Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VOL. Xli. MANNING, S. C., WEDNESDAY, DICEMAI 218(NO2 TO FIGHT FUR CU . MILITARY COMPANIES CRGAN1Z!NG INVAMOUSCIT:ES. Reatly to Start for the 1-da-4 S-oon ias Tramsportation Ca be Arv an d-Viola lion oi Neutrality Law tl0. nm - pected to stop It. WASHINGTON. Dec. 15.-The atten tion of officials "ere has been attracted Dy the stories coming from all por tions of the tcatry indicating that enlistments are going on of parties of men to go to Cuba to join the insur gents in their struggle agaimst the Spaniards. There enlistments are in direct violation of the neutrality laws. and are prohibited under severe pen alties. For E ccepting a commission to serve against Spain, a country with which the United States is now at peace. the penalty preszribcd by Sec tion 5281, Revised Statutes, is $2,000 fine and three rears imprisonment, while for enlistment to serve agairst Spain, or hiring any one to enlist, the penalty is almost as heavy, beimg a ,iaximum of $L000 and three years imprisfment. The enforcement. of ,;*eelaws naturally fall within the unctions of the United States cilicial whose knowledge the attempt at i ifringement is brought; but if the mtioveuents continue on a large rscale, -3 reported, it is probable that the De pirtment of Justice will send instrue uons of a special character to all of ts agents, calling their attention to tie prcciamation isqued by the Presi dent last spring and enj:>ining upon i tem a strict enforcement of the neu t ality laws. The government doubt :s will be obliged to do this in order manifest its purpose to meet tha re t iiremenat.; of international law, just it ha3 warned the shipping interests . ainst taking part in filbustering uovements and has sent rigid instruc Iions to judicial officers at Atlantic P )rts to prevent the infractions of the i iws in that respect. ST. PAUL, Dec. 15.-The physicians of St. Paul, aroused by the reports of fiffering among the Cubans, have .-tarted a subscription list throughout t-.e profession for money with which S3 biy medicine and bandages to send i nmediately, by way of Tampa, Fla, d:r. A to the camps and towns of the patriots. The affair started with Dr. W. D. Kelly, Dr. Epoecock and Dr. Charles A. Wheaton. The list is L rowing among the physicians this a ternoon, and by tomorrow it is ex i cted a large sum will be realized, as thers also are subscribing. The phy 3cians intend to buy all the medicines, S)tndages, material and express it to :'ampa and thence to the coast of Cu i:. If the government attempts to iuterfere in this humane movement, ati appeal will be made to the Presi cent from a humanitarian standpoint. The story that comes from Cuba to t'-e physicians of this city, through ..ae of their number, is that there are 1S,(Y0 sick people ia Cuba, many of them the families of insurgents. DENvER, COL., Dec 15.-Aside from the regiment of Cuban volunteers that i anzed- here under the horney McAndrew, a company of 300 men has been quietly raised by Dr. Homer L Darnell, a urgeon of the Darnell Sanitarium, aLd is ready to start for Cuba as soon as arrangements can be made for their transportation from the Atlantic coast to the island. The members of the company are all said to be men of means and have armed and equipped themselves at their own expense, and onily ask that the Cuban Junta at Ne w York arrange for their safe land inig on Cuban soil. A brother of Dr. Darnell is in New York to perfect ar rangements for the transportation of the company. NEw YORK, Dec. 15-The Ne w York Council of Cuban Revolutionary Clubs has issued an address paying a tribute to the character of the soldier and martyr, Antonio Maceo, and conclud ing as follows: * Lzt every Cuban family reaffirm their warm devotion to tre cause of independence by for warding to our brethren now strug gling on the fields of battle, as cheer ing voice from every home and as a new proof of our close union in the common cause, at least one rifle, with which a new arm, also ready to fall in glorious death before yielding. sbail respox~d to the supreme and final effort and to the presumptuous confi dence of the Spanish people." BU'rrE, MON'., Dec. 13.-One hun dntd and six able bodied men of Butte have signed the roll which calls on them to aid the Cuban insurgents. lesolutions were adopted condemn ing the methods of Spain in the war and pledging co-operation of the Cu ban Libre Club, and calling on repre sentatives in Congress to do all in their power to have the belligerency of Cuba recognized. C. F. Grant, the recruiting officer at Denver, has been telegraphed to for instructions, and 'thee-ommand is ready to move at a moment's notice. * D~sMOINES, Iowa, Df c. 15.-George P. Guiot, railway ticket agent. ra -the union depot, has organized a comn pany for the Cuban war. He has ar ranged to equip fifty men, nd ha~s twenty-eight on the list now. The men have agreed to go as soon as be ligerent rights are recognized. Guniot isa graduate of Orchard Lake Military Acactemy, was several years a ser geant of the United States Cavalry, Amd is now chief engineer of the Iowa. National Guards. He says several other companies are being organized in Iowa. All the work of organiza tion has been done since the assassi nation of Maceo. NEW YORK, Dec. 15.-The o flces of -.he'Guban Junta was besieged to-day by applicants for enlistment in the Cuban army. Even before any of the officials connected with the lega lion had arrived, a crowd of sturdy young men stood at the entrance of the headquarters waiting for the doors to open, and before 9 o'clock the Cu ban cause could have had sixty able bodied recruits. All were dismisied with the infosmation that no men were wanted. One young man who' had come over from Jersey City was 'ioathto leave. "There are fifty of us," he said, "-and I have come over as the representative of all. WXe are ready to go at once. Isn't there somie way that we can joinI" The Cuban oflicials said to day that they had been quite overwhelmed with applications, and that during the last twenty-four hours narly eight hun dred men had applied for enlistment,, all of whom had been refused, owing to the law prohibiting enlistments here for service in foreign armnies. Many applications had also been re ceived by mail from near by cities. TARIFF AND FIANCE. AN EVENTFUL AND EXCITING DE BATE IN 1 HE SENATE. Leading Qttemtions of the Day Di)vus!ed by Le:O-ers cf the Various Parties and Factions-Sharp Poltical and Permonal Hits. WASuiNGToN, Dec. 16 -The session of the Senate developed the most eventful and exciting debate that eith er branch of Congres has heard in a long time. It brought forward the i:e cognized leaders of the various parties and elements, includinz such conspic uous tigures as Messrs. Sherman, Frye, Teller, Gorman, Vest, Aldrich, Platt, Mitchell of Oregon, Chandler, Hale and Allen, in notable statements on the leading questions which have en eaged the attention of Congress and the country of late. Not only were the lines laid down on tariff and finance, but the debate par took of all the pent-up feeling r-sult ing from the recent national coutest. Often it was dramatic in its intensity, and at all times absorbinaly interest inz, to he crowded galleries and in teut body of S.rnators. Political dif erencs caime in for a fair share of at tention, and the names of Mr. McKin ley and Mr. Bryan often were men ione d. The debatecame unexpectedly. when Mr. Vest called up the Allen resolu tion for consideration of the Dingley bill, in order,to makesome remarkson it. Mr. Vest was in his usual caus'i: vein and his speech teemed with those raceful and catchy phrases for which he is noted. In the beginning, hesaid he anpreciated he was -talking r f a dead issue, and he would not allude to it if many well meaning people were not urging on Congress to act upon this measure. He regarded the Ding ley bill as one of the most remarkable pieces of legislation ever presented. It was the result of the president's warn ng to Cngress a year ago that the ondition of the finances was so dan erous that the usual holiday recess ight well be abandoned. The recess was given up and the Dingley bill re ;ulted, notwithstanding the emphatic eclarations of the Exenative that no ore revenue was wanted. The Senator discussed the tin and wood schedules quite elaborately, as erting that the price of raw wool had gone up since the passage of the Wil ion law. "We were told," said he, "that with the election of McKinley prosperity would flood the land like unshune. McKinley waszelected; but has the prosperity come? Will the nerersed prosperity come with your .aritf bill, adding more taxes to the >urden of the people and heaping up nore money in the Treasure? Will hat give the people the resources to >uy either foreign or domestic goods? Mr. Vest denounced that -moss ,rown lie" which told of the large per apita circulation now enjoyed by the people. What was wanted was great r circulation, rather than greater axes, to bring the promised prosperi .y. "While I may be subjected to the :harge of being a lunatic, an anarchist ind a repudiator," declared Mr. Vest, "I assert that the only relief for the >eople is to give them more money. f we are lunatics and anarchists be 1ause we ask for the opening of the nints to the free coinage of silver, hen over six million American free nen who voted for Win. J. Bryan are unatics, and may God help the Re >ublic! But it is a vile slander. The nen who supported that great leader. inm. J. Bryan, are as loyal and as in elligen t a body of men as any in this ountry. The gold standard, at the oot of this evil, is the vilest monopoly ver conceived in the mind of mortal nan." The Senator spoke of the recent elec ion as a parody on free institutions. Ie was anxious to see what became of he investigation proposed by the enator from Nebraska (Allen). He as inclined to believe thatthe Sena or from New Hampshire (Chandler) as right when he declared that the t Louis convention was honeycomb d with fraud and that-the delegates here had been bargained for and ought. These assertions had been epeted by the Ne w Hampshire Sena or in a letter to Mr. Lodge of Massa ~husetts. There was more in such rases, Mr. Vest believed, than a mere ctivity in behalf of Mr. Reed's can lidacy. The discussion then drifted into the ~ecnical lines, concerning wool sched le prices at various times, etc. There ivas a burst of laughter at one point vhen Mr. Aldrich referred to the posi .ion of Mr. Vest and his great leader, Sr. Cleveland. "My former leader," interposed Mr. est, with such vigor on the word former" as to make Senators and the ~aleries roar. Mr. Mitchell (Rep. of Ore.) also ~ame into the debate. It was a con ttant crossfire on questions and asser ions as to wool prices and contradic tions Mr. Vest remar ked that he was ~reatly surprised to hear Senators on the other side talk of mills being ~losed no i. How could this be, since cKinley was elected? "We are living under Democratic laws." interjected Mr. Frye. "Yes, but every body assumes that the election of Mr. McKinley means he return to McKinley tariif rates. rhe Dingley bill is dead ; it re poses in the tomb of t be Capulets, and in its place a bill reiviving all the old rates is being matured." Mr. Mills of Texas spoke of the shod y hair which is in general use as ool, as result of wool protection. ie had supposed he wore a woolen oat, but he had drawn 'rom it a num ber of horse hairs, put there to make it an imitation of wool. Mr. Gear Rep. of 1a) caused a laugh by remariing: "Those horse hairs disc oyered by the Senator were ot there as wool substitute, but were put there by the Senator's tailor to stifen the collar." Mr. Chandler came for ward at this point to urge that the immigration :>ill had the right c f way, but he was soon involved in a lively and amusing :olloquy with Mr. Allen. Mr. Chand e said that as the Dingley bill was, according to Mr. Vest in the '-tomb of the C2apu lets," why was it brought for - ward now ? There was no serioars pur pose by the Senators from Nebraska or Missouri 'Allen and Vest) to urge the bill to a final vote. Mr. Chandler pointed out that the opposition of the Pre-sident must be considered in connection with the prospects of the Dingley bill. '-He is not my President. although he helped to elect my President. - added Mr. Chandle. This ftor-ned Mr. Alien'% attention to the President. and he spoke bitterly against the Executive. The Republican Senators had no rea son to fear Mr. Cleveland's opposition. "The President is with the Republi cars on goid monometallism," de cared Mr. Allen. -I understand he laughs and rejoices with Republicans over their mutual victory this fall." Mr. Shei man and Mr. Teller were both on their feet. as Mr. Allen closed, seeking recognition, and there was in tense interest on the floor and in the galleries. Mr. Sherman was first recognized. He spoke with great earnestness. It was a crime, Mr. Sherman declared. that Congress remained idle, failing to do its paramount duty of providing sufficient revenue for the expenses of the goverement. "We ought to do it," exclaimed the Senator. "It is a shan F, a disgrace to the Congress of the United States. to compel the issue of bonds in time of peace to meet the government's ex penses." Mr. Sherman said he would tase up the Dingley bill or any other bill that offered reveniue. But the bill should be passed as it came from the House of Representatives, without the silver substitute. "That silver rider is a mnore co ward lv evasion of legislation," declared Mr. Sherman, passionately. "I say it with all the emphasis I can give to it. It was placEd there to prevent action on a measure framed to aid the opera tions of the government." There was an additional interest when Mr. Teller (Rep. of Colo.) arose to contribute his share to t'he debate. His remarks were highly interesting. The sole question before the Senate, said Mr. Telles, was, "Could the Ding ley bill be passed?" He bad no hesita tion in declaring as answer to that question that there was no earthly reason for suppsing it could pass. Without desiring to violate aoy confi dence, he would say that there was an obstruction inthe Senate which would not permit it to become a law without a silver attachment. "This bill," Mr. Teller went on, speaking earnestly, "was nct intro duced to be passed. It is not fit to be passed. We have heard here, over and over again, from the Senator from Oaio (Sherman) and from others, that this is not a protecive bill; that it is a mere makeshift, a temporary expedi ent." "The Republican- party," he con tinued, "is ab,-it to come into power. If it was not so late I might express an opinion as to the agencies which enabled it to do so," he added, paren thetically. "I may discuss that sub ject at another time. "We were told during the campaign that the era of prosperity would begin as soon as the election was over. If the pedicted prosperity has appeared on the hori zon, I ha -e failed to see it. The Re publican party has a duty to discharge. out it won't be discharging it by talk ing about the Dingley bill. Mr. Chandler of New Hampshire here arose to call Mr. Teller's atten tion to the fact that the movement to proceed with the consideration of the bill did not come from sifemat-2 who supportEd Mr. McKinley, but from the Senator from Nebraska (1r. Allen), who tried to elect Mr. Bryan. "I am not sO well satisfied," inter rupted Mr. Teller, "that Mr. Bryan was not elected." The Repulican Senators smiled, but when he added that no Republican Senator was supporting the bill in good faith there were protests from Messrs. Chandler and Galli nger of Ne w Hampshire. Frye of Maine and Sew all of Ne w Jersey. Mr. Teller said he would accept the disclaimers and modify his statement so as that he did not see how it could pass. But, he asked, why was it, if there were any considerable number of Republican Senators who wanted to pass the bill, it was not pressed ? Mr. Chandler replied that his side did not claim there were no obstruc tions - What they objected to was the imputation of their motives. "I: say again," said Mr. Teller sharply, "whether it is offensive or not, and I say it on my own responsi bility, that the bill was not introduc ed to be passed but for political ad vantage." When Mr. Hale called for facts to sustain this "extraordinary state ment," Mr. Teller declared that every thing touching tt e bill showed it was a political move to distract attention from the financial issue. The Repub lican campaign that followed proceed ed with that end in vie w. In conclusion, Senator Teller de clared that he wanted to see a return of prosperity. He believed it could only be brought about by a decent fi nancial system; but if any other sys tem was proposed that would stand the test of logic, he would support it. He would support it. He did not mean that he would vote for a tariff bill. He would reserve the right to decide that Question later. Mr. Teller then gave way to Mr. Gorman (Dem. of Md ), who declared that the Democrats would fight the Dingley bill. Mr. Hale then admitted if what had been said by Mr. Teller, who repre sented a faction on the tloor, and by Mr. Gorman, who could be assumed to voice the sentiments of the other side, were true, there were many dili in the way, and he expressed the hope th at the ecountry would take notice of these difliculties. Mr. Teller interposed to say that he only spoke for himself. After some sparring, Mr. Gorman shrugged his shoulders and satid: "-I do not care about the mere finesse. Bt you know you cannot accomplish anything at this session. The Dingley bill will not suffice. You cannot af ford to pass it upon the business of thbe country again at the next session: and, moreover, we won't permit you todo it.' With this definite statement Mr. Gorman closed. Mr. Hale looked relieved, and re marked: '-That is ample." While Mr. Allen from his seat said: "Then it is understood the Dingley bill is dead." Thereupon Mr. Platt of Connecticut got upon his feet and announced de cisively that he appreciated that "-The Reublicans never did have the votes to p>ass the bill, and had less now than tev ever had." liut it remained for Mr. Sherman to formally announce that the Dingley bill was dead- He said he could not always speak for his associates, but in view of what had been said on the door, he felt he could safely announce no w that the Dingley bill could not be passed, and that it was useless to waste further time upon it. This closed the exciting debate, and on motion of Mr. Q aay, the Senate. at 4:32 p. mn., went into executive session REPORT ON EDUCATION. THE SCHOOLS OF THE STATE IN GOOD CONDITION. Mr. Mayfield is the First of the Ofticars to Send His Report to the Public Printer Enrollment Greater Than Ever. COLUMBIA, S. C., Dec. 18 -Super intendent of Education Mayfield yes terday handed his annual report to the General Assembly to the Public Prin ter, being the first of the State oflicers to do so. It is a very able and inter esting document, furnishing much valuable information about the edu cational institutions of the State and discussing in a most lucid manner several auestions affecting their in terests. Mr. May field's discussion of the dispensary profit question is par ticularly timely, showing that legisla tion is needed to make the schools re ceive funds from this source as in tended by the constitutional conven lion. Tne introduction to the report is as follows: To the Honorable, the Senate and House of Representatives of South Carolina: Gentlemten: I have the honor to submit the following as the twenty eighth annual report of the Denart nent of Education: The statistical tables shows a gen eral i:nprovement The department has been free from disturbance or friction. Harmony has uniformly prevailed among tue teach ers and school oflicers. All things ccnsidered Lne schools for the year have been satisfactory and the results accomplished as great as could have been expected. The school law passed at your last session contains a few conflicting see tions of minor importance which I will call to the attention of the committees on education during your session. A. few changes in the law are need ed. These I will suggest when I take up the subjects to which they relate. The earollment for the year is lar ger than ever before in the history of the State. Last year the number of white pupils was 103,728, and this year 109,159, an increase of 5,430; col ored pupils last year 119,292, and this year 123,178, an increase of 3,886; a total increase of white and colored pupils of 9.316. This increase has sur - passed the most sanguine expectations of those charged with the manage ment of the department. This scho lastic year was put eight months, in stead of twelve, commencing Novem ber 1 and ending June 30, caused by the change in the law. Had the schools that were taught during the summer months been included in this report as they would have been had the scholastic year been 12 months instead of eight, possibly the enroll ment would have been still larger. Formerly the scholastic year ran from November the 1st to October the 30th. Under the new law it runs, after this year, from July the 1st to June the 30;h. This was a wise change a&mig ejs the schdkpgic year coter minal with that-6f the ccfegtE-d graded school and thus prevents a di vision of the sessions of these schools. Formerly a part of the sessions of these schools was incorporated in the report of one scholastic year and the remainder in that of another. As soon as the officers familiarize them selves with the change they will be pleased with it, for in addition to the reason already assignei. it gives am ple time in which to prepare and for ward their reports. The schools for the whites average 3 95 months, and those for the colored 3.25 months. It will be observed that the average is not as great as that of last year, but this is to be accounted for by the shortening of the scholast ic year, putting the schools for the summer months into the next scholas tic year. Had the schools for the sum mer months been included in this year the average length of session would have been increased beyond that- of any previous year. By careful management all the schools of many of the counties have been Drought to a cash basis, and in many other c unties some of the school districts have been brought to a cash basis. In but fe w of the cour ties are all the schools on a credit ba sis. I had hoped to see the schools of every county in the State brought to a cash basis by this time, but this has been impossible. Work along this line has been quietly done, with but little, if any, notice taken of it, and in no way has the cause of education suffered on account of it. Efforts along this line will be continued, but [ can not promise results as the terms of the law are at times in the way and prevent wise action which would ac complish the purpose. The condition f the schools of the several counties are so 7ery different that no general mandatory law on the subject would meet the exigencies of the case or pro vide the proper relief. An amend ment to the law with proper limita tions giving a wider discretion on this line to school officers would aid great ly, if it did not altogether accomplish the end desired. The total school expenses for the year were several thousand dollars less than last year. but this is also ac oatable for by the shor'tening of the scholastic year ~and putting the schools for the summer months in next year. It may have been expected by some that the expenditures for the year woul i be largely in excess of any pre vious years. But it should be remem bered that the counties on a cash basis used only the tax formerly levied, a poll tax and a two mill tax. In some counties not on a cash basis only a poll and a two mill tax were used,and in no county was the full amount of poll acd three mill tax used. The condition of the schools of the differ ent counties rendered this 'course both proper and expedient. Tais is but an instauce of the advisability of mating the law more Ilexiole. The State con stitution or 1895 provides as follows: Section 6. - There shall be as sessed on all taxable polls in the State between the ages of twenty-one and sixty years (excepting Confedlerate soldiers above the age of fifty years,) an annual tax of one dollar on each poll, the proceeds of which tax shall be expended for school purposes in the several school districts in which it is collec~ed. Whenever during the three next ensuing fiscal years the tax levied by the said county boards of commissioners or similar otlicers and the poll tax shall not yield an amount equal to three dollars per capita of the number o. children enrolled in the public schools of each c::unty for the scholastic year ending the 31st day of October, in the year eighteen hundred enthusiastic mass meeting wahd o nioht to express sympat'.y with the cause of Cubp Li;bre and to denounce the cowardly -ssassination of Maceo. After a torchlight procession, the mueeth:2 was addressed b. many of the leading citin-rs. iucluding some ministers. lResolutiong were adopted appeaiing to Congress, f"r the sake of humanity. to enact suchi le slationa will give American citizens the legal right to aid the Cuoan patriots, and that the govetnment imay at once de clare the independence of the Cuban nation, reg-.rdless of foreiga comnpli cations. CIsC NN\TT, D-c 15.-A special to tae Cor:mercial-Tribune from Lx ington, K-r . says. At a big mass meeting called by Mayor Simrall to take action in reference to the Cuban revoiution, the court house was crowd g to-night. Resolutions were passed that Cuba must be free: that the Unit ed States should help Cuba to free dom by peaceful measures if she could, by forcible measures if she must. Colonel Tom Davidson. after the meeting, burned the Spanish fiag, amid hurrahs, and Captain Langmtre of Company E. States Guards, said he had 40 men ready to start to Cuba on 21 hours notice under command of Colonel Davidson. NEW YORK. Dec. 15. -- mass meet ing to express sympathy with the Cu bans was held in Jersey City to night. Among the speakers was S. C, Heari ques, who was United States OConsul at Cardenas during the Harrison ad ministration. He said that Spain was exulting over the foul assasination of as grand a man as ever went forth to give battle in the cause of human liberty. The United States, he de lared, could no longer afford to be one of the nations who oppress Cuba ARKa3S-iS, City. Ark , DEc. 15. President James Hightower of this ity is organizing a company of young men to go to Cuba and join the insur gents. Mr. Hightower has had a mil Lary training and at one time was a resident of Cuba. Severalyoung m-n have enleed, and as soon as the com any is completed the Cuban Junta at New York will be applied to for trans portaticn to Caba. New Yoax, Dec. 15.-Three thou ;and members of the orzanization known as the "American Friends of Duba" will march next Monday even ing in a body to Cooper Union and participate in the demonstration to be held there in sympathy with the Cu ban patriots. The organization is ade up entirely of American citizens. [n the parade will march a company :stumed as Cuban soldiers. Presi lent Frank Myer, who is one of the few survivors of the Virginius expe lition, will head the line. NEW YoRK, Dec. 15.-St. Marks Ly :eum, of which Rev. Dr. Earnest Ly )n is pastor, has called a mass meet ing on Friday evening to protest against the cruelty of the Spanish ,overnment in its treatment of the sland. Resolution will be adopt ed urging the Congress of the United tates to recognize the belligerency of e Cubans. The meeting will also ledge itself, if belligerency is declar d, to procure 1,000 Afro-Americans ho will give their lives in the cause >f liberty, if need be. MDDLETOWN, N. Y, Dec. 15. Aney is being raised in this city to dd the Cuban insurgents, and a pub tic meeting is announced at which esolutions will be adop+ed and for warded to Congressman O'Dell at Washington. MACEO'S DEAyH. Habana Not Satisfied as to the Truth of the stories ToiL HAansa, via Key West. Dec. 16. Eaceos death is still surrounded by :ystery. The body is undiscovered md no further proofs have been ad uced except theo ciliaiil statement which leads the Cubans to think he is1 ~till alive. In fact, the residents of] Punta Brava, the vicinity in which1 .be engagement occurred, disbelieve ,he story. Zsitucha continues to give ~xtraordinary evidence, lie now saysi he knife captured belongs to Gome z's o and not to Macco. The Cubansi ~onsider it significant that the objects ~aptured are not shown and also the leged written statements of Gomez's ;on. It is] also significant that no ubans have surrendered since thei eader's alleged death, proving either< hat it will not affect the revolution,< r that Maceo is not dead. Many ru nors are afloat in connection with< Eaceo's death and all are confusiner. 2ne is that a major at Cabezas, Man-i anzas. telegraphed that Macco passed1 ear the town with a large force. nother is that Aguirre has written ander date of the 10th, but does not1 nention the fact. Many couriers bae been sent to investigate, but have ot returned. The Cubans disbelieve. the story that Macao was killed by reachery. Triey say Maceo was not easily trapped and would not accept a tag of truce even from Ahumada. Ee knew the gentleman by his reputa. ion. The marine authorities are in dignant at Weyler's statement that Maceo crossed the trocha in a boat, and it is said have cabled to Spain protest ing. The minister laid the fact before the cabinet meeting. The relations of the naval and military authorities ar2 strained. The demonstrations in Weyler's honor were simply to cover the fail ure in Pinar del Rio. It is easy to or ganize any demonstration ini Habana, counting with volunteers the great numbers of semi military organiza tions who are forced to obey orders. Crowds will gather the same as in other places and will cheer for the sake of excitement. It is said friction has cccurred be tween Weyler and Civil Governor Porruna on eccount of the former not promta~ Chief of Police Libarrera, who is only amaj or of the civil guard. Reports from the field are scar-cer every day. Ths government is hiding all important engagements. It is said important encounters have coeurred in Pmnar del Rio and Mantan zas, but the details are surpress ed. In fact, the government is t,-y ig to impress the public that the re bel ranks are demoralized since M.aceo's death and shirk fi-.;hts. Quite the con trary. The r-ebels are displaying mc r-a acivity even in the vicinity of the city, where ou;posts are fired upon niidy. The same happens at Guan abacoa and other surrounding towns. A Fatal Leap. TAnPA ihe , Dec. 16.-Jose Garcia Amador, a Gaan wholmale :miport ing grocer. while his brain was wreck d with fever, jumped fro n the se cond st -ry of his re sidence TwesdJay naht, crushing his head, lHe di*-d at 9 o'clok t his mrwnir~ reoort of the State Superintendent ofi Education for said scholastic year, the Comptroller General shall. for the aforesai. three next ensuing L* ,cal years. on the first day of eac of said years. levy such an annual tax on the taxable property of the State as he may determine to be necessary to make up such deficiency, to be col lected as other State taxes, and appcr tion the same among the zeveral coun ties of the State in proportion to the respective defciencies therein. Section 12. All the net income to be derived by the State for the sale or li cense for the sale of spiritous, malt, vinous and intoxicating licuors an.d beverages, not including so much thereof as is now or may hereafter be allowed by law to go to the counties and municipal corporations of the State, shall be applied annually in aid of the supplementary taxes provided for in the sixth section of this article; and if after said application there should be a surplus, it shall be devot ed to public school purposes, and ap portioned as the General Assembly may determine: Provided, horwever, That the said supplementary taxes shall orv be levied when the net in- 1 come aforesaid from the sale or license from the sale of alcoholic liquors or J beverages is not sufficient to meet and equalize the deficiencies for which the said supplementary taxes are provi ded." At your last session you passed the following act: Stction 1. That 1h,3 orofits of the State from the State dispensary here tofore acrued up to December 31, 1895, inclusive of the fifty thomsand dellars heretofore covered into the State treasury, amounting to the sum of $2243,81G.57, be paid intc the State treasury as the same is collected, and that the same be entered upon the general account in the State treasury I and he applied to the general current I expenses of the State government for the fiscal year 1896. Section 2 That the profits of the State from the State dispeisary accru - ing since January I, 1896, be paid in to the State treasury as the same is - collected, and that the same be entered 5 upon a special account and be held in the State treasury under the provis ions of Section 12 of Article Xt of the E Cnstitutiou of the State." S It is a question as to what this Act means. It is subject to different con structions when construed independent C of the Constitution. The interpreta- t tion now put upon it gives the net 2 profits from the business of the gener- V al exoense account of the State until c the amount of profits reaches the sum of $193,81.57-the total value of the z stcck on hand on December 31, 1895, consisting of bottles, sealing wax, 1 mules, wagons, office furniture, li- I quors and so on. This view postpones s the income to the school fund from 3 the Disyensary until the net profts c amount to $193,816.57. My in forma- s ion is that there has bcen paid into the State Treasury during the year as Dispensary profits $75,000, leaving $t1.816 57 still unpaid to the general a account. At this rate it will take s aboat another year and a haif to tin- 1 inh paying-the-~era~edl r:~ Lis is the proper construc:ion i. will s be about June 1898, before there will s be realized to the school fund any thing from the Dispensary and that 1 clearly defeats the purpose of the Con- F stitution inasmuch as these profits are "in aid of the supplementary tax pro c vided for in the sixth section of" Ar- C ice X[ of the Constitution. This t upplementary tax provided for in the t onstitution guaranteed to the people s for three years a school fund- equal to , hree dollars per capita on the enroll-l1 ent for 1895. If the regular school! s fund and the profits from the Dispen- a ary to the schools do not equal three ? ollars during any one of these three f ears, the Comptroller General is re- ~ 0 uired by the Constitution to levy a :eficiency tax, but he is not required o levy the tax until the regular school s fund and the Dispensary profits fail 1: o raise the three dollars per capita. 9 he three years will have passed be- t fore the schools realize any thing from jC he Dispensary and, therefore, the omptroller General will never have -t o levy a deficiency tax, and the three e~ ollars per capita for the schools, r uaranteed by the Constitution, will ~ e defeated to the disappointmnent of he people who have put faish in the 1 romise. Under the act rassed at your last C ession the funds on hand and those t rising since for the permanent school i fund have been invested by the State t re-asurer as follows: e n S. C. 4t-1 per cent. cou- t pon bonds.......... .$21,000 00 C In S. C.- 4 1-2 per cent. stock 14 ,757 95 8 n S. C. 4 1-2 per cent. stcck. t Bsrown................. 11,700 00 % n U. S. 4 per cent. consols -1,700 00 5 Total.................$19,157 95 a During the year ninety-eight school 5 ouses have been erected, at a cost of 5 $,733.12. The school houses for t whites number 2,448; valuatioc, $57).- t 6390; those for colored number 1,692, C valued at $176,112.35; making an r agregate of 4,140 bushels, valued at I 74667.45. The school furniture t and apparatus is valued at $74,65:.3:;. .1 whicb, added to the value of houses, y akes a total value of school proper I yof $S21,329.78.r Some feeling has been aroused in e the State through the public press ver the use of objectionable school istories in the schools of the State. Some of these objectionable books ave been named by the cridecs who1 e ave engaged in the discussion. These bjectionable books are principally sed in private schools and araded chools, created by speelal legislation, cer which this department has no c t your last session to reeulate this a mattcr so far as these graded schools C were concer. ed, and in the discassion I n the subj ect some of the dangers ia- -: voved in neglecting the matter were f presented. The State Board, in 1995, s adopted Hlansel's Histories for use in t the public schools. These are unobo- 1 ectionable books so far as this depart ment is concerned and so far as the r critics have expressed themselves. Montgomery's Beginners' History was s also adopted by the State B ard at the e same time, more on account of biog- 1 raphy than its history value for young c hildren. These are the only historiesi t~he State Board has adopted, and the i use of any other histcry in any public I school is without authority of li. I By special legislation thors getided schools are not under the jurisaietion of the State Board, and, therefore. this bcard is not responsible for this his tories used in them. During the year special school dis-] tricts have been established by the C oun ty B3o a r s a nv iei l t ander the jurisdiction of the State Board. as follows: Anderson, 2,1 special tax none; Barnwell, 12, special tax 10: Berkeley. 1, special tax none: Chestertield, 2. special tax none; Clar ndon, 1 special tax none; Colleton, 2, special tax none; Fairfield. 1, spec ial tax 1; Greenville, 5, special tax 2; Marlboro, 1, special tax 1: Oonee, 2, spzcial tax 2: Orangeburg, 1, special Lax 1; York, 1. special tax none; mak iOg a total of 81. with 17 levying a -pecial tsx. Previous to this year sprcial schooil listricts had been estabslied by the .ounty Boards, and a special tax s evied, under the zeneral law author- r zing the jurisdiction of the State 3oard, as follows: Anderson, 8 ;pecial tax none: Barnwell, 22. special ax 9; Berkeley, 2 special tax 2; Ches- 1 er, 1, special tax none; Chesterfield, t lo. special tax 7; Claiendon, 2, special t ;ax 2; Colletor i2 sp-cial tax none; )ariington, 3 special tax none; Edge leld 10, special tax I: Fairfield, 16, pecial tax 10; Ficrdnce, 7, special tax I ione; Greenville. 1, srecial tax 1 e Iampton, 3, special tax 1; Kershaw, , special tax 7: L ancaster, 1, special ax 1; Marion, 4, special tax 2; Marl- s >oro, 1, sE cial tax 1;Ne w berry, 7,spec- 1 al tax 7; Orangeurg. 11, special tax a A; Pickens, 3, special tax 2; Sumter, snecial tax 1; Union, 1, special tax York. 4, special tax 1; making a to at of 137 dist-icts, with 66 levying a e pecial tax. 0 In addition to the foregoing the r egislature has createl, by special . egislation, 9) special ssnool districts, nost of which are still in existence a nd levy a sprcial tax, which di3tricts v .re not under the jurisdiction of the it tate Baard. There are eighty-nine public schools h n the State, as shown by the School h >nmissiners' reports, in which the c ubliL; fu-uds are supplemented by t] >rivate subscriptions. In s~me of the a ounties, reports not included in the g bove, the School Commissioners say r 'many," "nearly all,' "one-fourth to g ne third," etc. it The Sahool Commissioners' reports 1 ho. eighty-five academies and high chools in operation this year. h The State colleges, male and female w ave had a posperous year. Rifer- p nc3 is hera directed to their several it pecial reports and to their separate w aention in the body of this report, r hat you may have a full and clear h, onception of the condition of each of si bem. All the private colleges, male I nd female, have been well attended b ,nd appear to be in a most prosperous s ondition. sl It is indeed gratifying to note that c 11 the institutions of higher learning, ai tate and private, as well as the pub c and graded schools, have been well ft atronized and that the educational al pirit in the State seems to increase oJ ear by year. But the contention tt ver free tuition in the State colleges ai till continues. h The boards of trustees of the State t1 astitutions of higher learning in this r( ,Late are too large, thereby entailing w greater expense than is necessary to h ecure their proper supervision. At o! ast two meetings of each board is u 7=CTe7 -'ye arn n ture the ime involves a heavy cost on tea n- h1 itution. sl The vexel qaestion of free tuition tl 1 State colleges should be settled and W ut to rest. For many years it has si !en a subject of dissatisfaction and w mplaint on the part of the friends bj f the other colleges in the States, and w aus has worked injury to all the in- ti trests of education. That such dis- it tisfaction shoukct exist is not sur- ki rising, in the absence of all uniform tw or practice on the subject, in the it veral State colleges. The private ti nd denominational colleges are de ii endent largely upon their tuition cc es, and J.heir friends complain of je rat they consider a want of due re- al ard for their interests and rights, al Under such circumstances, and-for tc ike of all the interests concerned, it c< very desirable that some equitable tI ad permanent settlement of the ques- n on should be reached, which would ti e uniform in its application to all the o1 tate colleges, ahnd just alike to the in- tt ~rests of the State and of the private is lleges. So long as the question re- tt iains open, the agitation and the al arm resulting from it will continue, J nd the failure of each successive Leg- h slature to settle it only increases the ti ritation and danger. In the hope tI f reaching such a settlement, and of aus harmonizing so far as possible all og de interests of higher education in ec ae State, I recommend that at an e arny day in the session the Commit- ti se on Education invite a conference ti f the presidents or superintendents of tI 11 the colleges of the State. and of oj de State Board of education, with the et iew of agrreeing upon a general oj heme which may then be enacted li ato law, and henceforth enforced in ai 11 the State colleges. I feel sure that tI ach a conference would meet in the piit of compromise and with an in- oj lligent desire to advance all the in- al irests of education in the Siate. Of tr ourse the special scholarships, for tI .ormal or other purposes, should be E rotected, but the general question of h ition fees might be settled upon a n st and uniform plan, with which al an the private colleges would doubt- bi ss co-operate. I beg leave to com- v iend this suggestion to early consid -w ration. W. D. MAYFIELD, o Superintendent of Education. w Could Not Catch the Fihster. KEY WES, Fla., Dec. 16;.-The a ruisers Newark and Raleigh returned f >Key West at noon today and imme-a iately reported to the navy depart-.t 1et that they had been unable to e vnriaul the fllibuster steamer Three c 'riends. 1t is reported here on good 0 uthority that the latter landed her U argo on the southeast side of the is- e sad laxt night, after a running fight f( rih t wo Soanish gun boats. Gaards b cm Gomiz's army received the war upplies safely. As was reported in a hese dispatches yesterday, the Three n 'ciends sailed from Jacksonville Sun- CI ay nis ht with a large cargo of arms ti nd aaimunition. When the news sI as received on board the Newark y he was seen to hurriedly steam up h d sail out of the harbor. She did tl ot even wait to take on a full supply a 'f coal. It was to cut off the filibus er stea-ner that the cruiser left sot turriedil. and an exciting chase is a aid to have taken place. The Taree n rends is a ieet little craft and had e: o diliculty in showing her hells to ei acle Sam's cruisers and to tile Span- - sx vessels, which are also reported to k are taken part in the chase. When s: uestioned about the firing heard off b ~ey West yesterday, the off::ers re - : f used to talk,. and will not say wheth- i 'ensh vessels cprned fire up- r mt. ThaI. she succeeded in c m. c-on is not doubed here. f FEAR A GREAT FLOOD. RELIGIOUS SECT IN VIRGINIA READY WITH THEIR ARKS. hey Have Four Prepared, Fashloned Just Lak Old Noah's-Deinge to Continue Sixty 1) Lys-Food Stored Away. NORFOLK, Va., Dec. 1'.--Floating bout the placid waters of Currituck ound, near the mouth of the Chowan iver, are bargelike house boats. There re 150 men, women and a few chil ren on these boats, and they are all ooking towards Christmas, not with he merry anticipation of the rest of he world, but with dread. The people on these boats c 11 them elves Sanctificationists, and Aey ex act a second flood to deluge the earth n Christ's birthday. The four bais hey call arks, and the leader of the trange band styles himself Noah. He i a religious fanatic of a peculiar type, nd claims to have bad a vision in rhich he was warned of the coming of ae flood. H appears to be deeply in arnest and a firm believer in the truth f his peculiar prognostications. His eal name is Joseph Lynch. He isabout 5 years old, is tall, thin and gaunt, nd is a common type of the poor rhite on the Eastern shore of Virgin t and North Carolina. Before he became the modern Noah e was a poor farmer, like others of is class. Of educatioa he has practi ally none, but he is shrewder than le others, and, moreover, he possesses rude eloquence which seems to have iven him great power over his igno tnt neighbors. In some way he has athered a peculiar medley of Biblical iformation and this he has cunning r distorted to serve his ends. A trifle less than a year ago he sold is farm and purchased an old barge. hich he remodeled on the lines of the ictures of the original ark. He made habitable, and then set about the ork of making converts. Just what teans he adopted is not known, but , was surprisingly successful, con dering the absurdity of his claims. en lef t their wives and children to egin life in the ark, and wives de rted husbands and families. In a tort time it became necessary to se ire a second ark, and later on a third id then a fourth. There is no knowing how large a eet Noah Lynch would have gathered >out him had not the sensible people the surrounding country risen in teir might and with shotguns, rifles id pistols descended upon the four irges. The rattle of bullets against te sides of the arks showed that the formers meant business. One of the omen on Noah Lynch's boat had the irdihood to poke her head out of one ' the windows to argue with the mg lators, but the next instant she ., ita la er head. The men in that country ioot surprisingly straight, but had tey known that their target was a *oman -her life would have been >ared. The attack of the regulators as made in the night time, while a g revival was going on, and as they ere shooting from some distance tey did r.ot know until next morn g that it was a woman they had led. This attack had the effect of check tg the alarming growth of the Sanc licationists. Noah Lynch ceased uch of his activity in making new nverts and many of those who had mied the band thought better of it ad returned to their homes. The -ks, which had been anchored close the bank of Chowan River, ior the mnvenience of communicating with tose on shore and to afford an easy ethod for intending converts to par cipate in the revivals, were moved it in'.o the broader waters of Curri tek~ Sound. Here the Sanctification ts were comparatively safe from fu ire descents by the regulators. The tack just described took place last Luly and since then Noah Lynch and is band kept very quiet until within te past two or three weeks, when ter renewed their activity. Visitors to the revivals are taken it to the barges in rowboats, and new nverts are being added to the band rery few nights, as the ignorance of te country people is not proof against ie terrific word pictures, drawn by te crude eloquence of Noah Lynch, the flood which is to devastate the trth on the 25th of the month. Many the converts seem to honestly be eve that Lynch is the modern Noah, ad profess faith in the certainty of te prophesied flood. Others of the converts, and the bulk them, are raere shams. Life in the k is very easy and much more at 'active to indrolent ndads and bodies tan the drudgery of farm work. ach new convert contributes all of is or her wordly wealth to the comn on fund, the surrounding waters ound with fish, and vegetables can had froan the farming folk in the icinity for next to nothing. The omen on the boats perform the bulk the work, and this consists almost holly of preparing the meals, which e models of simplicity. The regulators of last summer would ever have been called into life had it ot been for the fact that Noah Lynch ad his cohorts were making particular forts to induce young country girls become converts, and in several tses had succeeded. One of the last mnverts of this kind was the daughter a family famed for its respectability ithe vicinity, and although the fath and mother exerted strenuous ef >rs to induce the girl to return to her ome shae resisted all appeals. The fact that the Sanctificationists re followers of the Mormons in the Latter of their domestic life also help. I to bring about the uprising against tema. Tne feeling had been very rong prior to their efforts to convert oung girls, owing to the number of omes which had been broken up by te desertion of either the father or the other. Beginning Sunday, December 20, iere will be the biggest kind of reviv 1, and it will be kept up until Ch tas dlay, when the Sanctificatio* spect to see the waters rise an tAh obliterated. For the eeks the band has been col inds o f provisions. Man tlted fish are stored in th arges, together with sa our, meal and boxes ave food enought ionths, although n the earth agi