Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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LET US HAVE A SHARE IF PROTECTION IS THE RULE, AL SHOULD BE PROECTED. The Able Speech of Congreslman McLat rin or the Dingley Tarirlt Bill-The Se< tienalm of the M astre and its Untair Des to the South Clearly Pointed Out. One of the features of the tariff d( bate was the remarkable speech c Congressman McLaurin. of Sout Carolina, in which he takes the pos tion now advocated by many of th younger Democrats, that for ten years at least, protection will continue t, be the policy of this country. ani therefore the representatives of th South should do what they can to ot tain justice for Southern interests The substance of Mr. McLaurin' speech as it related to the South's de mand for reciprocity in protection i given below. After some preliminary remark Mr. McLaurin said: ZNot long since I heard honorabl, members of this body rrom the North epecially from New England, defen< the single gold standard on the groun< that free coinage would cheapen th, dollar and bring a loss to the laborin people of that section whose mone, was deposited in savings banks. This statement struck me wit] great force, and I determined to in vestigate the causes which made suc deposits possible. I was well awart that no such condition existed in m: State; that instead of the laborint people of my section having bank ac counts, they had store accounts, whicti a majority of them were unable to pay when -lue. BANK VS. STORE ACCOUNTS This statement-and I have no rea son to doubt its truthfulness-that th< laboring people of one section of thi country could have bank accounts while a similar class in another sectioz could not, forced the conclusion upoz me that somothing somewhere was radically wrang. In looking into the matter I discovered enough to con vince me, it least, that the interests ol the laboring and producing classes o: the South had to a certain extent beer sacrificed to the doctrines of free rav material. I imagined I detected tnie fact that the enthusiasm and heat o debate, together with an intense oppo sition to the policy and principles o protection, had caused us to forget om neglect to demand a just reciproeit3 for our own people when at the begin ning, as now, we fully realize that any and all opposition will fail. Undei such circumstances, whatever consid eration is given to Southern interest, comes almost without a demand an( is always of such a character as to in terfere as little as possible with inter eats in the North and East. In othei words, men who advocate the theor3 of free raw material and denounce s tariff as robbery are not in a positiox to ask reciprocity for their own people who produce this free raw materia] and en buy it back in the manufac -3rnd.avzicle th aheavy duty added. By reason of this unfortunate situa tion the people of the South have beer compelled to stand the expense of a practical test of the doctrine of fre4 raw materiaL It is the only sectio that has not filled the corridors of thi Capitol with lobbyists and bessiged the ways and means committee to protection to their industries. Mr. Speaker, I am opposed to an3 further experiments in that direction, If we are to have protection for fin ished products in New England, I de mand asimilar right for tne raw pro ducts in South Carolina and tne bal anice of the South. If we are to have aprotective duty for cotton cloth, le us have protection also for the cottor out of which the cloth is manufactur ed. No one should deny the fairnes: of this proposition. Are those who manufacture cttor cloths more entitled to governmental favor than those who toil in the ho sun to produce the raw cotton? 1 those who spin and weave in Nei' England can nave bank accounts, ari those who plant and make the cottor less worthy of a similar privilege?] undertake to say that one is as worthy as the other, and that under a trul3 popular government there should be no specially favored class, section 0) individual, but that all sctions, al. classes and all industries should be placed upon the same footing, "witt equal rights to all and special privi -leges to none" under the law. This is my contention and the pur pose I would seek to accomplish. Wi know that the people of the North ani East during the past thirty years havi been piling up wealth almost beyon< measure. We know that the peoplE of the South are comparatively poor Whence this difference? TESOUTH THE ONLY VICrIM. As Demccrats we have denourncer the dcctrinds of protection a.nd de -clared that the protected inusres 0 the North and East were rob bing zu balance of the naticn. Believitig thi to be true, and knowing that in spit of all our efforts for thirty years this doctrine still eontinues in operation, is it wise, is it just to our people nol to demand fair play for our section Must our people suffer because of ou: obstinacy or pride Let us deman< equal privileges for all the products o the South to the end that if t'ie tarit is robbery our own section 'Nill ceas' ,to be its only victim. lf protectioz 'really brings higher prices, as w< claim, let the people of the South real ize that fact when they market theil cotton, sugar, tobacco, rice, lumber -etc. I am sure not one of them wouli object, but on the contrary woulc make excellent use of this additionia remuneration for their labor. That the surplus money of the coun try finds its w'ay to New England an< the manufacturing centres, wnere at the profits of production finally lodge can be demonstrated beyonda doubt And just as long as our people in thi South continue to produce the raw material at a loss and buy the manu factured article bacik with a protectivi duty added, just so long will tue; re main poor and dependenlt on the Norti and East. The South needs factories and othei business enterprises to develop her re sources and manufacture her raw ma terial. It requires money to do this and money sne has not, neither wil she e ser have until she stops selling her raw material at a loss and buying it back from New England at a fig] price. If the raw products of the Souti could be protected equally with th manufactured products of New Eng land, the South would soon be inde pendent and her laboring people u far more comfortable circumstance than they are now. VOL. X1I. MANNING., S. C., WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1897. NO. 37. I FROM THE NEWS AND COURIER *I I am not discussing this question from a theoret'c or philanthropic L standpoint, but simpiv demanding equal rights and a fuli share for my own section of the benefits whic! may accrue from legislation, whethei suck legislation accords with my po littzal creed or not. That I do nol st.-nd alone in this demand I quote - -om The News and Courier, ol Charleston. S. C., one of the ables j.urnals of the South. In answer tc a correspondent who demanded s f duty on cotton, this journal, undei I date of December 31, 1896, says (aere Mr. McLiuria quoted the edito e rial in full.) Mr. Speaker, what this article de Mands for cotton should be demanded for every industry, agricultural or a manufacturing, in the South. NOT A PROTECTIONIST. I say this not as a Protectionist, 3 (since I believe in the practical appli. cation of a revenue tariff,) but as a 3 matter of justice and fair play among all the people, of all the sections ol our country. At this point I proposs to give some facts and statistics con a cerning the different sections of the cuntry with reference to the increase of wealth, the accumulation of wealth, and the distribution of capital, and wealth. I expect to disclose such an unequal distribution in favor of New Engiand and the North, as to force in quiry as to its cause and remedy from all who love equity and despise favor itism. NEW ENGLAND AND ITS ALLIES. Out of these forty-three States and Territories only twelve show an in crease of property valuation, while the remaining thirty-one show almost uniform decreases. The total increase for the t welve States is $337,800,753. Of this amount $235,83,482 comes from New York alone. Seventy per cent. it is seen comes from New York and 70 per cent. of the balance comes from Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. The total increase in the remaining nine States is $30.822,092. The thirty-one States and Territories show a falling off. This decrease in proDerty valuation amounts to the enormous sum of $500,185,795. It is widespread, there being no such radi cal decrease as New York shows in op position. New Hampshire and Ver mont show a decrease, but taken as a whole the entire New England and Middle Atlantic States show a net in crease in property valuation for taxa tion of $312,110,555. Only two of the Western and Middle States show an increase, and the net decrease from that vast territory foots up $319.824, 785. In the twelve Southern States given, four, North and South Carolina, Florida and Louisiana, show a small increase. I am at a loss to account for such an increase, unless it be from the same cause as in South Carolina, where a reassessment of railroad ad bank properties was effected which materially increased the taxable valua tion of the State. But with this increase the net loss for that section is $90,2S4,5S0. Bear in mind that the year 1S94 is compared with the panic yzar of 1893. - These figures are startling. It is a story of stupendous losses the people haive sus tained and of the extraordinary gains that have been made by the money and manufacturing centres of the East at the expense of the other sections. It is a story of increasing poverty and lisaster on the one hand and in creasing power and wealth on the other. As I understand it this im mense sum refers to the loss in proper ty values usually listed for taxation. It does not refer to or include the de preciation of the products of labor, the depression in business and as losses, or the enforced idleness or waste of labor efforts. Such losses cannot be approximated much less be given in detail. Such a statement as this ought to re veal quite clearly that a vast difference of conditions and degrees of prosperi ty exists among the people of this county. THE SECTIONS COMPARED. In order to sustain my contention that the East is and has been pilling up vast accumulations of wealth while the great producing sections of the nation barely holds their own, I will give some comparative statements taken from the census reports of 1880 and 1890. If the figures just given are surpris lang these will be found more so. In fact, to analyze them carefully is to oiscover the most monstrous system of exchange brigandage of this or any other country. It is enough to con tvince any right-minded man that tbhis system must be changed, and that at once, if we would preserve our free institutions or national integrity. I shall quote, to some extent, from a synopsis of the census bulletins by Mr. I . S King, found in his book entitled Bond-holders and Bread Winners." jwill begin with the States of Indiana, Illinois Is. Nebraska, Louisiana, Ntissi.aippi, AlabaLx3, Georgia and North Carolina. Tnese nine States are those upon which the country de pends for the produdiion of wheat, corn, and othei cereais, meat, dairy products, surar, cotton, tobacco, rice and almost everything that the agri Cultural portion of our country pro duce. With these I will cmpare the States of Maine, Ne w Hamnpshiire, Ver mont, Maniachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In these nine -States is found the great manufactur ing and money centres of the nation. The relative condition of these two groups of States should give a fair in terpretation of the truth or falsity of my positionr. The first group of States thas 486,040 square miles of hand, while the second group of States has -but 168,665 square miles about 3 to 1. tThe population of the first group is 113,409,167 people, while the second is 14,507,407. During the ten years be tween 1880 and 1890 the first group, or producing States, gained in wealth $559,441,974. While the second group, or manufacturing and money loaning States, gained in wealth $3,054,762,722. In other words the nine manufactur ing States, with but one-third as 'nuch land, and less than two millions more people, gained in wealth five timies as much as the producing States. The producing States gained 22 per cent. in the people and 20 per cent. in realth, while the manufacturing State gined 20 per cent, in people and 40 per cent. in wealth. u!'POSES FREE RAw MATERIAL. Mr. Speaker, 1 cannot endorse the doctrine of free raw material. Its ap plication :s unj-ast, and if continued - will bring ruin and disaster. Just - why the cloth out of which my shirt is made should be protected five cents s a yard and the shirt iseif pr otected 40 material out of which the cloth is woven is not protected at all, and the plan considered fair and logical, is be yond my comprehension. If my shirt is to be protected by a customs duty, I say the cotton out of which it is made should re:eive adequate protection also and if this is impossible withhold pro tection from both. This and this alone, can insure a reciprccity between those who made the shirts and those who made the cot ton. It would be equal, honest and fair. This is a proposition which I emphatically enaorse, and one which I believe would benetit the prople I represent. It is said that free raw material cheapens the manufactured article. As a business proposition this should be true, but it does not necessarily fol low that the consumer receives either all or part of this benef-.. The manu facturer obtains all he can for his pro d acts, and in these days of pools and combines prices are, in many cases, established by boards of directors in stead of legitimate competition. In other words, free raw materials do not of themselves insure lower prLce for the manufactured product to the con sumer, but only to the manufacturer. The doctrine of free raw material compels the producers of such raw material to sell in competition with the whole world, and permits them to purchase in a restricted market only. They are forced to dispose of their pro. ducts at a competitive pric3, and co:n pelled to purchase the manufactured article at a fixed or arbitrary figure. Such methods are neither legitimate nor fair, and bring about unequal ex cbanges. In fact the producer of the raw material is plundered for the bene fit of the manufacturer and consumer. The manufacturer gets cheaper raw material with which to conjure trade, the consumer gets only the benefits forced from the manufacturer, while the farmer waits in vain for the ap plicaticn of this theory to work him a profit. As an jliustration of this theory take the wool grower, the man whose money crop is wool. His product was protected by a customs duty until the passage of the Wilson bill in 1893. Since then he has produced and sold what is called a raw material. How has he feared under this condition? He sells his product now for less than half what he received prior to 1893. The same amount of wool which brought him $10,000 in 1893 brings him about $5,000 now, making a loss of fully $5,000. This loss can be pro perly charged to the application of the doctrine ~of free raw material, and the question presents itself as to how much and in what manner is this wool grower benefited. How much of this $5,000 loss is returned through other channels? I venture to say that his net loss would exceed nine tenths of the whole. His lawyer fees, doctor bills and taxes are no less, and quite likely to be more. The new national mortgage of three hundred and sixty-two millions of peace bonds include his property with the balance of the country. He is compelled to stand his share of billion dollar Con gress and other expenses, just as when his products brought twice as much. Ia fact he may scan his bills ever so closely and he will find in its last analysis thai all his compensating redits come from other unfortunates who produce other kinds of raw mate rial. It is one class of labor compet ing against another class of labor, while the manufacturer and money loaner thrives and fattens on their :isaster. Mr. Speaker, it is claimed that the manufacturer, by reason of his invest ment in buildings, machinery, etc., should be encouraged in his enter rise, and to a certain extent insured gainst loss. Just why this class should be selected for Government f a vor I am unable to conceive. The ensus shows that there are more farm ers than manufacturers and operatives, with nearly three times as much in vested in lands, buildings, etc. Why is the investment of one class more sacred than that of another? Why should one be favored by legislation and the other neglected? A glance at the real facts will disclose that the planter runs far more risk in his oc upation than the manufacturer. There is no other business compell ed to take as msny chances as that of agriculture, There is no other busi ness that can adapt itself less to cir umstances than agriculture. When prices advance the manufacturer can put on more help and run on double time. On the other hanns, when prices decline, he can discharge par t >f his help, lessen the hours of labor >r close down entirely, and thus guard against losses. With the planter he must decide at the season of planting how many acres he will caltivate, and whether prices go up or down, e can neither increase nor decrease his acreage, or in any manner protect imself against coming loss or take advantage of ipcreased prices. The manufacturer turns his capital many times Auring the year, and usually with a proit each time. Tne planter on the contrary, can use his capital but once, and must take his profit or loss upon a single :ast. We may examine the entire method of producing raw materials and finished products, and we will and that the manufacturer has the ad vantage at nearly every turn. .Be sides tue producer of raw material is not consulted, he has no voice in de termining the price he is to receive for his product, or the price he is to nay for the product of others. Hie takes his cotton, wheat or wool to market and the price is fixed by othiers, and he has only the choice of selling or carting his producea back ho-ne. When he goes into the store to make a puc csse the price is named which he must pay or go without. Mr. Speaker, this bill favors the manufacturer as against the producer of raw material, which I contend ?s not only harmful, but in the ultimate will bring disaster to both. It is claimed that manufacturing in vestments are entitled to special priv ileges because of their character; hat they are cash investments and largely employ labor. I submit that the plantations of the South and the farms of the West are cssh investmcnts, and that they also employ labor. I have before me a letter from the superintendent of a cotton mill in my State in which I am interested, who says that the plant cost about $145,U00, and consumes 5,000 bales of totton annually. I will venture the assertion that the planta ions upon which this amount of cot ton is made are worth at least aouble the cost of the cotton mill, and give employment to many times the amount of labor. This will hold good in nearly all cases. It is a grave miistake ALMOST BLOTTED OUT. CHANDLER WITHOUT WARNINI TORN BY A CCYLONE. The Town Demolished and Navy Liv Lost-Not Enough Coffins for the Dead Houses Hanging to Trees-A Terrib Calamity. GUTHamE, Okla., March t31.-Chanm lar, an interior boom town fifty mil; from Guthrie, -A a mass of ruins. 2 6 o'clock last evening a cyc!one, des ing death and destruction to ever, thing in its path, swept down upo the town and almost compleL. ly wipE it off the face of the earth. 01 tl 1,500 inhabitants, twenty-five we] killed outright and fully 170 were ii jured. Of the latter it is thought te will die and twenty-four others ai in a dangerous condition. The r mainder of the population is homeles The 'resbyterian church, Mitchell Hotel and two other buildings are a tuat remain standing. These haN been turned into hospitals. The pro erty loss will aggregate half a nillic dollars. There are not haif cotlir enough here to bury the dead. Tne storm came from the Southwe almost without a moment's warnin and szeeping across the town, tie. demolished the business district, the laid low the residence portion, an< passiag on, spent itself into the ope prairie. The wrecks of many of the buil< ings took fire and in a short time a awfil holocaust followed. Many< the injured buried in the ruins wei burned to death before help arrivec The people were slow to recover fro: the snock of the cilamity and not ut til noon today did anything like .y tem prevail in the work of relief. At 11 o'clock tonight particalars ai still meagre. Save one slow workin telephone wire out of Chand:er, an but one telegraph wire from Gathri' the town is practically cut off frot the outside wcrld. The storm brok upon the city suddenly. The sky wc clear an hour before. Shortly befo1 6 o'clo':k a mass of dark clouds gatl ered in the southwest and whirle north. It soon developed into a fut nel-shaped monster and bore dow upon the outskirts of the town. A tae mass touched the ground the ros was deafening. The funnel split as: hit the southwest border of Cnandlei which is situated on a hill overlool ing the Cow Creek Valley, and the: turned north. Before escape was po. sible the cyclone had passed throug the towntearing through the busines districts. Stores were hurled rigt and left or Jifted. high into the air an dashed into every direction. Chie Justice Dale of the Oklahoma Suprem ourt was holding court in the cou house, which was crowded. He ra: with his wife to a hollow. The tw were protected by a large boulder an were unhurt. Others in the court house did nc fare so well. A moment later th structure was twisted around an aurled into the street. a complet wreck. One of the occupants wa killed outright and a dozan other were injured. Further down Mai street the Lincoln County Bank builc Eng was toppled over and was enve] ped in flames. Before aid could reac them five unfortunates were burnei to death. Still further down the stree three children suffered a like fate A. mass of people, dead and injured orses and wagons and buggies of a] kinds, transformed Main street into: Euneral pyre. Passing on into th residence district, the cyclone topple aver dwelling after d welling, turne ouses on their tops and piled s.reet aigh with debris. A t wo-days old baby was carriel ~our blocks and not injured,while th nother was crushed in her bed. Whe: rn effort to send for aid was made was found that all communicatioi with Guthrie was secured. A brief idea of the nature of the de rastation wrought, together with al tppeal for aid, had been sent to th aeighboring city, when the wire apped and Chandler was again shu ff. In the meantime, however, rain bearing physicians and other eft for the scene. The wire was re stored and the appeals for aid me rompt response and additional res ~uing parties were sent out as the vi ent of the damage became known. The night in Chandler was one c ndescribable horror. With many o ts inhabitants, dead or dying, an< ~he remainder too badly injured o: nable from fright cr because of th larkness to render assistance no orde arevailed. Rain poured down in tor ents. The injurect in many cases Ia: n the wrecks of their homes unti laylight made it possible for them to eiep themselves, or when aid fran surrounding towns arrived. At 1 o'clock,twenty dead bodies ha< >een taken fromn the ruins, while dcz ms more or .ess seriously injured ha< yeen removed to places of atety. Bua >ne of Chandler's physici ts esctpe< ;injared and even after aid fron iutbrie arrivL there was a scarcit: f surgeons. Only two were a ble t< I anything last night, and one o ;hese, Dr. Walco:.t, with blood strea fing from a sightless eye, worke< antil he faintel. Daylight brought husndreds of peo le from surrounding to wans and men somen and children assisted in c rn or the injured. Little progress wa: nade, however, and it was not unti ioon that an organized effort for alle riating the sufferings of the iojure< was begun. The four remaining t~uili ngs are turned into hospitals and di eted by Mar Kinney, the wor! roceeded as s wiftly as possible. Qieer sights greeted the eye on a ines. Ten trees have a house hang ng on each; clothing and househoa toods are scattered in the streets lorses, cows and other animais are t< >e seen everywnere while a plie o ujns has a line piano perched on to; X it. Many of the citizens wande: tbout the streets, dazed at the calami *y, and almost on the verge of insan ty at the loss of family and homes Lwo or three have gone mad. Ten thousand people are in the cit2 onight. Many of them camne to ren ler aid but the majority ace there a: ight-seers. A great quatity o ~lothing, bedumng and provisions hai >CeLn seat lf and~i the thitrie Club hat -aised it,5J'0 in cash to send to mor ow. Tne city has put to ase all it: ash, ab~ut $00U, for immediate aid :lndreds of tents have been sent froa 'eart Thno and Guthrie and will pro ride temporary shelter for the unfor ;unates. All are homneless, however ma more su bstantial aid must quicki: 'ollow. .Food is also searce and prac .icaliy all the town's suppiy of mnedi A THOUSAND HOMELESS. CHA.NDLER, Okla., April 1.-Al though the tornado struck Chandler 3, forty-eight hours ago, a very little A search of ruins has yet been made, and if is feared that the death roll may be considerably increased. Scores of in os jured are under the care of physicians _ who have come here from all parts of Oklahoma. None of the wounded le had succumbed today, though some of them cannot possibly recover. Near ly all of the men slept in the streets a last night where fires were kept blaz- I s ing. The women were cared for in the ; tfew houses which were not destroyed or a found shelter in the tents sent from r surrounding towns. Fifty special po r licemen effectually protected the prop- e d erty of the citizens. A thousand peo- 1 .e ple are homeless. Help on a large e scale is needed. Lawyer John Daw- I I- son and Elgar Demoss, the barber, a who are numbered among the dead, -e were eating supper in Wallance's res- ( turant when the tornado came up and I the building collapsed. Dawson, who s left a wire and two children at Alma, t 1l Neb., was instantly killed. Demoss t e was pinioned by his right arm, but t was not injured. He cried for help, a but no one could reach him through l s the fire. He begged for some one to cut off his arm, but tLe horror stricken i crowd was compelled to see him roast ed to death. Search in the ruins is t necessarily slow and a true list of the < a dead'and injured cannot be made for 1 several davs. The Western Floods. t- JACKSON, Miss., April .-Green o ville telegraphs at noon: R eports b if come hourly from all points in the t e flooded districts show the situation is t t. rapidly growing worse. Tnere are c a now some 25 towns and villages more c t- or less overilowed. Greenville will a get considerable water, perhaps not as r much as in 1890, pernaps more. it is e all a matter of conjecture. The bot g tom lands are full of water from rains d before the breaks occurred. This city , is now an island, situated in a wilder a ness of water, which surrounds it on t e every side. As yet the water is not I s in sight of the town, but is at the e Blanton gin, half a mile north, and at e L- the Montgomery place two miles t d south. Black bayou. Williams' ba- t you. Deer creek and Fish lake are all a out of their banks. A meeting of the .s city council is being held at tais writ- ' r ing at the mayor's office to take the - t necessary steps toward the safety of 1 , the people, and for such relie f as can S be afforded to the flood sufferers. C a Nqatchez at noon: Tnere is little . new to report with reference to levees a b this morning, but the constantly ris s ing river is rendering the situation .t more acute which acuteness will con- 0 d tinue to increase until the crest of the f flood wave. The rise here for the pe- r e riod fromn'4 last p. m. to 8 this morn t ing was 25-100, this making the guage i read 46.85 -A terrific rainstorm with a 3 some wind swept over this section . I last night and it was feared its effect i' might be disastrous to the embank t ments, but no danger thus far has e e been reported. The precipitation was t : one and three quarter inches, but the e weather now is clear and cool. No s further news has been received from s the Surget-Asnley levee to thib hour. a It is likely that the citizens of Con cordia parish will apply to the gov- j . ernment for sacks with which to top b a their levee, as indications are the wa - i ter is going to rise high enough to run d t over them. Dr. Samps Pope Tarned Down. SWASHING~oN, March 31-Dr. Samp-e son Pope was turned down by Presi- se Sdent Mckinley today, and, therefore, e he will not succeed Col. J. Stobo Far row as second auditor of the treasury. a s Dr. Pope has made several visits to the White House since inauguration day,g but not until this morning did he havec an opportunity to get in a few words with. the President. Dr. Porie was ac tcomnpanied by G. Washington Mur ray, A. T. Jennings, of Charleston, who wants to be coliector of the port, and T. L. Gant. When Dr. Pope's case was brought to the attention of the President today he informed Dr. s Pope that the place he desired had t already been assigned to another per son. Dr. P~oi~e would have liked to Shave remarked that he would cheer-a fully accept '"something equally as t good," but the President's time was1 .valuable, besides the members of the . . South Carolina party wanted a few n words with him. The President re-a Squtsted Mr. Jennings to file his papers r Swith the Secretary of the Treasury, r adding that when the Charleston an-r pointments are taken up. his claim - Swill be consideredi with those of other Sapplicants. Dr. Pope will look -around and see what other place he will aspire to. He seems to be aiming quite high, but- he may strike some Unling' lo w in the end. Sight oame to the Blind. BALTV~IORE, March 31.-Thomas Bl1ue, a young man of 23, from Hoir- ci Iman, Richmond county, N. C , who 9 was born blind, was orought hereT about two weeks aro and put at ithe t Maryland General Hospital for blind-T ness. Today +.he young. man returned c to his home in Richmond coanty with t better eyesight than a great many - people and the nrospect of constant ct improvement, Hie is now able to q1 count figures at a distance of more than twenty feet and can see small tC objects near him. lHe will be able to S leaving the hospital young Blue wentT 'thror ' the institute thianking theP 1p e s especially D:. Geo. R eul a r eor of opthalnmology, for na mey d done for him. Tne ti '( ouDapiness, as he obtained 10 -.s rs s me beauties of natureh a-:aofre d~eand unknrown to ci h' m:- . -do -v no bounds. --2a ~h he were en- . tering~ .:r yne v orld, because, cc with tha of s, he could not e -only se i A :.o his friends, but it Mis home a'mi arroundings as well. Hie was takea out to the park~ in the afternoon and then shown about the city. The world as lhe saw it for the Ifirst ti-ne was a constant revelation of A wonders. a NEW Yomus. March 3J.-Three per- b< soswere kuiled in a fire in~ an apart-m ment house at No. 61i West 105th ax street this afternoon. They~ wereset Miss Eilen Morrissey- and a three.'year- gi old boy and his mot~her, who. up to a late hour tonignt had not been identi l ied. Escape was cut od by :he , dames, and in the top apart ments c71i the tifth iloor they were slowly suflo, fr - cated to death. The iire starte-nin tne -tli - basement of the house, and burned so ,quickiy that some of the occuoants I n i a to be rescued on ladders. The 7 - house was damaged to the extent of iT] - about $15,000 and the tenants lost Ith TEXT BOOKS AT COST. TTORNEY GENERAL GIVES OPINION ON THE NEW LAW. latter is Optional-A County May Pur chase Books or Not z It Choosem-About Reports of State Colleges. COLMBIA, April 2.-Concerning the ct of the last legislature that provides or the furnishing of books at cost rices to the puoils of public schools. good deal of doubt still exists in the inds of many persons. The following opinicn by the assist nt attorney general wiui elucidate the 1w: Columbia, S. C.. March 27, 1897. Ion. W. D. Mayfield, State Superin tender-t Education. D.Lar Sir: The letter of Mr. L. L. ,opeland referred to this office has ad due consideration. The question he asks is, "Is it op ional with the county board of educa ion as to the purchase of school ooksi" Section 1 of the act of 1897 is as fol Ows: "Taat the county board of ed cation of the several counties of this ;ate be, and they are hereby, author red and empowered to set aside from - he public fund of their respective - ounties an amount not exceeding 500 for the purpose of providing the upils attending school with text ooks at actual cost or exchange ric3s." It will be observed that the county oard is no required but simply au orized to set a:,ide the fund. From he langtaage employed I a-n of the pinion that the county board has dis retion in this matter, and cia set side such a fund, if in their jadg 1ent, it is advisable. Yours very truly, C. P. Townsend, Assistant Attorney General. The sections of the school law which rovides for books at cost and to which ae above opinion applies reads as fol Ws: Section 1. That the county board of ducation of the several counties of is State be, and they are hereby, au iorizsd and empowered to set aside om the public school funds of their aspective counties an amount not ex eeding $500 for the Durpose of provid ig the pupils attending the free pub- 1 c schools of their counties with 1 hool text books at actual cost or ex- s dange prices. Section 2. That the amount so set side from the school funds shall be 1 aid to the county superintendent of i ucation by the county treasurer, < ut of the unappropriated general s :hool funds in hi3 hand, on the war- < nt of the said county board of edu- < tion. 1 Section 3. That the amount to set I side by the county board of education I all be and remain a permanent fund s i the hands of the county superinten ent of education to be used in pur- a asing and keeping on hand school , Xt books for sale to pupils attending I ie free public schools of his county, >r cash, at actual cost or exchange e rices, and to be used for no other 1 rpose and in no other manner. Section 4. That for the full and 1st accounting for said money and e ooks, and all his acts dealings relat- 1 g thereto, the county superinten ent of education shall be rasponsible a n his official bond. Section 5. That no tax or license, ither State, county or municipal, all be imposed on or required of thei punty superintendent of education a account of the purchasing and fur ishing of said books to the pupils as oresaid. Section 6. That this act shall be a ] eneral act, and apply to all of the >unties of the State from and after s s approval. The following opinion explains the i tw that provides for the publishing e f the reports of the different State in- c itutions of higher learning. Columbia, S. C., March 27, 1897.1 [on. W. D. Mayfield, State Superin- a tendent of Education: Dear- Sir-I have the honor to ac nowledge the receipt of your letter, s ith that of Gov. Hagood's enclosed, ;king for a construction of that por- 1 on of section 3 of the school act of i 96 relating to the reports of State t stitutions of higher learning. The section repeals the law in force i the time of the passage of this act c ~quiring the institutions to make their t ~port to the general assembly, and c quir-es them to make reports to you. t i your annual report they are to be t tcluded, and in this waythey reach a ie general assembly. t Yours very truly, C. P. Townsend, Assistant Attorney General. One Trat Surrenders. RiciIoND, Va., March 31.-As an c fect of the decision of the United I ates Supreme Court in the Railroad ( raflc Association case and the anti- I us: laws of the South, the American I obacco Company has adopted new J mtrac'.s with its agents. Heretofore r Lis corporation would not sell their a >ds outright, but sent them out on a msignment. The condition they re- c ired was that the customer should r t sell the products of any other fac- s ry. Today they scat out a circular 'i hdra wing these conditions and ot- a ring to sell their goods outright. t icy intimate that they will give a n esent to liberal customers.t A Gruesome Rtequest. WArTVssviLu, March 3t.-A por. - > of the rope that cocircled thbe neck the negro, Gorge E-ider, who was Lged nere Friday, was by his spe-I; al request, presented to his mother. e advised her to kee p the gruesomet lie in a censpicuos plac:: and to nstantly remind his little brothers his fate, and to warn them againistr e bad conduct that led him to theb dlo'vs- _______ d Lucy Cobb Girls on a Lark. C ATLANTA, Apr-il 1.-A scial from 1] thens, Ga., to The Constitution says a at 18 girls slipped away from Lucy 1 bb institute tnis morniing ai.d took n the town. They victimiied a num r of soda water fountain stores and exhants. Then they bired a tallyho d a band and paraded through the ree!s. The principal expeiled every n r1 in the party. They belong to pro- 0 inent families all over the State. C ATLANTA, Ga., March 31.-A special a >m Americus, Ga., to the Constitu- b f says that two negroes were killed b lightning there yesterday. The i tims, Margaret Joues and her p parold son, were in a cabin on the Ip u -nas plantation. Lightning struck 1ci e abin, killed both inmates and set j< TO CONTROL COTTON. Eow the Growers May Regulate the Prics Year by Y.iar. Mr. George C. Munro. County cor respondent, United States Department >f Agriculture, in writing to the At anta E :ening Constitution about con ;rolling the price of cotton says: I have been asked to give my views >n the subject of whether the cf)tton :lanter has it in his power to contrcl .he price of cotton or not. In articles wvritten to the agricultural journals >ver forty years ago I contended that he farmer- had, and that the only way to make cotton raising remuner Itive was to make our farms self-sus aining in every particular, to raise lorn, oats, wheat, rye, potatoes, chu 'as, groundpeas, fleld peas-ia short >very*hing that was needed to sustain nan and beast, and also to raisa his >wn horses and mules. That if he pursued that plan it mould not be possible to raise so much zotton and that the small croo would aring him in wore clear cash than the arger ones, which would glut the mar ret and put him where,instead of being :he master of the situation the situation mould master him by forcing the sale >f his crop at the dictation of spec ilators' prices, without enabling him :o have a ward in it; only to march :p like a lamb for the slaughter and say: "Here is my cotton, do for con ;cience sake allow me enough for it ;o pay for the making of it. While. if he pursued the other policy ie would have the buyers to come to iis doors and ha could dictate his >rice and sell or hold as he thought >est and have it in his power to con rol not only the price for his cotton, )at the price for his labor and their ,fficiency. He would have time to nake necessary improvements on his 'arm, raise more lot and stable ma iure, terrace his land batter and keep 11s terraces in better repair, so that his continued washing away to the ea which we see going on during ,very big rain would be stopped and )revented; our lands would improve, ppreciate in value and those of the orth and Northwest which are sell ng at $150 per acre, made high by 'aising stock, corn. wheat and meat to ell to us, would depreciate and the otton producing portion of our coun ry would became the ideal home of he natives as well as the emigrant, 6nd the South would be built up and >ecome the garden spot of the world. We have the most healthful and )easant country on the glob3 to live' 0, free from extremes of heat and old, blessed with never-failing springs ad wells of the purest water; our :ildren raised free from pulmonary liseases or liability to be cut down in heir tender years by croup or malaria. Ve can raise thA finest fruits and nelons, the mc.-t chickens, turkeys nd ducks and the finest hogs and ersey cattle, luxuriate in rich milk nd butter and every variety of nice ,egetables. We can live like princes, either freeze to death in the winter ior melt in the summer. Raise nough potatoes on one acre or sirup o feed fifty child.den for a year. Now why can't we, the most inae >endent and the happiest people on arth, having eyes, see and having >rains, understand ? Turn on your X-rays, Mr. Elitor, ,nd let us all see our innumerable ad rantages over other sections and so itch our crops this year that we can eli our cotton next fall for a good iice and have time to build up the raste places. Let us get some fine tallions and stop all this needless ex senditure for stock that we can raise o easily at home. Send men tc the aegislature that will have sense nough to see that it is better to raise heep than dogs; that wool and mut on will increase our revenues and ive us some of the best eating that ver tickled the palate off an epicure r a Gergia cracker. Sheep will ertilize our lands keep down the reeds and prove the cheapest as well s the most palatable diet we can raise or our families. I can't close without a word on free eed distribution. It is a malicious ractice of paternalism that is a need ass tax on our public treasury, help ag to embarrass our governmcnt: that enefits no body but a set of rascally orticulturists; that enables them to alm off millions of dollars' worth of ld worthless seed on our government bat seldom ever germinate and are a urse, a delusion and aggravation to be one~that receives them. I come to bas conclusion after trying hundreds nd thousands of packages for the last wenty years. Confessed to several Ma~rders. CHARLESTON, W. Ya., March 31. :xcitement is still high at Montgorn ry os er the murdered body found in a abandoned mine. Clark Lewis as confessed that he choked Charles ibson to death while Albert Voirs eld him. Gibson's wife was with er husband at the time. EHe says ohn Ccchran was murdered Februa y 28, and the body placed in another bandoned mine. A dog was killed nd hung in a tree to account for any dor that might be noticed. Coch an, he says, was held by John Hud >n, while Wilbur Slaughter and Viey Lewis beat his brains out with stone. When Lewis was arrested ie gang blew up the mouth of this lne to prevent an entrance. Slaugh tr, who was arrested last week, is in iil h'ere, but refuses to talk. The thers are in jail at Fayetville. Kentuncky Family Perishied. LoUISVILLE, Ky., April 2.--A spec di to The Post from Eddyville, Ky., iys: News has been received here of e drowning in the Cumberland riv elast night of William Flick and is family of three. According to the sport Mr. Flick was trying to move is family of wife and t wo little chil ren from his ilooded house on the umberland, near Triggs Furnace, ithis county. The stiff overturned, ad in the darkness all were drowned. he carrent there is very svift, and o small boat could live in it. Mr. ick was a well-to-do farmer. Goesi Demoratic Now. DANRYv, March 31.-Danbury's tuicipal election resulted in an nr w~helming victory for the Demo atic ticket. Even the first Ward, -hich gives a normal Republican tajority of 250, elected a Demorcrat ;councilman. Danbury, last Novem ar, gave 800 majority for McKinley, at tne promised of prosperity has iled to materialize. The election aces the Democratic party in comn ete control of the city, the common uncil being Democratic by t wo ma rity on joint ballot and all other of A GREAT FALLING OFF IN OUR PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. Algerian and Florida Phospbate Is Now Put on the Market at a Price that Leaves a Very Narrow Margin of Profit for south Carolina Miners,. AUGSTA, April ?.-There are few people who fully ay Dreciate the great fallinz off there has been in the reve nue to the State from: the phosphate royalty. From an annual income of nearly $250.000 the royalties have dwindled and dwindled until the pre sent year will hardly show an income of one-fifth of that amount. What has been the cause of the great loss of revenue from phosphate royalty? There has been no one main cause. There have been a combination of cir camstances, chief among which was the discovery of phosphate rock in Florida,Tennessee and Algiers. Boom Carolina rock as much as possibleand make it necessary to the trade, the fact cannot be disguised that the Al gerian and Florida rock have entered the foreign markets, and have forced the market price down to such a point that the prica has been barely sell supporting to the industry, if that much can be said. Certain it is rock is not bringing six,eight and nine dol lars, as it once did, but Algiers has furnished a rock that forces that of South Carolina down to about $2.15 net per ton, out of which the royalty is to be paid, and that is the situation in a nutsheil. If South Carolina wants to remain in the European markets she must meet competition, and that was the chief reason that induced the board of phosphate commissioners to make the reduction in the royalty to 25 cents per ton on all shipments after today. It will be an exceedingly interesting study to note the ups and downs of the phosphate industry as indicated in the statement of royalties received by the State, as shown in the reports of the phosphate inspectors. The figures are as follows: Tons of Rock Shipped by Companies Working Under State License. 1870........ 1,989 1884........151,243 1871........ 17,655 1885......171,671 1872...... 22,502 1886.......191,174 1873...... 45,777 1887......202,757 1874........ 57,716 1888.......190,274 1875s...... 67,969 1889.......212,101 1876........ 81,912 1890.......237,149 1877 .....126,5691891.....169,292 1878........ 97,700 1892.......192,461 1879...... 98,586 1893.......249,338 1880........ 65,162 1894....r...114,281 1881 ...124,5411895.......174,400 1882 .......140,772 1896.......121,602 1883 .......129,318 Total shipments 1870 to August 31, 1896, 3.455,911 tons. Royalty at an average $1 per ton, 1870-92...........$2,796,290-' Royalty 1893-96, at 50c per ton....... 300,000 Tsal... ....... $3,096,290 Tne estimate now is that the receipts from the phosphate royalty for the current year will be about $40,000,and this is rendered possible by the fact that the Coosaw Company now Ias 35,000 tons of rock on hand. A SOLE SURVIVOR. Talking about Coosaw reminds one of the fact that out of the score or more companies that have undertaken the phosphate mining business the Coosaw Company is the lonesome survivor. It is a striking commentary on the vicissitudes of such business to note that there is such a graveyard full of phosphate companies, with the simple legend, "Busted."' BEAUFOET VISIT CUT SHOET. The phosphate commisioners and their friends expected to "take a day off" today and run down to Bay Point and see how many drum and other fish they could catch. The "Juno" had been tendered for the occasion and all were ready for a pleaant day About midnight, however, a rain set in and soon after wards the wind rose, and by morning there was a heavy blow-hard enough to knock the bot tom out of the propased trip--and so the party decided to return to Colum bia via the Charleston and Western Carolina Road and Augusta.-News and Courier. The Dingley Bill Passed. WVASHINGTON, March 31.-With to morrow morning the duties imposed by the Dingley tariff bill will be in force and the present law will be a thing of the pszt if the last amend ment attached to the bill before its passage in the Housc today, fixing to morrow as the day on which its pro visions shall go into effect, should be in the bill when it is finally enacted and should be held to be legal by the courts. The Republican victory to day was complete. They presented an unbroken front to the opposition; all the rumors that dissatisfaction with particular schedules of the bill might lead some ot them to brealr over the party traces proved aosolutely un founded. On the other hand, five Democrats, one more than was antici pated, braved the party whip and gave the bill the approval of their votes. These five Democrats are in terested particularly in the sugar schedule. They were: Messrs. Brous sard and Davey of Louisiana and Kle berg and Slayden of Texas, One Populist, Mr. Howard of Alabama, voted for the bill- T wenty-one other mnembers of what is denominated "the opoosition", consisting of Popu lists, fusionists and silverites, declined to record themselves either for or against the measure. The vote on the final passage of the bill stood: Xyes. 205; nays, 122; present and not noting, 21-a majority of 83. IBecomes a General. WAsrisarTos, April 1.-Col. Win. [R. Shafter, tirst infantry, has been u.ected for appoir'tment as brigadier ;eneral. by the President, but his no nination will not be sent to the senate intil Brigadier General Wheatson is :onfirmed as major general to till the racancy casued by Gen. Ruger's re irement tomorrow. General Whea on's appointment is already prepared. Jol. Shafter, who now gets his aro notion, has been at the head of ~the ist of colonels for a long time, but vas passed over three or four times n the selections made by Mr. Cleve and. May Come Together; WAImNaToN, April 1.-Senator ~arle has been confined to his bed for our days with tonsiletis and fever. :t is likely that the Webster and Mel on factions will come together, and .f they do Republicans expect some south Carolina appointments in the tet 10 ams-e