Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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OA BAD MUDDLE. That Is What the Penitentiary Investigation Proves to Be. SOME HIGH OFFICIALS IN IT. It Seems That Perquisites Play ed a Prominent Part in the Management of the State's Big Prison. When the penitentiary investigation committee mct at noon Wednesday. after a recess of' Nine days. Mr. S. P. .J. Garris. one of the directors whose name has been connccted with the brick matter. was oresent and said he desired to make a statement. He did so to explain a card appearing in The State of the 18th inst., alleging that he had got a carloai of brick from the penitentiary for which he had never paid. Mr. Garris took the stand anud saiw: -I wish to present for your consider ation the correspondonce and editorial appearing in The State of 1arch 18. I ask this investigation in ju:tice to my self, to the board of directorsand to the public. "T would state that in '% that the penitentiary and CCl. Lipsconb were making briek. During that year we were called to visit the brickyard to in spect its workings. In looking around I saw quite a pile of brick and bats which seemed to be rejected. That is what I taken ihem to be: briek that were ruined by the burning. I asked Col. Neal what they did with them and he said they were worthless. I said to him 1 should like to get 3,0(1 of them if they were worth nothing to the State. He said I could get them by paying the freight; that I had better take 5,000, as the rate would be cheaper on that number, which would pass as a carload lot. I told him I would take 5,000 if they didn't cost over $1.60 per thous and for the freight. "I wint down home on the evening train. When I reached Branchville the agent had left the depot and I eid not get to see him about the freight. I got Capt. Westfield to find out how much the freight would be. If it was not over $160 he was to ship me 5,000. He was not to send me any brick that the State could sell. "In March I received notice from the agent that I had a carload of brick and there was $18.50 due for freight. Well, it covered more than I expected to pay by a good deal. I went ove1, paid the freight and unloaded the brick. I never bought any brick from the peni tentiary. I didn't consider these worth anything, and if I had known anything had been wanted for them I wouldn't have had them shipped." Mr. Garris then offered in evidence affidavits from several reputable citi zens of his neighborhood, who had seen the brick, saying they were broken bats and were worthless for building pur poses. One or two of the affidavits set forth that Mr. Garris had offered them the brick for the freight charges, but the offer was declined, as they did not con sider the brick worth even that. As Mr. Garis was on the stand the committee decided to get from him in formation about the sale of oats from the State farms last year. The peni tentiary report shows a discrepancy and toward this the auestioning was direct ed. Mr. Stevenson asked: "I see in the report of 1898 you have as sales so many thousand bushels of oats. From whom did you get that in formation?" "From the bills of lading of the man agers of the farms." "The only source, then, the directors could get this information from is from the statement of the managers of these farms?" "~Yes; that's the only source I know of." "I wish to invite your attention to this fact: In the report of the directors of that year (189S) there are so many bushels of oats reported sold, those sales aggregating $4,494.70, while the superintendent repcrts sales amounting to $1,499.65. What about the dis crepancy of $2,995.05 in these re ports?" "I think th,. bookkeeper had better make a statement about that." "You se e by this on the face of it that there are $2.995.05 which Col. Neal hasn't turned in as eash: isn't that true?" "Yes; by your figures." Mr. Patton-"These reports of sales of oats are obtained from the farm books?" "Yes, sir. "The'reports as taken from the farm books and incorporated in your report to the general assembly show that $4, 494.70 was received in cash for oats sold. Is that correct?" "Yes, sir: as far as I cen see." "That report you made to legislature also shows that only $1,499,5 was ac knowledged to have been received on the penitentiary books. Now, if the first amount as to the oats sold is cor rect and if the smaller amount charged by Col. Neal is correct, then the differ ence, amounting te nearly 83.000, should be put down as ass 'ts in your report, should it not?" "Yes; I suppose so. "Then if this amount does not so ap pear, and if these two statements are both correct, Col. Neal or somebody is responsible for about 83,000 received for oats?" "'Yes; I would so understand it." Mr. Burriss was put on the stand to answer some questions about the oats. After examining the report for 1S9S, he said the assets, oats sold but still unpaid for, amounted to $962.29. Af ter deducting this $362.29 from the ap parent shortage of $2,995.0'5 there is left $2,032.76 from the sale of oats yet unaccounted for. Capt. Westfield of the penitentiary guards was called to the stand at the afternoon session to testify about the brickbats shipped Mr. G arris. lie said that Mr. Garris' statement was correct, and added that he perhaps sent him more than 5,000 brickbats, as it was easier to get rid of them by loading into a car than to haul off from the yard and throw away as would othcrwisc had to have been done. As an employc of the penitentiary for the past 10 years and captain of the guard for the last four years, Mr. West field was in a position to know much of the internal wcrnings of that institu tion. Hence he was closely interrogated on many questions of domestic ceno umy, so to speak. Ihis answers wer.: to the point. Mr. Stevenson asked: "Who has hiac charge of taking in things at the peni tentiary, such as provisions and pro duce?" "Since I have been captain of th< guard I have been supervising that.' "Who had charge oi letting thing g< out?" You do all this unaer ..eCuons froi the superintendent?' -You kept a record of eVer n that wr'- in and came out? Yes. sir.' -Where is that record?" t iz at the commissary. --Iave you a laundry at the peniten tiary, if so, how Ion! and who operates Yes. there has been a laundry there for two or three years and the work in it is done by convicts." --Who have their laundering done there?" -The officers and guards, and the convicts, of course." "Whom do you mean by the offi cers'?" "From the superintendent down. "You mean the superintendent per sonally?" es and his family. "Are there any places of amusement inside the penitentiary, such as a bil liard room?" "Yes there is a pool table. Who uses that table?" 'I have. and other members of the dguard. --hat was the object of such a room? "The object of placing that there was to furnish some amusement to in duce the guards to ,tay in at night while ofi duty. "Where did the pool table come from?" "From the asylum." "Is there a room fixed up for it?' "Well, it's not so well fixed up but it will do to play a game of pool m. "How long has it been operated?" "Three years." "Does that belong to the penitentiary outfit?" "'Yes. I suppose the penitentiary would claim it now. "1 don't see mention of it in the re port. as fixtures or anything of the sort,- said Mr. Stevenson. Then he asked: "Hav- you any furniture or cabinet makers?" "Yes, sir; a very good one, Napoleon Laval." "How long has he been in the peni tentiary?' "Three or four years." "Does he do anything besides make furniture?" "Yes he does lots of carpenter work, such as keeping up the place and mak ing repairs. "When he is up with that work he makes furniture?" "Yes, sir." "What is done with the furniture he makes?" 'Well, some of it has been sold. I can't tell just where or to whom." "You can't give us any definite in formation?" "Mr. Stevenson, if you will tell me what you are driving at or trying to find out I will tell you all I know." "It has been reported to us that state officers and prominent men have been given furniture. Now give us the names of as many of tnose men as you can." "There's Mr. Cugningham, chairman of the board of directors, he got a book case; Mr. Garris, he got one or two pieces of furniture, a washstand and a bedstead." "Yes, and a bookcase and tool chest," added Mir. Garris, "but I have paid for them." Mr. Tatum-"Did I get anything?" "Not that I remember." Capt. Westfield continued--"Maj. Tompkins, secretary of state, got something, a bookcase I think. Mr. Hardy got a couple of tables, I think it was, made. I don't believe there is anybody else in here who got any thing. "Did Col. Neal get any furniture?" "Yes, I can name a few things he got. Hie also had a bookcase made, had a bedstead made, and several small ta bles." Mr. Patton-'"When you said these people got these things do you mean they were bought?" "Yes, most of them, but some of them were not paid for, and it was pretty well understood when they went out that they were not to be paid for. There were some things that I didn't much think would be paid for." "Were these articles in every in stance charged up?" "No, I might have overlooked charg ing up certain things." "Who board at the institution out side of the convicts?" "The guards, the clerk and physician eat dinner there, the superintendent occasionally, and the board of directors stay there when they are in session." "Has there been any -great iufiux of visitors there from time to time?" "Yes, there have been more visitors since Col. Neal's aiministration than before." " Were there rooms where these peo ple might sleep?" "Yes. the board of directors sleep there." "Does it cost much in the way of supiIus to board these visitors?" "If it was summed up in dollars and cents it wouldn't~ amount to much." "The fare is sufficiently at'tractive to induce them to stay?" "Yes, its better than paying hotel bills." "We notice in the reports transac tions in wood and coal. Is it custom ary to deal in them?" "No, but when parties run out of coal sometimes we let them have it. We have supplied the city waterworks at times when they ra" out, and a few others." "I notice here Gov. Ellerbe is charg ed'vith wood and coal to the amount af $246.60." "Yes, we have sold the governor his coal and wo->d." "Did Col. Neal get his wood and coal from there?" -Yes, it has been customary to furn ish the superintendent with his wood and coal since I have been there.' "What does that amount to-as much as the governor's. 'Yes, si r, about as much." 'The matter of supplies for the su perintendent's family-has it been the custom for them to have supplies from the penitentiary?" - "I don-t know about the custom be tore four years ago, but for the last three years the superintendent has been getting supplies in considerable quantities. "Did he pay for themi as an indivi dual?" ''Yes. I charged them to him, but whether lhe paid for them or not don't know." "What were the thing lhe got?" - Hams, lard and kerosene were the largest items." " How about milk and butter and vegetables?' "It has been customary for the su perintendent to get them." "The superintendent's compensation depends largely upon the size of his family then," remarked Mr. Steven "Can you give us what it has been customary for the superintendent to 'Milk and butter. vegetaile ., coal and wood. Well, captain. you said the superin tendent had gotten hams from there-I what disposition has been :ade of the hams of the ha.r, killed on the state farms?" -"'hey were fed to the guards, and the superintendent got some of them. The board of directors have eaten slices of them. too. "ow man" hocs do you usually kill each year?' "A bout 7 .7 "That would give about 150 haT;. What wnuld be their average weighit1?-" 'About 18 or 20 pounds.* "i;as anyone else besides the super inltendent and guards been getting these hams?" "Yes, I think the governor has been getting hams for the last six years. "By 'gettingi do you mean tly were bought?" "Yes what went to the ::overnor wa4 expected to be paid for.' "By the 75 hogs slaughtered-you refer to those killed at the penitentiary. There are also a nulber of hogs slaugh tered at the state farms each year, are there not?" "Yes, sir, a god many. ''Do they ship any of the pork to th i penitentiary? ' Yes, year before last some was sent up. ''What became of the hams from the farms? ''They were used on the farms, I sup pose. on Thursday the exanination of Capt. Westfield was continued. Ie said he found that Senator Tillman had got a bookcase. which was shipped to Trenton. Congressman Latimer had also gotten a bookeese. These cases were made by Napolean Loval, a con victs. The following testimony of Westfield is reported verbatim: Mr. Steve'nson-"You have your commissary book with you today. Will you turn to the account kept with the governor's mansion. When was that account opened?" "March, '94." "Do you know anything of an ac count with the governor before that time?" "I don't think the governor kept an account before then." "Who was the governor at that time?" "B. R. Tillman." "At the close of that year (189 did that account stand?" "There was due $57.06." "Read over some of the items. "Most of them ierc wood and ,oal." "Any hay?" "Yes: a small amount of hay, a lit tle lime, a little paint and a few nails." "Has that account been paid?" "So far as I know it has not been paid." "If it was paid, it was turned in to the bookkeeper?" "Yes; his books should show that." "As a matter of fact, his books do not show any such payment," said Mr. Stevenson. "For the year, '95, who was gover nor?" "Evans." "What is the account of the gover nor s mansion for 1895?" - "The total for that year is $206.44. "What was the account for 1S96?" "For 1S96 the account would, be $95.55. I don't think all of the '95 ac count was paid. 1 notice lumber bills to Fowles & Co. and others. This is for repairing." (Later on it was showed that these lumber accounts had been paid, leaving Evans' ration account at $181 still un paid and now due the State). "How about coal and wood?" "That has not been paid.' "What are some other items?" "Corn, peas and horse feed, but the largest item outside of lumber is for coal and wood." "You said those accounts were trans ferred to the penitentiary books? - "They should have been; but I don't know." "Take up the account for 1897 and give us the total." "The total for '97 is 8268.71." "Was any part of that paid out of any special appropriation?" "Yes: for building a barn, but some of the material was gotten from the penitentiary. - "Should there be a credit?" "Yes' $36.65 should be credited." "That would leave what properly chargeable to the governor's mansion for 1897?" $"232.06." "Now for 1898?" "The total is $458.52 for 1897 and '98." "Are there credits on that total?" "Yes; there ought to be a credit of $337.54, including the $36S.65 for build ing material. That leaves a balance of $120.97 still due!" "Has he gotten anything f'or this year?. "Yes: $33.13 worth of things." ''So that leaves the pres~tnt e>vernior due the penitentiary what?" "$154.11." The books show on October 17, 189'8. that the governor's account is credited with $60 for hay bought from him by the penitentiary: a check of $141.60 and cash to the amount of $100. As stated above, this leaves Gov. Ellerbe due the State $154.11. "What about the meat transac tions?" In reply the witness explained that when Mr. Ellerbe became governor he had a quantity of meat shipped to Co lumbia from his farm. There was no suitable place to store it at the execu tive mansion so he spoke to Col. Neal about keeping it in the penitentiary commissary. Permission was given and the meat was placed there but was kept seperate from the penitentiary meat. When the governor wanted one of his hams he sent for it and it was given him. The witness was quite sure that the governor did not get any 'of the penitentiary's hams. "So you merely kept that meat there as an accommodation?" asked Mr. Stc. venson. "les. "What year was that?" "1897." "How about 1898?' "lie had some meat shippeA up and placed there. We bought the ameat from him and as lhe needed any he would send a'nd get what im~ rajuired. This was charged to him at the same price as he sold at and one meat ac count aboat balanced the other. This was t', save the trouble of keeping the meat separate. I would like to state, continued Capt. Westfield. "that the statement in this morning's paper to the effect that the governor's mansion has been getting hams from the peni tentiary for the last six years was a mistake. I said the govern'.r s man sion had been running an account with the penitentiary commissary for the past six years "I would also like to state that my friend. Mr. Hardy. got his furniture with the intention of paying for it and IMary books and so appears in the re Mr. R . Buriss. the bookkeepe-, was put on the stand as the first wit nes after dinner and a bill from th Stcwa.-t Ston.e Co.. for 400 feet of aranite -iirbinr for -220 under date of Oct. ::. iI2. was shown him. le said that the 'eranitc had been ordered by Governor Tillman for use at the execu tive mansion and that the pay for it had been deducted from Mr. Stewart's account for convict hire. This granite he understood had never been used and 31r. Stewart told him under the contract for it he was only to prepare it and not deliver it. The granite was still at the quarry and could be gotten when sent for. Governor Tillman had promied to get a special al.propriaton passed to pay fhr it but had not-done so. Another bill of $31 of the date of March 12, IS9, was shown Mr. Burriss. He said it was for furniture for the executive mansion brought by Gover uor Evans There was no fund to pay for it the governor had said and he asked that it be paid by the peniten tiary also saying he would get it paid for by appropriation. There was also claim of S87 against the executive mansion for putting in a sewerage system. Ilere is a bookease ,rhich Senator Tillman got.-was that charged to 'No. sir. I only heard that lie got a bookcase. "lWas the bookcase Congressman Latimer arot charged to him or ever paid for?" "No. sir. It was never turned in to ie. About two wardrobes which, ex-Sec retary of State Tompkins got from the penitentiary. Mr. Burriss said: "I un derstood rrom Capt. Allen that he was to make him a present of one wardrobe. I didn't know he got two. "Well, was there any charge against Capt. Allen "No, sir. In answer to further questions the witness said there were no charges made by him against Col. Neal for. furni ture. Mr. Burriss stated that his books showed that Governor Tillman had set tled his account with .the penitentiary up to Oct. 31. 1893. About the addi tional account contracted after that time of $57.06 he knew nothing. It had never been turned over to him. .About Governor Evans' account I would state that my understanding was that Col. Neal had told Capt. Westfield to let it stand and he would see about collecting it. The account was never turned over to me and if anything was collected on it I don't know. I don't know what the amount of it was." Governor Ellerbe's account, the wit ness said, had had payments made on it and had been properly reported to him. About Col. Neal's account Mr. Bur riss said that no bill against him had ever been given to him. He knew Col. Neal had been furnished with his ac count by Capt. Westfield, but if he ever paid it he knew nothing of it. Capt. Westfield was recalled to the witness stand. In answer to questions he said that Gov. Tillman had worked eight or ten acres of rented land in and near Columbia while governor. The work was done by convicts and with penitentiary stock. No charge for either convict hire or the mules were made against him on any of the peni tentiary books. The governor paid for the fertilizers used. This same thing was done by Gov. Evans, and is now being done by Gov. Ellerbe. No other~ governors prior to Gov. Tillman had ever done such a thing. The pea vine hay with which Gov. Ellerbe is cred ited on his account to the amnount of 60, . he said, was made on this small Columbia farm of his. -- Capt. Westfield corroborated the statement of Mr. Burris that Col. Neal had said just to let the account of Gov. Evans ,3tand open and he would see about ,it being paid. Turning to that acount he showed where credits to it should have been given for lumber so as to reduce it to $181. That was the amount Col. Neal had said to let go over and he would see to its being paid. The Use of School Funds. The Columbia R{ecord says the super intendent of education, in pursuit of his investigation of the purchase of charts, finds that almost incredible sums have been spent for them in some in stances, leaving practically nothing with which to run the schools. Some trustees even went so far as to antici pate the school tax for a year in ad vance and made arrangements to pay cash for the charts. The attorney gen eral has been requested to give his opin ion as to the right of trustees to pur chase supplies after this fashion. The opinion is not ready just yet, but gen erally speaking it will hold that trus tees have no such right. When the maps and charts have thus been pur chased there is no doubt but that they should be paid for. But that is a ques tion for the agent and the trustees to settle amongst themselves. It may be, however, that it will be legal to enter int o n arrangement to purchase now. and the .:ipplies to be paid for when next year's taxes are available. Trus tees throughout the state are much in terested in the subject and many letters are being receivedI by 3Mr. MIc3ahan in reference thereto. There does not ap pear to be any objection to the supplies themselves, many teachers believing them first class aids in the school room, but it is a qjuestion whether such luxu ies should be indulged in when the school fund is already too small. A Narrow Escape. A soldier of the Fifteenth Minnesota Regiment now stationed at Augusta, Ga.. had a narrow escape from death at Branchville last Friday while going to Charleston on an excursion train from Augusta. The following account of the accident we take from the Augusta Chronile: There was a tremendous crowd on the train, and some of the soldiers who went along decided that they would ride on top of the coaches, just as~ they have frequently ridden to the city from Camp 31ackendze. There wsn't any mishap until the traina was lev ine Braw-ehvilie. Ait this point oe a .e excur'somis:s made a raid t i .e ,tnds and a man on the round was pitching articles to the men on the top of. one of the coaches. One of the soldiers, while attempting to catch a box of eigars. did not notice that the train was approaching a coal chute. Hie was struck in the head, turned a complete somersault and rolled in between two coaches. His body fell down upon the railing of the rhatforms. Fortunately for the soldier Mr. Frank Lowe of Augusta. happened to be standing on one of the platforms and seeing the man he threw out his arms and caught him just as he was about to fall in between the platform to the track below, where he would undoubt edly have been ground to death. The tatal deaths in the army since the outbreak of the war with Spain THE INSURANCE LAW The Most Important Act Passed at the Late Session. KNOCKS OUT THE TRUSTS. It Prohibits Insurance Companies Doing Business in this State Combining to Control Rates. The Legislative Acts, which has re ceived more attention than any other, is that intended to drive the South I eastern Tariff Association out of busi ness in this State. The Act, which has been approved by the Go-:ernor: reads as follows: An Act to prevent fire lasurance companies. associations or partuerships doing business in this State. or the agents of said companies associations or partnerships from entering into combi nations to make or control rates for fire insurance on property iu this State. and providing a punishment for violation of this Act. Section 1. Be it enacted by the Gen eral Assembly of the State of South Carolina that it shall be unlawful for any fire insurance company, association or partnership doing a fire insurance business in this State to enter into any compact or combination with other fire insurance companies, . associa tions or partnership. or to require or allow their agents to enter into any compact or combination with other insurance agents, companies, associa tions or partnership, or to require or allow their agents to enter into any com pact or combination with other insur ance agents. companies or associations or partnerships for the purpose of gov erning or controlling the rates charged for fire insurance, charged on any pro perty in this State; Provided that noth ing herein shall prohibit one or more of such companies from employing a common agent or agents to supervise and advise of defective structures or suggest improvements to lessen fire hazard. Section 2. That all fire insurance companies, associations or partnerships doing a fire insurance business in this State shall cause to be filed on the 1st day of March, 1900, and in each year thereafter, with the Comptroller Gen eral of this State, the affidavit of some officer or agent of said company, asso ciation or partnership, who resides in this State, setting forth the fact that that the company of which he is an officer or agent has not in the twelve months previous to the date of the said affidavit entered into any trust, combi nation or association for the purpose of preventing competition in insurance rates in this State. The said affidavit shallbe made before some officer of this State authorized to administer oaths, and any false statement made in said affidavit shall be deemed perjury, and punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars, nor more than one thousand dollars, and by confinement in the Penitentiary for one year, or, in the discretion of the Court by confine ment in jail for a period of not less than thirty days nor more than twelve montns: Provided, further, that any attempt to evade this Act by agreeing upon any one person, or number of persons for the purpose of making rates for all such insurance companies, asso ciations or partnerships, or by buying rate books made by any person or per sons, shall be deemed a violation of this Act, and shall be punished as herein provided. Section 3. The Comptroller General or other official to whom said company association or partnership are annually required to report to this State, shall forthwith revoke and recall the license or authority of such company, or com panies, association or associations, partnership br partnerships to do or to transact business in this State for any violation of this Act, and no renewal of authority shall be granted to do it for three years after such official revocation Notice of such revocation to be duly published for one consecutive week in three or more daily papers published in this State and for a violation of any of the provisions of this Act by any such company, or companies, association or associations, partnership or partner ships, they shall, on conviction thereof, pay a fine of not less than five hundred dollars. Section 4. It shall be the duty of the Attorney General or the solicitor, upon his request, to cause the provisions of this Act to be enforced. Section 5. It shall also be the duty of the Comptroller 'General or other official, now charged, or to be charged, with the enforcenient of the insurance laws of' this State, to require every fire insurance company, association or part nership doing a fire insurance business within this State. to file with the an nual statement made to him a state ment duly sworn to by the manager or president of each company, association partnership, legally admitted in this State, that it has not in the year inter vening between the issue of its last li cense and that applied for violated the condition of this Act. Section 6. This Act shall be in force from the 1st day of March, 1900. and all Acts or parts of Acts inconsistent with this Aot are bereby repealed. Will Pay for It. Go':. Elerbe Thursday gave out .the following -statement in regard to his name being brought into the peniten tiary scandal: "In the testimony of Capt. Westfield the public would think I have been getting my laundering cone free at the penitentiary. Some time ago our washwoman left the city and we could not get one to do our work satis factorily. I told Col. Neal about the matter and he told rme lie had a good laundry at the penitentiary and that lie could do my laundering for. me. I sent a patrt of it only. and am to pay $3 per nuath. About a month ago I succeeded in getting a washwoman and have not had any laundering done at the peni tentiary since." Where Are the Guns. Gen. Floyd is preparing to get after some of the former militia companies with a sharp stick. There has been much negligence in collecting and re turning arms from disbanded military companies. Gen. Floyd is looking into the matter. He finds guns scat - tered all over the State, and has noti fied several former company command ers that they will be held personally responsible unless the guns arc collect ed and turned in. M1ost of these guns belonged to companies in rural com munities. -State. Explosion on a Cruiser. The British firstclass cruiser Terri ble from M1alta reports that a boiler ex plosion on board of her MIonday killed a stoker, fatally injured another man and bnadly scalded several others. Seeing the Danger The scale. a be" ning to fall frem the CY of -Otze of tof e .Epublican leaersan~newpaprs.and thier. hesin to 5ee leat danr to t hr -mnitr. i'n the formation 4f . any iguietru.,ts. Tle (hie: Tibun h:'- fIr IUny itm. In t rent on eioia tha~t popori. ::rongly howei the 1rat mnenace Ito the peopleo (.f thei United States in the appalling number of great trusts formned in alhost every .oceive able line of hunan inlustry. These trusts constitute grcat mionopiolies. The%' now control all lines of Iunan supplcs. T hcre are certain things lwhich manikind must have-light. heat. food. othing, transportation. And to slIpply tlee necessary wAants. many in dustries have been established in the Inited Sta-es. Inder a high protee tive or prohibitory tariff the vast mar ket in which eIarly onle hundred mil lions of people are buyers iS closed against outside competition, and the iillers and factory men, quick to see this opportunity, have formed trusts to prevent competition, and reduce ex penes. 'nder these combines mills and factiries are locked up, men are thrown out of employment, and competi tion is prevented. A trust employs few or no drummers. It uses no more laborers than are absolutely necessary. It throws the work. formerly done by many factories, giving employment and support to thousands of people, upon a few factories. It absolutely controls the market for its product. at both ends, fixing the price of the raw material and of the finished product. For instance, the castor oil trusts shuts up oil mills. and throws many employees out ot work. It fixes the price of castor beans, paying the farmer just enough to iaduce him to raise the beans. It also fixes the prices of castor oil. to suit its own ideas of profit. The work ings of a trust a-c exemplified in the Standard Oil monopoly. which has made Rockefellei the richest man in the world, at the expense of thousands of honest men. that the Standard Oil company has ruined. Never in the his. tory of the world has there been such an appalling growth of trusts. as we have seen since the election of Mark Hanna and McKinley. The Chicago Tribune says the people must act. There are laws against trusts. Yet the Attorney General of the United States has not moved a muscle to enforce these laws. The Tribune says the peo ple must vote against the men in favor of trusts. This means vote against the Republican party, for that party is owned and controlled and run by the trusts. We agree with the Tribune. Vote against this monstrous trust evil every time the ballot box is open. -The Democratic party has denounced trusts and combines, one of the greatest evils of modern times. It is the only great party that stands squarely against them. Trusts will have a hard time with Wil lian J. Bryan in the White House, and they know this. and for this reason they fight him. For this reason, if for no other, the people should be solidly for Bryan. The War Taxes. The act levying special war taxes went into effect June 13, 1S9S, and the receipts therefrom up to the end of the year were as follows: Documentary and propri etary stamps. .. .. ...22.:348.367.16 Special taxes.. .... ... 4500,068.75 Excise tax on gross re-. cepts......... ...... 280537.65 Legacies......... .... 134,899.63 Mixed flour............5,189.95 Barrel tax on beer. 1812398 Snuff.. .... .. .. .. . :3690 Tobacco.. .. .. .. .. 64S1 Cigars...... ....... 143397 Ciarettes...... ........74,315.89 Total..............854.362122.39 Though the war on account of which these taxes were laid has been over sev eral months the war taxes are still with us and there is not the slightest pros pect that they will be abolished, at least for a long time to come. W~e are in no condition to talk about doing away with them now. Each passing month shows a huge gap between re eeipts and expenditures and the deficit for the fiscal year to end June 30 will be at least 8150,000,000. We will have the war taxes with us long enough to become very familiar with them, even if we do not become reconciled to them. Those who dance must pay the fiddler. Will be Electrocuted. Several women have suffered the law's death penhlty in New York but not one since the electric chair was substituted for the gallows. -This week, however. Mrs. Martha Place will be electrocuted. all effoits to obtain a commutation of her sentence having failed. The last appeal was to Governor Roosevelt and he has refused it in a very emphatic manner. Ice declares that the0 law makes no distinction between men and women in ptrescribing punishment for c'ime and that he can tind no warrant for interference in this case. The crime for which 3Mrs. Place is to pay the pen alty was a most atrocious one. She de liberately planned the murder of her step-d aughter and carried out her design in a peculiarly cruel manner. After blinding her victim with acid Mrs. Place stranrled her. She then waited in the housenearly all day and at dark when her husband returned, tried to kill him with an axe. MIrs. Place was defended with great energy and skill. The plea of insanity was urged in her behalf and that failing every p)ossible effort was made to obtain commutation of the death sentence. One of the attemplts to save her life was made in the form of a bill to abolish capital punishment in Ne w York. but it was de feated in the assembly last MIonday by a vote of 47 to 78. M1rs. Place's last chance of life is gone and according to the New York form of sentence she will be executed "during the week begining MIonday. arch 2. 1899. THlE lHenton Standard notices with alarm that an astronomer has discovered a short tailed comet. This is calcula tedI to) spoil the harmony of the uni verse. A comet with a doeked tail has no right to c:areer around in the sky. It is not comely. Where is the socie:v for the cruelty t' animals? TIhis comet must be arrested and put in limbo un-il its tail grows out: to a suitable length. We can't stand this kind of business. It will take all the gauze and fuzz we hae to spare for ten years to cover our naked fellow eitizenis in the Philip ~ines. and we can't furnish tail stuff. for bobbed comets. Neither can we af ford to have these bobtailed celestials obseening our sky. That comet will either have to put on petticoats or tar ry at Jericho until its tail be grown. THE a!ttempt of the trusts to bribe the attorney-general of Ohio to render a decision in their favor trust methods. is another evidence of the utter dis rerd~ of law by these t:omb:inations. Trusts which are pronounce'd un lawful by legislatures and Urts cann1 in dl taun themselves withUt corrttOi. This bribery case will open men's eyes to the truth about these cO oies.Af ter such revelations nobody can dieny that they are a menace to liberty and AB5OLUTELY 'l Makes the food more del ROYAL 13AKING POWC REUNION FACTS. General Walker Issues a Circular of General Information. TO THE OLD VETERANS. All Old Confederate Soldiers Urged to Attend in Uniform. Headquarters in Charles ton. General Walker has issued the fol lowing circular letter giving some facts and information relative to the Confed erate reunion: I. The ninth annual reunion of the United Confederate Veterans will be held in the "Cradle of Secession," Charleston. S. C.. commencing on the morning of May 10th, 1899. The headquarters of the division, during the reunion, will be at Market Hall, Meeting and Market streets. Comrades will please register there and during their stay make it their general assembling place. II. While the comrades of the di vision will be the guests of Charles ton, (and indeed of the people of the state of South Carolina) none the less they must play the part of hosts, and be prepared to share their blankets, and the contents of their haversacks and canteens with the visiting com rades from the other divisions, and with all Confederate veterans who may join us in commemerating the memories so dear to us. III. In order to take part in the pro ceedings and have the right to vote, camps must pay their dues of 10 cents per capita to the U. C. V., organiza tion, either direct to Major-General George Moorman, A. G. and C. of S., U. C. V., New Orleans, La., or the division adjutant general. Dues of 5 cents per capita to the division, to be paid to the division, adja-. tant general, with arrears for those camps that have not done their part heretofor3 in sustaining the division; all must be paid before April 1, 1899. IV. Camps and comrades are urged to bring with them any Confederate bat tle flags they may have, as well as their camp colors for the- parade, especially as they will be wanted in the cere monial of Memorial day, May 10th, (the anniversary of Stonewall Jackson's death) the day observed in this city. The Ladies' Memorial association hav ing invited the U. C. V. organization to join them, and General Gordon hav ing accepted the invitation of the asso ciation to preside. V. Miss Mary Carwile, of Edgefield, daughter of Brigadier-General T. W. Carwile, commanding2d brigade, is an nounced as division sp-:nsor for the cur rent year, and Miss Lula Cassels Lake, daughter of Col. George B. Lake, as maid of honor. The honorary maids of honor (for the Charleston reunion) will be Miss Minnie Agatha Wright, of Gainesville, Texas, and ~Miss Lulie Wagener. grandnieee of the late Gen. John A. Wagener, of Charleston. The comrades of the diyison are to be con gratulated upon having as sponsor and matids of honor four young ladies who will worthily represent naries that ap pear upon. the honor rolls of the Con federacy, and they will vie with each other in honoring them. To Miss Wright the thanks of the comrades are due for her modest but effective efforts to influence the vote of the Texas delegation at Atlanta in favor of Charleston, and her acceptance of the sponsor's invitation to serve as one of the honorary maids of honor is another pleasing evidence of her gracious con sideration for the Confederate veterans of our state. VI. The camps of the division are earnestly called upon to put themselves in position to exert the full influence this division is entitled to, as the rep resentative of the first state to assert it self for states rights in the sixties, and all Confederate veterans in the state, not now members, are fraternally in vited and urged to join one of the divi sion or to fosrm new camps. VII. The commanding general of the division suggests that as many of the camps as can do so uniform their members in a simple an-1 inexpensive suit, or sack only. of Confederate gray, with a dark hat.' This seems to be the sentiment and custom of many camps in other divisons of the U. C. V. Each reunion shows more uniformed camps, and the South Carolina division should kcep pace with the growing sentiment. By order Major-G-eneral C. Irvine Walker. James G-. Holmes. Adjutant General, Chief of Staff. Information for Veterans. Charleston will open her homes, as well as her boarding houses and hotels for the comfortable and pleasant ae comnmodation of all of the visitors who will attend the Confederate reunion. May 10 to 13 next. The following in formation as to rates of board and lodg ing is officially given out: Private homes and boarding houses. lodging 50 cents to $1 a day: single meals, 25 cents to 50 cents; board and lodginge, $1 to $2. Hotels, board and lodging $2 and up wards. Restaurants, meals 25 cents and up wards. Dormitories for ladies 50 cents and upwvards; also restaurants under the control of King's Daughters. Daughters of the Confederacy and Revolution and church societies of all denommnations will be established. Dormitories for men with abundant accommodations will be opened at 50 cents. Visitors are urged to make all ar rangements for board and lodging in ad vance and all information can be ob tained and quarters engaged by address ing Mr. Robert P. Evans, chairman com mittee on information. Charleston. S. C. ________ Another Gunboat Saved. The navy department is gratified to learn that its representatives who have been working for some time in the vi einity of Santiago and G-uantaname have succeded in adding another yes set to the Amxerican navy in the gun boat Baracoa, which was reported to have been towed into Santiago yester day. The Baracoa was one of the Span is h gunboats sunk near Guantanamo. She is a useful type of vessel for patrol work and is about 50 per cent larger than the gunboats Sandoval and Alva rado now at Washington navy yard. She carries one Hlontoria gun of 8.5 inch ca1br and t wo machine guns. URE icious and wholesome ER CO., NEW YORK. THE EGYPTIAN AT HOME. In Hospitality and Politeness He Stands Pre-eminent. The Egyptian of to-day may easily be surpassed in honesty, courage and the manlier virtues; yet in hospital ity and politeness he stands pre-emi nent. No Egyptian sits down to a meal without asking all passers-by to par take of it; during his thirty days' fast every year his doors are open to all, no introduction is needed; to the poor he gives ungrudgingly. Though allowed to have four wives, the Effendi is almost always a mono gamist. Marrying early, he is, as a rule, a good husband and father, and fond of and kind to his children. To show the direction in which the ideas of marriage are setting, we may say that one of the first teachers in Mohammedan law in Egypt some time ago laid down this maxim, that the prophet has allowed four wives to any man who would engage to love all four alike, but as he hadl never met any one capable of doing so, he would recom mend one wife as the interpretation of the prophets words. Indeed, the re lations of the wife so resent a man's marrying again that it'is hardly ever done. In abstinence from drinking to ex cess the whole Egyptian nation stands a head and shoulders above us. The hospitality of the sheikhs, or village headmen, is boundless, and. takes the shape of feasts at which Athelstan might have presided and Cedric been entertained, and both found themselves at home. We have seen men sit down to a banquet of twenty-one heavy courses, where a huge turkey was the seven teenth course; and the first course alone consisted of a whole sheep, Inside which was a goose, inside that a chick en, then a pigeon, and finally an egg, which last was presented to the prin cipal guest as containing the essence of all. The weakest point of the Egyptian's armor is his lack of courage, and very feeble idea of what fair -play means.. An Egyptian Effendi, or man of tb' upper classes, told me with great sat isfaction of a duel one of his country men had with an Italian, in which the Egyptian chose clubs as the weapon to fight with, and then disabled the right hand of the Italian by a sudden blow before the duel had begun. He actually could see nothing to blame In his countryman, but rather commended his promptness in action. On the other hand, recent events:in the Soudan have shown that the Egyp tian makes a good fighting man; pro vided he has faith in his officers, and is not called upon to act for bimself.: He cannot take the Initiative. The Philosophy of Play. Prof. Groos, who has written a book on the subject, 'holds play to be an instinct developed by natural selection, and to be on a level with the other in stincts which are developed for their utility. It is very near, in its origin and function, to the instinct of Imitation,. but yet they are distinct. Its utility Is in the main twofold. First, it. enables the young animal to exercise itself be forehand in the strenuous and neces sary functions of its life, and so to be ready for the onset; and, second, it enables the animal by general instinct to do many things in a playful way, and so to learn for itself much that - would otherwise have to be inherited in the form of special instincts; this puts a premium on intelligence, which thus comes to replace instinct. Either of these utilities, Prof. Groos thinks, would Insure and justify the play In stinct; so important are they that he suggests that the real meaning of in fancy is that there may be time for play. The Golden Fleece. Collars worn by members of the Or der of the Golden Fleece are at the death of such persons returned to the crown of Spain or Austria, to be held until some new knight is invested.. The name of the wearer is engraved on one of the links and it now turns: out that the collar given to President Faure was last worn by Prince Bis marck and bears the name of the most bitter and triumphant foe of yrance. A Woman's Way. "Follow a woman with the object of passing her," and see her swerve. If you try to pass on her right she will swerve in that direction and head you off. Left ditto. How does she know you are going on either side? Why does that knowledge lead her involun tarily to slide off in the direction you take? About Your Face. A German biologist says that the. two sides of a face are never alike. In two cases out of tive the eyes are out of line; one eye is stronger than the other in seven persons out of ten, and the right eye is generally higher than the left. Smallest Man. The smallest man who ever lived was the dwarf Bebe, born in France in 1740. He was just 20 inches tall and 8 pounds in weight when full grown. Berlin. Berlin is one of the most cosmopoli tan of European cities. Though It Is the capital of Germany, only 37 per cent, of its inhabitants are German by birth. The Tunnels of the World. If all the tunnels of the world were raced end to end they would reabh a distance of 514 miles. They number ab)out 1,142. Portuguese Peasants. Eighty per cent. of Portuguese peas ants can neither read nor write. Never Too Old. 'John D. Clews. aged 102 years, was married at Franklin. Pa., recently to Sarah Jennings, 100 years old, who at one time was a member f Abraham Lincoln's household. Despite their ad vancedl years Mr. and Mrs. Clews are still sprightly and active. I-Pr has been demonstrated that it tkes a good deal of money to run this overnient under a Republican admin itration. But what's the odds? The peole have had due knowledge of that beoe and~ if' they are bound to have laxuries they should certainly not rmble when it comes to paying for