them. t "It is clear to my mind that if a c sentence of corporal punishment is unconstitutional, as it is, certainly s the infliction of such punishment, t without sentence, would be unlaw- f ful." I t WAR DEPARTMENT NAMES ! CLEMSON'S COMMANDANT ? ( Washington, February 6.?Special: c First Lieut. Ralph A. Jones, of the 20th infantry, has been detailed by the war department as professor of the military science and practice at *? 1 L.ieriisun ngncuauuu vuucgc, viwuson, S. C. Lieut. Jones succeeds Lieut. J. M. Cummins, who has been at Clemson College several years and who has been ordered to his regiment at Douglas, Ariz. * *********** * * * TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS. * * * * Beginning next week we will * * strike from our lists the * I * names of all subscribers more * j * than a year in arrears. We * I * assume that these who do not * j j * pay do not want the paper, * J | * as every opportunity has been * I * extended them to settle. We * * are sorry to do this but noth- * * ing else can be done. We can- * * cannot charge one and give * * the paper to another. * * THE PRESS & BANNER CO. * * * I****#******* I STATE TEACHERS TO I MEET IN COLUMBIA Of Spartanburg, Feb. 8.?Dr. H. N. ffi Snyder, president of the State Teach- jj| ers' Association, has received a UJ letter from R. T. Hallum, president S of the County Superintendents' As- "Jl sociation, announcing that that asso- IX| ciation will not hold a meeting dur- j fJ ing the state teachers meeting in 31 Columbia, March 16-18. This will IE leave the superintendents free to at- ?? tend all of the sessions of the State >71 Teachers' Association. The county lf| superintendents pledged themselves, |pj says Mr. Hallum to ser.d out litera- -H ture to all teachcrs under their jurisdiction concerning the meeting in |JJJ March. R. T. Hallum of Pickens, is president of the county superintendents and R. A. Rouse, of Ches- LC terfield, secretary. gjj The program for the department ifl of superintendents of the State Ttea- UJ chers' Assocition, has been an- 9 nounced by the president, Prof. Wil- 31 liam C. Bynum, of Georgetown. LC This department will hold its meet- rti ings on Thursday afternoon at four 31 o'clock and Friday morning at 9:30 LK o'clock, and Friday afternoon at |fj 4:30 o'clock during the days the Sfl State Teachers' Association is in ses- Jj| sion in Columbia, March 16, 17, and mp 18 3 TVi a ny/^o-ram -fr?r tVi p <5nr>pHnf.f?n dent? department meetings follows: ,Qf THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 4 P. M. rij President's address, W. C. Bynum. "fi The Attitude of the School Toward "-*1* Home . Study, J. C. Daniel. UZ The Backward Pupil and What to rtS Do With Him, D. R. Riser. .In General Discussion. U? FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 9 A. M. 'BJ Open discussion on the following 211 subjects: Status of the High School principal and his relationship to the |f" superintendent of schools, introduced jQ by E. W. Hall; 2, The teaching of English in the primary grades, intro- |f" duced by Miss Trix Barber; 3, The 3 superintendent's part in his teachers "ft meetings, introduced by R. B. UJ Cheatham. nl FRIDAY AFTERNOON, 3:30. !"*j The Teaching of Science in Our IE Schools, George Harris Webber. S?J The Superintendent's Responsibility III for a Teacher's Efficiency, S. H. Ed- US munds. nj What can we do to make the stan- !J] dards in the teaching of English and lg| literature definite and uniform in ||" the public schools of South Carolina'.' py R. S. Bailey. iJK General Discussion. 'Qj The officers of the department of superintendents are: William C. By- "fi num, of Georgetown, president; R. UZ A. Gentry, of Ridgeway, vice presi- S dent; W. E. Black of Lexington, Sfi Treasurer; L. M. Bouknight of Lat- UC ta, Secretary. jSJ HENRY FORD SAYS HE HAS S A BRAND NEW PEACE PLAN jfi Chicago, February 6.?Henry Ford jf Detroit, who sent a peace ship to Europe, has a new peace plan. "I would like to tell you about the lew plan, but I must wait until my party has returned from Europe," said Mr. Ford to-day. He said he vas perfectly satisfied with the results of his peace expedition. Mr. Ford came here to attend a CUE janquet given last night by the Mich- 31 gen Society, of Chicago. He said |? ihat his new effort to bring the strife ffl n EuroDc to an end would be on a Si arger scale than the Oscar II Expe- UZ lition, and that his recruits would S >e "personalities rather than person- Zh iges." UEJ "The new venture is along the ? ;ame lines as the first one," continu- 31 id Mr. Ford, "but on a larger scale. LC ! shall include some of the people I rt? lad on the Oscar II. The people icross the water were astonished W vhen they saw the personnel of that j?jarty. They expected to see a lot or lighbrows and were surprised to find "J| hat they were just every-day people. Q? rhey would hardly believe me when 3 told them I could have brought jjfl housands more of the same." jUC >IAZ STATES HE WILL NOT ? START NEW REVOLUTION 31 New Orleans, February 6.?"I am jjj trough with revolutions," was the ^ tnswer given to-day by Gen. Felix "j| Diaz, reputed head of the Cientifico UJ inrt.v in Mexico, to a Question asked SJ lim relative to the truth of a rumor JJf| hat he intended to participate in an- |C >ther revolution. I "We are through with revolutions" ?n itated Gen. Diaz. "We do not intend IE ;o try to enter Mexico until we can ro.back in peace. I did not come tojifj ^Jew Orleans for any other purpose lUC ;han to bo with my wife and my |i? 'riends, and reports that Gen. Blanjuet r.nd myself are planning to lead "f| i force of Mexicans across the south- U? ?rn border of Guatemala into Mexi:o are untrue." S ENGLAND GIVES WARNING. |j] London, February 6.?The board )f trade has officially warned ship-1LE nvncrs and merchants of the possijility of "foul play on British and 31 leutral ships through the machina- Ifj Jons of enemy agents.it.who in num- |?? irous instances are delcared to have Sp caused fires and explosions. The .varnir.g says great ingenuity has'||" )een displayed in endeavoring to 31 lamape vessels. In one case it was Jj| found that the wood used for packing UP purposes had been so treated that t would burst into flames under "fl - ? Slight friction. amp-owners aie x c- u. guested to satisfy themselves that no ? irm havinpr enemy interests shall 31 lave anything to do with handling of UC i ship or cargo in which they are in- |jb :erested. -p 31 W South arn It lihv iy S ;'i> I i' e. Jfi Effective July 4,1915. jgfj A.M. I'M TM |JJ Louve Abbeville 9.55 3.45 G.35 Arrive Abbeville 11.20 5.10 8.02 ~i~~ as /| FOR yOU want ? ;^3 1 comfort ^3|l Any Bai ^2j and W. combine a I ?the styles A\ up to the mir L est patterns are correct ir KP\. wearing qual L range in pric< \J $2.75 to $4.0 ?? and Oxl iX $4.00 to $5 l?\\ \ an<' llkk $6.00 for Ban ^|||l Come in arx Oxfords in PARKER & Cash Bargj For the Entire Month of take subscript "The Des at ?Oc the or you can get "The Desi) "Standard Fashion Book" coupon for 50c. Subscribe n Cash Barga Standard Pattern Hi ABBEVILLE, iririnn lclclclclclclclclclcldoo. tjijuijdoijijijijij obodoc RE IT OUT I I ! 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