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VOL. II. MANNING, CLARENDON COUNTY, S. C., WEDNESDAY, MAY 5,1886. NO. 21. THE FARMERS IN COUNCIL d tI PROCEEDINGS OF THE STATE CONV*EN. TION IN COLUMBIA. ti li A Large Body of Good Make-Up-Nearly All } the Countleo Represented-The Proceedinas in Detail. Pursuant to the call heretofore pub- a] lished, the State Convention of Farmers e] met in Agricultural Hall, Columbia, on al the 29th ult. Promptly at 12 o'clock the si Convention was called to order by Capt. ~B. B. Tiiiman, of Edgefield, who pro- e nS ceeded to deliver an address in substance ec h as follows: it If I were much in love with myself, 11 this manifestation of approval you have just given me might turn my head and a make me egotistical. I hope to prove a before I conclude what Ihave to say that. r while I am a man who entertains positive t opinions and am not afraid to express them unequivocally when occasion de mands, yet still I know who ! am and b what I am. I have been asked to call c] this convention to order, and state my views as to the objects to be gained and the proper mode of proceeding to attain h what we have in view. In some respects I am thus placed in a peculiar and em barrassing situation. There seems to be d a current opinion that I am a dynamiter, f( a communist, who stands ready to sub- b vert society and overthrow the Demo cratic party. The newspapers and the p politicians have striven hard to thus pie- h ture me in the mind of the public. I have been christened the "Moses," and the name has stuck and will continue to stick. The application was first applied b to me in derision by Colonel D. P. Dun can, and it was taken up by the newspa pers, and has constantly been connected with me and the movement which I claim the honor of having originated. h Bat I am not ashamed to bear the name. 14 r- My friends even call me Moses. I hope sincerely that I may, if even in the very A smallest degree, resemble the great law giver and leader of the Egyptians; and if a I shall be able, like him, to benefit my people-the whole people of the State without regard to any one class-I will feel that I have accomplished my highest object. This is my mission, and hasb been since, at Bennettsville last August, I started this movement. Selfish, little men-politicians and editors-have im-1 pugned mymotives, thus seeking to im pair my influence and bring me into bad odor. I shall nevertheless continue to move onward till I reach my goal. You must reform the fanning before you can reform the farmers. There must be among us more thought, more brain S phosphates. This agitation has already ri broadened into formidable proportions; c it is now a grand reform movement which will and must triumph over all obstacles. The cry is ever heard that if we are not very careful how we proceed we will injure the Democratic party and te divide our people. No man man in South Carolina is a truer Democrat than c< I am, but if necessary I would not flinch even if our grand reform movement should go into politics and rectify the 2 abuses in the Democratic camp and wash t its dirty linen. c< It was feared that I would be very violent and communistic and advocate g the rending asunder of all prevailing in stitutions, but all I have to say is, that if every man in this convention is as con- It< servative as I am, no class.of our citizens g will have any cause to complain of the action of this body. o He had somewhere seen a cartoon a which had amused him much, and which e had impressed on him an important lea son regarding the attitude of the office holders and rulers of the party toward this farmers' movement. It represented a large enclosure of glass, in which there were a number of rats, each enjoying a le piece of cheese. On the outside was a cat endeavoring to get in, and mad at fl the failure of her efforts to effect an en trance. Beneath the picture the legend t1 ran, "You Can't Get In." There were a< hungry political cats in South Carolina C who were mad because they could not A get into the Farmers' Convention, but the farmers were inside just now; for r< once they held the keys, and they in- g tended to stay in, and as they -were in J4 they had better take a nibble at the tV cheese, just to see how it tastes. The farmers had been so long acens- 0: tomed to the condition of dependence at and vassalage to the unfavorable condi- t. tions around them that they had reached b a state where they were unwilling to make an effort to release themselves or o: to respond to an effort to secure deliver- o: ance. He told the story of Sterne, who, while walking near the Bastile in Paris, r< heard a plaintive cry like that of a wo- C man or child, "I can't get out!" "I can't V get out!" His compassion was aroused, ' and following the sound he discovered 0: that it proceeded not from a human pris- s< oner, but from acaged starling,and, yield- r< ing to the feeling of commiseration ex- C cited by the cry and the sight of the captive bird, he opened the door of the p: cage. The bird hopped from its perch n to the open door, surveyed the fields around the prison, on whiich no single n tree offered a refuge to tempt it to try t< its long unused wings in~ fligh?t, and then b turned discouraged back into the cagen with the despairing cry, "I can't get e: out!" This has been the condition of the farmers of the State, as he could tes- it tifv from his own experience. Made captives by the adverse circumstances al which followed the close of the war, sub- ir jected for ten years to a relentless system e: of brigandage and oppression, they had reached a state from which there was ab-b solutely no relief but in a new system of t< farming. The cage has been opened for ten si years, and yet the cry of the farmers is e: "we can't get out!"and they seemed until ii wecntv +n iemfin to remain inacon- tl ition of mental and political bondage. 'nless these shackles are broken and icy would use the opportunity to assert ieir citizenship and come out into the ght and liberty which wats'their right, a was afraid that when the era of the ew South did come it would find the nds of the farmers in the hands of iens, and the sons of the present own -s sunk into a condition of slavery more ,ject and degraded than that of the aves which their fathers held. "Say, you men of South Carolina," clainied Mr. Tillman, "who own the )il and pay three-fourths of the taxes, ow do you take this system of dry nirs ig, this intolerable insolence?" He rged upon them to find out what was ie wish of the farmers on this subject id then go home, and in the primary ;semblies aid in securing true men to present them, he cared not what was ieir calling, whether lawyers, doctors, reachers or what not, so that they were repared to do that which was for the est interest of the farmers and all other asses. What the farmers wanted was self verment. Since 1876 the negroes ad been corralled in a convict camp ith the Democratic party as a guard ver them. The guards had sunk into a ep sleep, while a favored few had been raging the fields and reaping all the enefits and emoluments. He earnestly rotested his loyalty to the Democratic arty, and said that "no private citizen ad done or risked more than he had in i76." If the reforms advocated by him ere adopted he believed that the bottom ould be reached, and the future would e bright with hope and not dark with loom as now. In the years in which he had struggled > his present position as a farmer he had arned a little about farming, and when e came to die he would probably have rned about as much as he might have urned in four years at a well conducted gricultural College. Capt. Tillman's address (of which the )ove is but an imperfect synopsis) was ell received, and was repeatedly ap lauded. At the close of his address Capt. Till Lan declared the Convention ready for asiness. Dr. W. H. Timmerman, of Edgefield, ominated the following-named gentle: en as temporary officers: Chairman, J. Tindall. Vice-Presidents-First Dis ict, W. T. Brooker, Lexington; Second istrict, W. J. Talbert, Edgefield; Third istrict, J. A. Sligh, Newberry; Fourth istrict, NI. L. Donaldson, Greenville; ifth District, J. H. Hardin, Chester; xth District, E. L. Stackhouse, Ma on; Seventh District, George.Tupper, olleton. Secretaries-0. F. Cheatham, dgefield, and Thomas W. Holloway, ewberry. The Chair appointed Messrs. Timmer an, Stackhouse and Thomas a commit e to inform the Chairman of his elec on, and they retired and soon returned mducting Mr. Tindall to the platform. Mr. Tindall returned his thanks in a raceful speech, concluding as follows: The grandest of all civilizations is tat which is built upon the social )untry life of an intelligent and virtu as people. It shall be only necessary >r this intelligent body to announce eir wishes, and there wlil be found o party in the State who will have the ~merity to stand in the way of their en >rcement." A committee on credentials, consisting fone member from each County, was ppointed, to whom it was referred to ~amine credentials. The committee re red, and the Con'ention took a recess ll3P.M. ArTER~ooN SESSION. On motion, Commissioner A. P. But r and Master J. N. Lipscomb of the tate Grange were invited to seats on the oor of the Convention. Mr. Allen, of Spartanburg, moved iat Governor Thompson be invited to ~Idress the Convention. Mr. Evans, of hesterfield, opposed the motion and it as lost. Mr. Williamson, of Sumter, moved to consider. Mr. John J. Dargan sug ested a rising vote. If there were ob etions or charges against the Governor iey should be made openly. Mr. Evans disclaimed any reflection the Governor, either as an official or s an individual. He simply meant that ?e time of the Convention should not e taken up with general speech.-makng. The Chairman ruled the discussion out f order, as the Convention was not yet rganized. After a little further debate a motion to ceive the report of the Committee on radentials was carried, and this report 'as made by Mr. Clarkson, of Richland. he list of delegates included the names' two hundred and seventy-five per ns-every County in the State being presented except Barnwell, Beaufort, teorgetown and Horry. The report was adopted and1 the tem orary organization was made pernma The Chairman said he thought the atter of invitinig Governor Thompson >address the Conventien should come efore the body, and he hoped some ~ember would make a motion to that Mr. Donaldson made the motion, and was unanim~ously adopted. Mr. Talbert offered the following pre ible and resolutions, which were unan nously adopted, as expressing the gen rl platformi of the Convention: Whereas, the farmers' movement has en stigmatized by some as antagonistic the interests of other professions; and -hereas, it has been said by others that da movement has for its object the reating of a new party and injecting ito~ our body politic false issues, etc.;1 aexeere he it resolved. First. That we, the members of this Convention, assert and reassert that our object is not at all to antagonize the well being of any other profession or profes sions whatsoever. Second. That we recognize the right of all citizens to hold conventions and consult together for the good of their respective callings, and claim for our selves only the same right in assembling to-day. Third. That we recognize and realize the fact that our State has good, patriotic and useful men in all avocations of life, and we invoke the aid of all such to as sist us in advancing the interests of the whole State. 4th. That we solemnly avow our object is not to create any new party or to bring bout any dissensions or trouble in the Democratic party, but simply to unite the farmers of the State for the promo tion and protection of their interests, and to bring about any reforms in the admi nistration of the State government that may result advantageously to the tillers of the soil in common with every other lass of citizens iii South Carolina and the United States. 5th. That while we are not here as a political body to arraign the State admi istration or any branch thereof, we laim the right to discuss any questions in regard thereto which may aflect our interests as an agricultural people, and to emand our rights as taxpayers. 6th. That we do not claim this coun try as the farmers', the lawyers', the me chanics' or anybody else's alone, but as orn country, to be governed for the mu tual benefit of all. On motion a Committee on Resolu tions was selected, one from each County, to whom all resolutions were referred. Under this rule a number of resolutions were introduced and properly referred. Col. .J. N. Lipscomb, in response to n invitation, addressed the Convention pon the matters proper for its consid eration. The Convention then took a recess till , p. m. NIGHUT SESSION. A number of resolutions were were in troduced and properly referred. The Committee on Resolutions report d favorably on the following, which were adopted: Whereas, The agricultumal interest3 of the State demand protection, develop ment and advancement, and to accom pish an end so desirable, therefore, Resolved. That in the opinion of this Convention, there should be a permanent armers' organization. Resolved, That one delegate from each Congressional District be appointed a nommittee whose duty it shall be to draft rules and resolutions for the government )f said organization, and the same be re ported to this Convention as early as practicable. The Chair appointed the following 3ommittee: Messrs. Stackhouse, Tillman, Bradley, Dargan, Massey, Duncan and Donaldson. The Committee also. reported favora bly the resolutions of Mr. Sligh, of New berry, urging the Legislature to pass an Act limiting the number of references in ctions for the settlement of the estates of deceased persons. The resolutions were 1unanimously adopted. The following resolutions, offered by Dr. D. C. Tonipkins, of Edgefield, were also reported by the Committee and adopted: Whereas in the report of tihe Comp troller General it is stated that sonic of the Counties return their taxable proper ty at figures far below others, some of the Counties returning horses at from 4$8 to $850 and others returning them from $90 to $100; therefore, be it Resolved, That the attention of the next Legislature be called to this dis repancy and a remedy provided. After hearing an address fronr~ol. D). P. Duncan, the Convention adjourned till Friday morning at 9 o'clock. Second Day. The second day's proceedings opened promptly at 9 o'clock on the morning of the 30th ult. A number of resolutions were offered and properly referred, among them the following: Recommending the primary plan in nominating Congressmen; fixing the per diem of the Legislature at $3; that no member of the Legislature should be the attorney for any corporation; to dscontinu- ti e appropriation for the militia. By MIr. Rice, of Union-Fixing the' maximum rate of interest at 7 per cent.; asking the next Legislature to provide for taking the census; also, inquiring why a privileged class is established in the South Carolina University. By 3Mr. Prince, of Anderson-That a committee of ten be appointed to exaqm ine the books anud vouchers of the sever al departments and report the result to a future meeting of this body. M1r. Thomas moved that the resolution be laid on the table. The Chair thought that the resolution ought to go to the committee under the rule. MIr. Allen said that it was competent for the Con-. vention to deal directly with the resolu tion. MIr. Prince said the charges had been specifically made by 3Mr. Tillman in his resolutions that there was malad ministration by the government officials. MIr. Tilhnan, from his place, said it was not true. The resolution was referred. The resolution inquiring as to fees paid to attorneys for litigation in the matter of "Chisolm's Island," came up. 3Mr. Dargan said that what the Con vention wanted to know was why the conduct of this suit was not committed to the Attorney-General, as the law ofli eer of the State." Colonel Butlar repliedl that it was be cause he was the attorney for the Coosaw aiin~g Comnpnv. and in view of that fact it was deemed advisable to employ another attorney. Mr. Ransom, of the Agricultural De partment, made a statement including the resolution of the Board of Agricul ture, authorizing the employment of counsel-under which Senator A. T. Smythe, of Charleston, had been retain ed. Mr. Smythe was authorized to re tain assistants. The entire cost of the phosphate liti gation, extending from 1881 to Novem ber, 1885, which has been described above, has been $7,818.42, divided as follows: Fees of Messrs. Smythe, Ver dier and Lee, from Hpril, 1881, to November, 1885, - -$5,750 00 Costs, surveys, etc., - - - - - - 1,968 42 Fee of Mr. Samuel Lord, in Coosaw case, - - - - - - - - - - 100 00 $7,818 42 On motion of Mr. Talbert, of Edge ield, the explanation was accepted by the Convention as satisfactory, and the thanks of the body were returned to Colonel Butler and Mr. Ransom for the iformation. The committee was then discharged from the furtheir consideration of the subject. The committee reported favorably the resolutions offered by Mr. Prince, sub stantially as follows: 1. That the farmers be urged to plant less cotton and more of tobacco, fruits, melons, grains and grasses. 2. That farmers take more active inte rest in the State Department of Agricul ure. 3. That the Legislature take measures o encourage manufactures. These resolutions were unanimously idopted by a rising vote. Governor Thompson, at this stage, ar rived and made an address to the Con rention, which was frequently apphuded. When the Governor took his seat, Mr. Tillman rose to make a disclaimer. He [iad been credited with charging "robbe ry and misrule." He had used these terms but applied them not to these offi 3ers but to a ring of politicians which aearly everybody believed to exist. As to the "robbery," he said he referred to the lien law-"a system of as danmnable robbery as was ever fastened on a peo ple." The committee reported favorably the resolutions offered by Mr. Tillman, which are in substance as follows: 1. That the Legislature establish "a real Agricultural College", separate from the South Carolina College, and modeled :n the Agricultural College of Missis 5ippi. 2. That the institution be under the ,ontrol of the State Board of Agricul ture, who shall receive bids for its loca tion from the several counties. 3. That experimental stations be es tablished in connection with the Agricul tural College. 4. That Congress be memorialized to pass the bill introduced by Mr. Hatch, and now pending, which appropriates 315,000 annually to each State for this purpose, and that we ask our Senators ad Congressmen to use all legitmate means to secure its passage. 5. That we protest against the money for the Agricultural College being under he management of the present Wpard of prustees. 6. That the Trustees of the Agricul bural College be chosen, not by the Leg ilature, but by a State Convention of armers, to be composed of representa ives from each County Agricultural Society. 7. That the privilege tax on fertilizers be doubled to raise funds for the pro posed Agricultural College. 8. That the inspection of fertilizers be miade more thorough and effective. 9. That the Citadel Academy be abol ished, and the money now appropriated o it be devoted to raising the standlard and improving the equipment of the South Carolina College. 10. That the State establish an Indus trial College for Females, similar to that of Mississippi. 11. ;That a committee of one from each Congressional District be appointed to present the matters in these resolu ions to the General Assembly. Resolutions 1, 2, 3 and 4 were adopted without debate. No. 5 was discussed, but finnily adopted. No. 6 passed with out debate. No. 7 caused some debate, but was finally adopted. No. 8 passed without debate. No. 9 created some confusion, but was adopted by a vote of 140 to 26. No. 10 was adopted-Mr. Till nian first expunging the words "dude actory" applied to the Citadel, and "moral graveyards" as applied to cotton actories. No. 11 caused no debate. Thfle resolutions were then adopted as a whole. AFTERNOON SEsSION.. The resolution to appoint a committee to inv'estigate the fiscal offices of the State was reported, with the suggestion that no committee be appointed-none being deemed necessary, Resolutions to call a Constitutional Convention, to repeal the Lien Law, to make Judges hold office for life, and to abolish useless offices, were adopted. The comimittee on permanent organi zation recommended the formation of "The Agricultural Association of South Carolina," to be composed of members elected by the county organizations, on the basis of representation in the Legis. ature. The committee suggested a com mittee of seven to frame a constitution or the Association. It was resolved to appoint an execu live committee of one from each county to organize the farmers and keep up the present agitation till after the meeting of the next General Assembly. Resolutions suggesting the imipove ment of our tax system; recommending diesity of crpa nda orming alleai ance to the Democratic platform, were severally adopted. The following committees were ap pointed by the Chair under the respect ive resolutions: Committee to Draft Rules and Regu lations for the Agricultural Association Messrs. Stackhouse, Tillman, Bradley, Donaldson, Hinson and H. R. Thomas. Committee to Memorialize the Legis lature and Congress on the Subjects Considered by the Convention-Messrs. J. W. Summers, First District; B. R. Till man, Second District; J. A. Sligh, Third District; D. P. Duncan, Fourth District; Iredell Jones, Fifth District; Charles Crossland, Sixth District; H. R. Thomas, Seventh District. Executive Committee-Abbeville, J. E. Bradley; Aiken,. Dunbar Lamar; An derson, R. P. Clinkscales; Berkeley, J. B. Morrison; Charleston, W. G. Hinson; Clarendon, Jos. Spratt, Sr.; Chester, R. T. Mockbee; Chesterfield, S. W. Evans; Darlington, W. E. McKnight; Edgefield, B. R. Tillman, Chairman; Fairfield, T. S. Brice; Lexington, W. J. Seibels; Marion, E. T. Stackhouse; Marlboro, W. D. Evans; Orangeburg, J. H. Fel der; Pickens, S. F. W. Clayton; Rich land, Thomas Taylor; Sumter, H. R. Thomas; Union, 0. E. Fant; Williams burg, J. G. McCutchen; York, Iredell Jones; Lancaster, L. J. Perry; Laurens, G. W. Shell; Kershaw, L. C. Thompson; Oconee, A. B. Broyles; Greenville, M. L. Donaldson; Hampton, John Lawton; Newberry, R. T. C. Hunter. The customary resolutions of thanks were adopted, and the Convention then, at 5 o'clock, adjourned sine die. 31R. POWDERLY AT HOME. ilN Views on the Strikes, the Eight-Hour Sfy tem, and Some Other matters Now Agitating the Laboring People of the Country. (From the New York Star.) Although General Master Workman Powderly of the Knights of Labor is an advocate of a reasonable share of rest for the world's workers, he deems the entire twenty-four hours too brief for his own daily task. The click 'of the t-pewriter is heard late into the night in the cozy little back office of his unassuming resi dence in the Hyde Park section of the city where the labor chief makes his home. When the correspondent of the Star called to see the master workman he found him hard at work in this office. The way was led by a modest, courteous, attentive and intelligent little lady, who stands between the labor chief and the hundreds who are continually calling to see him. This is Mrs. Powderly, and .she is a wonderful assistance to her hus band in the performance of his exacting duties. Having introduced the visitor, she withdraws, and the folding doors which separate the front parlor from the office library are closed. The workshop in which the general master workman labors is crowded with books and papers, but neatness, order and method are ap parent in the arrangement of every article, from the glass paper weight to the pile of bound volumes that contain copies of all the important letters lie has written in the discharge of his official duties during the six years that he has been at the head of the greatest labor organization in the world. A mass of letters, brought in one dlay's mail, r-ises from the car-peted floor almost as high as the chair upon which he is seated, and Mr. Powderly is carefully going through these and making such notes of their contents as he think they deserve. "You must receive as large a mail as the average exchange editor," said the correspondent after the first friendly greetings were over. "Well, I donat know how much of a mail an exchange editor generally gets," said Mr. Powderly, "but this is a fair specimen of what comes to me every cday through the mails, and my telegraphic correspondence is not much less. As a general thing the assemblies of the Knights of Labor select intelligent secre taries, and their letters are always in ex cellent shape, but I receive sonie epistles that would puzzle an expert calling for decisions on knotty questions that would stagger Solomon himself. There is work enough in my office to keep six men fully employed, and yet I am expected to do it and at the same time have sufficient leisure for philosophical essays on scien tific and economic problems that would tax the wisdom and scholarship of a John Stuart Mill. Then it is astonishing how quickly I am taken to task for the use of some learned phrase or expression that conveys the most direct meaning I can think of at the time. I am always anx ious to give my ideas the simplest form of expression possible, so that there may be no misunderstanding of what I say or write. Such simplicity requires study, and as I have no time for study or reflec tion, the thought must be taken on its own merits without regard to the setting. What with sickness, worry and work I have had a busy tinie of it lately, and I see no let up in the near future. 0Oar order is increasing with amazing rapidi ty, and as a general thing new memb.'rs arc more likely to misunderstand its mis sion than the old ones. It ought to be generally known that the order of the Knights of Labor is enmphatically op posed to strikes until all othermieWL & securing a settlement of the m.atters in dispute have fyledi. But I find that some of th~ose who want to join us have quite a diflerent impression, and appear to b: lieve that we are organized fa rte pur pose of conducting iinead of preventinig strikes." ''Was the general executive board cog nizant of the fact that there was going to be a strike in the Southwest prhior to the strike taking place?' ''We knew that the maen thtere hadt grie vances, but we were not quite certain tht the matter would culminate in a strike. There was m-eat dissatisfaction among theI men, owing to the obstinacy of Vice President Hoxie, who refused repeatedly to listen to their complaints. The dis trict assembly was not required by our laws, however, to appeal the matter to the executive board before ordering a strike, and this is one of the things that we expect to amend at our next general convention. We shall so amend the laws of the order that no assembly can order i strike hereafter without first submitting the matter to the highest authority in the )rganization, except at the risk of having its charter revoked. There must be no niore strikes if it is possible to avert them, and I think it is." "Is it true that a general effort will be put forth by the order throughout the 2ountry, on the first of next month, to nake eight hours the standard day's work?" "There is no truth whatever in such a report. While I am, as you know, in favor of shortening the hours of labor, I recognize the great fact that the public is not yet fully educated up to the re :juirements of inaugurating the eight hour system successfully. A reform like that requires time for discussion.. We want the manufacturers and employers of all kinds to have plenty of time to talk the matter over and see wherein it would be of benefit to all concerned the man who employs labor as well as the man who labors." "It is quite generally reported that an 2ffort will be made on the 1st of May in behalf of the eight-hour system. Would it have the approval of the order?" "We cannot countenance it at present, because we believe such a movemant aow would prove abortive, and we want to prepare the country for it. Just now the public is unprepared, and the result would be to seriously cripple industry and prevent men from making contracts. We ire not in favor of introducing any such 3haotic condition of affairs." "Do you expect to see the eight-hour iovement effective at any time in the aear future?" "Whenever we find that the country is ready for it we shall urge it with all :he earnestness at our command, but be .ore that time employees and employed ast have ample opportunity to become icquainted with its benefits." "What would be the principle benefits f shorter hours of labor to the working nen of the country?" "A more general diffusion of labor and ,onsequently fewer idle men in th -. coun :ry. The employed have not as many >pportinities to improve their condition vhen there are a great many idle men as :hey would have if all were at work. rhere are many other advantages to be lerived from shorter hours of labor which it is not necessary to enumerate at present, since that would lead to the dis 3ussion of the question of labor-saving nachinery and matters of incidental im portance." "How soon do you expect to see the Aight-hour movement successful?" "No time has been fixed for it, and it ,Tould be difficult to fix any time just iow. It may be two, three, or more ears hence, but not until the question is .ully discussed and thoroughly under tood by the country. There will be no zeneral strike for the eight-hour move nent in this country on tho 1st of MIay, is some of the newsp~apeLrs supplose." MIr. Powderly appeared before Con gressman Curtin's committee of investi gation at Washington on Tuesday. (APTURE OF TlUE WHITE H!OL E. Llildren Take Po eio or thie Grtd and Rioll Easter Eggs All Day. Washington has one observance of Easter which is unparalleled andp eculiar :o itself-it is the forcible entry and pos session of the President's grounds on Easter MIonday by the children under 10 yecars of age. How the custom origi iated and when, nobody knows--only that on every Easter MIonday all the little :hildren in Washington, -directly after breakfast, swarm to the White House to roll Easter eggs on the green slopes of the grounds. The grounds are in a meai sure open to the public, but even the Chief 3Magistrate is entitled to sonie pri racy. But by 'a law of the children's tuaking, all others are superseded on Easter MIonday. No .part of the park is sacred, and a crowd estimated from live to eight thousand, all under 10 or 12, riot at will over the grassy knolls. Ven lers of Easter eggs drive a thriving trade. The scene is highly picturesque ind interesting. The young ones con regate in groups, the girls andC boys enendlly separate, excey. among the ecry little toddlers, who roll themselves is often -.i te Easter eggs down the hill. Lte older boys p~ursue the sport scientifi :ally, and the girls therefore exclude them, as the boys would soon come to liave a monopoly of the eggs. All day long it goes on. and when the multitude 2as departed it looks as if an army of ocusts had pased over the land. Presi lent Arthur always came out and en oved the scene immensely, and Presi lent Cleveland enjoyed the gambols of he children for a long time. -The latest Lond.a device for attract ng the :it'z on:~ of passers-by to a shop .' ow is to run a .strong electrie cur :ent along a brass bar pl-ed ou'tside ap uarently fvr thililpurose of p)rotectinIg :he gla's. Tou involuntauily place youlr su on the bar and inunedidcelv receive~ i shock. The el~het is somewhat stairt in, n t.e iemperament of the snifer ri., htardly so ftened by discovering, when it is all over, a .uaall card whereon the p~roper1ties~ of the b~rass bar are ob scurely set forth. --A a last res~ort som.e doerors in Wise Uo0i11, j. Ignia. 1 mrieul a rleuumatie piatit up' to thle nteek in the ground, and allowed lim to remain in that poGsition JEFF DAVIS IN MONTGOMERY. THE PEOPLE WILD WITH ENTHUSIASM THE FAMILIAR YELL. He Addresses the People From the Spot Where He Took the Oath of Ofce as President of the Coifederacr. MONTGOMERY, ALA., April 28.-To-day will ever be memorial in the history of Alabama. Every locality was represented, and many adjacent towns and villages poured their entire population into the streets of Montgomery. At an early hour the sidewalks were so densely packed that locomotion was difficult. It had rained all night, and poured down until 10 o'clock. Instead of going to the park it was decided to go to the Capitol grounds for the speeches to be made from the very spot where Mr. Davis took the oath of office as President of the Confederate States. The entire city is gaily decorated, and the City Hall has United States flags fluttering out of every window. Pictures of the Confed erate Generals are fastened to the out side walls, while the names of Confeder ate Generals fluttered to the breeze on streamers. The Capitol was beautifully decorated. From the topmost point on the high dome, towering far above every thing in the city, floated the stars and stripes. The entire front was cov erea with streamers and devices, while there was suspended along the front col umns immense Federal flags reaching down almost to the heads of the speak ers. Private houses and business houses all have a liberal supply of decorations and devices and words of welcome to Mr. Davis. The scenes around Mr. Davis this morning an I tl.s great desire to see and shake him by the hand are inde scribable. Being feeble, it was more than he could stand, and he had to retire. The military escort formed in front of the hotel and extended far up the avenue leading to the Capitol. It was necessary to form a square in order that the pro cession might move. The companies were formed and stretched out on each side. A carriage with four white horses was drawn up to the door, and promptly at 2 o'clock Mr. Davis, escorted by Mayor Reese, Governor O'Neal and ex Governor Watts, formerly of his Cabi net, stepped from the hotel and entered the carriage. The shouts of the multi tude as he was seen to emerge from the hotel had a peculiar nervous jerk, which characterized what became famous as the "yell of the Southerners" the world over. The next carriage contained Gen. John B. Gordon and Captain W,- L. Bragg, Miss Winnie Davis, youngest daughter of Mr. Davis, and Miss Reese, the Mayor's daughter. The third car riage contained W. W. Screws, Mrs. Gordon, Miss Gordon and Miss Walter, the latter a niece of Mr. Davis. Other carriages followed, with the trustees of the Monument Association and the Gov ernor's staff. Amid the waving of hats and hand kerchiefs, the booming of cannon, the playing of bands of music and shouts louder than ever before heard, the scene presented was rarely ever witnessed in any country; the demonstration being in honor of a man proscribed by the United States government and as a tri bute to the dead soldiers of a cause that was lost. The route of the procession was about half a mile long. The avenue is viery wide, but the crowd when it be gan to move was packed from one side to the other. When the procession arrived at the Capitol the gateway was cleared for Mr. Davis, the military being formed so as to prevent the overrunning of the buildings and grounds before he had reached his place. He was seated upon the historic spot he occupied February 18, 1861. Arrnged in front was a place for the press and on the sides and in the rear of Mr. Davis were the members of various organizations interested in the building of the monment, which it is proposed to erect on the hill and immediately north of the Capitol. People, men, women and children, were packed from the steps to the front gate, and while it was impossible for a 'great part of them to hear, they stood in their places out of respect for Mr. Davis and a desire to see him. When order had ban su~ecured Mayor Reese advanced to the front and said: "My CocammE It is with profound emotion that I prasent to you the fore most type oi Southern manhood, Hon. Jefferson Davis, ex-President of the Con federate States of America." The scenes heretofore enacted were gone over as Mr. Davis advanced, and it was some minutes before he could pro ceed. It s the first time that thou sands in the crowd had seen him since his arrival, it being impossible for all to per sonally reach him at the hotel The shouts finally dying away, Mr. Davis, leaning on his cane, with a Federal flag hanging over him andi Confederate vete rans before hint to had come hundr3ds of miles to Lear and see him, in a clear, ringi:.g voice, showing the deep intensity of his feelings, but without a tremor or pause, except when interrupted by the shouts of his hearers, said: "My friends, it woul'd be vain if I shiould attempt to express to you the deep gratifieation which I feel at this demon stration. But I know that it is not per sonal, and therefore I feel more dc eply grateful, because it is a sentiment far dearer~ to me than myvself. You have passed through the ordeal of a war which Alabama did not seek. When she felt her wrongs too grievous for further tole ration she sought a p~eaceable solution. That being denied her, the thunders of war came ringing over the land. Then her people rose in their miajesty. Gray haired sires andu beardless boys eagerly rushedt to the front. It, was that war'