Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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i*L't;i.iSHKL> THREE THAT (MO MOB "Northward the ?Criminal Negro' Problem Makes Its Was." \ CONTEMPT FOR THE LAW The Only Novelty W as the Active Participation of Women in the Affair, a Thing That Has Never Yet Occurred in the South and Never Will. In discussing that Cairo lynching in its e -itorial columns the Augusta Chronicle says apart from oue novel ty, hereafter to be mentioned, the recent ebullition of mob violence in Illinois was the same old typical American lynching. Same getting mad all together; same rush for the prisoner; same slaughter of the shrieking wretch by hanging, shoot ing and burning; same theatrical hurrying to the spot of troops, who never get there in time, and if by some miracle they ever ao so, take a vote not to shoot, as they did the other day. The only novelty was the active participation of women in the affair ?a thing that has never yet occurred in the South and never will. The excuse for the lynching itself is the same old excuse?distrust of the law. But the real underlying cause is?contempt for the law. The mob itself is, for the tini* being, a lawless aggregation of madmen; no matter how much each member of it individually may, in his calmer moments, pretend to respect the law, he i3 an outlaw, pure and simple, when he takes the law into his own hands as was done in Cairo. And this is frue whether it occurs ' in in Illinois or in Georgia or Missis sippi. And, yet, it would not be entirely fair to say that the courts, as a whole, administer justice as certainly and with as even a hand as they ahoulld. It has been contended more than once, that in matters between man and man, as the ownership of property for istance, our courts, gen erally are trustworthy, but that when it comes to crime, they are not alto gether effective instruments for the protection'of the community. This is true "only in a sense; and it is, generally^ speaking, true only in the sence that juries sometimes fail to do their duty. We have seen something of this in this very community within the past few weeks, where more than oue prisoner, charged with a heinous crime?and as guilty as any that ever faced a court?were summarily turn ed loose by the trial jury- But, surely, this fault can not be laid at the door of the court itself, when it is seen that it is with the people, after all, that lies the right and power to enforce the law as it should be enforced. Perhaps it Is, in a measure, true that if they would administer justice in the jury box more ofien than they do, they would not lind it necessary, or, rather, pos sible, to administer it as members of a wild, savage mob. There Is still another thought, lhawever," fn ' connection with this Cairo lynching. It has again been proved?as it was in the Springfield riots?that human nature is pretty much the same there as in Georgia or South Carolina or Mississippi. It only needs sufficient provocation to assert itself. The influx of a cer tain class of negroes into the North? we say a "certain class of negroes," because we refuse to place all, ne groes in the category of criminals? is furnishing this provocation in Illinois as it has furnished it in the South since the war. For some years past the negro problem has been moving north ward. Springfield and Cairo furnish ed unmistakable mile-stones of its progress. Unfortunately the "negro problem" carries with it the problem of coping with certain forms of crime, such as murder and rape. And it is inevitable, perhaps?how ever inexcusable it may be?that the method of dealing with such crimes is the same in the North as in the South. Yet, we would sympathize with, rather than condemn, the North for the problem which confornts it. It is a problem not of its own making; any more than the same problem was of the South's making. Therefore, we refrain from referring to this Cairo affair as "another Northern outrage;" even though we have, ho often, seen similar affairs in thi South referred to as "another South ern outrage." Perhaps our kindred troubles are rapidly bringing us all to a better understanding on this point; certainly, neither section has any cause to throw stones at the other in connection with it. They are both, now, simply confronted with a similar problem, or problems: the "criminal negro" problem?and the problem of putting down mob violence, without respect to provo-? cation or persons?and at any price. Killed About Lynching. At Cairo, 111., Wednesday Henry Small, a negro shot and killed Wil liam Pope, oue of the negro soldiers discharged from the United States army aJ*er the ''shooting up' of! Brownsville, Texas. The shooting followed an argument over the lynch-. ing there last weeK of Will James, the negro accused of the murder of Miss Annie Pelley. TIMES A WEEK. SUGAR FRAUD EXPOSED FORMER GOVERNMENT SAMPLER IS DISCHARGED From tho Service Because he Tried, Seven Years Ago, to Secure an Investigation. \ Some ricsh and racy evidence is being brought out in the investiga tion of the frauds perpetrated on the government by the members of the Sugar Trust, now going on in New York. On Wednesday Henry C. Corsa, who once was employed as a Gov ernment sampler at the American Sugar Refining Company's docks in Jersey City, has added further inter esting material to the complicated controversy surrounding the frauds charged to the company and various customs officials and employees. Corsa was discharged from the Government service seven years ago by reason, as he believes, of his ef forts to obtain an investigation. In a lengthy interview he reviews the obstacles he met, and recites expe riences similar in many respects to those of Richard Parr and Edwin Anderson, who are defending their respective claims to being the origi nal exposers of corruption in the cus toms house. Wilber F. Wakeman, a former ap praiser, brought Corsa's name into the case some time ago, when he at tested to the fact of his discharging after he had brought to the govern ment's attention convincing evidence of graft, which Corsa says was suc cessfully pigeonholed after he was ousted. His efforts to obtain re instatement Corsa adds, were aided from time to time by Leslie M. Shaw, former Secretary of the Treasury, and other prominent men, but none of them, he declares, was able to overcome the grip the Sugar Com pany had on the New York customs service, or to get for him the en dorsement of George Whltehead, who succeeded Wakenian as appraiser. In his Interview of a few days ago Corsa set forth that he went to Washington to present his case to Secretary Shaw, and the latter, he Bays, after a long conference, said: "I'll see that you are put back. I could demand it right new. But things are working so smoothly be tween Mr. Whrttehead and myself that I don't want to break in abrupt My on him with this demand.'** A short time afterward, according to Corsa, he received a letter from Mr. Shaw stating that Shaw found his hands to tied that he could do nothing. Corsa says his evidence against the Sugar Company was to the effect that agents of the compa ny had offered him bribes in return for his assistance in substituting sugar of a low grade in samples taken by the government for tests upon which cargoes were appraised. As a part of this evidence, he turned over to his superiors the money giv en him .as a bribe. Richard Parr, who is still a deputy surveyor of the port, said that re cent investigations have shown that one man in every five among the employees in the weighers' division of the New York customs house has been found implicated in the frauds or is "under suspicion of the most positive character." AS BAD AS THE SOUTH. What an Illinois Republican Paper Says About Lynching. The Springfield, 111.. Republican says if the South ever yieled up a more horrible story of human sav agery than comes from Cairo, 111., we do not recall it. Indeed, it is impossible that any Southern com munity could have done so; for how surpass in deviltry and bloodthirst-. ness the hanging and shooting and burning of the victim, the soaking of pieces of rope In his blood, the beheading and parade of the head, and the cutting out of the heart and chipping it into pieces for souvenirs? The only redeeming feature, as the New York Evening Post observes, is that the mob did not stick to the color line. It butchered a white murderer, too. or one charged with murder. It is altogether as revolt ing an exhibition of human degrada tion as the country ever saw, or as Illinois ever saw. and Ulinoi? has of late been giving several exhibi tions of the kind. Tho case with which the public authority broke down is a particularly discreditable feature of the case. That spectacle of the sheriff fleeing with the priso ner through woods and over hills, with the mob in full pursuit?how hollo w is shown to be the pretension of Cairo to a civilization worthy of the name! We are now to see whether the State of Illinois can pre tend to anything much better? whether the ringleaders of this blood-hunting mob of men and wo men are to escape all punishment fitting to their capital crime, as in the case of other Illinois mobs of this character. Tho Woman in Black. The mysterious "woman in black" who committed suicide Wednesday in the rest room of an Atlanta de partment store was identified as Miss Willano Cotton, daughter of Mrs. Rebecca D. Cotton. The young wo man, who died from an over-dose of strychnine, was said to have been in bad health for several months and, despondent. ORANGEBTJR? CLAIMS SCALED ! The Dispensary Winding Up Comraisoion Makes Its Final Report STATE SAVED BIS MONEY Reductions in Amounts Claimed by the Whiskey Houses, and the Counter Claims if Collected, Will Save the State Nearly Five Hun dred Thousand Dollars. Nearly a half million dollars rep resents the saving to the State of South Carolina by scalings from dis pensary claims and over-judgments against firms doing business with the old State dispensary, according to the report of the winding up com mission, which practically concluded its work Wednesday night. A history of the old State dispen sary, system, with that tale of graft, now a matter of general knowledge, is included in the commission's final report. That the whiskey firms fail ed to comply with the laws of the State in regard to the sale of whis key, that various devices were used to prevent competition; that the board of directors of the dispensary failed to advertise for bids; that prices were exorbitant, commissions I and rebates were paid, are a few of the many charges brought and sub stantiated by the commission's find ings. The firms that fought the State in the litigation in the Federal Courts are taxed costs amounting to $21,526. The net amount of claims considered at this sitting of the commission was $430,000. This does not include the over-judgments and the decrees formerly rendered. The original fund was $630,000. Of con siderable local interest, and of much interest also throughout the State is the claim of the Carolina Glass Company's, a Columbia concern. The amount claimed to be owed this firm by the State was $23,013. 75, which is completely wiped out by the commission's findings, and an over-udgment rendered for $28,419, 24. The over-charges found against the concern are $51,432.99, and it was by deducting the original claim from this amount that tho over judgment Is found. The commission issues a separate decree against the Carolina Glass Company, and goes into the details o f what was alleged to be a monopoly of the sale of glass to the old State dispensary. The to tal sales of the Carolina Glass Com pany to the State aggregating $514, 329.90 before the year 1906. A large amount is represented in the list of over-judgments and mem bers of the commission and Its at torneys that the firms will be pro ceeded against in the .Courts to re cover the various amounts charged against them. "Conscience Fund" Over $50,000. Col Felder stated that tho so called conscience fund had already reached the $50,000 mark. This is the money paid back by firms uot represented in the list of claimants, but who were charged with over charging tho State. One of the larg est claimants and one that came in for some scorching when the origi nal commission mot are the Anchor Distilling Company and Ullman & Co., two firms classed by the com mission as one concern. An over judgment of $30,621.55 is fouud against this combination, this in cluding a proportionate share, $4, 500 of the costs in the courts. Wil liam Lanahan & Sons are charged up with $23,563.46, although their claims against the State was only $5,916.54. The commission went back of the dates represented by this firm's accounts in the claims against the State, as did the commission in a number of other cases. Fleischmann & Co. and Gerson, Seligman Company are treated as one concern, and the $70,000 claim is reduced to $45,645.30. This com pany admitted overcharges in afida vits. Clark Brothers & Co.. another large claimant, are given $53,780.96 on a claim of $66.3S3.71. Carolina Glnas Claim. The commission in its special re port in the claim of the Carolina Glass Company finds that "the offic ers of this concern entered into a conspiracy to defraud the State of South Carolina by defeating all com petition in the sale of glassware needed." The commission refers to a bid of the company in September, 1 902, to furnish 50 cars of glass bottles at prices ranging about 10 per cent in excess of the prices paid to Flaccus & Co., notwithstanding the fact that other bids were filed. That also the Flaccus contract, when purchased, was for the purpose of j stiffling competition, as all moulds i of the Flaccus Company were turned over to the Carolina Glass Company and the former had no facilities for filling orders. It is also charged that at several quarterly purchases other competitive bids were suppressed, and the Caro lina Glass Company was awarded contracts that after December. 1902. and until 1906, when the contract, existing between the State dispeu-i sary board and this company was cancelled this firm maintained a com-! plete monopoly of all business for glass and raised prices from time to time much above the fair market prices for the goods sold. Also that at the time of the passage of the con-, current resolution cancelling the un S. Cm SATURDAY. NOV; filled portions of the contract there were outstanding contracts at ex horbltant prices for more than 200 ' cars of glass bottles at an approxi mate value of $200,000. The com mission states that, according to the 1 testimony of one of the oliicers of I the Glass Company, the State saved ? more than $50,000 when comparison I is made with prices paid for goods ! subsequently purchased. , I It is also charged against this firm ; that goods were sold of the same quality, size and character as that sold the State dispensary in other I States and in other parts of this State from 20 to 25 per cent lower than the price paid by the State di? pensary. Finding in Glass Claim. The finding is as follows in the case of the Carolina Glass Company: "We therefore, find that the con-1 tracts made between the Carolina Glass Company and the board of directors of the State dispensary are contrary to the laws of the State and against public policy, and for those reasons null and void, and that the Carolina Glass Company should not as a matter of strict law, be entitled to recover any sum of money from the State of South Carolina on account of said contract, even if the State had no offsets against them, whatsoever, but the commission fur ther finds that it should determine the matter on equitable principles and fix the matter of liability on a 'quantum meruit' basis and that the prices at which the Carolina Glass Company sold to the State dispensary the glassware manufactured by it ranged throughout the entire period i of their transactions with the State dispensary except for the years 1006 and 1907, at about 10 per cent above the fair and reasonable market price for said goods. Prices Were Reduced. "The commission finds that begin ning early in the year 1906, as the result of a legislative investigation made by a committee appointed by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina, and the resolu tion adopted by the General Assem bly relating especially to the con tracts with the Carolina Glass Com pany hereinbefore referred to, the Carolina Glass Company was forced to and did lower its bids to prices which during the year and the short period of 1907, during which the dispensary was operated, were substantially in accord with the fair and reasonable market price of the goods sold during that period; but the commission finds that during the years preceding 1906 the overcharg es made in excess of the fair and rea sonable market prices for the goods sold was $51,432.99, which should be and is hereby offset against the claim in favor of the said Carolina Glass Company to wit: Its claim of $23,013.75, which being deducted from this amount of said overcharges the commission finds said Carolina Glass Company to be indebted to the State of South Carolina in the sum of $28,419.24." In more than half the claims there were over judgments rendered in fa vor of the State by the commission. As stated these may be collected through the Courts. The commis sion states in Its ..findings that the members have made a careful in vestigation of the business of the old State dispensary and also all of the evidence taken before the legis lative investigation committee. nandemn2 shrdshrdlhrdluhrdluuuuu "Due and formal notice,,' states the decree, " was given to all cred itors to produce before the commis sion their books of account and oth er records and correspondence dis closing the transactions between the creditors and the State dispensary, and in a few instances some of the creditors complied with this demand and produced their books and rec ords in part at least, for the inspec tion of the commission. The commission also heard oral testimony and received affidavits from members of whiskey concerns. Conspiracy Alleged. The commission states that sev- J j eral of the creditors entered into a conspiracy with members of the boards of directors to cheat and de fraud the State, with the assistance of some of the members of the boards, and goods were sold at a price largely in excess of the mar ket value, the officers or agents of the concerns and members of the board making use of the funds in corruption and bribery. It is also stated that many of the claimants did not comply with the law in that: 1. They resorted to various devic es to destroy competition. 2. The law as to advertising for i bids was so worded as to prevent competition instead of promoting it. 3. That bids submitted upon which awards were made, were ex horhitant as to prices. with the knowledge and consent of the board. 4. That the claimants violated the law in maintaining agents and so licitors in the State to obtain con tracts for the purchase of their goods. 5. That in many cases no bonds i were furnished on awards given. 6. None of the claimants filed at the time of making bids an analyai3 of .the liquors for sale. Only Real Values to l)e Paid. The commission rules that the claimants have all violated the law, but thinks that it should deal with petitioners upon equitable principles and makes such settlement as will be fair and just. It therefore finds that It should compensate each clai mant for goods actually sold and de livered to the State dispensary dur ing the whole course of dealings by paying the real value of the goods | after deducting from the claims of EMBER -0 190 > . HAY MEAN WAR Two Americans Upturtd and Executed by the fkaragbans. TWO WAR SHIPS ARE SENT1 ! President ,Taft Greatly Incensed- on | Hearing the News, and Declines to Have Any Communication With tho New Nicaraguan Minister, Who Just Reached Washington. A Washington dispatch says two American war ships have been order ed to proceed to Nicaraguan water's, and President Taft has postponed indefinitely his meeting of Isidore Hazera, the new minister from Nic aragua to this country, as the result of news received here to the '-u>ct that two Americans, Leonard Grace and LeRoy Cannon, captured while serving with the revolutionists' ar my In Nicaragua, have been sentenc ed to death by President Zelaya's orders, aud it is believed that sen tence has already been carried out. Orders have been issued for the cruiser Vicksburg to proceed in all haste to Corinto, and the gunboat DesMoines will proceed at once to Port Limon to observe events there and report the situation at that point by wireless. The news as to the two Americans reached the State depart ment Thursday night from the Amer ican Consul at Managna, who stated that their capture had been follow ed almost immediately by a death sentence. A dispatch received Friday at the State department is to the effect that the men have undoubtedly been executed. Upon this information the Secretary of State asked the Sec. of the Navy to order the Vicksburg to proceed in all haste to Corinto for the purpose of protecting Americans and American interests. The Des Moines was also ordered to proceed to Fort Limon at top speed for the same purpose. These vessels will ibe in constant Communication by wireless with the State department. The brutality of the Nicaraugan Government in ordering the execu tion of these two Americans, who happened to be found in the revolu tionists army without trial of any sort, is likely to result in this Gov ernment taking drastic measures to prevent a repetition of it, and Presi dent Zelaya will be held to a strict accountability fjfcr his action. At the Nicaraguan legation it was stat ed that no news of the execution of the two Americans had been receiv ed. Nothing Is known at the State de partment of the antecedents of Leon ard Grace, who is reported to have been shot by order of President Zel aya, but the other American, LeRoy Cannon, seems to have had an un usual career in Central America. Some years ago he went to Central America and since then his name has figured prominently in revolutions in those countries. During his car eer he has been arrested a number of times and tried for heading raids and on several occasions has nar rowly escaped a death sentence, it is alleged. A dispatch from Panama says pas sengers arriving there from Nica ragua Thursday report, that a reign of terror exists throughout the por tion of that country controlled by Precident Zelaya. Government troops are rounding up every persons sus pected of sympathy with the revolu tionists and executing them without trial. More than five hundred men suspected of revolutionary sympa thies have been summarily shot and (still the bloody work cpntinircs. Residences are ransacked by Zelaya's soldiers in search of incriminating letters or evidence, and when resis tance is offered the houses are de stroyed. Women relatives of revolutionary sympathizers have been subjected to the most horrible indignaties and outrages. Nicaraguan refugees, ar riving on the Isthmus and in Costa Rica declare It is time for the civi lized powers to forcibly Intervene and put an end to such barbarities and atrosities. some of the claimants certain fees and expenses incurred by the com mission in defending recent suits. It is also ruled by the commission that certain claimants who filed bills in the Federal Court asking for in junction against the commission, In clude the firms of Garrett & Co.. Fleischmann & Co., Wilson Distillery Company, Gallagher & Burton, Jack Cranston Company. Tho bills brought by Floischman, tho Wilson Company, the Jack Cran ston Company and Gallagher & Bur ton, were consolidated into one ac tion, into which Gt'rrett & Co. after ward Intervened, followed by the Pig Springs Distilling Company, Ullman & Co., Anchor Distilling Company, Belair Distilling Company, Richards & Co. and the New York and Ken tucky Company. After reviewing the victory won by the State of South Carolina, the commission calls attention to the fact that the fight carried to the United States Court cost $21,526.17, and considers the State damaged to that amount. The various compa nies mentioned above ,are assessed proportional this amount. T\V< 1 WILL ENTER THE MINE UNABLE LONGER TO ENDURE CRIES OF THE BEREAVED Stato Inspectors Will Go Down the Shaft and Find Out About the Men Down There. "We are going down into that mine today. We will conquer it or it will conquer us. Unless we suc ceed, we will never come out alive." The cry of the widows and or-1 phans at the mouth of the fatal mine at Cherry, 111., Thursday morning, "Open the shaft, open the shaft,'' aroLjed State Mine Inspector Taylor. "Let lives be sacrificed to reclaim from the mine the entombed dead if necessary," he said. Un er the supervision of mine In spector, hazardous efforts will be made to satisfy the frenzied cries of the bereaved widows and or phans. They will be braving the dangers of deadly poisons, noxious gases, explosives and the probabili ty of a collapse of the fire-charred galleries. Preliminary explorations by experts showed encouraging con ditions and they determined to take advantage of the low temperature at the bottom of the emergency shaft. ? It was decided to reinforce the air shaft by the erection of scaffolds, attaching a hoisting apparatus and explore as far as human endurance would permit. It is proposed to lower two men, armored with oxygen hel mets, and penetrate the galleries to ward the main shaft. Investigation revealed less smoke and gas at the bottom of the shaft and a decrease in temperature. Min ing inspectors from many States on the scene give the opinion that the fire is still raging, their conviction being that the mine must be kept sealed. The Illinois inspectors, rea lizing the fury that such action would arouse among the - afflicted citizens, insisted that 3 last effort be made to reach the dead. The tem perature at the main shaft is now 109. "There is no halting now," said Inspector Taylor, preparing for the final ordeal of the great disaster. "We are going to fight that mine. If successful, we will be able to re cover the bodies; if not," here the old man who has served his lifetime beneath the earth, waved his hand, emphasizing the fate-that might face him and,his colleagues. All Is In readiness for the descent into the air shaft The improvised cage is completed. The loctors have declared that the rescuers are in good physical condition. A large crowd is assembled about the mine, expectant and almost frantic women predominating. The temperature was taken in both shafts and showed no material changes from the ear ly morning readings. STAND BY COTTON CROP. I*resident of Southern Hays "World Will Call fcr 20,000,000 Rules. President Finley of the Southern Railway, addressing a large gather ing of folk from the countryside of Salisburg, N. C, Wednesday, and later speaking at a banquet of ine board of trade, expressed the convic tion that in no area of equal extent in the world is the agricultural out look brighter than in the southern States, and urged in farmers not to neglect the cultivation of cotton. "We may well look forward to a time in the not far distant future," said Mr. Finley, "when the world will call on the American cotton planters for 20,000,000 bales every year." Mr. Finley said he did not view with any alarm the tendency of young people to leave tho farm, but said ho believed the increased at tractions of farm life would soon turn the tide in the other direction. "In viewing the figures," said Mr. Finley, "it is not to be wondered that those responsible for the man agement of the railways of the South, seeiug the agricultural advance go ing hand In hand with the indus trial development, should have faith in their territory and should be striv ing to the utmost to increase the carrying capacity of their lines so as to be able to properly handle the increase in traffic which is sure to come." Mr. Finley did not counsel the growing of cotton to the neglect of other crops, but suggested that an increase in production to keep pace with the demand of the world and that It be accomplished by more intense cultivation and by the grow ing of a variety of other crops with cotton, to the profit of the farmer. C. N. CRITTENTON DEAD. H<> Was Founder of Florence (Yit tcuton Rescue Homes. A dispatch from San Francisco, Cal., Sayn Cbas. N. Crittenton, of New York, widely known as the mil lionaire founder of the Florence Crittention Rescue Homes for gils. died Tuesday night of pneumonia. He was ill less than a week. He was 76 years old. Mr. Crittenton founded seventy three rescue homes in this country and several in Japan and China, which he named In memory of his daughter, Florence, at whoso dying request ho entered the mission work. TRENTS PER COPY A MANLY SPEECH John Mitchell Says Dramatically Tfeat He Endorses Boycott AROUSES ENTHUSIASM He Rightfully Declares That No Concern Has a Property Right to His Patronage, and Charges That Washington is Watching Froccctl ings of tho Convention. Endorsing a report or the com mittee on boycott, John Mitchell, one of the three officers of the American Federation of Labor, who are under sentence for contempt of court, made a dramatic speech to the convention of that organization now in session at Toronto, at Wednes day's session. He declared that a.; far as he was concerned, regardless of consequences he intended, while at liberty to declare for the' rlghu guaranteed him by the organic laws of his country. The rerort which drew forth .M?tchfelVs speech, and wU'ich was adopted by the convention among, other things declared: "We say that when our cause is just and every other remedy has been employed' without result, boy cott; we say that when the employer has determined to exploit not only adult male labor, but our women and children, and our resources and our appeal to his fairness, and his con science will not sway him, boycott; we say that when labor has been oppressed, browbeaten and tryannlz ed, boycott; we say that when social, and political conditions become so bad that ordinary remedial meas ures arc fruitless, boycott, and fina)r ly we say, we have a right to boy cott and we propose to exercise that right. In the application of this right of boycott, to paraphrase the president (Gorapers), we propose to Btrive on and on." The convention broke into loud cheering for Mitchell as he conclud ed, and. there were cries for "Mor rlsion." The secretary did not re spond. President Gompers was ab sent. Mr. Mitchell said he realized that every statement made by those on the convention floor, especially by those who on next Monday will have to deliver themselves to the courts, is . being closely scrutinized. "I want the people of the United States to know my position," he Baid. "I shall not speak defiantly; but be the consequences what they will, I shall not surrender any right guaranteed to me by the constitu tion of our country. I am not sure how much mental and physical exit- ? fering will be necessary to make me submit, but if I know myself, not any amount of suffering will per suade me that I have not the right to spend my money where I please or that I have not the right to write and speak as 1 please, being respon sible under the law for my acts. "Whether the boycott be a bene fit or a detriment each man must decide where be will bestow his patronage. I maintain that my pat ronage is my own and no merchan' has a properly right to it. "I understand that cognizance is being taken at Washington of the utterances of men on the floor of this convention, and I want clearly to state my position. I propose in the future, as I have in the past, to exercise the (rights secured to me by the fathers of my country; and I propose, if I am sent to jail, to decalre again when I come out that I shall not for myself purchase any product of the Buck's Stove &. Range Co. "I repeat that so far aB I am con cerned, and let the consequence be what they w'M, I intend while at liberty to declare fo xthe rights guaranteed to me hy tho organic laws of ray country. I am proud of be ing an American." Mr. Mitchell said he had grown up as an American with a stepmoth er so poor that she could not buy bread, and related how he had crept out of bed at night to get his fath er's soldier coat to keep him warm. "Hut I want to see the word American stand for all the sentiment that is symbolized by the flag of our eountry," he continued. "I want real liberty. I don't believe in the liberty enunciated by some of our courts that men and women should have the right to work them-.selves to death. I don't believe in the 111*~ l<rty enunciated by Judge Tuthiilt of Chicago, who declared unconsti tutional the 10-hour law for women, and by that act compelled then] to work 14 hours a day." Mr. Mitchell said he believed the present proceedings would bring home fo the people the necessity of workiug in concert. "Is the time going to come on our continent when the badge of faithfulness to labor must be the brand of imprisonment?" he said in conclusion. "Surely i I hope not. 1 ho|>e that tho govern ment may be so conducted that no citizen may feel that he has not been given justice and an equal right with every other citizen." Many Were Hurt. Ninety persons wore injured but none fatally, when Southl>ound pas senger train No. 11, on the St. Louis and San Francisco railroad was wrecked at Rogers, Mo., Wednesday. Spreading rails caused the accident.