The Manning times. (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, December 25, 1895, Image 4

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CHRISTXAS AT BLA'K M 3IY'S %V T'mor' gwine be Chri-;'mus. chilluns, s But I dunno 'bout Sands Ca' '., I speck de ole man's brot e dis Chris'muis; d. Al 't no wol fo' h s ole caws. ti He bank d.te bus'; he los' hi- rnoney; He wo'kme qu t, dat hat dey .said. S'pec h- kee awam his Chrin'mus- P Mout be cat de oe tuan's daid. What'.% dat, Dinah? Whar 5 o' git it Dat big b-ox o' -e-tin on? P Fuil o'::uts an to s an candy Dore brunsg heah by %Iassa John? Mama's miglt gwod dis Cri-' nus, M.-ks my 4)e b'ah It-ap wid j 'y ti Dat be 'iewbabs. 'is black IamLny Wha' Lusod him wien fe il no7. h Ruh! Marse John he sen a po,,mum? Praise de Lawd fo' dat gonit aat!' T'mor' -uah be hri -'wus hone3 - Dat de d ty we g wine t eat V1'ar off t' h-d. now, I you chilluni. Doan' yo' h ,ah me wha' 1-a ? e Tinae t heah dem -41eigt he is ringin', b Tin-e dem ret' deen j g d a way. Gawn t' bed ain qu-t dat talkin'; Us here ain't ua time fur play. b Er you cl.ilan- duan' be quiet, b Yo'sea'h ole sandy Ciaws away. Fall dem kniver. up ar.u' yo : t< 'het No' tse- up g 1.d and t4 ht Trmor' g-t e be.' ris'mus. ebiIlus, And bandy Caws he Miln tenient. -Cwcago Tires. z BILLY'S C FRI MMAS. i Zeph Davis didn't agree with the 0 world at all. . , He found very few thiwgs which met his unqualified approval, and ihe more persons he found agreed upotu 4 certain point thae more certaim was h - to discover the utter weakness of tLeir position. He was very shrewd and looked at the world from the heightq occupied by a superior :.d cowp:a cent being. It amused him to see all the women agreeing oa certain hie" of house ornamentation. I- provoked , him to kind all the men united on Uit ouies of Lnproveinent. dress and behia vior. He particularly re.iented the tum vers il surr'euder of the race to the spirit of Christu-as. "it's all hukv poky," s-id Z-Ph. As Christma's approaeI':d his wii r wondered if he w6uld not bre-ak his h usual habit and make some i'onven tional preparation. She remembered a a very pleasant gayety in these se t sons when a girl, but had been 'unable to repeat them since becomiag the s] wife of Zeph. And her littl boy, now N 6 years old, added to ber uneasiness. e He had caught something of the sea- ti son's inspiration from the children a wbo drifted past his cabin home and from the @&eivities at the great house h otthi squire when he went up there a one day to do an errand for his a mother. a He was full of questions which his r mother could not entirely answer and t< which he could not suspend wbeu his b father was at home. But down through b his infant consciousness at last flter- tl ed the conviction that he and his household were outside the pale em- b braced in the reign of Santa Claus. s< He had no doubt the day held a great h and joyful significance to the squire's ti children, nor that Santa Claus came c: down a chimney and gave presents to p all the good little boys and girls in the a world. Only, of course, his house was d not included. The gentle sway of the it Christ child could not naturally em- Z brace the little cabin at the edge of the ax woods. Yet he had an unformed, pa- ti thetic little regret that it was so. d Zeph was in town Christmas eve ai and staid a little later than usual, a though that did not trouble his wife h: much. He was not in the habit of E coming home till he got ready, not it leaving till moved by the same cou- A sideration. Only he was sure to come h some time, and always sober. He was quits saperior to the nearly universal tl habit of acquiring a dual personahity a by imbibing stimulants. It was alto- h gether anunnmixed folilyto him- a "Town's pretty lively, I reckon," , said his wife as Zephbcame in and pre- d pared for supper. He did not remove b an overcoat. He wore none. He ti looked upon that custom as quite as c] unnecessary as popular nations usual' ly were. t "Ya-as," snarled Zeph, grinning in i derision of what he had seen. "Stores a all lighted up, and candy and things s in the winders." ra "What things in the winders, pap?" inquired the boy, his blue eyes large tl and bright i "Oh, toys, and them things!" s "Whut things?" again, but hesitat ingly. -sa Zeph glanced warninly at .the boy ri and then slowly replied: hi "Skates and red mittens and some t< wooden soldiers and drums and picur' o: books." i The boy had never seen the stores, t< for he had never been in town, but he te had in his mind a very vivid picture b< of the place and its glories. And he b looked very straight at his father as r< that picture took form before him. tl "Many people in town?" questioned b the wife. She had seen those splendors fa on Christmas eve, and she had count ed on seeing them again this season. t< "Ya-as; the stores was crowded anid t< the streets was full of teanms. Cauida't si git more'n 60 cents for that coonskin w! and had to take that in trade. Wou'l rr not pay more'n 50 cents if t took it in Li cash. So I traded for some truck and a come home. They tried to sell me a e< lot of plunder, but I don't go none on 6i them things." "What plunder, pap?" asked the e3 boy. The resources for trimming his fancy stores were really very slender. c, He needed more material. Just a hint h would do. It seemed so real to him. C "Oh, a tin horse and wgnadaf candy bird. and a woolly little sheep .that says 'bah!'" Il ~"~"Big sheep, pap, or just a lamb?" g ,"Naw. About so high." And Zephi nieasured a span from the top of the u table. e' That changed the whole interior of b; his wonder cave for the boy. These h treasures were smaller than the natu- h ral size. If smaller, why could they w~ not be made larger? So his wonderful in creations were taking delightful saape. fi It wasquite a picture he found himself g arranging when his mother said from oi the depths of the dishpan, where she was finishing the supper work: TI "You're sound asleep, Billy. Go to n bed." u And he hurried into his little cot, a: hoping he could carry the dream un- g broken. How they danced before n him, those excellent animals! How gravely the birds addressed him, and a how reasonable it seemed that tin sol- s: diers should become live dogs and b bark aloud, and how swift it all wasb for this was morning, and Dash, the t: hound, was challenging some noises, he heard in the woods across the road. t This was just the same as any other b morning to Zeph. He got up lazily ta and dressed in a flood of sunshine, t< shivering a little and complaining that his wife had no better fire. lie a looked out on the deep snow and 'a knew the hunting would be excellent sa Just after breakfast a sleighload of a people passed, their bells jingling t withi tempting melody and ;pngliug t< still till the horses stopped in front of g the squire's farmhouse, when they n gave way to shoutings ,of cheer and v answering shouts of welcome. t: "Must be Millers folks, from Burr 'I Oaks," said Zeph's wife, as she closed a the door and wondered if her other t dress was not better than this one. The boy stood there at the window, t. with his chin on the sill, and tried to regain his dream estate, from which t the daylight had ejected him. Present ly he saw the squire's children coming dow the roa with a basket, and he ent out and stood on the steps in the inshine. The squire's children were tking a turkey to old Mrs. Stevens, iwn by the lake. They stopped at le gat -, and he went down to look their pr, s-uts. They each had a :ir of sktates a ad we-re goiu! to try tem on th-. lake if tis ie -Was -Kod. ut no ice could -.!d to the preset leasure of owNtrhip. Thev had ew sho-s and a ,il; hatndkerchi-f, -ith a letter in the corner of it. and a umber of candy horses. and one of it girls had a gold tinger ring. They ad buug their stockings otn a line be iud the stovr and everything was 1le-d in the nornia,. Little Billy added another view to is Chii'tuias lore. It was a tim- ftor iakiug people bao py. H, remermber d a party of ebildren tnhstcame down ere in a light wagou whena hz'.nuuts ere ripe and st"npmd for a drink of ater from the spring, and he found'l iniself wonderieizr what tis day had rought to these chdlren. Of Course it never occurred to him take a p-rsonal view of the matter. [e never ciaained himself included that wondrous embrace. "For of ich is the kingdo:m of heaven." His uosme was red, and his hands ere thrust deep ia his pockets when e returued to the house. But he sat a the chest there by the fireplace and ondered silently. Zeph was greasior his boots and re retting that 1:' din't have oil instead f tallow. He rther resented the fect 1at the house %--ns tif-:er tha usua:. 2at a piate of a wl..: w:S uoon ti.e hlte, aud that his .-. i - .ts rollhin: i:e rust and cuttin! e ies-her .:iri cue up as sie used to wear it when Ihe; ent a wooiig. He exc sed his dis pprorb :>f all i :.ok y poky and' ked t . was 'roi, to hav r di ne. es-.s uoioxfor a me. S- vi h a .,A r asked er. Tar- V*-s * N te but suie had nie(i . make it a:>e)ae as f.irj 1 .)ssible. A c ross '.r sLene c-.me the bark of "-n or' r :L -e in The woods. anid tie unter instiac: in Z-ph was roused. ;uce no oue had asked him to go unting he felt no disinclination to >tk f.>r game. So he glanced out of 2e window, caught sight of the hound tting there in the timber, looking up )r one moment anid then turning his vts to the iouse, barkingoccasi mally e short. emphatic statenaient that he ad found asquirrel. Billy was in great glee. His mother ad baked a colander full of cookies ad had then molde-d with her fingers, little crudely perhaps, a number of nimals from the dough. Billy didn't -cognize all of them, but when she ld him he sa w the points of re'em lance. And when his father came ack he was quite happy playing with iem. Zeph cut a hazel stick as he came ack through the woods, and after the luirrels he had shot had been dressed e held them on the stick and broiled iem before the fire. They were deli ious, and there was a dish of mashed tatoes-quite an unusual thing ad some baked apples and the won erful cookies. Billy couldn't imag ie a better dinner dish than that. eph ate with great relish, but by no Leans forgetting to regard the whole Ling as "hoky poky." Aud after iner he went down to the sawmill ad told stories with the rest of the Len. coming home rather before they ad exhausted their jur of auplejack. [e had taken one drmnk himself, and may be that made the difference. .nyway he was moved to unusual be avior. The fire was low, and he stirred up ie burning ends of logs till the cabia as filled with a flood of light, and as e turned he saw t~ere on the pillow Sthe side of his sleeping son's head a itiful little menagerie of bent, brown ugh and knew that each animal had een perfect in the large blue eyes at had fought s> hard to keep un Losed the heavy gates of dreams. Zephstw thebappy face and knew at some iwhere his boy was wander ig among delights more rasre than ny his hand had given. And the yirit of contention, "of a rivalry, ofa ice, awaked within him. "Hugh !" he stid. and wondered why esmoke should burn his eyes to weep ig. 1hen he turned to the- door and ole out in the moon gemmed night. Down the road he went with a weeping step, full of vigor and with sing haste, till the miles lay behind him and ne fronted the lights of the >n. It was early evening, in spite Sthe hours of darkness, and Christ is joy was full. He turned neither the right nor the le-ft, paid no at mtion to the gaudy doors of the sa >os, where loud young men were aasting, or betting, or trying to quar :1. He kept right on till he reached e shop of the tinker, down by the ridge, and there he stamped the snow* -o his heavy boots. Tbe tinker i-ad not expected a cus >mer, and he had benten looking at :he >ys left over from the ses of the se. >n. He had done w-ry well, but be ished now he had hot bough: so, anv. Tue hand ou his hitch lifted is hopes a little, and hit eauer face -as a strange contrast with tne puzzl i cou atemuince of Zeith, nov for the rst time in his life yielding mo thr -eaknessof scanning Chirismas pres-; "Ho" ,.auch for this?" ingoired the >uutrvirai. touching a caee wath is gre'at fore ficnger. ~And thie tinker as so w:lao, to sell that heqg -ted i gure far iaow his ruling prices. "Yaas, anid this," continued Zeph. was a candy castle, with powdered it and frosted silver on the sides. There was quiite a store of painted oods and ruffled tins and molded mdy there at the end of the counter the time Zeph reached the limit of is purse. He felt the same stirrimgs a had known while husking corn, hen some boaster tried to beat him Sthe race. He bought without re ection, with no thought but that of ving Billy a better (2Lristmas than ~ther children had. And then he tramped back home. here was no hurry in his walking ow. He simply strode the miles nconscious of his splendid muscles, ssured of reaching home in time and iving little care to what the thing tight mean. One house was lighted brilliantly, nd through uncurtained windows he a a Christmas tree. The presents ad been stripped away, but tapers urned there, and strings of wool and iy flags. "Santa Claus brought them there ings on his way out," said Zeph to imself. "He'll git to Billy on his ip bact home." And then he tried sneer at the whole affair. At the first barb of light Zeph fought ainst his drowsiness and turned to fait till Billy's eys should open. It remed a slow, long time. But after while the large, blue eyes unveiled,' te sense of present things came baca him, and then they rested on those lories at his pillow. He did not move, but studied them a moment rith a look so strange that Z1'ph saw ings his wisdom had not dreamed. hen Billy's eyes were closed again, d soon the larger breathing told hat he was deep in dreamland paths. rith richer treasures on each hand nan there had been betore. He roused at length and saw the nys again. "I dreamt of them," he said and ondered why his mother smiled. It tihm, and all through the day his boyish play would be suspended. and he w,>uld look at them as if afraid tiha they would vanisi into dreams agin-the dreams where he was sure his ht-pov en-s had f--und them "But it's all hoky p kv." said Z -ph to his wife, as hr S'iOidred his ax and ierit down to the mil! for the day.--Chica.go Tintes il-rald. The Comdit ion of Agriculture. In its :-dmirable report oiu the con dition o! :lricalture, the i aloiwl -rLmge wi i*s out that notwithstand igtZ t & riaL t nat the country is pass g11r through a period of unpreced-t-d hard litis, American agriculture is more .eriotusl v deuressed than any ot, erindustry. 'L-.fing aside all pirej 1 dices, and with praise worthy breadth of outlook, it does not fail to ful lv re cogntize the immutable lav of supply anid demanid. The report shows that 'within a compara:i vely receut period trade c:)ditious have so (thanged by the ini r dution iuto cheap land and labor countries of labor-s vin'r ma chinery, the devel -pment of new lands and the cheapeniaz of transoor tation, that all nations are practically in close touch with each other. The prices of farm produce are thus fixed I by the relative cost of proauction in tris and other countries. and while subjec:. to temporary changes through n.jdifications of statute laws and ma nioulation, the general propositioni juLt noted ob'::ins. As the leadin- industry agriculture feeds the 70,000,000 popui.ion of the the Un1it-d State:: .-d furnihes cach year proer,.y valued at 600 t. 8 mil ion dollars to help fted ti-- ri."i:ons of othe. e uutries. In. the past 30 years it har created the wealth to pay '>u-:ili.n dollars of tbp'mt i S..e : c-tribates more. in he p v-f ocal. su.e and nation 1L Lijranh-s work for wore '' p1 - t h a n -l ,! thI irn d u _'t i t1 S c o M - bl.!-'d and the ' st mark; in the? ordfor mianufaictures XNith fh. condition of Americmn agriculture of such paramount i::.erest, not only to farmers bat to all business men, it is but meet that the farmers' great na tional organization should clearly out line the situation, for the benefit of -veryone. including the national law nukers soon to assemble. The le tding crops of this country are compared with those of foreign countries, and it is observed that in the food products, Russia, India and Ar gentina. all cheap land and labor countries, are exporting liberally. competing in the world's markets with the farmers of the Uuited States. The study of the cost of production and possibilities of those countries to sup ply the world's markets are of vital iterest to the farmers of this country. The introduction of labor-saving ma chinery, and with friendly govern mental aid. means the sharpest kind of competition in the future. It is brought forward that in the majority of states taxation falls heavier on farm property than elsewhere, a matter worthy of the wisest consideration among legislators. Transportation is another important item. affecting the general agricultu ral classes. The securing of the inter state commerce law., which has been in operation eight years, has saved millions of dollars to the farmers. While by no means perfect, it has been a great means of relief, yet there are many practices of the railways which need revision and improving in the interest of the people. The law should be so amended as to give the commission full power to classify freights and fix minimum as well as maximum charges and should not alone control all common carriers but also regulate the cost of storage in pub lic warehouses. Old Time Chrisitmas in Dixie. When Remus, Saul and Cosar, with Dinah, Pnillis and Chloe, made the circuit of the quarters at Ohristmas tide th:-y were regaled with various succulent viands-chine and sparerib, sausage and crackling', savory souve nirs of the flue art of hog killing, be sid.s coon and corn pone, possum fat and homing, all consecrated to their comfort and cheer, with lusty drafts of cider. Gingerbread and boiled chestnuts were dispensed to tcie dusky compaoy. and there were much crack ing of walnuts and roasting of applt-s Ten the cabin floor was cleared for the datnce- je and bread Oo. pig-on wing arit juha, the lauter a character istic survival of the abominial barcar ism, delivered with vigorous shouts and cries and shuffling of feet to a rhythmis accom paniament of hand clapping and patting of knees. in me odiois deference to the jigging of a iddle by the light of flaming pine knots. Juba ur' and jubi down. Juba azi a ound de~ town.. Sitt de meal and gimme de husk, Rtakede c k-eard gimme de cmus', Fry de vtoik andi i mne de i, jA il WIen Im comia a-'mn. Jubja: U. juoa! Ju'ha in and jubi. out, Ju.n juba all about. ')inah, stir dte posut- f:t; Ca'so hear de juba pat? Jubi! A Legend or the MI4tletoe. A nmyt 'nt the mniddl.e ages says tha.t befor~ the crueixiot: of Ch'rist the i~lews ... forst troe: but. owml, to ts supplying the wood f -r the ec s r el into disgra:ce and beemme a mere iasite as a lasWag usemmial of ins ignominious use. If from: folkicre and myth we turn to philology, we find another point of interest ini this associate of the Christmas feast. Its name consists of two words, "mistle" and "toe." The former of these comes from "mist,"~ an Anglo Saxon ioot which had different meanings mist, gloom, darkness, the meaning now used by the former in "mistle," and in old ~Dutch glue or bird lime. In toe" a final n is dropped, and the syllable represents the Anglo-Saxon "tan," a twig, so that the whole word is equivalent to bird lime t wig and is so called from the viscid matter which surrounds the seed within the berry. There is Littte Hope. RA.EIGH, Dec. 19.-Advices at G o'clock this evening from Colon re garding the coal mine disaster at C umnock was that 4:3 persons were caught by the explosion, and that all hope of rescuing was abandoned, ow ing to the fire damp, which at several tiwnes nearly overcame those who at tempted to rescue the imiprisonhd men. Once two of the rescuers were in sight of some of thme victims, but had to re tire in the face of overpoweri ng fire damp. A telegram received here at 7 o'clock says there are 38 (lead and that five escaped. Telegraphic comnmuni cation with the scene of the disaster is difficult.- _ _ _ __ _ _ _ THERE are. acc oding to the Wash ngon Post, 238 la~twyers in Congress. forty one-farmers, twenty-seven edi tors, twenty-eight manufacturers, one railroad manager, two steamboat owners, fourteen teachers and college professors, twenty-five bankers, twen ty merchants, one house builder, three clertgymen, seven who say they are " engaged in business," eight doc tors, one architect, one umusic teacher, one owner of oil wells, five miners. two insurance agents, one theatre manager, one mianufacturer of ice, three civil engineers, nitnelumibermen, two owners of stone quarries, two real estate agents, one pbarituaeist, nAano tamship cantain. WAR, IF NECESSARY. ZLEVELAND TAKES HIGH, STRONC GROUND IN THE VENEZUELA CASE. E-ngland Won't Arbitrate-An Anericar Comirnission Iist Now Fix the Disputed Line and if John 1ttil Step- Over it. IN N1ut Fight. WASHINGToN. Dec. 17.-The Presi dent sent to congress today the Vene muelan correspondence, accompan:.ied hV the fzllowing sig-nificant message To the Congress: In my annual message add ressed V the congress on the 3rd instant, ealled attention to the pendi-, boun dary controversy between Great Dri Laii, and the republic of Venezlt-N and recited the substance of a repre si't;ti)' .iade ly this government t. her Britannic imajesty's governmein1 sugY-stinlg reasons why such dispute. should b, submitted to arbit'atiou fmt set-lemerit and iiquiring whether i! would b- so subviiued. The answei of the British government, which wa; then awaited. has siuce been receivec and together with the dispatch tc which it is a reply is hereto appended. Such reply is embodied in two con murications addressed by the Britisi orime minister to Sir Julian Paa:nce ote, the British ambassador at thi apital. It will be seen that onc 0 :iese conmiunications is devoted ex eiusLvely to observti->ns up.i thE Mcanr'e doctiine and claims thlt it the presnt instance, new ani d strange extensious and development of thi doctrine is 'nsisted on by the Unitv4 States, that the reasons justifyir ar appeal to the d:mrine enciated by Presidat Mo:r:ae a'e generally iinap plica "to th- 'tate of thin's I wich we live at t> rA: day,' a:-d especially inapplicaole to a con trovcrsy in' olvi. the bound rv line bet cn GLcat Br3.in and V a'zu-la. Without attempting extended argu ment in repiy to those positions. il may not be amiss t. -ugge.st tnat the doctrine upon which we stand i strong and sound because its enforce; ment is important to our peace anc safety as a nation and is essential tc the integrity of our free institution, and the tranquil maintenance of oui distinctive form of government. Il was intended to apply to every stag( of our national life and cannot be come obsolete while our republic en dures. If the baLlance of power is justl3 a cause for jealous anxiety among the governments of the Old World and F subject for our absolute non interfer ence, none the less is an observanct of the Monroe doctrine of vital con cern to our people and their govern ment. Assuming, therefore, that w( probably may insist upon this doc trine without regard to the "stale o things in which we live" or any changed conditions here or elsewhere. it is not apparent why its applicstiot may not be involved in the presen ontroversy. If a European power b3 an extension of its boundaries, take possession of the territory of one o: our neighboring republics, against it will and in derogation of its rights, i is difficult to see why, to that extent such European power does not thereb3 attempt to extend its system of gov ernment to that portion of this conti nent which is thu, taken. This is thf p recise action which President Monroi declared to be 'dangerous to oui peace and safety," and it can make n< difference whether the European sys te is exten ded by an advance of from tier or otherwise. It is also suggestt in the British reply that we should no seek to apply the Monroe doctriue t< the pending dispute because it doe: not embody any principle of interna tional law, which "is founde d on th< general consent of nations," auditha "no statesman, however eminent, n< nation however powerful," are comn petent to inseat into) the code of inter national law a novel principle, whici was never rec.>gnized before, anc which has not since been accepted by the government of any other country Practic-4lly the principle for which we conta-nd has peculiar if riot exclu sive relation to the Unit.-d States. I may not have been admiitttd in si so) many words to the code of interna ional law, but siuce in internationa councils every nation is entitled to thi rights belonging to it, if the enforce meat of the Monma'e doctrine is some L'ing we may juetly claim, it has it: place in the code of international law as certainly and as securely as if il were specitically mentioned, and wvhei thi- United States is a suitor before th< high tribunal that administers inter national law, the question t> be deter mined is whether or rnot we presen claims which the justice of that codi of law can find to be right and valid The Monroe doctrine finds its recog nition in those principles of interna tionial law which are based upon thE theory that every nation shall bareit! rights protected and its just claims en force'd. Of course this government is entire ly co'nfident that under the sanction o ~is doctrine we have clear rights anc undoubted .aims. Nor is this ignore( in the British reply. The prime min iser, while not admiittiing that the Monroe doctrin~e is appiica ble to pres that the United0 Stats '.r reseni sch enterprise. if it was contemnplated. PredIdest Mouroe adopted a policy .hich received the Lintire sympatQ.\ of the English go.vernmient of thai late" He further declares: "Thnougli he language of 1resident Monr'oe is irected to the attainmnent of object: which most Englishmeg would agret to be salutatory, it is impossible to ad mit that they have been inscribed by any aaequate authority in the code o: international law." Again he says: "They (her majesty's governmxent fully concur with toe view whliel Preient Monroe entertained that any disturbance o? the existing territoria distribution in that hemisphere by any fresh acquisitions on the part of anl European state would be a highly ex pedient change" The belief that the doctrine fo: which we contend is clear and defin ite; that it was founded upon substan tinl considerations and involved ouw safety and welfare; that it was fullI aplicable to our present conditions and to the state of the world's pro gress, and that it was directly relatec to the pending controversy, withou any convictions as to the final merit of the dispute, but anxious to learn it a satisfactory and conclusive manne whether Great Britain sought, unde: a claim of boundary, to extend he possessions on this continent withou right, or whether she merely sougrh possession of territory fairly include( within her lines of ownership, thi: government proposed to the govern meant of Great Britaim. a resort to ar' bitration as the proper means of set tling the question, to the end thati vexatious boundary dispute betweer the t wo countries iight be determinet and our exact standing and relation it respect to the controversy might bi made clear. It will be seen from tha coreCspon dence here with su bmittet that this proposition has been decline< by the British government upon thi grounds which in the circumxstance seem to me to be far from satidfactory It is deeply disappointing that such at appeal. actuated by the most fr'iendll feelings toward both nations direct13 concerned, addressed to the sense 0 usticea nrl to the mananimityvof on< of the great powers of the world and touch'ing its relations to one compara tively wVeAk and small should have produced no better results. The course to be pursued bythe gov ernment, in view of the present condi tion, does not appear to adrmit of seri OUS doubt. Hi ving labored faith fully for iayiv years to iiduce Great Bri tarn to submit this dispute to impir tial arbitration, and having been now finally a)prai;d of her refusal to do SO, nothiig remains but to accept the sit iatiri, to recogiize its nlain require :in-nts. and deal with it accordinlv. Gre.-t iritain's present proposition has rever thus far be-n regarded as admnissible by Venezuela. thougzh an v adjuistment of the boudaries which that C'Untry may deem for her ad vantage and may enter into her own free will cannot of course be object-d to by the United States. Assuuiang, however, that the attitude of Venezuela will remain unchanged the dispt has re:aclied such a stage as to make it now incumber-tupon theUnited State-2 to take measures to determine with sufTizient certainty for its justification what is true divisonal line between the republic of Venezuela and British Guiana. The inquiry to that end. shou!d of course be conducted carefully and judicially. and due weight should be given to all available evidence, re cords and facts in supportof the claims of boi.h parties. In order that such an examination should be prosecuted in a -thorough and satisfactory manner I sug..gest that the congress make an adequate appro priation 'or :.he expenses ,r a counmis sion to be appointed by the executive, who shall make the necessary in-:esti natiotn and report upon the nmatter with the least p ssible delay. When such report is made and accepted. it will ir my opinion, be the duty of th- United States to resist by every neaus .LL :s power, as a willful aggr-s son un-a its rights and interests, tile apprariation by Groat Britain 'i an i ands or th: exerebe o f goveraintal jurisa ica nover any t ri- -try w - after imvesti;;ation, .;e have deter mined of right belongs to Venezuela. In makin.g these recommendations, I am fully alive to the responsibility incurred and keenly realize all the consequences that may follow. I am, however, firm in my convention that while it is a grievous thing to contem plate the two great English speaking people of the world as being othewise than friendly competitors in the on ward march of civilization and streau ous and worthy rivals in all the arts of peace, there is no calamity which a great nation can invite which equaIs that which follows a supine submu sion to wrong and injustice and the consequent loss of national self -respect and honor beneath which is shielded and defended a people safety and greatness. GROVER CLEVELAND. Executive Mansion, Dec. 17, 1895. Meaning of Christmas. Long, long ago, so far back that it cannot be definitely traced, the latter days of December were set apart for the festivities pertaining to pagan worship. Perhaps its earliest observ ance began with the celebration of the winter soistice and of festivities held in honor of Saturn and Bacchus. To day Christmas is celebrated through out the world not for its pagan ances try, bat for its meaning as the Chris tian festival of the nativity. The keynote of Christmas joy is "Peace on earth, good will to men." The first Christmas day that ever aawned brought rejoicing in its w ke. On that day there was born in Bethle hem, Judmta. a Saviour, w ho is Christ the Lord. For those weary with sin, for those oppress- d with sorrows, for the troubled in mind, for the weak and helpless he came. But not to these alone. To the joyful and happy ones, to those rich in this world's goods, to the succe-ssful and prosper ous he came. To th-e whole world he appeared. None was forgotten by him And now to the outcast and to the weary one, to the rich man and to the jov ful child he says the words,"Learn oif me." If you sutl'er. Christ pities you. If you be lonely, he is with you. If yon repent of sin, he will keep you in safety. If you have great possessions, he says unto .lou, 'Give to the poor." On Cairistmas day at least "let all wrath and clamor arid evil sp -aking be d',ne away' anid let every one sing, with the heart, '"Glory to God in the highest." To Pension Confederate soldiers. Congressman Peter d. Otey of Lynchburg, Va., has prepared a bill which he trill present at the next ses sion of Congress, and which will probably elicit considerable discus sion. During the civil war the Unit ed States captured from the people of the Confederate States abandoned property. which was sold and covered into the Treasury of the United States, amnounting to $27.000.000. Much of this property couid have been recov ered but was never chdmed. Con gressman O~ey now proposes to have co.ngress a ppropriate the interest on this $27,000.00t0 to the use of ex-Con federate soldiers. He proposes to di 'ide it among the Confederate States in proportion to the amounts which each Sate has a ppropr'iated to the re liter of ex-Coufederate soldiers, and clai'rn: the appropri~aion would niot "e mn tne n-a'ure -f ai p:'Usi-:. 'Tn U-.,ited .%dtes." he sas--, "has v-eie waited for precedezts but has e'stu>0 lished them. This bill is but echoing the magnanimni of General U. S. Granm,, when he sent the pr-isoners away from Appomattox, telling them to take their horses, as they would need them to raise corn.' Preparing for War. WASrINGToN, Dec. 19.-In the Sen ate today Mr. Chandler of New Hamp shire introduced a bill to stregthen the military armament, and it was re ferred to the committee on mili'ary affairs. This bill provides that the -President be, and is hereby iauthor ized and directed to strengthen the -military armament by adding thereto, -equipped for use, 1,000,000 infantry -rifles, 1,0)00 guns for field artillery and not exceeding 5,000 heavy guns -for fortifications. to be procurred by manufacture in the arsenals or by con tract for manufacture or by the direct purchase this country or elsewhere, according to the direction of the Pres idenit, who shall conform when prac ticable, without unwise delay, to the metdods prescribed for making con tracts and purchases by existing laws. The sum of $100,000,000 is appropriat ed to carry iinto effect the provision of this act. French statesmian's views. LoxNDO, Dec. 19.-A special dspatch -from Paris gives an account ot- anl in terview with M. Hanotaux. formerly Fret-cn ministerfor' F oreign Affairs in which he is quoted as saying, re ferring to the Venezuelan dispute, that lie thought a question of this character ought to be settled on its own merits and not on a general ques l ion of principle. M. Hanotaux added that any bearing which Monroeism might have upon this particular case was a matter for Great Britain and the United States to settle. He ex pre~t-se thne most implicit confidene -that the Marquis of Salisbury's frank -ness and fair-ness woulu find a satis factory solution for the ditliculty with nout having r-ecourse to force THE STATE'8 FINANCES. .oNTINt'ED FROM P.E ONE. I of interest on the public debt becorn iiv dup 1stJanuary inext. . On 16th Aust last the state dispen sary comhissiorer returned to the state thro'igh this tffice, from the pro ceeds of the dispen.tsary. the sum of $50.0;. wvhich was appropriated by act of D,-cember. 1892. as a loan. On the 2d inst. the comuiiisi)ioner deposited in this office the further surm of $50.000 as a surplus froni his recceits. Buth of these paynenis have bten placed to the credit of the general account of the tre-aurv. It will be seen that the balan e to credit of the dispensiry on 31st Octo ber was $73.076.58. Si-king fu.d for the reduction of the Brown 4. per cents cr- ated by act of Deceniber, 1,92 The commissiou appointed by act of D.-ce'nber, 1892. and charged with the management of t',is fund have invest-d the receipts frorm phosphate royalty from 1st Jan uary, 1894. to the amount of 135,728. 53. in the 41 per cent. bonds and stock to this statte, viz., Brown 41 per cents.. 35,000 00 and Blue 4j per cents...... 728 50 Thus leaviung a cash balance on 31st October, 1895, not yet in vested, of.............. 110,002 83 The total fund, 31st October, being...............$145,731 39 The 'erms of the act of 1892 in re gard to tia..re invesmi. uts are some what indeiuite, rendering it doubtfui whether aay poJrtion of thi::, fund could be l-?ced in certain securities that could have been obtained at a reason able cost. The cash remainder of $110,002 83 has therefore been placed on de:-. .sit -irawing interest at 4 per cent. in ur b-nk deposi:.uries desig nated by: se financi.d boa.rd. Th.-se deposi-s,' eI of co-rse, be. subject to such furu --r action ;s mavy b*- taken 'y the general assembly, or ctberwise may be eoatinu-d uhfl favorable op portu_1Lies for making further invcst mnits shall be presented. The annual statements are herewith presented, as follows, viz: 1. Debtors and creditors. 2. Receipts and expenditures. 3. Clemson bequest. 4. E-cheated estate Malone. 5. Escheated estate Burton. 6 Downer fund. 7. Crntingent fund state treasurer. 8. Treasury reserve fund. 9. Collection of fertilizer privilege tax. 10. Brown consol bonds and stock redeemed in cash. 11. Bonds and stocks funded into new 41 per cent. R. B. consols. 12. Statement of the public debt. Respectfully submitted, W. T. C. BATES, State Treasurer. THE NEW CONSTITUTION. [CONTINUED FRO31 PAGE ONE. office. State, county or municipal, the qualifications of electors shall remain as they were under the Constitution of 1868, until the first day of Novem ber, 1896. Eighth. This Constitution. adopted by the people of South Carolina in convention assembled, shall be in force and effe::t from and after the 31st day of December, in the year 1895. Ninth. The provisions of the Con stitution' of 1868 and amendments thereto are repealed by this Constitu tion, except when reordained and de elared herein. Fe'eding Hogs. These should now be pushed to ma turity as fast as possible by giving themu all the grain they will eat up clean. Feed themi eithe- from a trough or on a cle-an, dry floor. Don't let them have ::o root for tbe corn amongst the mud and filth, as we too often see, and let them have plenty of clean, fre.sn water to drink. Tne price of hogs has been much depressed of late. This has been miainly caus-d by thre terrible epidemic of cholera in the West, whe~re the hois have been dy ing by thousands. Every one having hiogs in the States suffering from chol era has b-en rushing them into the market, wvhether fat or~ thin, in ord.-r to escape from the disease. This e aust cause a scarcity later, and we believe urices will advance. A De-!uge in the West. ST Louis Dec. 19.-All trains f rom the west and southwest were late in arriving today owing to the h.-avy rainfall of the past thire~-days. All of central and souithern Missouri, north ern A rkansas and eastera Kansas ar~e soaked with rain which is still falling. Southbound trains were abandoned this niorning at Sedalia. At Carthaae the eltctrie light plant is flored d. At Richland. on the S:t- Fe roa.l. nine freight cars were ditchsed this niorn ing by the track sinking. At Fort Sc-tt. Kan . the bo- streets are sub merged a--c many families were res cued in boats Tue present precipita tion is the grreatest in Southera Mis souri since .. a 1874. Much damag~e to prop - ha~s already resulted. JL-nGs Wentivorth, of New Y~rk, gave rz-rr the Beach the follo-rtug advice to parents about bringing up ;heir boys: "D' htt themt eni the noe, to cause it to bleed, but Aive it to thten where nature intended they should get it. And don't get s:oft hearted after you have hit them, and; ki-s them. Treatment of that sort onrly spoils them. Lay it on to them with a will, so that whenever they are attempted to do wrong they will stop and think of the punishment they received." CHARLEs A. Dana, editor of the New York Sun, urges a fraternal meeting of the survivors of the Blue andl the Grey at New York on the 4th of July, 1896. The proposition is at tracting powerful backing and is an assured fact. It will probably p:rove one of the most beautiful and delight ful events of the century fast folding its tents. SOUTH Carolina. it is estimated, has harvested 20,).000.000 bushels of corn this year, about 3,000,000. more i-han in any previous year. The yield was 15 bushels to the acre, against 12 1-2 last year. This is a great record, and it assures a surplus. as last year's crop of 17.000,000 bushels proved equal to the requirements of the State. TH E Spartanburg Herald says "is President Cleveland would do hif party a real service, and save his friends from manking fools of them selves, hre should take time between ducks to tell the country that he wouldn't have a third term if he could get it." _________ seven Men Ktined. NEW Yonx. Dec. 18.-Seven men were killed and four injured this mor-ning by thie explosion of the main steam pipe on the American Line steamship St. Paul, while the vessel lay at her dock at the foot of Fulton strleet, North River. A NUDER of wealthy citizens of Gergia have given an order to a sculptot for a marble bust of President Cleveland. to be presented to the city of Atlanta. THE YEAR 1900, A ccording to the Gregorian Cal endar Will Not Be A Leap Year. Next Year Will Be the Only Chance in Eight Years for the Girls to Scoop in a Husband-Some His toric Data. Women must make the best use of their time possible in the enjoyment of the especial privileges accorded to them during the leap year of 1S96, inasmuch as they will lack another opportunity until 1904, eight years later. The maiden of 17 can hardly hesi tate by reason of her youthfulness; she will be 25 before she can again usurp man's privileges and do the woo ing. The expectant spinster must mass every effort for next year's struggle; eight years more would render her hopelessly passe, says the New York Herald. Indeed, the prospect is sad from the feminine point of view, unless the coming century ushers in the active reality of women's alleged rights; in such a case it will be sad, even sadder, for man. Centuries are so long that men and women forget that the regula tion of our calendar requires every hundredth year-although divisible by four-not to be a leap year. It was also settled years ago. when the final changes in the calendar were made. The primeval system of reckoning time was based on the moon's changes, as is shown in our word "month." By the ruling of the moon months were reckoned with either 29 or 30 days. Soon the rotation of the season was made to serve as a standard. It soon apptired, however; that the two sys tems did not fully agree. It was then that it was found necessary to invent some means of adjustment. One of the earliest means devised was that in use among the Egyptians. By their ar rangement the year was made up of the seasons, and included 3G5 days each. In order to fill out the lack arising from this system of months five supplement ary days were added at the end of the year. The Jews reckoned their year as com posed of 12 lunar months ot 29 and 30 days alternately, and the discrepancy which resulted was relieved by the oc casional introduction of a 13th month. The Syrians, Macedonians and kindred peoples generally followed the Jewish method. In pursuing this reckoning 7 years in a cycle of nineteen have this intercalary month, and the number of days in any year varies from 353 to 385. The ancient Greeks made their year to consist of 12 really lunar months, but Solon in 495 made a law for the Athenians that the months should comprise 29 and 30 days, with the ad dition of an intercalary period oc casionally. Afterward 3 times in 8 years a month of 30 days was added, by which means the average length of each year was made to be 364X days. Ancient Rome had but 10 months in the year, but in the time of its kings the lunar year was introduced, number ing 355 days in the 12 months, an oc casional intercalary monta being employed to make the necessary addi tions. The Roman system of comput ing time, however, was beset with many difficulties, and the gross ig norance of the priests caused them to commit innumerable blunders in their reckoning, until chronology was hope lessly confused. Julius Cesar, in the year 46 B. C., devised the calendar which bears his name. In his system the year had 365 days, save every 4th. which had 366, making the aver age about 365g. Exactly reckoned, the year was made up of 365 days, 5 hours. 4S minutes and 50 seconds, or 11 minutes and 10 seconds less than 365 Ei. Cousar gave also the current number of days to the months, and his calendar as a whole was so excellent and its errors were so slight that it was generally adopted. Until the year 15S2 A. D. no change was made in it, but by that time the 11 minutes and 10 seconds of error in each year had grown to 10 complete days. As a result, the time of Easter was shifted from its true place, and all the movable feasts of the church, which are reckoned from it. were thrown out of the proper order. To remedy the resultant annoyances Pope Gregory XIII. ordered that October 5, 1582, should be reckoned as October 15, 1582. To guard against a recurrence of the t-ouble Pope Gregory also decreed that eeyhundredth year should not be a lepyear. save every four hundredth, but that exception beginning only at 2000 A. D. The excellence of Gregory's co)mputation shows that the total dis crepancy by his calendar would amount to no more than one day in 5,000 years. Italy. Spain and Portugal unhesi tatingly followed the pope's direction. France made the change in the same year. in December instead of October, as did also the low countries. The Protestants. in the fury of the Refor m:tion, refusea to make any such change. and persisted in refusing until 17u0, when the Lutherans of Germany and Switzerland adopted the new system. By that time the continuance of the old error made it necessary to make a change of eleven days, instead of ten. Scotland adopted the system in 1600. England refused to yield until 1731. When the bill was first in troduced it failed, but prejudice was not able to totally destroy common sense. wherefore George II., in 1751, made the calendar of Great Britain and Ireland to agree with the Greg orian. Rlussia, Greece, Roumania, and the like ro ees vet retain the old method, as a result .of which, when one sends a letter from one of these countries to some region where the calendar has been correctedl it must be doubly dated. as for example, in this fashion, there being twelve days' difference now-January 1-13, or June 20-July 2. Not one of the least remarhable fea tures of the century year is that it leaves those unhappy mortals to whom something happened on February 29 without their anniversary for eight years. Let Confeds In. RICHMOND). Va., Dec.- 19.-When Mr. Hathaway's resolution approving the President's message on the Vene uelan trouble came into the Senate today, Mr. Wickham offered the fol lowing amendment: "That this Gen eral Assembly, in unison with all pa triotic citizens, expresses hereby the wish that the statute providing that no person who held a commission in the army or nary of the United States at the beginning of the late war between the States and who afterwards served in any capacity in the military, naval or civil service of' the Confederate State. shall not be appointed to any position in the arrmy c r navy of the United States, should be repealed." This was agreed to and the resolution was adopted by a vote of 27 to 4. EX-SPEAKER Grow, of Pennsylvan ia, goes the President one better. le proposes to allow the National Banks niot only to issue circulation up to t be par value of their deposits, but to deposit $100 and issue $111 in circu lation. He goes further and recoin meds that they be allowed to deposit instea~d of government bonds green backs and silver certificates, to becan elled when deposead. POWDER Absolutely Pure A. cream or tartar armg powder. Elghest of all In leavening strength est United States Government Food Re port. Royal Baking Powder Comp an 106 Wall St.. N. Y. CANAL LOCK OPERATION. Electricity Preferred Because It Will Not Freeze Up. The gates and gate valves of the great lock in the new Canadian canal at Sault St. Marie, connecting Lakes Superior and Huron, are operated by electric power. The lock is built of masonry, is nme hundred feet long, sixty feet wide, and has a depth of water of over twenty feet. General electric apparatus is used, and the power generatorsand lighting dynamos are driven by turbines. The reasons which led to the adoption of electric power on the Canadian lock are stated by J. B. Spence, chief draftsman of the department of railways and canals, in the Canadian Electrical News as fol lows: "As regards economy, I think the difference between electric and hy draulic power will be very trifling, and here the point of economy was not taken into consideration. One of the main objects of using electricity was to overcome the great trouble caused by frost when. hydraulic machinery is used. During the closing weeks of navigation the cold is so great that oil has to be used in the hydraulic engines placed on the lock walls, and even then the cold causes the oil to thicken and makes the action of the engines slow and tedious. Of course, frost would not have interfered with hydraulic valve engines placed at the bottom of the lock, but in this case eight engines have been required, while only four screw power machines are needed with the machinery as designed. These considerations seemed to make it ad visable to use electric power through out, and I have every reason to think that everything will operate success fully when we open for n.vigation." REBUILT BY THE DOCTORS. Very Little of the Original Left of a Minnesota Man. An odd character of Winona, Minn., is George Burns, who has good reason for his eccentricity. He has papers, say.s the Minneapolis Tribune, which show that he was head engineer on the steamer City of Savannah, which was wrecked off the coast of Massa chusetts on January 18, 1884, while en route from Boston to Florida. He was reversing the levers when the steamer struck the rocks, and he was thrown into the machinery, receiving injuries which crippled him for life. Thero were one hundred and eighteen lives lost in the accident, and Burns is one of the thirty-seven survivors. For a long while he lay on a cot in the death row of Bellevue hospital. New York. Dr. Hayes Agnew attended his ease and removed five ribs from his left side and trephined his sk-ull, using six ounces of silver sheeting for this purpose. He was compelled to wear a plaster pari~s jacket for four years after the accident. A portion of the lower end of his spine and both elbow joints tare gone. One knee cap is on the back of the beg, and his heart is on the extreme right side of his body. Hie is now sixty-four years' of are and walks very well and has a cheerful disposition, l1e is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and served during the war on the gunbo~at Essex, which was stationed at Cairo during the early days of the rebellion. DON'T WRAP UP THE LAMP. Disastrous Attempt to Regulate an In candescent Lamp. Several hotel men were standing in a group) in an uptown hotel recently. chatting. The conversation turned upon the eccentricities of guests. The many odd ways in which different peo plc handle electric lights came up, says the New York Tribune, and one hotel man said: "Naarly everyone now knows how the incandescent lamp is operated, but still we meet with some funny in stances of ignorance. Last week we nearly had our hotel set on fire on ac count of a piece of stupidity on the part of a guest. The building being fireproof alone prevented a confla:ra tion. A woman came to the ho::se who was in the habit of sleeping withi a dim light in the room, and the electric lamp bothered her. She either had to let it burn brightly or else turn it off altogether. Finally she hit upon the idea of wrapping a towel around it. Then she began to question whether the towel would catch fire. Then she adopted thnrppe<' expedient of wetting the towel. That was the worst thing that she could do. She soon dropped asleep. and, of course, the towel soon be'gan to burn. A blazing piece dropped on the cur tains, and soon the whole room was afire. She was badly scared, and, of course, the contents of the room were ruined. ____ Too Much All at Once. Whatever may be the truth or the falsity of the stories that are told of the searcity of the funds in a country editor's pocket or the scareity of food in his stomach. the stories are always told, and neither the progress of education nor the growth and development of the press seems to have any effect upon the crop. One of the latest comes from Kentueky, where the mountain editor, at least, rarely develops into a Croesus or an Apicius, and this one is concern ing a mountain editor. A subscriber had remembered him very kindly and a day or two later a visitor called at his office. "Can I see the editor?" he inquired of the grimy little "devil" roosting on a high stool. "No. sir;" re plied the youth on the stool. "Hie's sick." '-What's the matter with him?" "Dun'no," said the boy. " One of our subscribers give him a bag of flour and a bushel of pertaters t'other day, and I reckon he's foundered." A Model Village. This place is said to exist at New Gloucester, Me., which enjoys an excep ional freedom from the small vices which often flourish with great vigor n small places. None of its officials rink, swear, use tobacco or break the sabbath, and at the railway station for ;wo years only two tickets for Sunday excursions were sold in each year, and i two later years but four similar-ticl: t~s a year were purchased. Henry Arthur Jones, the play gright, is going to drop his Jones and .