Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, August 06, 1915, Image 2
Straps and Jacts.
? The charge by the British government
that the United States made cotton
a contraband article during the
Civil war is emphatically denied by
Senator Hoke Smith in a strong statement
that refutes the London report in
positive language. Senator Smith
points out in the same connection that
England refused to permit Russia to
place it on the contraband list during
the war with Japan, and shows that
England has changed her viewpoint
since that time. The senator quotes
the language then applied by Great
Britain to Russia, that the effort to
interfere with cotton shipments is a
most unwarranted Interference with a
branch of innocent commerce. Senator
Smith also vigorously denounces as
false the statement going the rounds
of the press to the effect that the
United States during the Civil war
'? 1 Senator
DIOCKaat-U it UCUiiat pvi v.
Smith declares that the United States
will violate no precedent if it compels
Great Britain to cease interfering with
innocent commerce destined for neutral
ports. He says it was Sir Edward
Grey who attacked the Russian order
in the Russian-Japanese war, and who
demanded in parliament that cotton be
left by Russia on the free list. Great
Britain declined to yield to the action
of Russia and insisted upon the right
of British citizens to ship cotton to
Japan. "So far as I can learn," says
the senator, "Russia did not enforce
the order."
? The special attention of the Federal
reserve banks to marketing the cotton
crop is called by a letter of the Federal
reserve boara. The letter outlines preliminary
plans to make available the
reserve system resources in the fall
movement of cotton and other crops.
"It is clearly to the common interest
that credit based upon this crop be
protected as far as possible from
danger of demoralization," says the
letter as to the cotton crop. No
staple commodity is subject to greater
variations in prices, the violent
fluctuations offering an inviting field
to the speculator. The board suggests
that reserve banks communicate with
members and others interested and
point out that cotton producers should
begin at once arranging Ior piuyvi
storage and insurance as rapidly as
ginned. Reserve banks should point
out to members that they are prepared
to re-discount - notes of farmers and
merchants secured by proper warehouse
receipts for cotton, accompanied
by evidence of issuance. Notes should
be the customary collateral for members
should be ready to state the grade
and market value of cotton when they
offer the notes for re-discount. The
amount to be advanced will be left
primarily to the judgment of the
members bank. The board suggests
that reserve banks call the attention
of members to the desirability of reserving
storage space.
? In an editorial headed "Wake Up,
Politicians!" the London Daily Mail
of last Wednesday morning reiterates
its demand for compulsory military
service and for the complete stoppage
of cotton shipments to Germany. At
the outset the editorial refers to the
anniversary celebrations of Wednesday
which are to assert the nation's
inflexible determination to continue to
a victorious end the struggle for human
freedom. It continues: "It would
be well if each meeting were to send
a heartening message to the ministers
of the eolation cabinet reminding them
what the nation expects of them at this
hour of unparalleled danger; if they
would also by resolution favor compulsory
military service and the stoppage
of cotton shipments with greater
vigor. If this country is to conquer."
the editorial goes on, "the leaders
must show a far higher degree of energy
than they have yet displayed. The
nation Is ready. The first reform needed.
by almost universal consent, is the
introduction of compulsory service.
The right to strike has hitherto been
preserved at a cost of profligate expenditure
and with gross unfairness
between man and man. The utter industrial
confusion of voluntarism can
no longer give us the men we shall
need or provide a constant flow of recruits
to maintain new armies to their
full strength. The plain truth is that
so long as we cling to voluntary service
we are fighting with only half
our might. As for the stoppage of cotton
shipments to Germany the facts
are now notorious that after twelve
months of war and a change of government
we have not yet proclaimed
the chief ingredient of the GermanAustrian
powers contraband. We have
proclaimed wool. oil. machine tools,
large scale maps and the like contraband,
but not this stuff with which
wrmany kills our men.''
T~,Jx>rl<*on' August 4: The comment
or tne London afternoon papers on the
correspondence between Ambassador
. Pa&e and Foreign Secretary Sir Edward
Grey admits generally that
America and other neutrals have a
grievance but they insist, to use the
words of the Westminster Gazette,
that Great Britain has been compeled
to modify some of the accepted rules
because Germany has deliberately
broken these rules." The Gazette continues:
"For the moment we would
do well to recognize that on a strict
interpretation of international law neutrals
have a grievance upon which
they are entitled to insist but that
this grievance arises In the main from
the peculiar use Germany has chosen
to make of the submarine in her war
upon merchantmen, both enemy and
i Thi? same newspaper notes
that silence of the American press on
kL! the Brltlsh steamer
Iberian, then it says: "The German
answer to the American note has been
most direct. It has the practical form
of killing without warning of American
seamen. Apparently if the American
press has its way no notice is to
IlJ#*?K?f th,'S fact" This impresStJl
of,the real feeling of the United
States in this matter will be no more
lost upon Germany than upon this
Svstry''Th Th<?. Evenin* Standard
thnffK es e*changed show
that the differences between the United
States and Great Britain, although
serious are by no means irreconcilable.
It points out that Sir Edward
Grey unreservedly accepts the American
main contention that international
law must prevail over national laws.
It argues that the orders in council
make national law conform fully to
international requirements, but if the
I nited States does not accept this
thlT'n? r Edward Grey concedes
hat Great Britain shall make no objection
to an appeal to an international
5'^U.naf: ^his latter is a very strong
point the Evening Standard points
put. in so much as the United States
nas eieciea 10 siana on international
principle.
? What is certain to have a farreaching
and almost immediate effect
on the European war has happened.
Warsaw has fallen and the far-flung
lines of the Austro-German forces
are pressing close upon the Russians,
who are retreating to positions prepared
for them and offering what
military critics regard as greater advantages
for a successful defense. The
Bavarian troops led by Prince Leopald
were first to enter the capital, but not
without fierce resistance by the Russians,
who retired eastward in the direction
of Minsk. The number of
Russian prisoners taken has not been
estimated. It seems, however, that
most of the troops of Grand Duke
Nicholas made their way safely out of
the city, taking their guns with them.
As to Warsaw itself, it had been virtually
dismantled so far as guns, factories,
machine shops and probably
everything that would be of value to
the invaders, is concerned. The troops
of the Teutonic allies are still continuing
their drive against the Russians
on the other numerous parts of the
line in Poland and in northwestern
Russia. They have advanced in the
direction of the road to Lomaza. Ostrov
and Wyszkow, to the northeast
of Warsaw; Ivangord is under fire
while between the Vistula and the
Bug the Russians are still retreating
northward. In the northwest, Riga,
the important port on the Baltic, is
anour to oe evacuated in me race 01
the oncoming Germans. The capture
of Riga and of Dvinsk, against which
towns the Germans in the north are
operating seemingly gives the Germans
an outflanking movement on
both the right and left wings of the
newly chosen positions which the
Russians are expecting to occupy with
their withdrawal from Poland?the
Kovno. Grodno, Brest-Li tovsk line.
The campaign in France and Belgium
presents no -new features, although
there have been expectations that the
German pre-occupation In Russia
would afford the allies to venture their
long--looked-for general offensive. Unofficial
dispatches indicate Immense
difficulties which the Italians are encountering
in their efforts to overcome
Austrian opposition on the
frontier. They have brought up additional
heavy guns and have begun
a new bombardment of Gorizia. The
same dispatches, however, are authority
for the statement that the
Italians have captured several miles of
newly-constructed trenches at Polazzo.
ihr ^JorlunUc tfuquirrr.
Entered at the Postofflce at York as
Mail Matter of the Second Class.
YORK. S. C.:
FRIDAY, Al Ul ST 6, 1915.
No, England has no concessions to
make to the United States. She did
not make consessions during the Napoleonic
warsr and she is not going to
make them now.
We hope all the voters of York
county will turn out to the polls on
September 14, and that all of them
will vote to put a stop to the liquor
business.
The Newberry Observer refers to
our county as "Yorkshire." This
seems like a little too much, but as
we remarked some time back, it was
to be expected.
We are not at all surprised at the
commendation we are receiving from
the Greenwood Journal because of our
report of the Filbert picnic. The
Journal knows what is news and believes
in printing the same.
It may as well be understood now
as hereafter that the time is coming
when the name of this town will be
properly restored. It may be six
months, it may be a year, it may be
five years; but tne restoration win
certainly come as it should come.
Why should not Mr. Cooper run for
governor if he wants to? And also why
not Mr. Manning, Mr. Blease, Mr. Otts,
Mr. Lyon and all the rest of them.
Since we must have a campaign and
an election anyway, we may as well
have half a dozen or more candidates
as only two.
Those newspapers which are continually
knocking at the "buy-a-bale"
movement that was instituted last fall
when cotton was selling at 6 cents, are
reminded of the fact that cotton has
since been sold on this market at 10
cents. Regardless of the present price
of cotton, we insist that the buy-a-bale
movement has been vindicated.
In the last issue of The Enquirer,
we chided the News and Courier for
commending us for printing former
Governor Blease's Filbert speech and
failing to print the same itself. We
owe our Charleston contemporary an
apology. It printed a pretty full extract
from the speech on its editorial
page, and we had overlooked it.
Readers of The Enquirer are aware
that we have always considered the
News and Courier a sure enough
newspaper, and we want to say that
nothing has yet occurred to change
our opinion.
If we would print all the "press
bureau'* stuff we have received for
this issue, we would have one of the
dryest papers ever, and our readers
would be very much dissatisfied. What
is "press bureau" stuff? Ordinarily
it is like this: Some society, organization
or the like desires to interest
the public in some proposition in
which it is interested, and it prepares
little boom stories, some quaint and
modest, some loud and common, and
sends identical copies out for publication.
Some of the editors use the stuff
because they think it good; some use
it because they are afraid not to, and
some use it because they don't know
any better. We rarely use anything
of the kind, not so much because we
do not consider any of it good; but
rather because we feel that if anybody
wants to use The Enquirer for promotion
purposes, we think it more becoming
that they go after our readers
through our advertising columns in
the good old honest way. Then again
we do not want our readers to get the
impression that our columns constitute
a kind of a free clearing house
for everybody who has something with
which to stuff our readers. We
feel that we are under special contract
to fill these columns with matter that
is interesting and wholesome, and we
never forget the fact that our readers
have a right to hold us responsible
for everything that appears herein, as
well as for everything that does not
appear, and as for the press bureau
man, we don't like him. He is rather
too free with his copy.
"People ask me occasionally," said
Mr. Finley at Filbert last Thursday,
" 'Why this war?' and 1 tell you as I
did the people of Armenia yesterday,
it is because those people in Europe
have forgotten God." We are not
ashamed to say that we believe that in
its last analy's, Mr. Finley has this
matter down exactly right. That European
war is going on because the
people of Europe "have forgotten God,"
and God is reminding them of the fact.
Of course we are not expected to prove
this statement to the satisfaction of
everybody, because that cannot be
done. But it is a fact, nevertheless,
and to those who would know the foundation
of our belief, we say: Read the
Scriptures of the Old Testament, more
especially, Judges, Kings, Jeremiah;
but almost any of the Scripture will do.
Particularly study the history of the
Israelites in their relations to God, and
see how so long as they were obedient
and true, they escaped the horrors of
war, and when they became disobedient,
they were punished for it. Up to
a year ago the people of Europe were
steadily, surely and swiftly becoming
more and more arrogant and forgetful.
It is easy to see now that all of them
are becoming more chastened and whoever
overcomes the other will have
something to remember for at least
another generation. There are abundant
signs that our own people are becoming
impressed with the terrible lesion
that is being taught. They are
realizing that probably they too, are
deserving'of the same punishment that
Europe is receiving and the most
thoughtful of them are not sure that
we are to escape. Undoubtedly, as we
see it. the cause of the war is that "the
people have forgotten God."
We are reproducing from the Charlotte
Observer some sensible and interesting
comments on the subject of
political advertising, the same being
based on the business-like manner in
which the matter is being handled by
Candidate Miller in the Fourth district.
The Observer seems to think
that Mr. Miller set the precedent in
this matter; but in that it is mistaken. i
The custom has been growing In this i
state for years. John P. Grace, Rich- i
ard Whaley, and Cole L?. Elease used
pages of advertising in the Charleston
papers in 1910, and both Blease and i
Jones spent considerable money in
regular paid advertising during the
campaign of 1912. Manning and oth- i
er candidates spent conriderable money
advertising in the campaign of last
year, and only the small pikers tried
to beat the newspapers out of space.
But so far as our knowledge goes, no
public man in the state has ever used
legitimate newspaper advertising
space in a more thorough-going and
business-like manner than did W. F.
Stevenson, candidate for congress in
the Fifth district last year. He got
advertising rates from every newspaper
in the district, and used his space
mainly in the re-publication of news
paper clippings that told who he was
and what ho had done. He asked no .
special consideration of any of the
papers except that they give him a
fair deal, and allow him the right of
reply when misrepresented or incorrectly
quoted. We would not detract
from the plan being pursued by Mr.
Miller, for we feel that it is nothing
but pure, straight, honest business,
and he has our respect Our idea of
the duty of the proper conduct of a
newspuper in this matter is that it
should remember that its first duty is
to its subscribers. It should be honest
and fair with all candidates, and give
them the right of reply to all criticims
and the like. If the pandidate wants
to say anything through tho newspaper
in his own behalf, he should expect
to pay for it at regular rates, and
the newspaper should see that he does
just this. But whether a candidate
uses advertising space in a newspaper
or not, the newspaper should not allow
itself to be unduly influenced for or
against him on that account.
The Yorkville Enquirer is considerably
troubled because the county officials,
especially the clerk of court, have
not been keeping an itemized statement
of receipts and expenditures as
required by law. The Enquirer says
it would like to know how much the
clerk is paid for his services, and believes
the general public would like to
know also.
The Herald is not familiar with the
'? " ro id fine the officials of the coun
ty to keep a record of the receipts and
expenditures for inspection by the public
and until the recent report of the
grand jury did not know there was
such a requirement, but naturally presumed
that such records would be kept,
regardless of statute requirement.
We do not believe that the clerk of
court would consider taking any fee
to which he was not entitled, nor do
we think The Enquirer desires the information
it is calling for in order to
"check him up." It is simply a matter
of keeping within the requirements of
the'law; something that should be
done by every citizen, but more especially
by those who have been sworn to
obey and enforce the law.
The whole solution of this problem
lies in the hands of the county legislators.
The Herald believes the York
delegation could perform no better and
lasting service to the citizens of York
county than by putting all county officials
on a salary basis, paying them
commensurate with their services. A
county as rich as York could well afford
to pay all the county officials adequate
salaries and then she would save
thousands of dollars a year by securing
to the county the fees now received
by the several officials. Then every
citizen in the county would know Just
how large salary each official in the
county was receiving. Then every
item paid into the various offices would
have to be accredited to the county
under the proper heading. As the Herald
understands the matter, the several
officials, such as clerk, treasurer, probate
judge, sheriff, etc., are paid a certain
salary and they are allowed to collect
In addition certain fees for performing
duties for the public. Of
course, the salaries are so small that
officials could not live without receiving
fees. The additions to the salaries
to make them adequate woulu add several
thousand dollars to the expenses
of the county, but we are firmly of the
opinion that far more than this sum
would be turned into the treasury of
the county from fees collected.
We believe, furthermore, that the
salary basis would prove more satisfactory
to the county officials themselves,
as a whole. We know some
of the officials are not receiving salaries
in keeping with the services they
perform. Their salaries should be increased
so as to put them on an equal
footing with the other officials, in so far
as their service to the public is concerned.
Let us put the county officials on a
salary basis at the next session of the
legislature.?Rock Hill Herald.
The Yorkville Enquirer would like to
see these itemized statements simply
because the law requires them. That
law has been on the statute books for
a long time, and it has not been obeyed
for many years.
Until 1913 there was a statute requiring
the clerk of the court of York
county to pay over to the county treasurer
for ordinary county purposes, all
receipts in excess of $3,000 a year, and
so far as the records show the clerk
of the court has never paid over anything.
As things stand, the presumption is
that the clerk of the court has never
received in-excess of $3,000 a year, and
compliance with the law as sourht by
the grand jury will show whether this
is only a presumption or a fact.
We agree with the Herald in the
proposition that the county should
abolish the system of paying officials
through a system of fees. We think all
fees should go to the county, and that i
the officials should receive fair and liberal
salaries.
License Tax Ordinance.
We have no criticism to offer of the
lay members of the town council; but ,
if the mayor and town attorney, who
are both lawyers of distinguished ability,
do not know that occupation license
tax ordinance recently promulgated
on the authority of the town
council, is unlawful, they have our ,
sincere sympathy.
The law as already published in The
Enquirer, Section 2,947 of the Code of ,
1912, provides: :
" * * * That said license should (
be graduated according to the gross '
income of the persons, firms or corporations
required to pay said licenses 1
or upon the amount of capital invest- ,
ed in said business."
Tlie section as it originally appeared
in the Code merely gave the council
power to levy such tax as it might see
proper; but afterward, in order to put
a stop to abuses that had already developed,
the proviso stated above was
added. '
The practical necessity for such a
proviso is apparent, because without
it the town council had power to tax !
a cotton mill like a bootblack or to '
tax a bootblack like a cotton mill.
Section 5 of \rticle 10 of the Constitution
of the state, provides:
"The corporate authorities of counties,
townships, school districts, cities,
towns and villages may be vested
with the power to assess and collect
taxes for corporate purposes; such
taxes to be uniform in respect to persons
and property within the jurisdiction
of the body imposing the same."
Xow any one can see that Section
2,947 of the statutes quoted above, is
in close accord with Section f> of Article
10 of the Constitution, and furthermore
there should be no difficulty .in
appreciating the common sense and
common justice of both provisions.
There are certain lines of business
which could not be so justly taxed on
a basis of gross income as on a basis
of capital invented, and there are certain
other lines which could not be
so justly taxed on a basis of capital
Invested as on a basis of gross Income;
but between the two methods justice
and equity might be applied to all.
For instance, take lawyers, doctors,
insurance agents, real estate agents
and the like. They do not necessarily
require a great deal of capital, and
often have very little; but at the same
time their gross income may be great.
Cotton mills, banks, merchants and
the like necessarily have much capital
invested; but at the same time
their gross Incomes may be small in
proportion.
The Idea of taxing all lawyers and
all doctors $10 each Is not only unlawful,
but absurd, and unjustifiable on
any reasonable ground. Some of the
lawyers make less than $1,000 a year,
and sometimes others make from $10,000
to $15,000 a year. The doctors,
as a rule, do not make as much as the
lawyers; but some of them make two
or three times as much as others.
Common right and justice require
taxation on a basis of capital invested
or gross income, and whether on
one basis or the other, at the same
equitably graduated rate.
If the $1,000 merchant is taxed at
the same rate as the $100,000 cotton
mill, justice will be done, because the
cotton mill, knowing that it will have
to pay 100 times what the little fellow
has to pay, will see that the little
fellow does not have to pay too much.
But when the cotton mill does not
have to pay more than one-tenth of
what it ought to pay, It Is not going
to be concerned if the little fellow has
to pay four or five times his proportion.
As a matter of fact the general
tendency is to make the little fellow
pay most of it anyway.
But the thing of the greatest concern
to the people of this community
is not whether or not this license tax
should be levied; but that it should
be levied according to law. The law
is not obeyed in this place any better
than it ought to be anyway, and with
*u- nti r nonnlo havA had
me CAi'C*?vi?w v-? - _
all along, it is fair to predict that unless
the people begin to look after
their rights better than they have been
doing heretofore, it will not be a great
while before they will have no rights
to look after.
Abuse of the Governor.
South Carolina has always been a
warm state politically, and the outlook
is that she will always continue
warm, and while sometimes we are
inclined to the opinion that there Is
too much politics, at other times, we
are not sure about that.
Of course, if it were a settled fact
that all the laws were being enforced
with strict impartiality and Justice,
and every individual was getting all
that was coming to him under the
law, we could all afford to rest quietly
in the pursuit of our respective occupations
and leave matters go at that.
But this condition of affairs has not
existed, does not exist, would not he
satisfactory to everybody if it did ejist,
and all talk of extended political
calm now or hereafter, is little more
than so much moonshine.
Every once in a while somebody
rises with the exhortation to "drop
politics" for a season and let's attend
to business; but that does not command
much serious attention. There
are plenty of people who for various
reasons are willing for a surcease;
but these never constitute a majority.
Some who, for the time being, think
they have all they want, would like to
keep it at that, and hence they advocate
peace; but the majority, always
hoping for something better, is not
willing to accept any extended truce.
During the four years of the administration
of Governor Blease the state
was in a continual turmoil. If it was
not too frequent exercise of the pardon
power, it was refusal to grant
requisitions. If it was not a row with
some alleged delinquent official, it was
a question of speeding an automobile
' -* pAlnrnKIn If It tvflQ nnf
Ill II1C 1.1 IJT ui wiuiiiwm. *?. *V
a row over an appropriation for the
common schools, it was dispute about
the regularity of a bill. If it was not
a squabble at the hosiery mill, then it
was a shake-up at the asylum. But
whatever it was, it was a row all the
time, and the biggest kind of a row.
Then commenced the administration
of Governor Manning. From
what had been said there was reason
to suppose that this would be quiet
and peaceable. In a way it has been;
but after a little more than seven
months there has developed the same
kind of strife, though it has not been
so loud or so fierce. There have been
parole*, and pardons, Just like those
of Governor Blease, but not so numerous,
and they have made less fuss.
There has been ousting of filleged unfit
officials and there have been differences
about that. There has been
trouble in connection with the asylum
that has pleased some and offended
others. The action of the governor in
asking for an appropriation for legal
assistance other than that provided by
the voters, and employing an asylum
superintendent at twice the salary authorized
by law, is in fairly close parallel
with the action of Governor
Blease in refusing to act with other
state officials on the sinking fund commission,
and with advancing money
to send Confederate veterans to Gettysburg.
When Governor Manning went into
office last winter, he was hailed by
the opponents of Governor Blease as
a deliverer, as a man called to uplift
a down-trodden and suffering state
from degrading humiliation and the
like. Now, already before the first
year is half gone, we are hearing
many of the same people who hailed
Mr. Manning as a savior, denouncing
him as a misfit, an incompetent, a
failure, and declaring that even former
Governor Blease could-beat the
stuffing out of him next summer, notwithstanding
the fact that he will have
been governor only a single term, and
the former governor has already had
two terms.
The Yorkville Enquirer is no partisan
of former Governor Blease or of
governor Manning, or of anybody else
^ap that mnftnr' hut It finpq nnt tnlro
any stock in the agitation that some
of the governor's former supporters
ire trying to stir up against him.
Governor Bloase has his shortcomings,
?o has Governor Manning, and so have
the rest of us; but that is not nearly
the point.
From what we have seen of Gov?rnor
Manning up to this time, he has
tionestly and sincerely been trying to
:lo his duty. He has handled some
things c'ifferently from the way we
think they should have been handled,
ind so did Governor Blease: but what
tias that to do with it, if either or
both have done only that which they
thought best?
But why have Mr. Manning's
'friends," or so many of them gone
sack on him? Has it been because
ie is wrong or because he is not doing
vhat they want him to do? If it is
.tecause he is not doing what they
vant him to do, is it not reasonable
o assume that the only reason they
supported him instead of Blease was
because Blease would not do what
they wanted him to do?
We do not pretend to say why all
the people in this section who have
turned against Manning have done so;
but we know the reason of a good
many. We believe that his action in
siding with General Moore in that
military row had much to do with it;
but if this is the reason we are not
expecting those who are miffed on
that account to admit it, for people of
the kind who allow themselves to be
influenced by personal pique, generally
know enough to assign other reasons.
Although we are not to be understood
as undertaking to emphasize
the correctness of any particular act
of Governor Manning, we do say unqualifiedly
that we believe he is conscientiously
trying to do the best he
knows how to do for the state. It is
possible that he has been unduly influenced
in sjme things, without being
aware of the fact?a thing that can
nappen 10 any iiviug man?uaw nv
have no reason to believe that he has
purposely done wrong in anything.
Governor Manning, like many other
good men, is surrounded by numerous
sycophants, who pose as friends;
but who are seeking only the promotion
of their own personal designs and
who care nothing whatever for right,
except where right might serve their
particular interests.
Incidental to an experience of more
than twenty-five years in editing a
newspaper, this editor has learned onething
that many others have lea ned,
and that is that the editor who strives
for the right and, is continually and
everlaslingly in the hottest kind ol
hot water, because of differences with
those who are unwilling to do right,
or who desirous of doing right, have
various notions of what the right is.
We have thought many a time that
rather than continue the almost perpetual
strife involved in trying to stand
for the right, we could find more satisfaction
and happiness in the life of
a recluse in the wilderness; but in
spite of all this we are sometimes able
to find encouragement in the Idea that
after all the trials and tribulations of
a conscientious editor can hardly be
more severe than the trials and tribulations
of a conscientious governor.
LOOKS GOOD TO MANNING
Governor is Pleased With Re'erve
Board Efforts.
The statement from Washington
that the Federal reserve board would
aid in financing the cotton crop, furnishes
additional evidence of the sincerity
of purpose and determination
on the part of the administration to
carefully consider the interests of the
south as well as other sections of the
country, said Governor Manning Wednesday.
"Cotton being the leading
staple of the south, the progress and
prosperity of this section is directly
dependent upon it, and the possibility
of lack of export demand for the staple
would of course, bring about a
condition that would work great inJury
to the south," he continued.
"The action of the administration is
not a surprise to me, and is only what
I expected. It puts it up to us of the
south, however, to help ourselves, and
1 am sure that we of the south will not
fail in this emergency.
"The advice given by the Federal
reserve board is sound; we should
have a system of warehousing cotton
that would enable the producers of
cotton, the farmers, to hold it in
warehouses whenever there is depression
in the price and lack of demand.
"I want to point out to our farmers
now the necessity for perfecting our
warehouse system and of adding to our
warehouse capacity. Now is the time
to prepare to take care of the growing
crop.
"In the absence of legislation providing
for official graders of cotton,
our different communities should get
together and arrange to have a capable,
disinterested and reliable man
to grade cotton as well as to weigh it,
so that grades and weights will be
accurately shown on the warehouse
receipts. I feel that if cotton is well
protected from weigher, well covered
by insurance, and with the grading
and weighing accurate, that we can
rely on being able to use these warehouse
certificates through local banks
and the Federal reserve bank and that
with these conditions complied with
that we ought to be able to get money
at a reasonable rate of interest.
"As time goes on the warehouse receipt,
if properly safeguarded, will
become more and more desirable as
a collateral on loans, and with this
system worked out I believe that the
problem of marketing our cotton will
be solved. If we do our part I believe
that President Wilson and the
Democratic administration at Washington
will do theirs, and that we
can look with courage to the future."
MERE-MENTION
James L. Beavers, chief of the Atlanta,
Ga., police force, was on Tuesday
found guilty of insubordination
and reduced to the rank of captain by
the Atlanta board of police commissioners
John D. Martini, who is
under sentence of death, has been
awarded the cell vacated by Charles
Becker when he went to the electric
chair. There was keen competition
among several condemned men for
Becker's cell An Ottawa, Canada,
dispatch is authority for the statement
that on his return to Canada,
Sir Robert Borden will issue a call for
50,000 additional volunteers Approximately
300 houses and 50 store
buildings were destroyed by a flood in
Erie, Pa., Tuesday night. The total
value of destroyed property is estimated
at about $3,500,000. Several
> scores of lives were lost. The storm
was also heavy in New York, Philadelphia,
Baltimore and Annapolis, Md.
Several sailing craft together with
portions of their crews were lost
The first bale of cotton raised in Alabama
this year, was sold at public
auction in Mobile Wednesday, at 10
cents per pound. It weighed 545
pounds W. O. Armstrong, former
cashier of the Bank of Rentes. Ga.,
I Pr\ llft/I raoontk' TTOQ QPflllittPfl Of
the charge of misappropriating the
bank's funds in Dublin, Ga., Wednesday
Italy wants to borrow $50,000,000
from Wall street bankers
? The cotton crop will be approximately
11,970,937 equivalent 500-hundred
pound bales, compared with 16,934,830
last year. The estimate is
from the unofficially calculated government's
condition report. The condition
of the growing cotton crop of
the United States on July 25, was 75.4
per cent of a normal, the United States
department of agriculture's crop reporting
board announced at noon last
Tuesday in its third condition report
of the season. That condition compares
with 80.3 per cent on June 25
this year, 74.4 per cent on July 25,
last year, 79.6 per cent in 1913, and
78.5 per cent, the average condition
on July 25, for the last ten years. The
area planted to cotton and under cultivation
on June 25 this year, as previously
reported, was 31,535,000 acres,
a decrease of 5.871,000 acres, or 15.7
per cent from that under cultivation
on June 25 last year. A condition of
100 per cent of a normal on July 25,
would' be equivalent to a yield of 241.3
pounds of cotton to the acre, the bureau
of crop estimates has announced.
Weather conditions generallly have
been favorable to the crop throughout
the month except in Texas, where
there was a lack of rain.
SOUTH CAROLINA NEWS
? The Greenville county sanitarium
for tuberculosis patients, which is located
near Piney Mountain, in Green'**
* -- ? ? '?-? 11 ?? fid I'OQ_
Vine county, Wits lunnau; U|i<-nru J?-terday.
? C. M. Justice, former representative
of the Armour Fertilizer Works
in Spartanburg, was fined $100 and
given one year's imprisonment following
his conviction on the charge of
forgery Wednesday.
? The two-year-old daughter of Mrs.
Annie Garris of Round, Colleton county,
died Monday of a bite received
from a rattlesnake the day before.
The child was struck in one of its
toes, a large wound being made by the
reptile's fangs.
? Will G. Martin and his uncle,
John Martin, citizens of Waterloo
township, Laurens county, who have
been in jail since the death of John K.
McPhearson, whom they are alleged to
have shot, were released on a $5,000
bond yesterday.
LOCAL AFFAIRS.
NEW ADVERTISEMENTS
Dr. E. A. Crawford, Guthriesvllle?
Has two first-class milk cows for
sale.
Sherer & Quinn?Have good lines of
enameled and tinware. Also have
good variety of coffees, and a big
line of glass lamps, 20c to 50a each.
I W. E. Ferguson?Reminds you of the
goodness of Stone's cakes, 9 ounces,
10c. They come in six varieties and
are pleasing their users.
James Bros.?Mules did not arrive
yesterday, but are here today, and
they want you to come and see the
stock, if you want to buy or trade.
Southern Railway?Announces its annual
excursion from this territory
to Washington. Richmond, Norfolk,
etc., and gives extremely low rates.
Thomson Co.?Invites special attention
to its very complete line of
trunks, suit cases and handbags for
travelers. Hosiery for men and ladies,
palama checks, silk gloves, a
shirt waist special, cottons.
Standard Oil Co.?On page four emphasizes
the advantages of Perfection
hlno fl.mt oil stoves.
"Fobs"?Sold everywhere?chewed by
everybody. The best of all chewing
gams. 5 cents. Page four.
Liggett & Myers?Tell you that you
can get ycur tags and coupons from
their tobaccoes and cigarettes, redeemed
at Shider's Drug Store. See
page four.
The county officials have now become
accustomed to their new quarters.
The courthouse continues to be
a place of much interest to the many
visitors to town.
Dr. T. N. Dulin read a paper at the
Bethel Improvement association meeting
last night in which he rated tobacco
as second only to whisky in its
harmful effects on the human system.
The license tax proposition is meeting
with considerable discussion and
the majority of opinion is that there
is no objection to the proposition provided
the license is equally apportioned.
Now when it comes to taxing newspapers,
that bunch knows just how to
go at it. They can levy a tax of $100
if they want to and then give their
own newspaper enough advertising at
legal rates to get it all back in an issue
or two.
If anybody wants to see Tork county
as she really is?people?sure
enough people?let them attend these
country picnics. People taking this
advice, of course, will help to make
the picture; but if they have any pride
in a fine looking, high class citizenship
they can have that pride highly gratified.
"No, we didn't get all the help from
the county board we would like to have
frotten." said Mr. John S. Rainey of
Sharon, In conversation with an Enquirer
reporter Wednesday afternoon
In discussing the Pinckney road petition,
"but st 111 that which we did
get will help a great deal. It Is a
great deal more than nothing and we
are going to make it go a long way."
The local folks who borrow other
people's Enquirers and then claim that
they have not had an Enquirer in their
hands for years, were the object of
a good deal of fun last Tuesday afternoon.
Some of them were caught in
the act of reading that article on borrowing
that was published for their
particular benefit. B they did not
blush. No, not they. However, they
are hardly to be blamed for borrowing
The Enquirer, for unless they could
get access to it, they would be simply
miserable.
Several local checker players will
likely attend the eighth annual tournament
of the Southern Checker association
which will be held at Chick
Springs August 24, 25, 26 and 27. The
South Carolina contest will be played
August 24. Capt. F. B. Fishburne of
Columbia, who is now state champion
as well as one of the most expert players
in the country, proposes to give
blindfolded exhibitions in checker
playing during the tournament, playing
six expert players at one time.
Numerous checker artists from all
sections of the south will attend the
tournament.
This thing of using the town's funds
to support an opposition newspaper
is not new. It has been the custom
since the writer can remember; but
in the old days they used to try to
make some show of fairness, by making
a pretense of letting it out to the
lowest bidder. Once many years ago,
The Enquirer was notified to put in a
proposal as to what it would do the advertising
for. There were no specifications
by which to establish value3
and as the supposed competitor was
unable to get more than half as much
for its advertising space as The Enquirer,
the representative of The Enquirer
asked as to how the thing was ,
to be managed. He was tbld that the
advertising was to go to whoever
should offer the lowest rate per inch.
Of course The Enquirer did not put
in a bid. At another time some years 1
afterward, The Enquirer was asked
by the then mayor, a very slick gen- j
tleman, to put in a bid on a basis like
this: "Say what you will give us a col- 1
umn for by the year with the understanding
that we are to have the right i
to change in every issue, so that we
may use it for the publication of ordi- .
nances, when we have them, and for
'booming the town' when we have nq i
ordinances to publish." The proposi- 1
tion was too transparent even to do
credit to the ordinary smoothness of
the mayor who proposed It. The game I
was to let both papers bid at some- J
thing like their regular rates. If The
Enquirer should happen to get the i
award, then it would be required to
give the whole service bargained for |
and if the other paper should get. it,
it would be required to print only the 1
ordinances, amounting to possibly one- 1
twentieth of the whole service bar- j
gained for, and the balance would be ]
clear profit. Of .course The Enquirer
never put in a bid on any such basis. '
During the long periods when there
was only one paper in town, the policy
was to print as few ordinances as possible,
and our books, as well as the '
books of the town, if the town has the
records, will show that in most years
the total receipts from the town for
advertising and job printing have
hardly been sufficient to pay the town '
taxes on the plant and the homes of 1
the owners of the paper. Although c
we have always understood that we
could get about everything we wanted j
if we should make it a rule to consult
the "authorities" about what we
should print and what we should not (
print, we have never squealed. We ,
have never been willing to betray the
confidence the community has in us ?
in any such manner, and we have not t
been willing to use the paper for mak- ,
ing a row to promote what might be ?
only our selfish Interest. We are tell- (
ing this story now simply necause we j
want our readers to know the facts. j.
WITHIN THE TOWN I
? "Real estate agents, $5; renovat- a
ors of feathers. $10." This is the mu- J
nicipal license tax levied on a basis j
of gross receipts or capital invested, t
and there are others, Including wash- c
erwomen.
? "They" gathered about the streets "
last Tuesday afternoon In bunches,
most of them in a single big bunch,
and talked and talked and . They
ought not to give themselves away so
badly. It makes the whole thing too
"transparent"
? Wallace Smith, a negro notorious
about town, cut Hattie Jackson, a negro
woman, rather seriously last Tuesday
afternoon, following a quarrel.
The cutting was done with a razor, the
woman receiving serious injuries about
the head. After the cutting, Smith
made his escape, although officers
pursued him for several hours during
the afternoon. The woman will recover
from her injuries.
? The Southern railway's excursion
from Marion, N. C., to Charleston,
passed through this place at about 10
o'clock yesterday. There were about
seven cars and all were comfortably
filled. Among the people who got on
the train at the depot here were: W.
F. Faris, S. A. Ratterree, H. S. Henry,
R. C. Jackson, J. T. Howell, T. E. Barry,
Clanle McMackln, J. E. Turney,
L. T. Frieze, Miss Jessie Baber, Holly
Barron, C. F. Sherer, Barron Barnett,
Kip Wood, W. 8. Wood. J. B. Whitesides,
8. E. Lowry, Nick Zoumplts,
Earle Willis, R. Y. Grist, B. F. Smith,
Lessle Smith, Joe Grist, Miss Daisy
Gaulden, Mrs. Dora Gladden, A. N.
Brown, J. B. McCarter.
MARRIAGE RECORD
The following marriage licenses were
issued by the York county probate
court between July 17 and July 31.
July 17?Craig Wllkerson and Callie
Bennett.
July 22?Joseph G. Nunn and Leither
Kennedy.
July 24?Andrew Gunthrop and
Minnie Poston, colored.
July 26?William P. Brown and
Margaret L. Neil.
July 26?John W. Trull and Frances
Ward.
July 27?John H. Roper and Janie
McClelland.
July 28?Avery J. Badger and Ella
Putnam.
July 28?James Gill and Elizabeth
Hart, colored.
July 28?Johnnie Talbert and Lula
Billinn.
July 29?Samuel E. Beckham and
Laura Barley.
July 29?Emmett Stewart and Effle
Rogers.
July 31?John T. Cornwell and Adalize
Campbell.
July 31?George Collins and Rosa
Hollands, colored.
MORE PICNIC8
There are three more big picnics,
all of them recognized annual occurrences
of greater or lesser magnitude,
being advertised In The Enquirer.
The Oak Ridge picnic, to be held in
Bethel township under the auspices of
the Black Jack camp, W. O. W., Is an
Institution of several years' standing,
and is always a pleasant affair. Although
generally there is good speaking,
the most striking features have
been the pleasant social intercourse
and the abundance of good things to
eat. The date of this picnic Is Tuesday,
August 10.
The Tlrzah picnic dates back to the
late eighties when Senator Tillman
made one of his earliest speeches^ Tlrzah
postofflce and the picnic grounds
were then at Henry Massey's store,
about a mile and a half from the present
location. Capt Tillman, who had
made a great speech at Bennettsvllle
a short time before, came over and
repeated his message at Tlrzah to a
pretty good sized crowd. There was
a full report of the speech In The Enquirer.
and the speaker often referred
to it afterward as one of his first and
most successful political speeches.
The picnic was repeated year after
year and from about 1890 until after
1900 the Tirzah picnic ranked as one
of the biggest gatherings of the kind
that occurred in the state. The picnic
has been continued every year since
without a break; but sometimes on a
larger and sometimes on a smaller
scale. It is proposed to have Hon.
John L. McLaurin and Hon. Cole L.
Blease as the leading, if not the only
speakers this year, and those in charge
are looking for another old time gathering.
Next Thursday is the date.
Blairsville is another famous picnic
point. Picnics are held there both in
off years and in political years, and
there are always large crowds in attendance.
The features of this picnic,
like that of Oak Ridge, are general
good fellowship, generous hospitality
of the home people and a good time
generally.
JUNIORS HAD GOOD MEETING
"It was one of the beet and most
pleasant meetings we ever had," said
R. R. Brown of Santiago yesterday,
in commenting upon the twenty-first
annual convention of the South Carolina
division Junior Order United
American Mechanics, which was held
in Columbia this week, and from
which Mr. Brown and other representatives
of the various councils of York
county were Just returning.
The principal business at the closing
session yesterday was the election of
officers and the selection of Greenwood
as the place of the next state
meeting.
A resolution was adopted Indorsing
the "faithful and untiring efforts" of
Senator E. D. Smith in behalf of the
Immigration bill. The convention presented
a gold medal as a token of
esteem to W. P. Thomasson of Laurens,
the retiring state councellor.
Officers who were elected to serve
during the coming year were:
State councilor, R. S. Stewart of
Lancaster; state vice councilor, A. H.
Gasquc of Florence; treasurer, J. H.
Hamel of Kershaw; secretary, J. S.
Wilson of Lancaster; conductor, E. L.
Robinson of Greenville; warden, J. S.
McKenzie of Bannockburn; inside
sentinel, D. L. Coate of JefTerson; outside
sentinel, F. E. Limehouse of Orangeburg;
chaplain, the Rev. W. J.
Nelson, Rock Hill.
The following committees were appointed:
Finance, John A. Cook,
rhalrman, J. E. Eddy, W. F. Est ridge;
laws, M. H. Heyman, chairman, M. P.
Wells; credentials, H. Terry, chairnan;
appeals, G. S. Donan, chairman.
The following are the gentlemen
tvho represented the several York
:ounty lodges:
Clover?James A. Barnett, F. E.
Whitener, J. E. Beamguard, national
representative.
Rock Hill?Rev. W. J. Nelson, B. H.
Bigham and S. W. Plyler, national
representative1.
Bethany?J. A. Ratterree, Geo. A.
UcCarter.
Smyrna?E. T. Watson.
King's Creek?J. A. Dickson.
Sharon?R. L. Plexico.
Santiago?W. N. Bigger, R. R.
Brown.
THE FILBERT PICNIC.
The Charlotte Observer of Sunday
lives its readers this brief but com)rehensive
and interesting summary
>f the Filbert picnic:
The annual picnic at Filbert, in
touth Carolina was held Thursday,
ind there was the usual great gathering
of people some from North
Carolina. The star speakers were
Ion. John L. McLaurin, Congressnan
Lever , Congressman Finley,
Jon. W. F. Stevenson and Hon. Cole
Jlease. Mr. McLaurin knocked Eng
ana lor nign-nanaea arrogance,
dr. Finley blamed both England and
Jermany and declared the war Is ragng
because the people In Europe
lave forgotten God." Sandwiched
dmost helplessly, Mr. Lever was yet
ible to say a word for the American
Ldministration. He "paid a glowing
ribute to the sagacity and determinalon
and grit of President Wilson."
dr. Blcase then gave a dressing down
o the whole crowd, Including the
ongressmen within reach of his
oice. "What are they doing," he
sked. And he answered promptly:
'Nothing." These congressmen, he
explained, "are so interested In the
little bit of patronage Wilson is holding
over them that they are not even
representing you. What you want to
do is to assemble at your club meetings
and at your court houses and
pass resolutions demanding that your
congressmen get busy. That will
make them trot." Whereat the
crowd cheered. Another deliverance
the congressmen had to sit out was
this: "The administration at Washington
is not Democratic. It is not
a government of the people, and
Wilson is no friend of the south. He
is little more than an agent of England
and a representative of the money
Interest of America, who does not
do anything until after he gets inistructions
from J. Pierpont Morgan,
if he had anv Dart of the Democracy
of Thomas Jefferson in his make-up,
he would say to England: 'Damn you,
if you don't stop taking our cotton we
will stop you," Mr. Blease volunteered
the statement that his political
ambitions had been completely gratified
and he would "never become a
candidate again'?he would "never," ^
as he qualified it, "run for office
again, except it be to serve my
friends."
FOURTH CLA88 MAIL RECEIPTS.
On and after September 1, patrons
of the Torkville postofflce may secure
a receipt for any parcel mailed, upon
the payment of one cent A recent
order of the postmaster general provides
receipts for all fourth class mail
matter upon the payment of one cent.
In token of the receipted class to
which it is admitted by a penny payment,
a one cent stamp is affixed to
the parcel.
The order under which such receipts
will be issued through the country's
postoflices reads as follows:
Order No. 8.977:
The postal laws and regulations are
amended by .the addition of the following:
Section 458 1-2. On and after September
1, 1916. the postmaster at the |l
mailing office may, on payment of one t
cent, give the sender of an ordinary
a# #Attw9k aIom moll a rorftlnt
therefor. A postage stamp to cover
the charge for the receipt shall be
affixed thereto. The name and address
of the addressee of the parcel
shall be written in the receipt by the
sender. Postmasters desiring additional
Information on this subject
should address the Third Assistant
Postmaster Oener&l, division of registered
malls.
Order No. 9.006:
Paragraph 1, Section 464, postal
laws and regulations, edition of 19IS,
Is amended to read as follows:
Section 464. Fourth class mall matter
shall embrace all other matter, including
farm and factory products
(and books), not now embraced by
law In either the first or second class
or (with the exception of books) In
the third class, not exceeding 60 lbs.
In weight (when mailed for delivery
within the first and second zones, nor
exceeding 20 Iba In weight when mailed
for delivery within any of the other
zones), nor greater in size than 84
Inches in length and girth combined,
nor in form or kind likely to injure
the person of any postal employe or
damage the mall equipment or other
mall matter and not of a character
perishable within a period reasonably
required for transportation and delivery.
Another recent order of the postofflce
department raises the maximum
combined girth and length of parcels
accepted under parcel port rates from
72 to 84 'inches.
A88I8TANCE GIVEN
Declaring that they needed a road
as bad If not worse than any other
section of the county, that they had
received little aid from the oounty in
building roads in the past and had very
little hope of receiving any great
amount of assistance In the near future,
a score or more representative
citizens of York and Bullock's Creek
townships, the majority of them from
the Sharon community, appeared before
the county board of commissioners
at the monthly meeting of that
body Wednesday, and presented a petition
signed by approximately 180
citizens of York, Bullock's Creek and
Broad River townships, asking that
the county board of commissioners
send the chalngang to work the
Pinckney road at a point between the
residences of Meesra J. M. Brice and
Claud Robinson, or else appropriate a
sum of money sufficient to have the ,
work done.
As previously reported in The Enquirer,
W. W. Miller, county engineer,
recently made an examination of the
road in question, and at the meeting
Wednesday, reported that the. approximate
cost of working the road at
the point desired on both sides of
Turkey creek, would be about 82,009.
The engineer stated that a steel bridge
over the creek there would cost in the
neighborhood of <3,000.
Dr. J. H. Saye, J. S. Hartness, J.
M. Brice and J. 8. Rainey were the
principal spokesmen for the advocates
of the proposed new road. They point
ed out the great need or their section
for a good road to and from Yorkville.
The Plnckney road at Turkey
creek between the residences of Messrs.
Brice and Robinson is now nearly impassable,
and In rainy weather there
is no getting over it.
Citizens of that section, they said,
were asking the county board to build
up the road on each side of Turkey
creek?a total distance of aboupt 1,700
feet. Citizens living along the road1
could be depended upon to do all other
necessary work. The several spokesmen
cared not whether the work was
done by the county chaingang, a portion
of it or how. If the county engineer
thought a different route more
economical, they were perfectly willing.
What they wanted, they said,
was help from the county to which
they thought they were entitled and
they want it before the cotton crop is
ready to move.
After considerable discussion of the
proposition, the county board of commissioners
agreed to appropriate $350
for the work and also offered the services
of the county engineer in com
nection with the proposed undertaking.
ABOUT PEOPLE
Miss Esther Ashe is visiting friends
in Chester.
Miss Leon McCloud is visiting relatives
in Clover.
Miss Mary Walls visited friends in
Rock Hill this week.
Mr. J. J. McCarter of Filbert, is ill
with malarial fever.
Mr. and Mrs. Bratton Hughes of
Marion, S. C., are spending some time
with relatives here.
Mra A. J. Sturgls is quite sick at
her home on R. F. D. No. 6.
Mr. Blakely Plexlco spent several
days in Charlotte this week.
Miss Johnsie Stacy of Clover, is visiting
friends in Hickory, N. C.
Little Miss Grace Campbell of Clover
is visiting relatives in Gastonia.
Mr. J. M. Fergusc. is spending
some time at Saranac Lake, N. Y.
Miss Sarah Page Wilkins left this
week to visit relatives in Mississippi.
Miss Alma Holler has returned to
Rock Hill after visiting relatives
here.
Miss Frances Finley has returned
home after a visit to friends in Anderson.
Mrs. George Foster of Greenwood, is
visiting his mother, Mrs. W. B. Steele,
Mr. and Mrs. S. T. Enloe of this
place, recently visited relatives in
Clover.
Miss Constance Pegues of Darlington,
visited Miss Frederica Lindsay
this week.
Mr. T. H. DeGraffenreld of Atlanta,
Ga., spent several days here
this week.
Miss Florence Cody is visiting the
family of Mr. John N. O'Farrell in Atlanta,
Ga.
Little Miss Martha Peay is visiting
her parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. I. Brison
in Clover.
Mr. Daniel Whitener of Kannapolls,
N. C., is visiting relatives and friends
In this section.
Mrs. M. E. Plexlco and children are