The Manning times. (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, January 16, 1895, Image 1

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VOL. X. MANNING, S. C. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1894.N-2 BARBAROUS WARFARE. JAPANESE SLAY DEFENCELESS CHI N ESE UNMERCIFULLY. The War no Longer One of Civilization Against Barbarism-.apanese- Seem to Ha-e Relapsed Into Barbarism-Bfrave but Inefrectual Defense of Port Arthur. NEW ToRK. Dec. 19.-The World tomorrow will print the following special advices from its correspondent. James Creeman. who was with the Japanese army. dated Port Arthur. November 14. via Vancouver, Decem 19: "The struggle for the eniancipa tion of Corea has been suddenly turn ed into a headlong, savage war of conquest. It. is no longer a con flict between civilization and barbarism. Japan for the last four days has tram pled civilization under the feet of ber conquering army The taking of Port Arthur andthe possession of one of the most powerful strongholds in the world was too great a strain upon the Japanese character which.relapsed in a few hours back into the brutal state from which it was awakened. Almost the entire population of Port Arthur has been massacred and the work- of butchering in the unarmed and un resistinginhabitants has been contidu ed day after day, until the streets are choked up with mutilated corpses. In spite of the vastness of the battle field and the strength of the batteries massed in this mighty chain of land and sea forts, the takin'gof Port Arthur is robbed of its dignity as a battle by the fact that a large and well trained army attacked a mere rabble. There was a great.deal of artillery thunder and scientific manceuvers of the troops among the cannon~-crowed hills, but the infantry fightine-was incidental and the "butchers bi'Il, as the hard enedcampaigner would call it, was in 'inficant. The-Japanese lost about dead and 250woundedincarrying a fortress that would have cost them 10,000 men had it beexnoccupied by European of American troops. China is now at the merev of the Island Em pire. In.a -few days the other troops will be ready to leave Japan to. joim Field Marshal Oyama's army, and then the third and'final moveient to waid Pekin will begin. Up to the moment.Port Arthur was entered, I can bear witness t} none of Japan'sarmies now in the field were anything but chivalous and generous to the enemy. There was not a stain on her flag. 'When we left Kinbchow on November It and began the march on Port Arthiar; the battery of thirty siege guns was still fiounderino in the rear, but General Hassagawa has ar rived with the famious Komanoto troops and the entire army of invasion was assembled, something like 23,000. The main army. hoved on the mili tary road'&dktint the Northern coast of the angTung Peninsula and connecting Kinchow with Port Arthur The reconnoitering cavalry was four or fivemiles'in advanc6 of the mixed brigade commanded by general Nishi. which formed the vanguard. Then came thbmain army with General Yamaji, the "One-eve Demon." Gen eral loliia and a miixed brigade fol lowed. Then- came Field Marshal Oyama with his staff. General Hassa gawa with 8,000 men formed the rear guard. Three battalions of infantry were sent to protect Kinchow, and one battalion was quartered in the seven captured forts of Talienwan, six miles away. In the whole force ad vancing upon Pcrt Arthur there were seventy-eight guns, including the mountain and field batteries and the delayed siecre cannons. News ha<7 been received from the Japanese spies regarding -?ort Arthur andageneral- plan of action was agreed upon.- The two battalions of Yamiaji's infantry, one mountain battervand a smrall detachment of cavalry left the the main road, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Masumitsu and made an independent left column along the Southern coast road to attack the most eastely seaports of Port Ar thurat the time agreed upon for the general assault. The~ main force was to move along the Northern road for three days. so that it would reach the valley next to Port Arthur on the night of thel9th. The attack was to be made at daybrake on the 20th. Meanwhile the strongest ships of the standing fleet moved slowly among the coast in order to co-operate by a sea attack upon the Chinese, shouka it be possible, or at least to embarrass the sea forts and prevent them from devoting their entire attention to. the land attacks. The correspondent then relates the details of a skirmish between a small force of Japanese and a large body of Chinese. The Japanese lost eight killed, and when the main body of the Japanese cavalry came up they found m the road terribly mutilated. "I saw the Japanese dead on the road with their hands gone and their bodies mutilated. ' Several corpses were without hands. tw&o had been carries like sheep, and theirhearts and livers toi- out." . A Japanese horse had' been killed and the Chinese out steaks from the haun ches in the.middcle of the fight. As the Japa'nese reinforcements began a double-quick, the enemy disappeared through the ravines into-theSuishiyeh Valley and returned to Port Arthur. The next day. while a council of war was being 1Leld. the Chinese advanced out of Port-Arthur, intending to dis lodge th'e Japanese batteries on the hill~comman~ding the Chinese position. Then began a tremehdous artillery fight. 'W ithin a few minutes regiment after regiment could be seen running in clouds of dust across the head of the valley into the ravine, leading to the support of the Japanese artillery position. The air 'was filled .with'shells and the Chinese gradually concentrated their fire. until the dust began to disappear from the Western slope. The Chenese columns marched out of Port Arthur in sthree -columns. One descended from the two dragon forts and the other~two came out of the Port Arthur Vtillef: The group was torn with hells as they marc hied forward, but ther never faltered for a moment. Within a quarter of a mile of the Ja panese aitill ry the Chinese line spread itself out and' wheeling- to the left. went straight for the hills to earry the batteries by charge. The fire became too hot and they lay down on their faces with their banner poles stuck in the ground, a magnificent tragedy upon which thecrack Japanese conno neers immediately trained their pieces. "Within three minutes two shells struck line exactly and tore great gaps in it. Instantly every flag dropiped, and the Chinamnen took to their hee but in a few minutes they reform e and prepared to receive thie Japanese inantr-A hurrying down under the shells and batteries. Just behind the heroic band of Chinamen was another Chinese line on a knoll with three field guns which checked the Japanese ad vances and enabled the broken line to make a safe retreat. "At 6:45 the next morning the bat tle was resumed, the Japanese steadily driving the enemy back. The forts fell one after another, and Issuyama was taken at 8:05. From Shoju there shot out strange sprays of fire. The arsenal in Port Arthur had caught fire and was ripping, roaring and rattling, vomiting flames and smoke like a vol cano as an acre of massed shells and cartridges exploded. "In -order to take the town troops bad to cross the bridge or wade in the river, but on the other side of it was a road leading between two small hills and on either side of the road were rifle pits filled with Chinese infantry. On the hill in the right of this road was a battery of three field guns I manned by the only good gunners on the Chinese side. Every time the Japanese attempted to move out of the cover of the camp the Chinese rifle men swept the parade grounds with continuous volleys.1 "Stretched in a line parallel with the coast in front of the harbor were Ight or nine Japanese warships and the peninsula forts were shelling theu' clumsily and without effect. Torpedo boats were going through the waves and sinking junks loaded with women and children endeavoring to escape. The water was filled with drowning inhabitants. The massacre had begun. At last a part of the troops moved from behind the walls of the camps and under shelter of the Eastern drill round. they opened fire upon the Chinese force guarding the entrance to Port Arthur. A battalion moved out of the drill grounds and knelt in a semi-circle, sending volley upon volley across the stream against the rifle pits. Another detachment crawled al one: through the sheltered road to a wafIl on the Southern side of the drill grounds. For fifteen minutes three skirmish ineos kent un a fire and the plucky Chinese were driven from their position. Finally, a small column. covered by the skirmishers, advanced across the bridge and marched along the road leading to the town. At the same time Marshal Oyama ordered the reserve centre to move down the val ley, then bands of them came pouring along the roadts behind the troops al ready on their way to the town. "Not 'a shot wasfired in reply. The battle was over as far Port Arthur was concerned. Even Ogunsan was silent and deserted. The soldiers had made their escape and the frightened inhabitants were cowing in the streets. As the troops moved on they saw the heads of their slain comrades hanging by cords, with the noses and ears gone. "There was a rude arch in the main street decorated with bloody Japanese heads. A greatslaughter followed. The infuriated soldiers killed every one they saw. No attempt to take prisoners was made. Women and children were hunted and shot as they led to the hills with their protectors. The town was sacked from end to end and the inhabitants were butchered in their own homes. "The van of the second reniment reached Fort Ogunsan andfound it de serted. Then they discovered a junk in the harbor crowded with fugitives. A platoon was stretched across the end of a wharf firing into the boat un til every man and women and child wa~s killed. The torpedo boats outside had already sunk numerous junks filled with terror-stricken people. "I am satisfied that not more than one hundred Chinamen were killed in fair battle at Port Arthur and that at least 2,000 unarmed men were put to det. A slander Refuted. ConcumA S. C., Dec. 18.-In the debate on.athe metropolitan police bill in the Senate yesterday, Senator May field, of Barnwell, said that he had been informed that secret instructions had been given to the police of the city of Columbia not to report any violat ors of the dispensary law upon penalty of immediate dismissal from the force. Mayor Sloan. who was present dur ing the debate~felt that so serious a charge from such a source should be promptly refuted. He therefore 'gave istructions toChief Daly to assemble the entire police force of the city in the city clerk's office at 7 p. m. At that hour the men all appeared, and upon being formed in line, were briefly informed by the mayor of the charge that had been made'by Senator May field on the floor of the Senate cham ber. H'e then read over them the af fidavit which appears below, and ask ed if they were all willing to swear to it.' Each man promptly responded "yes," and they were accordingly swvorn by Notarv'Publle C. M. Douglas The affidavit is as follows: We. the undersigned officers and members of the police force of the city of. Columbia S. C., do solemnly swear that we have never ~neither individually nor as police officers, received orders from the mayor. the city authorities or from other sources,'to the effect that we chould not report violators of the dispensary law. We. an'd each of us. further swear that we have never at any time stated to senator Mavfield or any one else that such orders had been issued. We. and each of us, further swear that we have never been threatened with discharge or any other punish ment for making such report. Sivorn to before me this 18th Decem ber, A. D. 1S94. .C. M. Dogulas, (L. S.) Notary Public. S. C. Owen Daly. chief of police: W. D. Hamilton. sergant; J. E. Moorhead, sergeant: John Self. R. J. Bolton, D. B. Sloan, J. W. Daniels. R. 0. Tha k ham. J. W. Waters. Benj. T. Sutcliffe. Martin Sheppard. Frank Hennies, W. L. Dunning. W\. F. Kraft, E. J. Jones. A. S. Steel. T. C. McEachiern, S. H. Boyer, Geo. E, Boland, MI. Dawkins. I' ed to Rtescue Seized Beer. SEN 1, Dec. 15.-F. M. Butler. J. J. Doh ns, J. L. Snips and R. L. Ar nold of Anderson were convicted here today in a trlal before J. W. Todd, Trial Justice, and a jury, of attempt ing to rescue two barrels of larger beer from the custody of R. M. Wright, State constable, on Septem ber 11. The beer had been seized by Constable Wright while in transit to Anderson on September 8, consigned to F. & Co. The attempt to rescue was made soon after the arrival of the train from Anderson in the evening. The State was represented at the trial by R. T. Jaynes, of the WValhalla Bar, and the defendants by G. E. Prince of Anderson. The defendants were sen tenced to pay a fine of $100 each or be imprisoned in the county jail of Oco THIROUGH THE SENATE. THE METRIPOLITAN POLICE BILL PASSES THE UPPER HOUSE. senators W ason, NorrIs and Finley. Three True Rteformers. and Senator ai.t, Barnwell and 5loan, Three Liberal Con servatives, Advise Against It. COLsImA, S. C.. Dec. IS.-There were a number of stronz and stirring speeches made in the Senate Chamber yesterday, called forth by the metri politan police bill. That measure was amended so as to slightly modify its centralizing tendencies. but a majority of the Senators showed that they fav or passage of the measure, and at once. The first amendment to the bill was made upon motion of Senator Finley. In its original shape the bill gave po lice boarls power to appoint "as many policemen as may be deemed neces sary by the board, not exceeding one 'or'every 500 inhabitants." Mr. Finley secured'its amendment so that it reads that the police boards shall have pow er to appoint "as many policemen as may be deemed necessary by the board, not exceeding one for every 1 ,1:'00 inhabitants, and who shall have been residents for at least six months prior to their appointment. Mr. Kirkland followed with an amendment which requires that the police commissioners appointed by the Governor "shall have bcen quali fled electors and frecholders" of the city for which they are appointed at least a year prior to that appointment. The time originally specitiid was one year. Mr. Wilson had the bill amended :> as to give the Governor pow-er over the nolice of any city of more than .000 inhabiants.' but' Mr. Eird later had inserted in lieu of that lim a clause giving the Governor power over the police of any incorporated ity or town now under police regula tions. Mr. Finiey had added to Section 2 a provision "that no city or town shall be liable in damages for any of the acts of any of the marshals or police men or officials appointed under the provisions of this act." Then Mr. Wilson secured incorpo ration in the bill of a section provid ing that wherever the word city is used in it, it shall be construes to mean city or town. So far things had gone on without a ruffle, but Mr. Kirkland now started a breeze by moving to amend the bill by stricking out of Section 1 the words "whenever the Governor shall deem it abvisable or necessary for the better and more perfect government of any city or incorporated town under police regulations in this State he, the Gov ernor, shall appoint a board of police commissioners, to consist of three mem bers, for such city, " and insert in lieu thereof the following: "For the better and more perfect government of the cities and towns in this State, the Gov ernor is authorized and empowered in times of emergency, or upon upon the written petition of one seventh of the freehold voters of any town in this State, setting fourth that the municipal authorities thereof are not making proper efforts for the en forcemement of the law therein, and asking for the application of the pro visions of this Act thereto, to appoint a board of police commissioners, to consist of three membe~is, for such city or town." In a few words Mr. Kirkland show ed the value of his proposed amend ment, whose object was not to leave it entirely to the G ovenor to say when ie should take charge of the police of a city, but to require some motion fromi the city itself. Mr. Wilson said that Mr. Kirkland's amendment was just another way of moving to strike out the enacting words of the bill. The amendment would take out of the G ovornor's hands the power of deterntining as to the necessity of metropolitan~ pohice for any town or city and put in the hands ~of that town or city. It was ridiculous to expect one-seventh of the men in any city or town to take upon themselves the odium of asking foi' metropolitan polices. He moved to table Mr. Kirklands amendment, which was done by a vote of '20 to 15. as follows. Yeas-Barton, Brice. Brownt, Byrd, Dennis, Derham, Douglass, DuBose, Efrd, Fuller. Jordan, 3Mauldin. May field, McCalla, McDaniel, O'Dell,San ders, Stribhing, Williams~ and Wilson. Navs-Barnwell Buist, Finley, Har rison, Kirkland, Miller, Moses, Norr'is. Ragin, Sloan. Stackhouse, Turner. Verdier. Walker and Watson. Mr. Efird moved to amend the bill by giving the power of appointing plice board composed of the Govern or, the Secretary of State. and the Com ptroller General, instead of leaving it in the Governor's hands. Mr. Finley moved as a substitute an amendment making the board consist of the Governor, the Lieutenant Gov ernor, the Attorney General and the State T'reasurer and restricting their power of appointing police boards to "cases of willful neglect to enforce the laws on the part of the municipal authoritiesof any incorporated city or town." Mr. Finley then spoke b~riefly' in ad vocacy of his proposed subititute. The Senators ought to look to the future. lehad included in his board such of fials as to render it hardly probable that those four gentlemen would ever agree to any wrone. The law should b freed fr~m all clanrge of that cen tralizatfon which i.4 so foreign to our doctrines of the past. Hie favored the enforcement of all laws. While the Dispensary law not exactly to his lik ing he had always obeyed it and advis ed ooedience to it. In his own county he had done much to secure compliance with the law. The policy of the bill should be to give the power to appoint police only where the municipal autho rities refu'sed or nelected to enforce the law. Mr. Wilson said the friends of the bill favored any amendments which would improve it. but not such as would cripple it. He placed Senator Finle's amendment in the latter class." Beside, lie preferred the ollici als specified in Senator Efird's ameud ment. Mr. Finley stated lie had favored putting the .Secretary of State on the board until he was informed that that ohicial and the Governor are very nearly related. He could not conceive of the law being forced on any city or town whose oflicers were honestly trying to do their duty. The board should not have power at its mere caprice to take charge of the muni cipal government of any town or city. Oter States have metropolitan police Adls but tn+he area seial Acts for. special cities, and not general laws like this. Mr. Finley's substitute was tabled by a vote of 24 to 11 as follows: 'Yeas-Barton, Brice, Brown. Byrd, Derham, Dennis, Douglass, DuBose, Etird, Fuller. Jordan.. Mo-uldin, May field McCalla. McDaniel, Norris. O'Dell, Ragin, Sanders. Stackhouse, Stribling, Watson. Williams and Wil son. Nays-Barnwell. Buist. Finley, Harrison, Kirkland. Miller, Moses, Sloan. Turner, Verdier and Walker. Mr. Watson moved to make the board consist of the Governor, Secre iary of State and State Treasurer. His amendment was tabled by~ a vote of 1S to 14. and Senator Enird's amend inent then adopted. Mr. Finlev then moved to amend by requiring 'each marshal and police man appointed under the bill to give bond in the sum of $2,000, with sure ties approved by the police board of his city. Mr. Vilson said that wa entirely unusual, no politiciai evegave bond. 3r. Finley rejoined thatIt was not unusual. n 'ope town, in his own county the policeman was required to give bond. As police app6inted under this Act will only be responsible to the Governor, anaI will not be respon sfble to the local authorities, they ought to be made to give bond. Mr. Wilson urged that the same pro cess of reasoning would require the givinz of bonds by Trial Justices. Mr. Finley's amendment was then tabled. - Eloquent speeches against the bill were made by Senator Sorris.%Watson, - inlev. Barnwell. Duist. Sloan and others, while Senators Wilson, May field. Eiird. Jordan and others advo ented the pa.sage! of the bill. At the conclusion of the speaking a Inotion to strike the enacting words w&s lost by a vote of 13 to 21, as follows: 'Yeas-Barnwefll. Buist. Finley.Har rison. Kirkland. Miller, 'Moses,_ 4ow er, Norris. Igin1. Sloan, Turner and Verdier. Nays-Barton. Brice. Brown, Byrd, Dennis. Derham, Dou'lass. DuBose. Efird, Fuller, Joidan, Jayfield, Mc Calla, McDaniel, O'Dell. Sanders, Stackhouse. Stribling, Walker,' Wil lams and Wilson. Mr. Watson announced that he was paired with Mr Mduldin and-.would have voted against the bill had the latter been present. Senator Butler Speaks. WASHINGTON. Dec. 19.-Speaking of the South Carolina election laws and of his course in appealing to the courts to test their validity, Senator Butler, of South- Carolina, said this morning: "The story, for a beginning, goes back to' ' beriod twilve years ago, when shre*d lawyers constucted and caused to be enacted a system of regis tration and election laws calculated solely for the purpose of . preventing even the remotest possibility of negro domination, of which at that time the people of the South were very much afraid, under existing Federal election laws. "It put all elections in the State practically under the control of the State machine, and things went just the war the machine said. Of course we all'a'equiessed in these laws for many years, for no one seemed to thinik t'here was any barru in. them. To tell you the truth, I never read them or knew 'whatwas in them until very recently. The people generally were very well satisfied with this arrangement of affairs, and for years .things ran. along very smoothly-until the Till-' manmtes, so called, got hold of the ma chine. Now it is charged that although acting strictly under the law-they have disfranchisedi 40,000 white voters and elected Tillman to the Senate.. "3Mv term expires on the 4th of MIarch next, and I shall never be a candidate again for any political office. But I am interested in the peace andL good order of the State. and I .say to you, just so sure as these laws remain unchanged shotguns will p lay a prom inent part in future political cam paigns and voters will ivalk through blood to the ballot boxes. That is why I am interested in the matter at the' present time. Nobody knew how bad these laws were until the workings of the last campaign caused the. pepple to study them. They are so clearly un constitutional that there can be no doubt whatever as to the result. I be lieve the Supreme Court of the State will so decide. "I presume Tiliman will come here to take his seat on the 1st of next'De cember,- and the question of constitu tionality may then have not been de cided by the~ highest tribunal of the land. In that case it is my belief that the Senate-itself would have the right to decide as to whether the Legislature that had chosen the Senator was a'con stitutional body or not." lutler's seat. \\AsHnIGTcON. Dec. 19.-Senator Butler, of South 'Carolina, has out witted his successor,~ Governof .Tiil man, and Senator Allen, the Populist from Nebraska, who were applicants for the desk of the senior~ Se~na.tor from South Carolina. in the front row on the Democratic side of the chamber. As soon as it became prob able that Senator Butler would be de feated for re-election to the Senate by his hated rival, Goverhor Tillman there was a lively scramble for the very desirable seat, which is located irniiediately in front of the Vice-Pres ident's chair between S'enatoi-s '\organ and Cockrell. Senator Allen and Governor Tillman both wanted the desk, and there are other Senators who now hiard rear' seats, who cast longing eyes in the direction of tihe desk which Senator Butler has occu pied for so many years. Within. tpes past week Senator Jones, -of Arkansais. has been occupying the seat of the South Carolina Senator, while the latter has moved his personal effects to the desk formerly' used by the Ar kansas Senator in the front row, but away around to the extreme right of the presiding officer. It appears that, in order to prevent a Populist or a Tillranite from getting' the - much coveted seat, Senator Buter and S-en ator Jones exchanged seats. As the time draws near for Senator Butler to relinquish his membership in the Sen ate it becomes more difficult for him to conceal his mortification that Till man is to succeed him. It is probable that Senuator Butler will leave Wash ington for the holidays and he may not return to Washington -'agai-n while the present session of Congress lasts. His wife is in poor health, and he may decide to pass the winter at THE JIM CROW DON'T GO. THE SENATE WRECKS THE SEPAR ATE COACH BILL. The General Appropriation Bill PaSses With Changes Favorable to Colleges and Citadel. COLUMBIA, S. C., Dec. 2.-There was quiet in the Senate yesterday, but a considerable amount of routine work was done, azhd besides with little or no friction the general a propriation bill was passed, with sundry amendments to the House bill, and the "Jim Crow" car bill jumped the legislative track and was wrecked beyona repair, at least for a year. The House bill reguiringrailroads in this State to provide separate first class coaches for white and colered ,assenoers, more briefly described as ihe "im Crow" car bill, was made shori work of. It had been unfavora bly reported, and i pon being reached on the calendar Col Sloan moved the ado ption of the report. Mr. Finley asked that the bill be passed over until today, but there were several voices raised against this, and Mr. Finlev moved to lav on the table Col. Sloah's motion. This was lost by a vote of 15 to 9. Mr. Wilson desired action delayed: the bill could lie over on the calendar today- and tomorrow, and could not get through anyhow. Col. Sloan saw no use in a postpone ment of action or inflicting a lingering death. Mr. Norris hoped no Senator would try pie patience of this body so far as to-atterpt to debate this bill; it had been defeated year after year, and the Senate could not spare the time to this -bill. Mr. Wilson -moved to continue the bill till next session. Mr. Moses moved to lay the bill on the table. Carried by a. laige majority. The appropriation~ bill was taken up at the night session. The most impor tant committee amendments adopted were those increasing the appropriation for the South Carolna Collegeof $21. 000 as fixed by the House, to $25,000: the Citadel Academy from $15,000 to $18.000; Clemson College from $15,000 to $35,000. and the Winthrop Normal College fr>m $55,000 td $65,000. Mr. Buist succeeded in - getting the restoration of the salary of the Char leston quarantine officer to $1,SOO from $1,400. Mr. Walker did the same ser vice for that office at Georgetown, from $300 to $500, and Mr. Verdier persuaded. -the Senate to restore the salaries of the 6fficers at St. Helena and Port Ro ai to the figures prior to the slash in the House, viz: $800 each. Mr. Mayfield urged that the salaries of the two lately elected circuit judges. provided for by an appropriation of $3,000 each in this bill, be increased to $3,500. He contended that all the judges should be on the same footing and should receive equal compensation The Constitution provided they could not reduce a judge's salary during his term of office, but there was nothing preventing them raising it. The law did not effect the salary of the last elected Associate Justice, because he was elected just before the passage of the salary reduction bill and did not come unaer its provisions. He moved to appropriate $3,500 for their salaries. Mr. Harrison moved to lay the mo tion on the table. Mr. Norris did not wish to make a speech, he simply wished to say the prposition of the gentleman from arnwell was a most monstrous one. Had the gentleman forgotten that they were elected to this Legislature on a salary rediction plat form. It might as well 'be said that the Legislature had no power to reduce a judge's salary. If th6se arguments prevailed there would be no salary reduction. Mr. Buist was n'ot in favor of reduc ing salaries, but he heartily agreed with the gentleman from Anderson in regard to the proposition of the gentle man from Barnwell. Th is bill was carrying out a law on the statute books, and not to carry out its provis ions was to slight the law. Mr. Mayfield restated his case and said his osition was that fish should not be nmade of one and fowl of the other. His motion was laid on the table by an overwvhelming vote. Mr. Jordan made an earnest plea for solicitors elected in 1S92: He claimed the State was in 'honor bound to give them what the office was worth at the time of their election. To reduce their salaries was bad faith and they were already the poorest paid of the State officers for the value of their services. Mr. Finley. in charge of the bill, said he believed 'in sticking to the law as it was and which they were sworn te obey. Mr. Jordan's motion prevailed and the appropriation for solicitors was raised from $11,600 to $12,500. Mr. Efird offered an amendment that 2,500 be appropriated for the State Agricultural and Mechanical Society. 'Mr. Mavfield moved to lay the amendment on the table, but withdrew it for the purpose of debate. Mr. Efird stated the condition of the society ar-d that the lack of $2,50OC might resuilt in its ruin. It was al most a State institution and the State should support it. The last fair had gven -general satisfaction, but the ard times were felt by the society as well as by others. Col. Sloan spoke of the benefit the annual fairs niad been to the agricultu ral interests of the State: or how it brought the farmers here in competi tion and improved their methods and their stock, and urged that almost every other State in the Union gives aid to such associations. Mr. Maryfield: "Is it not true that in 193 l-iqu'or was sold on the ground during the fair and when Governor Til lman'-" Col. Sloan: "Oh, my friend has gone .~razy on the liquor question. I am not discussing whiskey or whether it was sold or -not and I will not at this time descend to the level of discussing that question; I am talking about a State instittion. conducted for the benefit of the State of South Csrolina, and not the whiskey ~question, and I beg that the Senator from Barnwell will draw the distinction." ~ Mr. Watson regretted exceedingly the gentlemen from Barnwell had brought up that question here. No ap propriation of $2,500 made by the State to Clemson College or for any other purpose would bring the results this money would. The time was when the people of this State were satisfied with any kind of stock: it was not so now, and this fair had wrought the dhange. It was a valuable object tes son and one which he greatly valued for his sons: they could spend four days nowhere so profitably as at the fair The ask~ for this with -no selfish motive: no one makes money out of it. He appealed to the Senators to give the little asked. ; Mr. Mayfield continued that as it was not a State institution and the State owned none of the grounds or build ings it was an individual fair and the money asked for was to assist a private enterprise. Mr. Watson: "A public enter prise. Mr. Mayfield: "Sois every county fair in the State and they are of more benefit to the young men of the State. as they are more easily and cheaply visited. To appropriate funds for pri vate purposes is robbing the people." The amendment was laid on the ta ble by the following vote: Yeas-Brice, Brown, Dennis. Der ham, Douglass, Dubose, Fuller. Har rison, Jortan, Vfayfield. McCalla. Mc Daniel, O'Dell, Ragin, Sanders, Stack house, Williams-17. Navs-Barnwell, Buist, Efird, Kirk land, Miller, Moses, Mower, Norris. Sloan, Verdier, Walker, Watson, Wil son-13. The bill then passed to a third read ing. TEN-CENT COTTON. The Question of the Hour for the People of the South. To the Editor of the News and Cou rier: I am a cotton man. My welfare, like that of our whole people, depends upon the price of cotton. How to raise that price so as to make it pay the farmers is a problem that. just now, for the South at least. dwarts in im portance all other public questions. The schemes that have been suggest ed to control the market by the crea tion of a bif; trust or by the throttling of speculation are, as every clear headed business man knows, visiona rv and unsound. Neither is practica ble, and either plan. if it could be car ried out, would surely aggravate the very trouble it was meant to cure. What then shall be done? The sim ple, sensible and only real remedy is to cut.down production. But, we are told, this is impossible. The cilight ened selfishness which impels the far mer to tell all his neighbors that by olantin- only half as much cotton they wil get for their crop more than twice as much money does not go far enoug'h.to lead him to practice on his own frm what he preaches to the rest of the county. Of course, no matter how expedient and how necessary for the public good a reduction of acreage may be, even a Legislature ot farmers is powerless to enforce it by law, and the - perversity, inconsistency and grasping tendency of that human na ture that is as strong among cotton growers as among other people bars the way to a reduction of the crop by voluntary and individual choice. Yet we must somehow apply the remedy, and apply it quickly, or the South will be ruined. The vague ap prehension of a substantial decrease of production next season is at this mo ment, as every cotton merchantunder stands, the chief. if not only support to even the beggarly prices which now prevail. If the world couli only be certain that the South next spring would plant for another monster crop, cotton would now be selling much nearer three cents a pound than fire. Consumers care nothing whatever about the cost of production. With them it is a cold question of demand and probable supply of the raw materi al. How then can the indispensable re striction of production be brought about? The only way. I fear, is by the pressure-terrorism, if you will of local public sentiment. Our farm ers know perfectly well that a crop of six million bales will bring more mon ey to the producers than acrop of ten million bales. Let them form at once a --Ten-cent Cotton League" in every county of the South. Let every member bind himself in writing to plant only one-half the acreage that he' ?anted last spring. _Let each farm er aot only act as a vigilance commit tee of one to see that his neighbors carry out their pledges, but invite their inspection of his own fields so they may be satisfied that he has done like-wise. Let every farmer who re fuses to bind himself with the rest or who, having done so, breaks his pledge. be vigorously "boycotted" as a traitor to the community. This may be called terrorism; but we of South~ Carolina know that a little wholesome terrorism has sometimes done great public ser vice. Let the movement be once fairly started and it will spread like wild-fire There is no time to be lost. The emergency is ins pressing as it is grave. The remedy. hiowever~ "rough~ is not illegoal, And desperate cases re quire desperate remedies. Let Manchester and Fall River only hear that the formation of a Teni-cent Cotton Legue is begun in earnest, and there would be an end to 5-cent cotton. The receipts would cease to frighten anybody. Neither spinners nor specu lators w'ould wait for the pledge of the league to be carried out. Everybody would want to buy cotton. The price would leap upward. and I believe that in less than a month every pound of cotton remaining in the South would be worth at least 2 cents a pound more than it wvill bring nowv. But, I repeat, if this plan is to be tried, there is no time to be lost. Fairfax. Destitution in Nebraska OnAuI, Neb.. Dec. 16.-A staff cor respondent of the World-Herald sent into the western part of the State to investigate the reports of destitution among the farmers, sends from North Platte a most distressing story. Most of the renters have left the country and f'ew of the owners of land are in a prosperous condition. There have been two successive crop failures. The animals are also suffering, and unless food is sent for them they will not be fit for work next spring. Some of the farmers are really in want and others starving. Some supplies are coming in from the East, but much more are needed. Some of the farmers are liv ing on wild fruits. A Japanese matrimonial advertise ment reads: "A young lady wishes to be married. She is very pretty, has a rosy face framed in dark, curly hair, eebr-ows of the shape of half moons and a small and beautiful mouth. What other inducement does she of fer? " She is rich enough to admire. by the side of a life companiion. the flowers by day and the stars by night." All that she req~uires in turn is that the youth must be a youth. handsome and accomplished, andl~ he must be willing to share the grave of his bride-that is, when it is eminent iy proper that lie should: she shows no imneent hnat in the matter. THE CARLISLE BANKING BILL. Tiews of the Majority of the Conmittee Favorable to the Measure. WASHINGToN, Dec. 17.-It is under ,stood that the Carlisle banking bill will not be voted upon before the hol iday recess. It will probably be taken up in a day or two and discussed un til the holiday adjournment and the vote on its passage taken some time after the reassembling in January. It is thought almost impossible to hold a voting quorum in Washington until the discussion has been concluded, and for this reason the postponement will probably be agreed to by the friends of the mea-nre. The connittee, the majority report says. are of the opinion that a security to the f?ll amount of the circulating! notes issued is no longer necessary for I the safety of the notes. An exhaustive argument is made to denonstrate that if the proposed bill had been in force during the crisis of 1892, if all the banks had lieretof->re taken out circu lation to the ma-~um amount allow ed by law, and if the failed banks had also taken out their maximum circulation, the guarantee and safety funds would have been ample for the payment of the entire circulation- of the outstanding notes and would have left a surplus of over :1L000.000 still in the safety fund without the necess ity. even in a ore-at crisis of that kind oT making any assessient on the re sources of the other national banks. The report contends that if the pro vision of the bill relating to State banks be observed, it will throw around the State bank circulation the most essential safeguard which are provided for the nationalcurrency. If they be not observed, the ten per cent. tax will be imposed and the notes will be suppressed. The conclusions of the committee as reflected in the report are thus briefly epitomized: If the proposed bill should become a law, it will provide for a safe. suffi cient and flexible currency. The bond security required for national bank notes makes flexibility very difficult. if not impossible. The proposed bill requires that the secretary shall keep on hand blank notes which can be issued at any time to any amount which may be required by business conditions within the limit of the circulations permitted under the bill. Thus, provision is also made for retiring notes promptly when the banks may desire to do so. and as the outstandin~g notes will be taxed one-half of one per cent per annum and as the banks taxing them will be deprived of 30 per cent;thereof in legal tendernotes. there will be an induce ment to retire the circulation wEien it is not needed and at the same time an inducement to take out circulation when business conditions-require it. Will Live and Win. Congressman Holnan, of Indianbt who for many years has had his watch ful eve on national appropriatious, not only repudiates the idea that the Democratic party has been killed by the recent Republican triumph. d ut regards its future as bright. He says that the Demorcatic party has lived a hundred years and will continue to live so long as popular government exists. In time to come its name may be changed or it may possibly be reor ganized, but its principles are vital and mperishable, and it will be alive when other parties have faded from the memory of man. But Mr.-Holman is not content with denying the demise of Democray. He declares it is sure to win in the next national election and carries the war into Africa by de claring that it is the Republican party that is in danger of the graveyard. He says the Republican party will be wea ker in t wo v-ears from now. probalyr than at an'y time in its history. 'It may last a'few years longer, lie said. but it is bound to go to pieces by the close of the century. It will <go out of existence. he thinks, as the Whig par tv did. Its corner stones are protec tion and a spending _government, which are synonymous ::or public ex travagance.' In commenting on the above the Augusta Chronicle says to those weak kneed Democrats who have lost their nerve because of the recent overthrow these cheering words of the old wvatch dog of the Treasury should give new heart. GOVERNOR Tillman thinks thle Con stitutional Convention should not be held before September. He takes the position that by that time thei-e would be a restoration of better feeling and that the Convention would beC made up of non-partison nen. who were not smarting under poidekal prejudices. It is probable that th' view is shared by others. Senator Irby) on this mat ter thlinks that the leaders of the fac tions in each county should agree upo an apportionmlent of representation upon a basis of the relative strength of each faction in the county. That is, if at any primary or otherwise it is shown tiiat there are 2.000 Reformers ini a counity against 1.000 Convserva tires, the renresentation should stand four reforniers to two Conservatives where a county is entitled to six dele gates. There will hare toi be s-ome un destaling on the matter and it w.ould probatbly. be better thangoing throughl a fight. If there is 1o be aa ny campaig ing on the matter it will v~ery prob bly~I~ be during the month of August. Hlorrible D~ouble Tra;""dy. CLEVELA E. Ohio, Dec. 15.-Asec ial from JIamestown. Ky. says that 3rs. W\inslow Shermatn ad her daughter. 3Mrs. Clinton D~avis, wxho lived on a farm near tha.t place, were murdered by unknown persons today. MIrs. Sherman's husband had gone to attend the funeral of his son and daughter-in-law. MIr. and MIrs. MIyron C. Sherman. who were killed by a train a day or two since. He retur-ned home about 4 o'clock this afternoon. and was horrified to find his wife and daughter lying dead in the house. There is no clue to the perp~etrator of the crime, although it is apparent that the motive was robbery. Fate of a Drunken: Wouni:ta. GARDINER. MA.INE. Dec. 1i.-At an early hour this morning a house in Raudolph. -ownedl by Amios 3ierson. and occupied by a woman~f and two children. was burned. All three of the inmates were bur-ned to death. The child r-en wer-e known by the names of Lillie Folson. aged 7. andl George Foson. aged 4. The n~ oman had given several ditferent names. but in the Bible found in the house was the name --3rs. Wmn 3eReady." It is impossi ble to obtain facts regairding the cause of the fire, but from what is known of the woman's habits it is probable shle was intoxicated and tipped over the ampn SWEPT BY FIRE. GREAT DESTRUCTION OF LIFE AND PROPERTY BYAN E.ARTHQAUKE. The Eotnes Described Are s:.mply Awful Islands Swept by Fire-One Village and Itg Inhabitants Dumped into the Sea. Loss of Life Great. VIcToRIA, Dec. 13.-The Australian steamer Warimoo. which arrived yes terday, brings the startling news that a majority of the islands of the New Hebrides group are passing through a baptism of fire, earthquakes and vol canic disturbances, threatetning the very existence of several of the largest and best islands, including Ambirim, celebrated for the excellence of its cof fee. On the latter, an entire village of natives was recently carried into the sea, the loss of life being estimated at - sixty to seventy-five men, women and children, while in other groups it is, also, reported that a layer of ashes of two to six inchcs deep covers the once fertile field. At Ephia. Nov. 2. there was a severe earthquake in the morn ing. and when the crater on the West side of Ambrim burst forth on the next day. the whole island trembled. Since then it has opened in five or six different places. Even the island of Ephia, which was much less affected, had, up to the seventh of N6vember, felt sixtv-three distinct shocks, and for weeks had been covered by clouds of ashes and smoke. Traders and plant ers living on the island have fled to Port Sandwhich, the nearest port, in many cases abandoning all their pos sessions. On the 13th of November an earth quake shock rocked Ambrim from East to West, causing the ground on which stood a small native village to slump with the houses of the inhabit ants into the sea. The special correspondent of the Sdney Morning Herald, writing from Ephia early in November, said: This land is in a volcanic eruption. The outbreak commenced on the 16th of October, at an old crater in the centre of the island is a mass of lava. Commander-in-Chief Admiral Bow den Smith gives the press the follow ing report made to him by the com mander of the Dart, while she was ly ing at Dip Point, Ambrim Island. He writes: "An eruption on Mistand took place today. Itpressently became evident that a lava stream, marked by a dense column of smoke was making its way through the hills to the sea. The ship war's stopped some 300 yards off shore. where it was seen the stream would emerge, and soon afterwards mountains of flames were seen among the trees, and presently the whole ap peared ared hot mass, with lumps of slag tossing about on the surface. "When it reached the water, a most magnificent sight ensued. A dense pillar of steam rose rapidly in a--ser pendicular direction to a heigt about 4,500 feet. A few seconds later, a violent submarine explosion of steam took place, the water rising in hi h bubbles some one hundred feet hi and bursting in all directions, radiating through the waters mixed with black masses, presumIably of lava. A considerable swell was sent out af terwards and as the arc of explosions seemed to be coming rapidly, the ship was moved to a safer distance. "Canoes of natives were leaving the island in all directior-s. Some of these were taken in tow at Dip Point and were cleared of imrmediate danger. The ship then proceeded around to the South side of the island and it was seen that the whole crater of Mount Mar yun, in the centre of the island, was in violent eruption and that masses of smoke were rising over all the West ern island. "On returning, while round Dip Point. a sudden outburst accompanied byr continuous, violent explosions took place. About two miles to the South west of Mission station, the cliffs were seen to be falling inland, and flames appeared over the crust of the gap be tween the mission and the interior. The natives were asse.mbled in terrifi ed groups on the beach, and I, accord ingly, sent boats in offering to take off. All the natives of the group were in a state of terror and noise of the eruption was indescribable. Dust and debris' from theburning brush fell continu ally. Throughout the next day earth qual:e shocks were severe. "The next morning we proceeded to the Northeast point of the island as far as Dip Point, which was found to be in darkness, objects being scarcely visib~le over a quater of a mile. We communicated with the shore and found that the natives were reassured and actual fires in the vicinity had ceassed. At 6 o'clock in the evening we proce'ded to Port Sandwich, not clearing the show.er of dust until more than half wayr across. Small shocks were expe-ienced on the way, and in all thirty-one distinct shocks were felt in seven hours and thirty minutes. "A great portion of tlie cliff at Dip -Point has fallen into the sea. A-l along the shore clouds of dust are ris ing and land slides have resulted. Dus wais now failing heavier than ever, but of the lighter, cooler and finer des cription. Everything on the shore was covered with the deposit, the land scape being of one uniform, dull elate color, and the ship a gray mass. We landed and proceeded over the hill for about two miles. until the stream of lava was reached. Although cooled down, it was still proceeding at some four or five feet an hour in the direc tion of Banlag on the South coast. Ow ing, however, to the thickness of the atmiosphere. it was impossible to get any news of what was happening. We then returned to Port Sandwich. Smanil Riot. S-r. Louis. Dec. 1.-A miniature riot broke out in the court of Criminal Correction at noon today. William Wright. a negro. had just been dis charged on a charme of misdemeanor, and was leaving thie court room. Of fieers attempted to arrest him on another charge when his friends, be lieving that lie was a victim of police p)erseentionl. resisted and attempted to release the prisoner. A furious strug gle ensued, during which clubs were freelv- used and revolvers drawn. The combattants surged back and forth through the room overturning desks and chiairs, and it was necessary to ring for reinforcements from police headqiuarters before the row was quelled. A prominent attorney nar rowly escaped death from a pistol shot by oilicer Dewar. As a result of the riot six persons were badly injured and t wo detectives ha ve been suspeon ed from the force pending an investi