University of South Carolina Libraries
TOLrSE LI., SOIBER 24. NEWBERET, SOUTH CAROLINA, TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 1913. TWICE A WEEK, 11.50 A TEAK. ^ - * ft ITEMS OF INTEREST I FROM CAPITAL CITY ^ (iOYjtiKNOR DEFINES HIS POSITION AS TO SCHOOL TAX. Correspondence With State Superintendent?A Few Observations on Newberry aiul Politics. Special to The Herald and News. ~ ^ ?4 Tha frilln\virter Loiumoia, aien ? iuv ?0 correspondence between State Superintendent of Education J. E. Sw^aringen and Governor Cole. L. Blease is of a great deal of interest. The correspondence speaks for itself: "March 19, 1913. "Hon. Cole. L. Blease, Governor; Hon. S. T. Carter, State Treasurer; Hon. A. W. Jones, Comptroller General, Columbia, S. C. ~ -""aril a CQPmhl V "'Gentlemen: me gciicic** ihas levied a one-mill State tax for schools. The governor, the St\te treasurer and the comptroller gener** al have been authorized to borrow as much as $150,000 to carry out the purposes of the act in anticipation of tax collections this fall. "M am in daily receipt of letters asking whether the rural graded school applications, the term extension applications and the library requisitions now on file with the State superintend" * i! tnt o\ education can uc "If the money to settle these claims can not be secured, the schools must close, and some 25,000 white children -will suffer. "I hereby earnestly request you gentlemen to give this mater prompt attention by borrowing $30,000 to enable school district trustees to carry out the contracts already entered into, Aftwtinnp their school session diLU IU Wuvtuwv V? as planned during the months of March, April and May, 1913. . "Very respectfully, "J. E. Swearingen, "State Superintendent of Educationand Secretary State Board." Governor's Reply. ~ " ^ ?; Ofoto Qnnpr "Hon. J. li. ibWtcti iugcii, ULUI.V intend-ent of Education and Secretary State Board, Columbia, S. C. "Dear Sir: Your letter of March 19 received. I am absolutely and wholly absolved from any responsibility what^ ever for the condition in which the t legislature has left the public schools. My annual message to the legislature, my veto message upon the bill that was passed, and a special message sent upon that subject, are high evidence of the fact that I knew what an awkward and bunglesome condition the legislature was putting things into, and I pleaded with them not to do it. If they had followed .my advice, as evidenced by these documets referred to. we would have beeii in the best condition ever reached by the educational department of South Carolina. But cheap politicians do cheap work, and when they see fit to injure the schools in ord-er to deprive me of a little credit the people must h^d tnem. ' ? ??.-v r,iKl /% and not me, resyuiiaiuic. "I regret the condition things are k In. But who put them in that condi? tion?" Who endeavored to keep th-em ^ from that; condition? I stated positively to the legislature that I would | not join with the State treasurer and I comptroller general in any transaction, and asked the legislature not to ~>!ace me in that position, and stated if it did that I would not serve. Tne legislature did it, and I will not serve. "I think it very unfortunate that the little children should be put to any j inconvenience or their education deterred for one moment by cheap politics and cheap politicians, but let those who are responsible bear the burden. 'Hiank God, my record is clear, and instead of injuring the ~ 1 ? - children, I pleaded ior tneir weuaie in this regard. "Very respectfully, "Cole. L. Blease, "Governor." In the News and Courier of Sunday there appears, under an Augusta date 1 -? tt " tt if Vi CLcri d tor Till J1I1? ail 1UICI vxrw n ilU K.rVAACA.WW* man, in which it is stated that "the senator says he is going to take a little turn in South Carolina politics before he goes back to Washington," anf in which the senator is quoted as saying, "I am holding my nose every tim-e I think of the situation and wishing I was strong enough to get on the stump again and talk to the peoi } ' - ' '.-,v - - '-V., >: J * ;l_ pie about it." It has been suggested here by some that Senator Tillman had a little too much "turn" in South Carolina politics last summer for his J ~ ^ i + UTAH OWIl gouu, itliU Liiai JJluuauij u nuuiu be best for the senator if he should spend his remaining days quietly, so far as South Carolina politics is concerned. * * * A. visit to Newberry one day last week impresses upon one that Governor Blease has hit the nail squarely j 011 the head when he says that the j greatest good which could come to Newberry would be for the people of Newberry to get clos-er together, and ! for Newberrians to Quit "knocking." sjc jJ: sjc By the way, there seems to be a good deal of talk among Newberrians HS IO ail Cltutiuii un vuuiig iuc uw pensary back into the county. It is pointed out that the voting out of the dispensary has not given prohibition in Newberry by any means, and two arguments are advanced by the advocates on an election on the question?it is contended that the cause of temperance has not been helped by putting out the dispensary, but that the principal effect nas Dein to take money out of the countv. There would, probably, however, be .strenuous opposition to an election and to voting the dispensary back in. It seems that no election can be held, anyway, until next year. * * * Mrs. M. B. Evans is still boosting Newberry in and with her "ladies' rest room." Mrs. Evans is a tireless worker, and has made her rest room known throughout the State. * # If all the candidates who have announced, who are "urged," and who are "spoken of" should run for governor next summer, there would be a good long list of candidates. The announcements and the accompanying speculation seem to be a little earlier than usual, but when the first announcement came ethers who were figuring on making the race for governor s<eemed disposed to want to get their claims before the people early, also. During the closing days of the legislature the definite announcements came thick and fast, and sine then there has been no lack of other gentlemen mentioned. * * * The next race for the United States senate has been claiming a good deal i??? j*. of attention ior some ume u^uau n. has been definitely known that Governor Blease would be a candidate for the senate. In an interview published in a Northern paper some time ago he announced his platform as the State and national Democratic platform, and this he reiterated in an interview in The Herald and News last week. That, is as far as the governor has made any statements in regard to hio namnfliffn. I Of course it is expected that Senator Smith will be a candidate for reelection. j There have been no other positive | announcements in regard to this racw, j but several who have been "mention ed" have disclaimed an intention or being in the race. I Small Pox Cases in Washington. Washington, March 20.?There is an epidemic of sore arms in the national capita] as the result of a smallnnx scare that apparently has effected all grades of society. Government departments are forcing their employes to submit themselves to the physician's scratching ministrations and the mails today are flooded with letters from Health Officer William C. Woodward, calling on merchants to see to it that their clerks are vacci nated. Twelve cases of the disease now are in quarantine. Raises Wages of 800 Girls. Chicago, March 20.?President Cyrils H. McCormick of the International Harvester Co., made the announcement r ^ 11?x v * ?: - *?a.v f XfAn/^Qv I last nignt mai ucai muuuu; the minimum wage for girls and women employed anywhere in the United States by the company **ill be $8 a week. The present minimum is $5 a week for apprentices. About S00 girls will be raised to $8 minimum. Accident prevention means a saving of misery and money. CHARGES MADEKO WAS MURDERED Killed In National Palace, Says Mexican Editor.?Suarez Strangled to Death. ? I San Francisco, Cal., March 20.?Col. Manuel Blanche Alcalde, publisher of the New Era, a Mexico City newspaper, generally regarded as the mouthpiece of the late President Madero's admin! istration, arrived here today with the I assertion that he "is in a position to J prove" that Madero was hot to d-eath, and that Vice President Suarez was strangled in the National Palace on the night of February 22, and their bodies taken to the prison in an automobile. "The reported assault by the guard," said Alcalde, "was merely a farcical ruse and a part of the plot. When the ! automobile was fired upon guards were I only pouring lead into the dead bodies ! of the president and vice president, I who were murdered in the palace hours ! before." Says Will Expose Plot. Col. Alcaide described himself as an intimate friend of Madero. His mis' * ? * ? -J-'u - ? ? ?4- coir! nrnnlH Hp 1 Sion in nils cuiuiu .y, iic saiu, nuiuu j ! to expose the plot which brought about i the Diaz uprising and the deaths of I Madero and Suarez. Accompanied by his wife, two small children and his brother, Joaquin, an J? -? 4 1 I J ? 1\/T/iVIArt I army cEpi^m, aiu<iiuc ncu 1.1 um iu^axw I City, February 23, taking an obscure route to Salina Cruz. The party disguised themselves as peasants. On reaching the west coast port they remained in seclusion twelve days, believing they would be killed if discovV.. nnrnritff nf + V?a T1DW PT1 VPm TT1 Mlt. CICU u2 agciiu v/i ,, 0~ They chartered a barge to reach Tcapulco, whence they took passage with other refugees. Time of Alleged Murdejs. Col. Aalcalde asserted the news of Madero's fate was known in Washing ton before the hour named in tne oracial version as the time of the alleged attempt to rescue him. "As a matter of fact," said he, "President Madero and Vice President Suarez were killed between 8 and 9.30 o'clock, Mexico City time, on the night of February 22. The president. was shot from behind and the powder i i humeri hie neck. Suarez was choked to death. His secretary, Fernandez de La Reguera, saw the body two days later and there were finger marks on the throat. One eye had been force from its socket and the tongue protruded." Col. Alcalde was positive in his ascortinn that Madame Mtidero had told him there was no hope for her husband, basing this fear on ?.n interview she had with American Ambassador Wilson on the afternoon of February 22. Senora Madero Abandoned Hope. "Madame Madero and Madame Suarez went together to the ambassador to implore him to intercede for their husbands' lives," he spid. "I 6aw them when they left the embassy onH thev told me there was no hope. They said Ambassador Wilson had expressed to them his beli-ef that the president and vice president would be executed, as the Huertalistas regarded their deaths for the good of the country. "Gen. Ascords was in command of the guard that night. I was told by - - - a i another officer of trie guara uia,i u. ?a3 I he who slew Madero and Suarez." Bitter in his critcism of Ambassador Wilson, Col. Alcalde declared the American diplomat had declined to in-; tercede to save him from arrest and death. "I had protected fifteen American families in my school, the Internado " Xacional," said he,, "wnere i commauued 300 soldiers feeding the Americans and housing them during all the fighting from February 9 to 18. Says Wilson Refused Aid. "After the Hu-erta coup, fearing arrest and execution, I went to the ambassador and appealed for his aid in return for my protection of his people. He told me at first he could do noth ing. Finally, he assed me to write m,y name on a card with that of my brother. Soon afterward a friend of mine rushed to me with the information that the American ambassador had given a card on which were the names of my brother and myself to Secretary of the Interior Granados and the latter had immediately issued orders for our arrest. I THE SEVT SOF PROSPERITY. \V. C. T. I". Meet- People Who Are Coming and (?oing?A Live Town. Prosperity, March 24.?Messrs. Johnnie Langford and Bur Barnes, of | Wofford college, are home for Eastc-r. j Miss Marie Sehumpert, of McFeat's J business college, spent the v/-.ek end with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Sehumpert. Dr. Joe Monts has completed his course at the Atlanta College of l'luirmacy, and is visiting his father, Mr. Monts. Mr. Wm. Seel, of Columbia, spvnt Easter day with Mrs. a. u. wise. Mr. Jake Singley, of Furman university, is home for a few days. Mr. Pat Mitchell will spend the week in Columbia. Miss Inez Wessinger has returned to Peak, after a visit to Miss Nannie Wheeler. Miss Elizabeth Hawkirls had as her Qatnrdnv. Misses Julia Maree, ^ ll^O l<0 y of Fairview, and Mae Amick, of Jolly Street. Mesdames C. T. Wyche and J. D. Quattlebaum spent Friday in Columbia. Miss Olive Feagle ha? returned to xr?owop 0 visit to Miss Ger \t;vv UCI 1 j, au,yi a, ? trude Bobb. Mr. and Mrs. H. P. Wicker are spending a few days in Columbia. Mr. Olin Bobb and Miss Rawl, of Columbia, spent Sunday with Miss Gertrude. Bobb. Dr. T. F. Littlejohn, of Blacksburg, spent the week-end here with his little daughter, Mary. Mr. Herbert Langford, of (joiumDia, was th-e guest Sunday of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. D. M. Langford. Miss Annie Mae Bedenbaugh, of Kibler's Bridge, spent Easter Sunday with Miss Ellen Werts. The W. T. C. U. will meet Tuesday afternoon at 3.30 at the Methodist narsonage. News of Excelsior. Excelsior, March 24.?Sunday was a beautiful Easter day after the rains. The dog killer has been doing some good work in this section the past week cleaning up the worthless curs. There will be communion services * at Mt. Pilgrim cnuruu uca L OUUuu; i morning at 11 o'clock. Mr. J. A. C. Kibler spent Tuesday in Columbia on business. Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Crumpton, of Newberry, spent Easter with relatives in this section. The smallpox scare has caused a good many of our people to be nursing thcfr ari*s Mr. A. C Richardson and family spent Easter with his father's family in vSt. Paul's section. The farmers didn't plant any cot ton before Easter tms year. Mr. Andrew Cook spent Easter with his friend, Sammie Cook, up .it West college. Mr. Jacob Singley spent Easter a i'.h his parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Singley. Prof. Cleao Bedenbaugh, principal of the colored scnool Inear Prosperity, while on his way home Thursday evening, was thrown from his bug.?}' by his horse trying to run away, near Excelsior school house, and his jaw"This friend had overheard part of a conversation between the ambassador and Granados in which he said brother and I were in fear of arrest. Granados replied that we had escaped his attention, but he would attend to our cases at once and the order of ar * ? ?? *" rest was isaucu. Escaped Disguised as Laborer. "'Tv friend hastened to me, ga^e me his purse and urged me to flee. I left Mexico City disguised as a track laborer at 10 o'clock that night. My wife and babies were disguised. Thanks to a friendly train conductor we made our way to Salina Cruz and embarked for San Francisco." Col. Alcalde said Mexico will know no peace for years. "Diaz wants to be president," he asserted, "but Huerta will never quit the palace until he is driven out dv successful revolutionists. He tells Diaz there will be no election until he has restored peace throughout the country. Huerta has not the slightest intention of carrying oui his pact with Diaz and the other conspirators." ' - - COL D. A. DICKER! GIVES AN INTERVIEW ? J TELLS ABOUT THE MANAGEMENT OF CONFEDERATE HOME. If tiie Meeting of the Board Was Stormy He >Ya.s Not Responsible. Stands by His Action. Meeting Lol. Dickert Saturday, tne reporter of The Herald and News asked him to tell about the row they had at the meeting of the board of commissioners of the Old Soldiers' Home. "There was no row, as I saw it; all a 'tempest in a tea-pot'." "Was anybody drunk." "Crews was not." <?TVU I, O" i nej say >uu wexe uiuim; "As Mark Anthony said, 'they are all honorable men,' and had Todd insisted, they would perhaps have signed a proclamation to have me hung, or eaten up raw, by the board. There are tides in the affairs of men! But if I had been 'drunk,' as he says, Todd j would have had a more interesting I and amusing story to tell to the papers." "How about Long, Crews and Welch," was asked. "Good men as are in the State." "It seems then as if it was only with Todd you could not agree?" Laying his hand upon the reporter's shoulder, Col. Dickert said: "Stop right there. Todd is a genius, one in whom Nature has been lavish. When I saw him first at a distance, I took - - - ' * i r? i Him for a smootn, graceiui, connaence man, from the bowery. But not so. He is a polished tactician, and while, he may not have succeeded in bunco-1 ing the State legislature out of $13,500 for his little toy house, he may get it yet. It jnay be possible he has ideas of running it off at a bargain on the infirmary board, and erect -x a /~?Vi kn '- cmnnth XL ill lliC ilUiliC. 11, UC 9 OlllVUbU MUV* tactful. Now, where is there another man who would have been so solicitous and thoughtful of other people's feelings as he was in mine? How kind and generous it >vas of him too, to wait until I was a hundred miles away before he issued that proclamation 'to the State of South Carolina,' that 'he was drunk and w-e don't hold him rpsnnnsible.' How thoughtful. As it was, it saved him perhaps of embarrassment, and me of insufferable humiliation. He could have easily strung out a string of invectives, a yard long, but he was too kind to do it. Yes, Todd is a genius, and a philanthropist." "I see Maj. Richardson says you threatened to whip the whole push." " *' "* 1 ? if T woe "Wen, it aoes iook ntve n i 0&0 guilty of such folly, I had been too long at the wine skins. Why, man alive, I could not have whipped a single member on the board, old orj new board, unless it was the old 'inmate member, Welch. He looked as: V- +v.O if he had not been long enuugu at tuc i "diet table," to put up a strong fight,; but looks is sometimes deceiving. You know, Cf|?t. Caldwell, the commandant, and a number of inmates, swore before the investigating committee, that they kept a "diet tabl?," where bone was broken. Dr. J. I. Bedenbaugh *as called to him, resetting the broken member, and he is getting on nicely now. Misses Olli-e Counts and Jessie Lorick, after spending Easter at their homes here, will return to their duties at Columbia college today. Mr. Magnus Kibler and sisters, and Vpra. sr>ent Eas XVIXOOCTS 1' l Uiivv-Q "..u . , - M ter with relatives in St. Paul's section. The farmers have been busy hauling fertilizer during the wet weather, and when the rains hold up they will set j in to plowing in earnest, but there is -i--* plenty 01 time to piam ?vuui u^a Clinton, March 21.?Next Wednesday afterhoon at 4 o'clock Miss Eleanor Duckett, daughter of Capt. and Mrs. T. J. Duckett, will be married to Duncan .Totins.on. of Newberry. The Anw TT'ill Ho norfnrmpH hv the v;ci CLLiUii^ HU4 bride's brother-in-law, the Rev. J. F. Jacobs, and will be witnessed by a small gathering of relatives and intimate friends. The newly married pair will leave on the evening train for their future home in Newberry. the choioe provisions and luxuries were kept for the favorites. I am not telling this as a fact, only what the record says." "Do you know of any graft going os nvpr tbprp- of vour own knowledge?" i the reporter asked. "I do not, and have stated repeatedly. What I have said, and say that yet, that there was too much of the tax-payers' money spent in that institution for the comfort and treatment of the old soldiers?that they don't ! sret. That was the only complaint I 1 made to Representative Kibler .and | Senator Johnstone. Call it graft if you want to. The idea of keeping two and three mules to work two acres of corn and a little vegetable gardelfc and five or six hundred dollars hire, keeping a lot of negroes about the place all the time at big salaries, be- " * sides a lot $f the inmates on the pay roll. And above all, pay Maj. Richardson $100 per month to sign checks was an extravagance I would not stand for. I sent my resignation to Gov. Blease, stating that I had not the power to change the extravagant regime, so I would go out. I remain! ed as a personal favor to Gov. Blease. ' ?jh -J II any one will reau tuc. iuv~su<sawug committee's report, and allowing for half the evidence given to be true, the people would rise up and# say, sweep out that whole board and management. They would be justifiable in doing so. Those who were responsible for all th? tales of graft and ill treatment of the old soldiers, felt the coming of the storm and resigned. I will heifc state Dr. Butler is sincere, no fault to be found with him, and earns all the money , he gets. But Maj. Richardson does riot,' and is''responsible in. a mea Kfre for the loose* management - and extravagance,' and sTiOuId go' out. f To have old . consumptive patients freezing in the hospital, and blankets provided by ladies of Columbia else^rns? nartialitv and favorit vt O- -"'V r -ism. Men fed on bread made of stalemeal for two weeksfi with little m-eat but "fat back," old soldiers screaming at night for some assistance*and the paid watchman asleep, *11 t\js. and, a hundred pages of printed matter telling of their woes and favoritism, all in their report. .1 don't vouch for '- _.v ' s-*- ? T Vfoi Piflh. 3,ny 01 ll. Anyway, 1 iuiu .uaj. ardson at the meeting before this last, that he must get off the board, so must I, and all the rest, to give Gov. Blease a free hand to clear the Augean {{table. new board was appointed, with Richardson and Butler left out We organized and opened for bu&aess, as I understood it, and as Gov. Blease understood, for a new deal. On my way to the meeting I had placed in my hand an anonymous script in type, of about three lines, saying: 'Have a guard. I think there is a side current running, to retain Richardson, and the i nirt management.' As Richardson had resigned, his resignation accepted, v that he was entirely out, and not a factor to contend with, I gave no heed. Vrucn I made the proposal to go into election for commandant, Todd object 3 j?j ed, and movea, secouueu auu that the old management be kept in office. That excited my suspicion, and I said as much. This is all that there is of it. What do they say? Deny any- , thing I say? Have they pointed out when I was wrong? No, they muddy | the water by saying "Dickert was ! drunk," a good solace and reccompense : to feeling that claims to be outraged, and had not the courage to resent it. "When I told Todd, the people and Gov. Blease wanted a change, and would stan for no more temporizing he cautioned me to be guarded, or he i world 'ask ne out.' What would you ! have me do? Run behind t-ie doer. | When Maj. Richardson said he would I stand fo. u falsehood that /iad been told on me, what would you have me do? Acknowledge that I had been guilty of a falsehood when T w*as in i. ;f tVuiro xi-ac j> 'mil?]! i uuueuu 11 mv.v .. ?j 0-_ j house' Todd and Maj. Richardson ar? responsible. It is no credit to the new board to be led by this smooth 1 talker in signing a 'proclamation' that I was 'drunk' to get out of an uncom * -J1 * lortaDie preuiuamem., auu iaiuj uc^u j not have gone to such length as to tell -rcslc' *jat hoy hold m: 'irresponsible/ When I commit a wrong or, wound a man's feelings, I am alj v-avs proud to do the 'amende honor t able.' If I have unjustly aone mem ! a wrong, I am willing to ask them forj giveness, but if I think I am right, t will stan<J by it and risk the conse* quences." A