Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VOL. X. MANNING, S. C., WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1894. NO. 13. 4L GOVERNMENT RAILROADS. NOT A SUCCESS IN ACTUAL PRACTICE d ANYWHERE. s The Results Not by Any Means Encoura- N s ing-A Rellc Of Paterkna)1PM Hostile to e Republican Institutons. The interstate commerce commission - has been compiling for some time a v statement of the conditions under o which the railroads of the world are o operated. The subject was not sug- t, gested by the recent testimony before d the commission meeting in Chicago. b The labor union men there have testi- d fled their belief that the solution of the f: problem of employer and employed on g the railroad world was the government control of railroads. i The facts and the figures which the z interstate cousmerce commission has t: gathered together do not, says the Pail- c adelphia Times, conirm their theory c by the experience of other nations. I Even in the United States the experi- a ment of railroads controlled by the n State has been tried in different sec- R tions and has so far proved a distinct I failure. a There are only six countries in the a world in which the control of virtually I; all the railroads is -in the hands of t the state. They are Austratasia, the t Cape of Good Hope, Egypt, Nicaragua o Paramuay and Peru-certainly not q countries after which the United States s: would be very much tempted to pat- si tern. But there are some great coui- ii tries In which the state is a part owner v of railroads, and these include Ger- t] many, France, Denmark, Anstrian- b Hungary, Belgium, Brazil and Canada. g Eleven couatries, or one-half of those g in which railroads are operated, have l no interest in the operation of the roads n beyond a claim for money advancedi to I some of them. In two countries rail- a roads are owned by the government, r but are leased to private companies, e which operate them. 0 In Nicaragua, Paraguay and Peru, r where there was no inducement for o private capital to invest in railroads, the governments were obliged to build n what few lines there are, and these are S operated by the government and run a by the government employees. In Aus- i tralasia, with the exception of one or 11 two short lines, the colonial govern- o ment have built the roads with money F derived from loans negotiated by agents o general. In Victoria and New South n Wales so many abuses grew out of the i partisan control of the roads that ten n years ago they were placed under the o direct management of a non-partisan s commission, which not only directs 0 their operation, but has charge of the e: constraction of new lines. In Egypt p there are about 1,250 miles of railroads a belonging to the government and two t1 short lines, which are under private v control. At the Cape of Good Hope fl all but about 180 miles of lins in Cape ri Colony is owned and controlled by the t] government. n AGAINsT GOVERNXENT CONTROL. The rates charged on these out-of-the- 4 way-lines are not a fair basis for the I comparison of state-controlled roads.-, with those which are owned by private a companies or individuals. Yet Joseph tl Nmo, Jr., the statistician, has lound ri In the Australian roads a strong argu- w ment against government control. His it remarks (which are not quoted by the b interstate commission) are: "Construc- tl tion of railroads in Australia failed as b a private enterprise. Then each one of ii the five colonies took the matter up separately as governmental enterprises. Their construction has been a source of grave charges of dishonesty, and their management subject of popular com plaint, especially among the farmers.C Freight charges are much higher on ther Australian railroads than on our Am-~ erican roads." Marshal M. Kirkman writes that the experience of Cape Col ony has been the same. "In order to get the necessary votes in the assembly a to pas a bill authorizing the construc tion of meritorious lines, It has beena necessary to build other lines, that were not required and will not pay it."y The condition of affairs finds a paral- U lel In the American congress in tne matter o2 river and harbor improve- * ments, for the river and harbor bill is notoriously a "log-rolle~d" measure.a The result of the construction of non- a paying lines in .English South Africa,a Mr. Kirkman says, Is that high freight -rates are charged on the good lines to c make up for losses on the poor lines, c and this has acted as a prohibition on~ every industry except diamond and gold mining, and sheep and ostricth farming. Private railway lines are for- i bidden in Cape Colony because their competition with the government roads would be fatal to the latter.e Even in Germany the governmentc found it necessary to buy up many private roads because their competitiont was ruinous. Ninety per cent of the mileage In Germany is owned by thea government, and under the law the s1 government Is required to manage the ~ roads as a single system In the interest of general traffic. The governmentg may cause the construction and equip-a ment of roads and enforce uniformd traffic and polic regulations; and even the few private railways are under the control of state boards, and their maxi mum rates are fixed In their charters.e Although Germany's government s methods are so admirable in many re spects the experience of the people of that country with government control of railroads has been encouraging. In stead of operating the roads in the in terest of the people, the government ' uses them as a source of revenue anda power, and the rates charged are higher s than those which are charged in the United States, while the rules of the road are much more burdensome t TOO MUCH RED TAFE. n An oft-repeated story of Chauncy r< Depew illustrates the red tape of Ger- el man railroad management. A party of 0 young Americans ran after a moving V train to cuard it. The omEial of the a platform called to them to stop. They r ran on and boarded the train. At the 0 next station at which the train stopped s they were taken from the car by a file r of soldiers, and informed that as they Ii had clearly vIolated a law of the Em- n pire they had already been tried and d sentenced, without a hearing, to thirty si days Imprisonment. Senator Uullom, V on his return from a trip to Germany, ti a few years ago, said that there was 9 more fuss over the departure of one f train in Germany than one would see I in a year's travel in America, and that e if our railroads had to pay the army of 11 officials which was needed to manage o the German roads, they would have to fi charge twice the present rates, a In France the origina! intention was i< to have the railroads constructed at the ft joint expense of the state, the localities i: through which the lines were run and private individuals; but eventually the c roads were to become the property of 0 the government. The first railroad law tl was passed in 1842, the plan outlined ti being for the construction of lines to ti diverge from the capital. The operat- Cl ing companies contributed about one- f half the cost of construction. The ti roads were to belong to the government si after thirty-six years. The panic of a 1847 and the political changes which o followed altered the origiral plan a J great deal,and a new law was passed ing 125% by whish the state assumed super. At ision of railroad rates, and by this la9 he roads were to belong to the govern ient in about one hundred years. Un er a law passed In 1863 the governmen irtually went out or railroad building iut the private companies which con truct these roads are required to ad -ance the amount of money which thi tate would have contributed to thi onstruction fund under the old law nd this money is to be paid graduall: y the state within the time when pri ate ownership will cease and the road ;ill revert to ce state. By the middli t the Dext century France wil own al f the French roads, unless a new sys em is adopted in the meantime. Un er this government supervision an( alf control passenger rates are almos ouble those of the United States, an( reight rates are more than twic:e a reat. The conservatism of France in thi itroduction of improvemente is i latter of comment among AmericaI ravelers. The same is true of othe] ountries where the government exer ises general or partial control. It ;elgium about four-d f ths of the mile ge is owned by the State, and the re maining one fifth will revert to thi overnment after a period of years tailway affairs are administered by,, epartment of railways, post office! nd telegrapbs. Rates are fixed b3 iw. Tne railroads are exempt fron ixation. The Belgian system was tc ave been a model for the government: f the world, and at first it ffa un estionabiy excellent. But the dispo Ltion of government departments t Uick to old methods,so well illustrated i the departments at Washington rhere for the first time in a centnr3 he red tap= in the accoanting once as been shortened recently by a con ressional commission, kept the Bel ium railroads at a standstill when al ie world was constantly adopting ew improvements and recent devices 'he Belgium roads, together, therefore re monuments to old-fogyism. Tn4 ites of passenger fare charged, how ver, are very little higher than thost f the United States, and the freighi ites are only a little more than 50 pei nt. higher. In Russia about one-third of thi iiieage Is owned and operated by thf tate, and some of the private linei ave received government aid. A tariff council" supervises rates for alJ nes, and no rate can be changed with t the sanction of this council. It assia as in Japan (where two-thirdi ( the mileage is owned by the govern ient,) the State undertakes to sa3 rhetner a proposed private line iE eeded. In fact, there is no free right E way in any country but the LUnitec ates. In Austria-Hungary one-hall f the railroads are owned by the gov enment, but all private charters ex. ire at a stipulated time, not exceeding period of ninety years, and at thal me all lines, lands and buildings re ert to the State. The governmen1 xes the tariffs for its own lines and avises the tariffs ot private lines every ree years, and can reduce rates if the et earnings exceed 15 per cent. Transportation charges in Russia arE ) per cent. higher than in America a Austria the passenger rates are bout 60 per cent. higher than in aerica, and the freight rates more ian doucle as much. The passengei tes in Spain and Portugal are aboal ,hat they are in. Russia.All of the roads L these countries are private property at most of them have been aided by ie government on condition that they ecome the property of the State with. ninety-nine years. ITALY FINDS IT A FAILURE. In two countries-Holland and Italj e government owns a part of the illeage but leases its share to private 3rporatons. Italy has tried State ilroads and private railroa~ds and al ost every relation between tue State ad ndividuals in the management of ie roads which could be suggested he whole subject was Investigated by commission int 1878 and this commis. .on reported adversely to State man gement. in leasing its lines in 1882 >private parties for a term of sixty ars, the Italian government summed p the situation thus: It is a mistake >expect lower rates and better facili es from governmeht than from pri ate companies. The actual results te just tne reverse, The State is more pt to tax industry than to foster It ad when it attempts to tax industry ,is even less resposible than a private >mpany. State managemient is more stly than private management [uch capital is thus wasted. State tanagement Is demoralizing both tc igitimate business and politics." ltaly ad one unique experience during the eriod of government control. One of provinces, Lombardy, found It nec isary to suspend freight servIce be iuse ~of lack of ability ot those it arge to handle it. In Great Britain and Ireland, as It ie Uited States, none of the roads te o wned by the government; but is ie British Isles no lines may be con ;ructed without permission from par ament. A law was passed in 184i ving the government the right tc quire railroads constructed after that ate at a computation value based or rofitsj but a commission appointed it 67 reported that it was inexpedient ;o subvert the policy which has hith eto been adopted of leaving the con ;ruction and management of railroads tne free enterprise of the people, un er such conditions as parliament may ink best to Impose for the general relfare of the public." The board of ade has supervision of the manage ent of the roads In certain respects d there is a law governing rater imethng like our Interstate commerc< It Is not generally remembered thal ie United States has made experi ents in the State ownershiip of rail. ads. Kirkman, in his book on gov. rnment control, says: "Government wnership has been tried in a limited 'ay in the United States. Fifty yeari go the State of Illinois constructed yad at a cost of $1,000,000,but disposec it later for $100,000. Indiana had milar experience. Georgia owns ailroad, but has found it expedient tc iase it to private parties. Pennsylva Ia constructed a railroad from Pnila elphia to Columbia, but subsequently sid it,for the reason that the commoa. realth, on reflection,,- believed thal ransportation was to oe regarded as rivate enterprise and not as a public ition. Massachusetts acquired the roy and Greenville line, but found il pedient to part with it. Michigan 1its early history, constructed and~ perated railroads, but within a decade und it aavisable to dispose of tnem nd the people of the state, by provis n of their construction, subsequently rbade the State from participating i such work." The State committee on interstate ommerce made a report on the subjeel I government control in 1886, admit tng the virtue of general control oj e railroads as one system, but saying lat the giving of addtional power te ae government would always prove )rmidable barrier to the adoption oj ae policy, anni that "the committe< ces no necessity for considering it: dvantages or disadvantages unti ther methods of regulation mort merican in spirit have at least beeI SHAKING UP SHEEIAN. A LIVELY DAY IN THE LEXOW COM MITTEE. Counsel Got and Commiasioner Sheehan Have the Ring to Themselves-Tam many and the L*quor Men-& Flat Re fusal. NEW YORK, Oct. 31.-Commissioner Sheenan was on the stand again today before the Lexow committee and as usual a good deal of hot talk passed between the witness and Lawyer Gof. Half an hour before adjournment, Mr. Sbeehan was excused for the present and anotner witness took his place. Solicitor Goff drew the commissioner out in reference to his ideas of the du ties of the police board. First and foremost, the witness claimed the duty of the board was to see that the $5,000,000 aLnual appropri ation was properly expended. The board must also see that the officers on the force did their duty. Mr. C-off endeavored to make b tell ing point by getting the witness to admit that the board considered the proper enforcement of the rules among the officers as secondary to the expen diture of the $5,000,000 appropriation. The commissioner, however, would not aamit the truth of such an inference. In the afternoon, Mr. Goff spent con siderable time questioning tme witness about the New York signal service. The commissioner admitted that the service was greatly inferior to that of Chicago.Boston and several other large cities, but he could not explain why this was the case. At the conclusion of Mr. Sheehan's testimony for the day, Mr. Goff tola the witness to bring his private and puolic bank book tomor row. This the witness positively re fused to do. Some of the incidents of the day fol low: "What do you do, anyhow, for your salary ?" Mr. Gof asked. "I work for my salary." "I want a specitic answer to my question." "We have to see that the money ap propriated by the city is properly ex pended; we have also to see that the police force does its duty, and a thous and and one things?" "What else?" "We must Ree that the laws of the city of New York are enforced." "Have the police cemmissioners seen that the laws were enforced ?" "Yes sir, the police commissioners have given the citizens of New York the best protection they ever had, and the people are satiefisd with the police force. There may be a few dishonora ble men on the forca, bat the remain ing members should not be held re spornsible for their acts." "I have no doubt, Mr. Commission er." said Mr. Goff, sarcastically, "but that a certain percentage of the citi zens of New York have had ample pro tection." Chairman Lexow then asked the wit ness whether in the Cross trial he had not said he would not believe the evi dence of a woman who kept a disorder ly house. The witness s id he was not prepared to express any opinion oa any trial unless it was before him. "I am rot going to say whether I would be lieve a witness or not," said he, "until the entire evidence is in." "But you took the evidence of pool room keepers." "There were many decent men among the pool room keepers. Taey gave up the business when it was declared Ille gal." Mr. Goff referred to the case of Capt. Price, who was tried for allowing dis orderly houses to run in his precinct. "What was the verdict in Capt. Price's case." "He was fined five day's pay." "Well, Cant. Martens was tried for the same offence and fined thirty day's pay, while Capt. Doherty was dismiss ed on the same charge. Erplamn ho w these different sentences came about for the same offence." "Capt. PLriee was tried on the charge of allowing a disorderly house to run in his precinct. This house had been closed long before, but two detectives managed to bring women in the house. He was fined for not being viglant enough. I was in favor of reprimand lng him, ies I believed the house had been closed." "Why did you vote for his convic tion ?" "Well, in order to make him vigilant, if t wo detectives got into Lne house other people could also get in. The evidence showed Price did his tbe.t.', "Why was he convicted,then?" asked Senator O'Connor. "Because, I suppose, he did not do better." Tne case of Captains Westervelt and Haughey were then referred to. They were both fined for allowing disorderly houses to run in their precincts. "Iii the month of July, Captains Cross, Devery and Doherty were dis missed from the force for permitting disorderly houses to run; while Cap tains Price, Martens, Haughey and Westervelt were only lined for the samte of snse. Piease explim the dif ferent sentences ?" "The cases against Cross, Doherty and Devery were entirely different from the others. The three captains who were dismissed were also convict ed of taking money for protection from the keepers of disorderly tnouses." "Is it not a fact that those captains who were fined belonged to what is known as the Sheehan-Williams ring." "I never heard of such a ring." "Haven't certain commissioners ta ken pains to protect certain captains ?" -I have never heard of it." Mr. Goff read the presentment of the grand jury on March, 189)2, calling .'or the suppression of vice and the weed ing out of corruption from the police force. "That is a general indictment;-' said the witness. "I believe it was learned afterwards that it was based on the reportU of newspapers." "Why, the superintendent himself was before the grand jury." "Oli, yes, I believe he was." "Have you heard that Mr. Tabor, the foreman of the grand jury, said in an interview, that from 87.000,000 to 810, 000,000 was paid annually to the pouice force for protection ?" "If Mr. TLabor made tnat slatement he lied." "Do you mean to say tbat Mr. Tabor, a respectable merchant. lied ?" "I mean to say that if he made that statement. ne lied." -le that Menry M. Tabor ?" asked the -chairman. "Yes sir," replied Mr. Goff. "Did Mr. Tabor lie when he said that the police department of this city received blackmail ?" "He lied when he said the polcc de artment received $10,000,000." "That is not the quzestion; dId he lie when he said the pouce department re ceived blac~mail?" "Why. Mr. Goff, blackmail has been paid the police for twenty years." "What do you know about it ?" said the chairman sharply. I"Hearsay, like you." "Now did Mr. Tabor lie, when he tsaid the police received blackmail. -"He may have some speciac evidence to boae his belief nuann. He li when he said the police leved $10.000,000." "I want to place you on record. Do you mean to say that Mr. Tabor lied only about the amount ?" It took a long time to get the answer but, at last, the witnees said: "Mr. Tabor lied only as to the amount paid." When the witness said it would be impossible for the police to get $10,000, 000 annually from this city without the people rising up and crushing them. "That is what they are doing now," quietly said Chairman Lexow. After a recess, Commissioner Sheehan said he would like to qualify the state ment made about Mr. Tabor. "I want to say now," he said, "when Mr. Tabor made that statement he was mistaken." Mr. Goff called the witness' attention to an interviewin which the latter stated that the police commissieners had never tied the hands of the superintendent in the execution of his duty. He said there reached the commis sioners a rumor that saloon keepers were paying the captains and that the board concluded to transfer them. "That was the cause of the big shake up," said the commissioner. "Did you investigate the rumor ?" "Yes, sir. I seat for several saloon keepers, but could get no evidence." "Name one saloon keeper for whom you sent ?" "I can't recollect now." Witness then said that the transfer of captains was caused by himself. "I believe," said he, "if the captainst were getting blackmail the transfer might stop tnat practice." "You believe that they were getting money from the saloon keeprs?" "Yes, but I could get no proof." Witness said he believed that since the big shake up the liquor dealers had not paid a cent to the police. *r. Ge ff read another portion of the interview in which the witness said that word haa been sent to the saloon keepers through the various liq.ior dealers' association not to pay any more money to the captains. "Who sent the word ?" "1 don't know." "How did you know 'word was sent? "Is it not a fact that liquor dealers paid the money into the Tammany Hall instead of the police, after the transfer of captains?" "I never heard of it." Pave you not heard that President Mahin and Mr. Croker met at the Hoff man House and agreed with the liquor dealers delegation that the latter should pay the money into Tammany Hall for election purposes?" "I may have read it, but I believe It false." Will yeu swear the money was not paid into Tamimasny Hall?" "Not to my knowledge." Mr. Goff then said he would like Mr. 6heehan to produce his private account book tomorrow. "j. also ask you," said he, "to produce your publie and pri vate bank book tomorrow." "I refuse to produce my public or private bank book," said the commis sioner, stolidly. "You do. Well, I want to put it en the record that the subpoena called for the production of all your books con nected with your private accounts and also with the police department." The coanissioner was then excused. Speculators Soared. NEW YoRK, Oct. 8L--Members of the cotton exchange here and in other cities are somewhat excited over the proposition to form a gigantic trust of all the cotton raisers of the South, wich is being advocated by John T. Roddey, a prominent broker of this city. The exchanges are opposed to the scheme. If such a trust is formed the brokers say that their business will be ruined, so far as exercising any control of the market is coacerned. The trust would be able to practically dictate the price of cotton In the open market. Mr. Roddey's plan ts for every cotton farmer, no matter how small, to become a shareholder. When the crop is gathered each member shall turn into the trust one bale out of every arve or six bales raised by him, or if the crop is a small one, then one bale out of every seven or eight shall go to the trust. The amount of cotton thus placed in the hands of the trust shall be held by the latter as a sort of bal ance wheel to the market. The farmer will market his crop, less the amount turned over to the trust, as bes. suits him. The trust supply will be held until the market price shall be high enough to warrant its sale and the return of a good profit. Mr. Reddey feels sure that the adoption of his plan and the formation of a trust, as pro pased, will at once put the price of cot ton up to about 8 cents from the pres ent price, which is aoout 5 cents. Thie would be ani immediat:: and material benefit to the farmer, wno would also benedit iby the dividends whiich it is ex pected wdll accrue to him on his trust snares. Mr. Roddey suggests a meet ing in New York at an early date of representatives of all farmers' organi ztions in the South, to consider the matter. He has received a number of letters from prominent cotton planters and Rading citizens of South Carolina who heartiy endorse the plan. When seen at his office, 80 Broadway, Mr. Roddey said he expected active steps towards organization would be taken this week.__ ____ Ootton Growers MAcoN, Ga., 0at. 31.-At a meeting of representative cotton planters held at the Dixie Interstate Fair today, the following important resolutions were passed: The present ruinous price of cotton affects ionjuriously not only the farm ers who produce it, but stagnates busi ness of every kind and paralyses efforts in all legitimate industries. Hence the duty is imperative upon us to use all honorable means to avert Impending disasters. Without attempting to discuss the various political resolutions assigned as the cause for the present' fearful depression we desire to resist the results as we find them. In the multitude of remedies sug-: gested we have seen none that so strongly recommends Itself as the paper submitted by the president of the Agricultural Society, Cal. John 0. Waddell, in his call for the meeting. That we endorse the salient points in that call and commend them to the farmers of the cotton gro wing States and requeit the delegates appointed from Georgia to attend the Cotton Growers Convention at Montgomery. Ala,, on .November 13, to urge tne sug gestion as the proper and just solution of this vital question. That the delegation to Montgomery be requested to de all that they can to stop the uhipments of cotton from the farms thus reducing the heavy receipts ~which have a tendency to create a wrong impression about the amount of the present crop. Boycotting our Beef. BERLIN, OCt. 30.-The prohibibion against the landing of American cattle and American beef announced by a de cree of the Hamburg Senate Saturday last,was extended today to every port of Germany. The officiols of the interior department say that the importation of cattle from America suffering from Texas fever has been clearly proved and that the measures taken are purely of a preventive nature, such as each German state is entitled to exercise through its police authority within its owrn territonry. TO OUR FARMERS. AN URGENT APPEAL TO THEM TC PROTECT THEMSELVES Mr, Reddy, of New York. Thinks Thal the Farmers, to Avert Ruli, Must Or gasiae and Fight for Themselves Agains1 Speculators, COLUMBIA, S. C., Nov. 1.-The fol lowing article from the pen of Mr. Roddy, a New York broker, was pub lished in the State several days ago: To the Editor of The State: Many of your readers may perhap' disagree with me, but I wish to write a few words to the thinking people of the South and West. I verily be lieve that if something is not done tc bring about a change. speculators, capitalists, trusts and cliques will so far depress the products of the farm ers and the laboring men that anarchy will be inevitable. When a clique of capitalists, with their power and in naence. can combine and so depress the prices of the products of the South and WV eat as to cost the growers of these products millions of dollars each year, and practically starve the labor ng clas, and cripple the interests of these sections, it is high time to stop and think. Many who have a com fortable living are satisfied to quietly sit and say something is worng, but we do not know what it is, and many do not care, but you had better think and act too, or your country can never have any hope of prosperity and peace. The capitalists or cliques prac tically control the Liverpool, New York and New Orleans exchanges, as well as the Chicago board of trade, and grind the money out of any who may oppose them, and yet they talk of hard times and say poir business is the cause of the depression in prices of the products, whereas the very fact that they have depressed these priess is the cause of poor busi ness, for as long as the farmer or pro ducer receives barely a living for his labor and products how canm business be anything bat poor. Some claim the laborer is ignorant, has no educa tion and receives as much as he should when in fact these same people so far depress his products as to place him in actual want and to deprive him of the advantage of buying newspapers, books and literature, and of sending his children to school for an education. How can he keep up with the times? I see nohope for you as long as a clique has the right legally to sell more cot ton, corn or wheat than you may raise without owning or expecting to own what they sell. It forces you to sell your products at whatever prices they may fix. These people depend al mos5 entirely upon you for their food and clothing and vet do not seem to care how many sufer by their depress ing prices of products. Legitimate supply and demand con trol prices, but a false supply kills, to an extent, the demand. For instance, Mr. E~lson, who is considered authori ty on cotton, estimated the demand for American cotton at 8,200,000-the crop proved to be 7,500,000-but did not the clique continue to hammer the price, ana of course check the demand; Sup pose the price had been higher, would not the demand have been greater; Will Liverpool or New Eagland mills buy cotton freely when they expect prices to be carried lower, or what pre vents Liverpool and Ne i England buyers from joining in and helping to depress prices in order that tney may get your spot cotton cheaper? The majority of you sell your crob as soon as gathered at whatever price the ex changes may fix and they know it. In other words you are absolutely governed by the exchanges, even if the price go to two cents. You are blessed by Providence in being in the only section that can raise corn, cotton and wheat, and should have something to say regarding the price and yet you are powerless. Sup. pose spinners had to send buyers to yon with instructions not based on ex change prices, you might have some thing to say as regards prices as they have when you come to make your purchases, but they compel you to :ake to so-called established price or they buy from one who is force'i to sell on acounnt of his pover ty. You see by the papers that exchvange price are de lining, going lower and lower, and knowing that you are in debt, possiuly for supplies and so forth, you rush your cotton to market, pethaps, after oemug notified of your debt by toe mer chants, at whatever prics buyers may dictate or allo w you. Spot buyers an ticipate your sales on tneir purchases and sell on excenange~s anus depressing prices and helping tne bears. I'ne ex changes are a great benefit to the spin ners, they never give themselves one minute's aneasiness about getting their supply-they know that as long as the exchanges fix a price, no matter how low, you will have to take it under the present conditions. Tnere are probably over a million bales sold and bought by speculators for every thousand bales of spot cotton delivered on con tract and yet some claim the exchanges are necessary in order to get rid of spot cotton; does it look natural that more than ten hundred thcusand bales of cotton should De traded in to decide the price of a thousand bales actual cotton? When any one with one thousand doilars can sell the crop of one huhidred planters, probably repre senting the interest and affecting a thousand souls, to say the least, it is placing a small valuation on youz labor. These speculatiors and capitalists would not sell cotton so freely if they had to risk buying the actual cotton, but the exchanges establish a price and they know they need not fear of your not selling at exc'aange prices. One advantage the bears have is that if any one have a contract for a certain month, the bear or person wvho has sold has the privilege of eaffering to deliver to the purchaser the cotton aboutflve days previous to the month traded in, or of not delivering until the end of the month traded in, as he chooses. In other words if you want the cotton he has sold you he has over thirty days to deliver it and if you dc not want it you must sell on toe ex change whatever it will bring. Anoth er advantage, the carrying charges favor the bears about one cent per year. With such advantages is it to be wondered at that speculators tlepress your products. The Farmers' Alliance of the South is supposed to be an organized botty with intelligent leaders, but it appears that they have not as yet touched the key note to the situation; they are die cussing the silver bill; the tarif and other different measures, but they should begin at home, see what is the cause of the depression and why they are kept down; aind out how you may financially better your condition and reap the greatest besp'its from youi labor; why your products are kept down and your condition not improv ig. You can raise absolutely every thing, have nothing to buy, whereas your oppressors raise absolutely noth lg and have everything to buy. II you were so organized that you could simply say, we will not take less than niht to ten cents for our cotton and stand to it, for three to five million bales you would get ten cents at least. If you can't seli leave tbe other on your plantations rather than sell at four to five cents- Ten cents for one bale is better than four cents for two or three bales. If you-were organized you could command a price for your products, but If you are going to rush your cot ton to market. regardless of price, the professional bears know it, will help you. to ruin yourselves, or anticipating this, ruin you before you sell it. If a railroad had the exclusive priv ileg:e of running through a certain coun try, do you suppose they would allow cap italists and corporations in a differ ent section to fix their rates, or even in fluence them? It will be a hard light for you to organize thoroughly, but you will have the advantage of being able to live without selling, while they must buy your products. Now many will say it is impossible for you to organize so as to hold your cotton; that many must and will sell regardiess of prom ises and pledges-Of course at first sore will sell their cotton, but when they see that it would have been better to have stood together, they will fall in line and you will gradually grow stronger until you are one united body. Ycu have no opposition and could dict ate if organized. It looks like bad judg ment when the South (12.000,000 people) furnish 7U per cent. of the entire world with a necessary part of their wearing apparel, and then be deprived by specu lators of everthing except a bare living. It you could not get a living price and knew it be fore band, you would not raise cottor, but you raise, taking a gambler's cance on whether or not the speculators may advance the price on the exchanges, but you are absolute ly in their hands; they know it and you know it. Again do not the laws of your States consider as a gambling debt and not collectable, any loss you may sustain through future operations on these exchanges? You recaive less year after year in actual value for your crop, no matter how Providence favors you. Within the past few yesrs te" cent was considered an average price. Now you receive about fire,and unless some change should take place, you may consider five cents an average price in a short time. I refer to my letter of April 18 of this year, in which I said: "As long as it is continued things must get worse and I anticipate in a few years that cotton will sell at five cents."-Cotton is now below 5% cents; it was then eight cents. Organize yourselves, get together, let no class of speculators continue to wreck you-to ruin your lives, your homes.your children anac your country. JoaN T. RODDEY. Thanigiving Dar. WASUINeTON, Oat. 31.-The Presi dent today issued the following: By the President of the United S ates of America-A Pcoclamation. Tae American people should grate fully render thanksgiving and praise to the Supreme Ruler of the universe, who has watched oyer them with kindness and fostering care during the year that has passed; they should also with humility and faith supplicate the Father of all mercies for continued blessings, according to their needs, and they should, by deeds of charity, seek the favor of the giver of every good and perfect gift. Therefore, L Grover Cleveland, Pre3 ident of the United States, do hereby appoint and set apart Taursday, the 29th day of Novemoer, inst., as a day of thanksgiving and prayer, to be kept and observed by all the people of the land. On that day let our ordinary work and business be suspended, and let us meet at our accustomed places of worship and gIve thanks to Al mighty God for our preservation as a nation, for our immunity from disease and pestilence, for the harvests that have rewarded our husbandry, for a renewal of national pros perity, and for every advance in virtue and intelli gence that have marked ont growth as a people. And with our thanksgiving, let us pray that these blessings may be multi plied unto us, that our national con science may be gatekened to a better recognition of the power and goodness of God, and that in our national life we may clearer see and closer follow the patni of righteousness. And in our places of worship and praise, as well as in the happy re unions of kinired and friends on that day, let us invoke lIlvine approval by generously remembering tne poor and needy. Surely lHe who has given us comfort and plenty will look upon our relief of tue destitute and our mmn istratioas of charity as the work of hearts truly grater ul, aan as proofs of tue sineerity of our thantsgiving. Witness my hand and seal of the Uuited States, waicn I have caused to o~ --ereso atlixed. Done in the city of Wasanigton on the 11rst day of No verner, in the year or our Lord eighteen hundred aad ninety-four, and of the independence of the Unite I States the one hundred and nineteantri. (Signed) GRovERt CLEVELAND. Byv tne President: W. Q. Gresnam, Secretary of State. May Caus~e a i Staa. HYAT c3VIL LE, Md., 3v. 1.-E l in Goti, Jr., son of the daaretary of State, is dangerously ill fromn the effets of hazing, and a num oar of the students a; the Maryland State Agricultural Oollege are very much worried over his condition. One evening last week the students organized a moot court, tried and convicted Gott of a heinous crime. and proceeded to execute the sentence of hanging. A rope was placed around his chest, thrown over a transom and the victim was hauled up and left hanging some hours. Gott was very much frightened but offered no resist ance. He appeared at breakfast on the following morning apparently unin jured, out later in tue day became violently ill. H, has had several spasms and becomes weaker after esen attack. It ie supposed that the fright has shattered his nervous system and the faculty have grave fears of his re covery. Half a dozen of the students are kept in close continement a waiting the result of Goft's injuries. sra'e Drivar Kdiied. NaVADA CrrY, Cal., Oct. 30.-Arthur Meyer, driver of tne stage coach run ning between tais place and North Bloomaeld, was shot and in stantly killed by a hignwayman this afternoon. At Rock Creek, three miles north of here, une incoming stage was stopped by a lone htgh way man, who commanded Meyer to get down Out of the box. Meyer refused, and the bandit lired twice at him, with a revolver. The second shot passed through the driver's body. C. H. Bo vee, of Sierra county, who was the only passenger, jumped from the coac.h and ran into tae forest. After the rob - ber had gone, Boves came out or the bushes took charge of coaca and and horses, and brought the dead stage driver to town. So far as known, the robber secured no booty. Acqitted. DARLINGTON, S. C., Oct. 27.-McLen don, the State -Constable, charged with starting the riot here in March last, has been acquitted and is now a free man. Hie was ably deiended by Col. Aldrich of Barnwell, and H. H. Btrun son of Orangeburg THE FALL 1N OTON. OPINION OF A COTTON AUTHORITY ON THE SUBJECT. rhe South'i maormous Loss o Baryina Power Dae to the Declide in the Price of her Chiet Product.-King Cotton's Crisis. NEW YORK, Nov. 1-The decline in 'he price of cotton, going on now for more than a year, but sharply accenta ated within the last six weeks, has been watched with curious interest by many people in this and foreign lands, and with deep anxiety by more. Despite adverse conditions and the persistent !fforts to dethrone him, including four ears of ruinous and bloody war, King Dotton still rules absolutely in nine great States of this Union. The question that confronts these 2ine great agricultural States just now s, aow long can cotton be grown at 5 ents a pound, the price it sells for in the Southern interior towns today? rhe drop in the price of cotton has al *eady cost the South. taking the differ )nce between values a year ago and what they are today, on the estimated rop of 9,000.000 bales, the tidy little um of 890,000,000 in round numbers. If he crop turns out 10,000,000 bales, as nany believe, the shrinkage and loss will measure up to $100.033,00. The views of some leading cotton nerchants of this city are given below )a the serious situation that confronts he South in thits enormous loss of buy ng power. As the South manufa> :ures but little as yetand her merchants Iraw their supplies almostentirely from ahe North, th) tr deprivation and pover y will be felt severely above the Ohio ad Potoe.ac as well, especially in this ity, w'nich sells annually goods worth nainy millions of dollars to tLe South. .Alfred B. Shepperson, editor of Cot on Facts and secretary of the sub-com nittee on cotton or the United States, s regarded as about as well posted on otton culture and manufactura as any yody in tihe country. Mr. Shepperson iad charge of the Government's cotton xhibit in Chicago. Of the prevailing lemoralization of cotton he said: "There are very few men in the cot ;on trade who have seen cotton as low is it is today, for in this counrry it has iot touched prices as low as at present ince 1848, when middling upland cot on sold in New "X ork for 5 cents a ound, while such low prices as now le in Liverpool have never been inown in that market. Ia October, [848, under the induence of political lieturbances on the a jntinent and d iancial panic in Eagland, the price of niddling upland cztt.,n in Liverpool was forced to 33i pence. That was the owest quotation in the Liverpool narket until now, when the price is own to 3 7-32 pence. "Tne greatest previous depression in ecent years was in the season of 1801 2, when tie commercial crop exceel d 9,000,000 bales, and was tie largest er marketed. This immense crop ucceeded one almost as large, and ua ter the great supply of cotton and oth r unfavorable indaences tUe pri-e in Aarch 1892, declined to 6 11-16 cents in ew York and 3 9-16 pence in Liver ool. Middling cotton is quoted in New Tork now at i 13-16 cents, belag 3 of a ,eat lower than in 1892. and 2/: cents ower than this time lhst yeac. At ese prices cotton culture not only eases to be a remunerative industry in his country, bat except under the most traordinary and exceptionally favora )le conditions, the cotton planter could iot possibly get back the actual cost of uls croD. "Frodm some recent invastigation for Scommittee of tile United States Seai te it was made evident to me that ua er tnle most favoreble circumstances ly a very small portion of tne crop ould be produced for as little as 5 cents er pound delivered at the nearest hippmng point to the plantation. nere tile soil is poor and fertiiizers ave to be used, the cost of production esms to range from 6 to 7 cens a oand, when proper fascilities are em loyed, while the cost to farmers no: ~osesing such advantages 1.3 higher md sometimes very mucn nigher. "On account of t'ie very lo w prices in 1892 the acreage which was planted in :otton in the spring of 1892 wa-s es:i nated by the department of agricail ure as fully 16%~ per cent less than thle revlious year. It was the greatest mrtailment of acreage of whictn we iaye any official record. As at the present prices the average cotion grower cannot get bacic a new do.lar for an old one expended in cotton calci vation, it seems to me inevitaOie taa: the acreage of the next cotton crop will be reduced in even a greater proportion than in 1892, unless a very material ad vance in prices snould occur Deore the time to prepare for planting. If the price of cotton does not promise a fair remuneratlin for their eff orts the cot ton planters will most assuredly give more attention to other proda::ts and cultivate less cotton. "The lo w prices now ruling are not due to an excessive present supply of cotton, for the stock in both Earops and American markets is somswhat less than a year ago, and over half a millon bales less than in these com bined markets two years ago. The chief depressing indluence at present is the general expectation that the crop no w being marketed will be very large, and that that the weight .of receipts during the next two months will, on account of the dulness of trade and notable lack of outside speculation carry prIces still lower. I do not suppose that any thinking man can wish that cotton should go lower, and men who talk ippantly of middling cotton declining to 5 cents in Ne w York do not realize what an immense loss this would be to the South, and how it would, by its re flex action, injure about evary mercan tile and manufacturmfg industry of the North, and what a serions derange ment it would cause in our foreign ex changes. "Tne average price in New York last seasoon was 7% cents, while for the previous season it was 8% cents. When preparations were made for the pres ent crop middling cotton was worth 8 cents in New York, and the farmers doubtless expected to get about that price, and the expectation was not un reasonable, because the average paice had not been as low as that for over forty years. Few people estimate the crop at less than 9,000X.000 bales. E very cent a pound reduction in the price of a crop of that size mea:'s a curtailment of the resource" of the country, (for the South is happily a part of it now) to the extent of 8$,00U, 000. An average price for th~e crop on the basis of 6 cents in New York woaln therefore, amount to a loss of 893,000, 000 from the anticipated resources, while '5 cent cotton In New York,' which some people so glibly talk about would mean a curtailment of the country's resources to the enormous extent of $135,000,000. "As 70 ner cent of the last cotton crop was exported a great reduction in the value of exports of cotton would require large shipments of gold from this country to fill the gap caused by the shrinkage in the.value of exchange based upon the exports of cotton. So greot a drain upon our slender supply of gold would beyond a doubt cause se rious financial trouble. The low price of cotton i, a very grave matter, and should the decline proceed much far ther and the redace, range of values be continued there can be no doubt that very serious results will follow, which will injuriously effect the interests of the country. "For many millions of the human race cotton cloth is indispensable for shirts for the living and shrouds for the dead. The South will not yield its control of the production of cotton, but the effect of the present depression will serve to teach it anew the wisdom of following the advice of its best men -to give hereafter greate.r attention to food crops and to make cotten a sur plus or money crop. "I do not care to go into the queitics of the probable size of the present crop, but I receiven yesterday a letter from the acting Secretary of Agriculture saying that after a carefal Investigation since February 1 of the question of cotton acreage the conclusion had been reached that the acreage of the crop of 1893-91 was 19,525,000 acres. In June the department estimated the acreage of the crop'of 189195 (now coming in) as six-tenths of 1 per teat more than the previous crop. This would make the acreage of the present crop 19,612, 000 acres. 1he New Yore Chronicle's estimate of this crop's acreage is 20,107, 093 acres, and some estimates are high er. Some time ago the statistician of agriculture wrote to E-irope that he was satisied that the area nader cotton in 1893 was some what over 20,003,000 acres. It will be seen, therefore, that the result of the investigation by the department has been to make the acre age, i3,003 acres less than the statis tician's views oafore its completion, and the department's figures of acreage of present crop are about 500,0303 acres less than most e3timates. Tae yield per acre of 1893-91, the department stated, was .381 of a bale per acre. Tae general expectation is that the yield will be greater this season. Assuming it to be four-tenths uf a bale par acre the deducation from carrent estimates based upon an acreage of twenty mil lion acres would equal 203,030 bales." SUN'S COTTON REVIEW. The Aneric n Staple Conaidered the Bast and Cheapest in the World. NEw YoRK, Nov. 1.-The San's cot ton report says: Cotton declined 1 &o 2 points, but recovered this and advanced 4 to 5 points, closing steady at a rise of 3 to 4 points. Tuesales were93,033 bales. Cotton goods sold a little more freely. Manufactarers of linings are working overtime to catcn up with or ders. Russian Mills have begun pay ing dividends of 20 per cent. and over, and making a protit In some cases of 50 per cent. German and French manufactarers have been carrying very small stocks of raw cotton. American cotton, its friends contend, is the cheap. est in the worid, and not only that, it gives the best results. Some of the private cables from Liverpool were nearish. Fatman & Schwartz sold, Supposed to be for continental account. rae oears are as a rule timid about sel lig. Most of them are waiting, like 1icawoer, for ".oothing to zuraup.: ae striKe at Ne w Orleans is said to be impading the movement of tae crop somewnst. A pound of yarn made from Americaa cottoa is worth 40 per cent. more thai a pound of yarn from East India. East India supplies are comparatively small. Egyptian is rel atively higher than American: Erports from this country continue large. To day tiey were 42,232 to Great Brltain, 12,193 to France and 21,186 to twe con tiant, total 75,658 bales or 25,033 more than today's receipts at tae ports. Bombay receipts for the week are 2,0)) against 8,033 for the sama week last year; total since January 1, 1,578,03), agains; 1,536,033 ror the same time last year. Bombay snipments since January 1, 47,003 to G:eat Britain and 4l.930 for: the same time last year while to taa continent they were 751,033, against 752,033 for a like period last year. New York stock In licensed warehouses is 68,809 bales, against 116, 703 a year ago and ;255.303 at this time in 1892. Port receipts ara 53,391, agatast 61,713 this day last week and 36,417 for the same time last year; to';al thas far this week have been estimated as higa as 425,033. S ma think these figures will not ne reached. Port Royal reports a shipment of 6,5905 bales to Liverpool. Exports from the ports sedason to last nigut are 1,089,622 against 839,038 for tne samne time iast year. Lhe short interest In this country part ly against sales to, E~iropa and milling interests of the United States is believ ed to be very large. Some expect large receipts at the ports next week. New Orleans receipts tomorrow are esti mated at 12,03J to 14,033. One lirm said: "A let up In the movement is necessary to sustain prices, out no material decline is look ed for. A large demand for actual cotton will no doubt be felt when the idea becomes g~eneral that prices are at the bottom. E astern milis continue to buy freely and we are advised from Boston that they have purchased enough to last till the 1st of February. It must be remembered that they al ways carry a fe w months' supply." A telegram from Ne w O0:1ins this afternoon from a correspoodent there says that reports from every where tell of an enormous movement, and that next week promises to be nearly as large as th is. The Great Oli Trust. NEW YORK, Nov. 1.-The annual meeting of the American Cotton Oil Company was held at Gattenburg, N. J., today. The repont for ths year ended Aug~ust 31, 1894, shows a surplus of $46,617 against, $507,751 is 1893 and $ t,333,011 in 1892. Protits for the year 1894 were $1,428,152 against $1,800,040 last yesr, the adminislration expenses $191,866, against $220,992; debenture in cerest, $201,374. against $84,728; sink ing fund nothing, against $25.000; pre m~nm bonds redeemed $24,000, azainst $20,504 and other expenses in 1894, $33,234, total expenses, $731,855, against $652,932; net profits, $696,296, arainsi $1,147,107T, deprectation, $25, 832, agains: $23.182; dividend on pe fbrred, $611,916, agatast 611.916; other divideads, 1,9 31. azainst $4,258 and total surplas, $3302939, agatast $5,926 ,342 in 1893, Tae nu-nber cf stocktbolders is 1,861l, as anst 1.760 last year and 1, 320 ma 1q92. Tae company added in the year a tank steamer of 4,200 tons, real estate, docks, etc., at a cost of $773, 497. One third of this amount was for the Hlolland company. There were spent for improvements in the year, $132,987. The company has 120 plants of various kladsin sizteen States and 49 out of 72 crude oil mills are in operation, five are dormant and 18 are dismantled. The company has one tank steamer 355 tan oil cars, 230 box csrs and one barrel car. The cash and bills receivable ex ceed the current liabilities by $925,255 and the marketable goods are worth $4, 069,312, a total working capacity ci $4, 994,5G8. The company will pay the income tax so that dividends to stock ho'iers will be net and not subject to