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FROM ihAVL Rev. Dr. Talmage On The Ocd True Religion. MAKESHIFTS OF HUMAN Manufacture Are Useless When Measured by Od's Plumb Line. Rsligions Made to Sut Cond:tions. From Trc'ndhjem. N rny. where Dr. Talmage is now staying, he set-s the following discourse. in which te shows that the world can ucvcrbe b:n fited by a religion of human wao' m ture, which easily yields t cL_ u - roundings, but must have a rcifl let down from heaver: text Amos vii. 'And the Lord said unto -te. A:;"). what seest thou: And I sai. A p't'b line." The solid masonry of the world has for me a fascination. Walk about scme of the triumpbai arches srd the cathe drals 400 or 600 sears "l, -nd see them stand as erect a' whn they were built, walls of great height, f.r een taries not bending a guirter of an inch this way or that. S greatly honored were the masons who builded these walls that they were free from taxation and called 'free" masons. The trow el gets most of the credit for these build ings, and its clear ringing on stone and brick has sounded across the ages. But ther- is another impl iment of jist as much importance as the trowel, and my text recognizes it. Bricklayers and stonemasons and carpenters, in the building of walls, use an inst:u rent made of a cord. at the end of which a lump of lead is fastened. They drop j it over the side of the wail, and, as the plummet naturally se,-s the center of gravity in the earth, the workman dis covers where the wall recedes and where it bulges out and just what is the per pendicular. Oar text -epresents God as standing on the wall of character which the Israelites had built and in that way testing it. "And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said A plumb line." Whit the %,r.d wants is straight up and down religion. Much of the so called piety of the day bends this way and that to suit the times. It is oblique, with a low state of sentiment and morals. We have all been building a wall of character, and it is glaringly imperfect and needs reconstruction. How shall it be brought into perpen dicular? Only by the divine measure ment. "And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumb line." The whole tendency of the times is to make us act by the standard of what others do. We throw over the wall of our character the tangled plumb line of other lives and re ject the infallible test which Amos saw. The question for me should not be what you think is right, but what God thinks is right. This perpetual reference to the be havior of others, as thouch it decided anything but human fallibility, is a mistake wide as the world. There are 10,000 plumb lines in use, but only one is true and exact, and that is the line of God's eteral right. There is a mighty attempt being made to recon strDct and fix up the Ten Command merts. To miany they seem too rigid. The tower of Pisa leans over about 13 feet from the perpendicular, and people go thousands of miles to see its grace ful inclination and to learn how, by extra braces and various architee:ural conrivances, it is kept leaning from censury to century. Why not have the ten granite blocks of Sinai set a little aslaut? Why not have the pillar' of truth a leaning tower? Why is not an ellipse as good as a square? Why is not an oblique as good as stright up and down? My friends, we must have a standard. Shall it be God's or man's? The divine plumb line needs to be thrown over all merchandise. Thous ands of years ago Solomon discovered the tendency of buyers to depreciate goods. IIe saw a man beating down an article lo~wer and lower and saying it was not w'orth' the price asked, and when he had puazdL. at the lowest point he told et'rv'i,' what a sharp bargain he L~d ar -e atd' how he outwitted the mer~fhan "It is naught, saith the buyer, ou when he is gone his way, then tie boast eth" (Proverbs xx, 14) S.)eiety is so utterly askew in this matter that you] seldom find a seller asking the price that he expects to get; he puts on a higher value than he expects to receive, that he will receive, knowing that he will have to drop. And if he wants $50, he asks $75 And if he wants $2,000, he asks $2,500. "It is naught," sait~h the buyer. "The fabric is de fective, the style of goods is poor: I can get elsewhere a better article at a smaller price. It is out of fashion; it is damaged; it will fade; it will rot wear welL" After awhile the merchant, from overpersuasion or from desire to dispose of that particular stock of goods, says, "Well, take it at your own price," and the purchaser goes home with light step and calls into his pri vate ofiee his confidential friends and chuckles while he tells how for half price he got the goods. In other words, he lied and was proud of it. The pressure to do wrong is stronger from the fact that in our day the large business houser are swallowing up the smaller, the whales dining on bluefish and minnows. The large houses un dersell the small ones, because they buy in greater quantities and at lower figures from the producer. They can afford te make nothing, or actually lose, on some styles of goods, assured they can make it up on others. So, a great &y goods house goes outside of itE regular line and sells books at cos: or less than cost, and that swamp:- the booksellers; or the dry goods house sells bric-a-brac at lowest figures, and that swamps the small dealer -in bric-a-brac. And the same thing goes on in other styles of mer chandise, and the conn"~uence is that all along the business stceets of all our cities there are merchants of small cap ital who are in terrific struggle to keep their heads. above water. The ocean liners run down the Newfoundla~nd fishing smacks. This is nothing against the man who has the big store, for every man has as large a store and as great a business as he can reanage. To feel right and do right ander al this pressure :oquires mantyr gtraec re qjuires divine support. re'juires eeks tial re-enforcement. Yet there a-e tens of thousands of su~a men ge n splendidly through. They see othes going up and themselves going down, but they keep their patience and the': courage and their Caristian consis'eney and after awhile their success wil come. There is generally retribution in some form for greediness. The S a g busincs wm me, : nl thei l boys will get possessi a of the business, rnd with a cigar in their mtrhs, and full to the chins with the ivouor, and behind a pair of spank ing bays, they will pass everything on the turnpike road to temporal and eter nal 1erdision. Then the business will break up and the smaller dealers will have fair opportunity. Or the spirit of conteutnient and right feeling will take pos-ession of the h rge firm, as re cently with a famous business house, and t'rc firm will say: We hive enough money fr all our needs and the netds cf our children. Now let us dissolve basiness and uiase way for other Wen is the same lin. In stead of bein.z starthd at a soltary in stance of magnaniol"y, it will become a eCt:nen t bing I gnow of scores of cr:.t bsin"es houses that have had r opportunity of vast accumulation and who ought to quit. But perhaps for all t': days of this generation the str ale of small houses to keep alive under the overshadowing pressure of crcat houses will continu-; therefore. taking things as they are, you will be wise to preserve your faith and throw over all the counters and shelves and casks the measuring line of divine right. "And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said. A plumb line." I want you to notice this fact, that when a man gives up the straight up and down religion of the Bible for any new fanled re!igion, it is generally to suit ':s sitss You first hear of his change of religion. and then you hear of sic swindle he hay praeteed in a s:izccial mining stock telling some one if he will pnt i1 $10,00U he can take out $101000. or he has sier'ficed his integrity or plunged into irremediable wo-ldlicezs liis sins are so broad he has to broaden his religion, and he be eamles as broad as temptati)n, as broad a the soul's darkness, as broad as hell They want a religion that will allow them to keep their sins and then at death sac to them, "Well done, good and faithful servant," and that tells them. All is well, for there is no hell." What a glorious heaven they hold before us! Come, let us go in and see it. There are Hrod and all the babes he mas-acred. There are Charles Gui:eau and Robespierre, the feeder of the French guillotine, and all the liars, thieves, house burners, garroters, pick pockets and libertines of all the centu ries. They have all got crowns and thrones and harps and scepters, and when they chant they sing, "Thanks giving and honor and glory and power to the broad religion that lets us all in to heaven without repentance and with out faith in those humiliating dogmas of ecclesiastical old fogyism." My text gives me a grand opportuni ty of saying a useful word to all young men who are now forming habits for a lifetime. Of what use to astonemason or a bricklayer is a plumb line? Why not build the wall by the unaided eye and hand? Because they are insuffi cient, because if there be a deflection in the wall it cannot further on be correct ed. Because by the law of gravitation a wall must be straight in order to be symmetrical and safe. A young man is in danger of getting a defeat in his wall of character that may never be corrected. Remember that the wall may be 100 feet high, and yet a deflection one foot from the foundation affects the entire structure. And if you live 100 years and do right the last Sh.ears you may nevertheless do something~'t 20 years of age that will damage all your'ethly existence. All pou who have bdttt houses for yourselves or for others, am I not right in saying to these young men, you cannot build a wall so high as to be independent of the character of its founda tion? A man before 30 years of age may commit enough sin to last a lifetime. Now, John or George or' Henry or whatever be your Christian nam3 o:- surnamei, say here and now: "No wild oa's for me, no cigers or cig aretts for me; no wine or beer for me, no nasty stories for me, no Sunday sprees for me. I am going to s'art right and keep right. God help me, for I am very weak From the throne of eternal rik 'e u,ness let down to me the principr- b~y which I can be guid d in build aug everything from founda to ca;,stone. Lord God, by the wound ed hand of Christ throw me a plumb ine." "But," you say, "you shut us young olks out from all fun." Oh, no! I ike fun. I believe in fun. I have had a f it in my time. But I have not s to go into paths of sin to find it. 9 credit to me, bat because of an ex .raordinary parental example and in uence I was kept from outward tians :resnions, though my heart was bad nough and desperately wicked. I have 1aad fun illimitable, though I never wore one oath and never gambled for o much as the value of a pin and never aw the inside of a haunt of sin save as hen many years ago, v- th a commis ~ioner of police and a letective and w elders of my church, I explored New York and Brook'.n by midnight, iot out of ec:-iosity, bze that Imightin rlpit diseurse set before the people :he poverty and the horrors of under ;round city life. Yet, though I was ever intoxicsted for an instant and e~ver committed one act of dissolute 1ess restrained only by the grace of od, without which restraint I would ave gone headlong to the bottom of in amy-I have had so much fun that I on't believe there is a man on the planet at the present time who has had tore. Hear it, men and boys, women ad girls, all the fun is on the side of right. Sin may seem attractive, but it sdeathful and like the manchineel. a tree whose dews are poisonous. The >ly genuine happiness is in a Chris tian ife. Oh this plumb line of the everlasting right! God will throw it over all our lives to show us our inoral defiections. God will throw it over all churches to shcew whether they are doing useful work or are instances of idleness and pretense. He will throw that plumb ine over all nations to demonstrate whether their laws are just or cruel, :heir rulers good or bad. tneir ambitions Loly or infamous. He .ew that pumb line over the Spanish monarchy f other days, and what became of her? Ask the splintered hulks of her over thrown armada. He threw that plumb line over French imperialism, and what was the result? Ask the ruins of the Tuileries and the fallen column of the Place Verndone and the grave trenches of Sdan and the blood of revolutions at different times rolling through the Champs Elysees. He threw that plumb line over ancient Rome, and what became of the realm of the an cient Ctasars? Ask her war eagles, with beak dulled and wings broken, flung helpless into the Tiber. He thre-w it over the Assyrian empire of a thousand years, the thrones of Semira mis and St~rdanaplus and Shalmaneser, of 27 victorious expeditions, the cities of Phoaieia kneeling to the scepter and a the world blanched in the pres nce. What became of all the grand 'r? .sk the fallen palaces of Khorsa t.ad and tio- corpses of her 18'>,000 sol c-i wz Wid's ~tu retuains of thdt splndor nations stagger-ed aid h od is now throwing that plumh lioc over this republic, and it is :: olemn time with this nation, and whether we keep his Sabbaths or .iishonor them, whether righteousness or imiquit dominate, whether we are Christians or infidel, whether we f uiti!! our mission or refuse, whether we are for Gol or against him, will decide whether we shall as a nation go on in higher and highercareer or go down in the same grave where Babylon and Nineveh and Thebes are sepul chered. "But," say you, "if there be nothing buta plumb line what ean any of ui do, for there is an old pro verb which truth fully declares: if the best man's faults were written on his forehead, it would make him pull his hat over his eyes ' Whit shall we d when, accord ing to Isaiah, 'God shall lay judgment to the line and righteousness the plum met' " Ah, here is where the gospel comes in wi+.h a Saviour's righteousness to mike up for our ddticits. Ani while I see banging on the wall a plumb line, I see also hanging there a cross. And whi'e the one condemns us the other saves us, if only we will hold to it. And here and now you may be set free with a more glorious liberty than Ha;npden or Sidney or Ko~eiu-k > ever fought for. Not out yonder or down there or up here, but just where you are you may wet it. The invalid proprietrss of a wealthy estate in Sctland visited the continent of Eirope t get ri- of her maladies. and the went to Baien isdeu and tried those wa-eri and went to Carlsbad and tried those waters, and instead of getting better .he got worse, and indes pair she said to a physiciai. "What shall I do?" His r:ply wis "\I-:dicine can do nothing for you Y)u have only one chance and that is in the waters of the Pit K'athly, Scotland." .Is it possible?" she replied. "Why. those waters are on my own estate!" She returned and drank of the fountain at her own gate and in two months com pletely recovered. Oh, sick and dis eased and sinning and dying. why go trudging all the worhd over and seeking here and there relief for y our discour aged spirit when close by and at your very feet and at the door of your heart, aye, within the very estate of your own consciousness, the healing waters of eternal life may be had and had this very hour. this very minute? Blessed be God that over against the plumb line that Amos saw is the cross, through the emancipating power of which you and I may live and live for ever! The Cotton and Corn Crop The first week of August has given favorable weather to the growing cot ton crop and reports from the entire belt are more favorable than hereto fore. but as an offset to the favorable conditions, the reports also indicate that there is much rust and shedding, and that boll weevils, boll worms and web worms are doing considerable damage west of the Missi:sippi where otherwise the crop is very premising. In the gulf States the average condition continues very low and many fields are so foul that their yield will be practi cally nothing. In Florida it is too wet, and in the other Atlantic States too dry for the best development of the crop. Early cotton is opening freely, but picking is not general or active except in southwestera Texas, where consider able progress has been made. The ex treme heat of the last few daes has been very deterimental to cetton ia the Atlantic States. In North Cairolina cotton made favor able progress during the week; it is quite generally reported to be fruiting well, although the weed is sma1: some early boils are opening in Scotland .carty; complaint of rust and shed ding are comparatively few. In South Carolina there was a gen eral improvement in the condition of cotton. especially in the eastern and western counnte:. although rust and shedding are increasing, and sea island continues to blight. Growth has stopped in some fields, and the plants are bloomiog to the toD, whiile other fields continue to -gtow r.nd fruit freely. otton is opening quite generally in the eastern counties, although picking has not begun. In Georgia cotton has taken a decided start, but its gemtral condition is still below the average cnd. considerable compaint of rust, shedding of forms and premature opening is made. In a very few counties a little cotton has been picked. In Florida precipitation has been too frquent an i at many stations exces sive, resuktir g in continued unfavor able conditions to cotton. The crop is still suffering from rust, and picking has increased cn uplands. Tne pros pcts are far from satisfactory. In Alabama cotton has improved steadily, and is now, as a whole, quite clean, it is fruiting rapidly, with some full grown b~olls, and some is opening:; it is neing laid by and the outlook is now more promising, though, owicet to previous unfavorable conditions, *n.e less than an average yield wmi be made. Some little rust and sheddin; are reported. I in Mississippi the latter part of the week was clear and hot, a condition very favorable for cotton which is gro sing rapidly and is generally much improved, especially on uplands where it has been weil worked. Some fields on bottom lands have been abandoned to the weeds. In the middle counties it is being worked out for the last time. In Louisiana the cotton crop is in a condition below the normal. The re ports concerning it are unfavorable in some respect in almost every section. As a rule, the fields are more or less foul with grass. On low lands it has suffered and is still sufferiog from too much rain, and on hill lands it has made too rapid growth, is deficient in fruit and is shedding. B.>ll worms and caterpillars are also reported to have made their appearance in places. In Tennessee ecrn thathas been even fairly well cultivated is much improved and is developing well. This is also true of cotton, especally upland crop. In Texas it is a consensus of opinion among most of the correspondents that cotton is taking on a too rapid growth and not fruiting as well as it should, although sonme report that the plant is fruiting nicely and is very promising. Much cotton has been worked out for the last time, while some late e:'tos is just being worked for the tirst timue, which indicates a very irregular erop some of which is very late. Som fields are reported grassy. The orop is suffering for want of dry weather and more sunshine. Cotton pests are reported very numerous and arc doing damage in many localities. In Arkansas cotton, which has been properly cultivated, is doing nicely, but in many localites it is beginning to need rain and in some sections has commenced to shed. Some damage is being done by sharpshooters and rust. In Oklahoma and Missouri cotton is in fine condition and is bolling and fruiting well. The only advance condi tion is that hol! worm s have made their A GOOD SPEECH Grl the One Great Need of South Carolin s BY MR. W D. MAYFIELD, Who Is a Candidate for Railroad Commissioner. He Gives Us Food for Thought. The following speech of the Hon. W. D. Mayfield, who is a candidate for railroad %mmissioner, on the freight rate in South Carolina is well worth reading: The: Railroad Commission is com posed of three members who are now elected by the people. There cannot be less, but may be more than three me:.bers. Each member of this com mission holds his office for six years As now arranged, one member has to be elected every two years. There is now one vacancy on this board and you have seven candidates before you ask ing you for S our support for this office. 'wo years ago there was one vacancy and you had before you eight candi dates for it, and the man you elected then wcnt in for six years. The man you elect now will hold for six years. Two years hence there will be another vacancy and the man elected will hold for six years, unless the !aw is changed. The salary of each member of the commission is $1,900 per annum and is paid by the railroads The people elect the commissioners, one every two years, but the railroads pay their salarits, furnish them with an office, their sta tionary, stamps, fuel and lights, pay their clerk, and give the members and the clerk a pass over all roads, to be used when on officil business. This is wrong. The State should have a free and ind, p'ndcnt board to look after its interest. The law should be changed; the salaries should be paid by the State; the term of office should be made two years, and these officers, like all other State officers, should be made to come before the people every two years and give an account of theii- stewardship. I sound the note of warning and urge the people to rake it an issue in the county campaign and to demand of the -an.ldates for the house and senate to :tiauge this law. When. this is done, ,oa *ill have a board free and inde. J ndent of all obligations to the rail ccads to look after the interests of the jcople of the State. The cry goes up from every quarter demanding protec iion from trusts and corporations. The corporate railroad interest in this State is already immense and it is high time the people were protected against un lawful encroachments upon their ;ights. It will be too late to lock the :table door when the horse is gone. No man can serve two masters; for either he will love the one and hate the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other." Under the laws of this State the Rsil road Commission have full control of the railroads in this State, subject to the right of appeal to the courts. Not withstanding this fact, what are the condition of affairs in this State? Why, we have the highest freight rate of any State in the South,. excpt IFlorida. T[his is not right. TIhere is no good reason why Scuth Carolina should not have as good freight rates as North Caro'.ina and Georgia. Until we get the best of rates allowed on all horti cultural, agricultural and manufactured products and all commercial articles we cannot hope to compete successful ly with the people of other more fortu nate States. We have a variety and great quanti ty of splendid timber in this State but it cannot he manufactured into furni ture, vehicles and farming and mechi cal inmplements and placed on the mar ket because your freight rate will not allow eq'al competition with other States. North Carolina even can sell yonr merchants cheaper than a factory in your State could sell them because of the highness of the local rates in this State. Is this right? Great quantities of tobacco is now being grown in this State and we should be able to manufacture it here, but we cannot compete with North Carolina and Virginia in freight rates and a to bacco factory in this State would likely prove a poor investment, if not a fail ure Is this right? Our soil is well adapted to truck farming and fruit growing and to a limited extent our people have entered these fields; but these industries must of necessity remain small comparative ly so long as other States have better rates than we have. Cars are loaded with truck and fruit in Georgia and shipped north, through South Carolina, at a less rate than our people have to pay. Is this right? Our people are now growing wheat in certain sections and flour mills are being built, but these mills cannot com pte with mills in Georgia in selling to o' o - ro merchants because of the high nes eit ne local rates on flour. Is 02c cottuti uti's should he able to buy the cotton raised in this State and lay it down as cheap as they can buy and ship cotton from Georgia. Alabama and Mississippi, but the local rates in this State are such that they cannot buy in certain sections of the State and they are forced to go outside of the State for a large part of the cotton they need over that raised in the mill see. tion. Is this right? Oar manufacturiag interests should be diversified as much as possible. We should not limit ourselves to the man ufacturing of cotton. We have taken the lead in the manufacturing of cot ton. If we are to hold our lead our mills must be able to buy our cotten, or in futnie new mills will go where they can get cotton cheapest. Just as we took the lead in manufacturing cot ton so will some southern state take the lead in knitting mills, furniture factories, broom factories, soap facto ries, buggy and wagon factories, rope, glass and shoe factories, &o. Why not this state be the leader in all of these Certain it is she cannot unless she be given the best of freight rates. 0 her States secure goed r.tt S and why can not this Str'e eet them? Whuitcate Louses of all kinds should be encouraged in this State by giving them rates which will enable them to compete with wholesale houses located in other southern states. It is a well known fact that our wholesale houses are not on an equal footing with houses located in Augusta, Atlanta, Savannah, Richmond, Lynchburg and Wilming ton. This is not right and it should be regulated. Charleston, Port Royal and Georgetown should be made import and export cities instead of being "bot ted up" by rates which prevent them from competing for the trade with Sa vannah, Wilmington and Norfolk, and Columbia and the other inland cities of the State which have the railroad facili tis to entitle them to it should be given e r Mr.tes. Whe i h:S is done: our mer chants will lrde with the wholesalers of our state and large wholesale busi nesses will be seen in several sections of the State. But until a rate is ob tained we must continue to wait and struggle against odds in the wholesale b;.siness, and allow wholesale houses outside cfiour State to erj y the bene fits of the trade of our merchants and to sap the State of that part of her wealth which should be centeratized in large wholesale houses located in this State. Give South Carolina a chance to devel ope materially and commercially. Open up her doors to greater development and more extensive prosperity by giv ing her a freight rate which will com taad capital and encou-age h'r people to renewed and greater tff r:s. The wealth of the State rests i i the rich ness and variety of her soil, the abund ance and variety of h-r timber, the magnificence of her water power and the salubriety of her climate. Her soil is capable of untold development and is suited to every variety of crop and the yield is measured by the cultivation; she needs only the parse of the capital ist and the hand of skill to make her blossom as the rose and yield a rich re turn to labor. From her timber can be ma le the best of vehicles, furniture and wooden implements and she awaits the coming of the manufacturer. Her water yet unused is sufficient .o turn half the spindles in the United Sra-es, or more. and daily runs undisturbed for the la3sI of development. Give her rates which allow her grown and manu factured products to be marketed, and her wholesale merchants to compete, on terms equal to the terms of any state and a prosperity unknown to our people will crown her with a wreath of silver an I g.ld; her c )tton mills will multiply and the click of the loom and the hum of the spindle will be heard in every section; numerous manufacturies of every kind w.l1 spring up as if by magic to convert her timber and the products of her soil into useful and profitable articles of trade; the unem ployed will be given employment and ne.v citizens become his neighbor; in every way material wealth will be add ed to the S:ate and plenty, peace and contentment Kill be the portio2 of our people. Low Rates to Chicago and Return. On account of the National Encamp ment, G. A. R., Chicago, Ill , August 27th-September 1st, 1900, the South ern Railway will sell round trip tickets from all stations on its lines to Chica go, Ill., and return at especially re duced rates. the following rates will apply from points named in South Carolina: Abbeville, $22 20; Anderson, $21 05; Blacksburg, $21 10; Camden, $:%5 75; Carlisle, $22 20; Charleston, $26 25; Chester, $22 95; Columbia, $24 75; Denmark, $24 75; Greenville, $20 20; Greenwood, $22 20; Newberry, $23.35; Orangeburg, $26 25; Prosperity, $23 55; Rock Hill, $22 55; Spartan burg, $20 20; Sumter, $26 05 By de posit of tickets with Joint Agent of Central Passenger Association, at Chi cago, prior to 12 00 noon, September 2nd, 1900, and on payment of fee of fifty (50) cents in connection with each ticket at time of deposit, the return finai limit may be extended until Sep tember 20 h, 1900. Persons located at non coupon stations should notify agent several days in advance of date they conte mplate leaving, in order that he may supply himself with proper tickets. For detailed information rela tive to rates, schedules, reservations, etc., call on or address any agent of the Southern Railway or it s connections. S. H. Hardwick. A. G. P. A., Atlanta, Ga. Forty-two Parish. Daring mancuevers of the French fleet of Caps St. Vincent Saturday night a collision o.ccurred between the first class battleship Brennus, flying the flag of Vive Admiral Fournier, com mander of the fleet, and the torpedo boat destroyer Framee. The Framee sack immediately. The accident was due to the fact that the Framec turned to the right when ordered to the left. Only a small portion of the crew, consisting of four officers and 56 men were saved. It is believed that no fewer than 50 were lost. Great anxie ty is fe.lt here. The Framee, which was of 313 tons displacement, was a re cent addition to the French navy. It is now known that out of the Framee's cre w of 56i, 14 were saved. The losses include three officers, a captain, the 5te~nd lieutenant and the chief engi neer. Refase to Leave. The French Minister at Pekin tele graphs his government as follows: "The diplmatic corps has just been informed by the Chinese government that the powers have repeatedly demanded our departure from Pekin under escort and beg us to arrange our departure and fix a date. We have in responded to the tsung li yamen that we could not leave our poats without instructions from our governments, to whom we leave the question. I should inform lyour that should we depart from Pekin the for eigh forces coming to our rescue should be of .ufficient number to insure the safety and convoy of 800 foreigners, of whom 200 are women and children. and fifty wounded, atd more than 3,000 native Christians whom we cannot leave to be massacred. In any case a Chi nese escort should not be considered. Bryan Would Free Filipinos. Ic his speech accepting the Demo cratic nomination for president, W. J. Bryan said: 'If elected president, I shall convene congress in extraordinary session as soon as I'm inaugurated, a -d recommend an immediate declaraticn of the nation's purpose, "First, To estab lish a stable form of government in the Philippine islands, just as we are now establishing a stable form of govern ment in the island of Cuba; Second, I'o give independence to the Filipinos. just as we promised to give independ ence to the Cubans; Third, to protect the Filipinos from outside interference while th.ey work out their destiny, just a w h tve protected the republics of Central and South America, and are, by the Monroe doctrine pledged to pro tect Cuba." Killed Three Thousand 'ihe Russians, who have been fight ing around Tasi Chow, are reported, ac cording to a dispatch from Shanghai, dated Aug. 9, to have killed 3,000 Chi nese. Gainesville, Ga.. Dec. 8, 1899 Pitts' Antiseptic Invigorator I se been used in my family and I am per fectly satisfied that it is all, and will do all, you claim for it. Yours truly, A. B. C. Dorsey. P. S.-I am using it now myself. It's doing me good.-Sold by I'he Mur ray Drug Co., Columbia. S. C.-, and all rissionaries Should Stud Alone, .is Italian missionarv who { has worked in China for many years has advanced an opinion concerning the responsibility of the missionaries for the anti foreign outbreaks, which has attracted much attention and is undoubtedly the correct view. Being asked whether the mis sionaries were to blame for the present trouble he replied. 'They are in a certain way re sponsible, but very indirectly. There was a time in which they were held in great consideration -esteemed and almost loved by every Chinese. For instance, in Pekin itself a monument was raised in a public square to a rnissionery, Father Matteo Ricci, who was called by the natives Great One of China. At that time the missionaries had not behind them the protection of the powers. The knot of the question is that the missionaries should not be protected. They should remain, really men of sacrifice. With protection they lose this attribute, because be fore they died as martyrs, and now because they are Euro peans. The protection of the powers consists in this, that the affronts to missionaries serve to their governments as pretexts to put a foot into China. For in stance, after the incident of Monsignor Anzer and the mur der of three missionaries, Ger many stepped into Chefoo. An so naturally, the Chinese hate the missionaries, as they now reason that they are not religi ous teachers, but spies with the mission to prepare the ground for the coming of the 'foreign devils.' It is my opinion that only the patient, slow and peace ful work of the missionaries, abandoned absolutely to them selves, can bring forth that im mense land from barbarism. But now all is undone, or worse, and must be begun again in more discouraging circum stances." We agree with the Charleston Post that this state ment appears incontrovertible. The missionary must plant his faith into the hearts of men by persuasion and not by bullets. If reason or prejudice causes them to reject his teaching, guns and lances are not going to bring them to accept it ex cept in form. Creeds are not to be spread by the sword but by precept and example. The mis sionary to be truly successful must depend on himself only. He must have no political con nection. He must represent no nationality nor trust to any hu man power. His world is re ligion and his stay is God. The Gold Democrats. The Boston Post says: "The gold Democrats will be found of the most part in support of Bryan and Stevenson at the coming election. It is realized that the nation is confronted by immediate and vital issuses that practically sweep from consid eration the financial question. The Atlanta Journal says "this is undoubtedly true. The gold Democrats are coming to the support of the Democratic ticket more fully every day. The senti ment of the great majority of those Democrats who supported Palmer, who did not vote at all, or who voted for McKinley in 189f3 was represented by the na tional committee of the goldwing of the Democratic party when it resolved not to put out a ticket this year. A few newspapers which took part in the bolt four years ago are holding back and sulking again, but the Demo cratic press, like the Democratic masses, is more harmonious than it has been since 1892. If the Republicans are counting on Democratic dissension as an ef fective factor in this campaign, they are reckoning without their host." We believe the Journal's estimate of the situation is about correct. Over here in South Carolina all the gold Democrats with a few insignificent excep tions are supporting Bryan and Stevenson. SIR Willam Vernon Harcourt now estimat~s that the cost of the war in South Africa will not be far from $400,000,000 in cash, tc say nothing of the thousands of British lives. It will take John Bull a long time to get that sum back out of South Africa, notwithstanding the richness of the gold and diamond mines in that section. CHIN threatens to kill all of the foreign ministers if the al lies continue to advance. The Newport News, Va., Herald thinks that perhaps if some prophet will kindly whisper into the ear of the Chinese authori ties that that is just about what the allied powers want them to do they would call a halt. FREE BLOOD CURE. 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Address Blood ASOYAvi Makes the food more de A Cruel Monster M. H. Kuhn, formerly of Richmend, Va., was held without bail Thursday at Philadelphia on the charge of throwing his wife out of a window of their home in this city on April 25, Mrs. Kuhn died on Monday night at the home of her mother, Mrs. S. D. Hall, in Rich mond, from the injuries received from her fall. The couple had been quar reling and it is charged that Kuhn threw his wife out of a window and then leaped out himself. Both were removed to a hospital Mrs. Kuhn was later taken to Richmond and the husband, after recovering from his in jur'es, was released on nominal bail. He las been rearrested. HOW A STENOGRAPHER SECURED A SCOOP By Robert F. Rose. T IS not my purpose to name the stenographer who performed the act, but to a stenographer is due the +credit, if credit it may be termed, of obtaining a "scoop" of the platform at the national convention of the popu list party, which convened in St. Louis in 1S96. How I became possessed of the facts makes no particular differ ence, so far as this story is concerned, but that it is true is within my knowl edge. This particular shorthand writer, who, for convenience, we will call Mr. Forest, was in the employ of one of the two great press associations then in existence. He was called to St. Louis by wire, and on his arrival at the head quarters of that news association was taken aside by the man in charge, who said to him: "Forest, I have called you here, not so much to work on the convention itself as for another reason. I know you desire to make a reputation for yourself in the newspaper world, and that you have a good deal of hustle and nerve about you. I want a "scoop" of that platform, and that is your aa signment. Use your own judgment in the matter of gettingit, butgetit." To the uninitiated, it may be well to explain that a "scoop" or a "beat," or an "exclusive," consista of securing a piece of news in advance of competi tors, and many reporters on metropol itan papers owe their continued em ployment to the fact that at some time or other, during their career. They have been successful in securing for those papers an important "scoop." It may also be well to explain that when it comes tolandingthatpreioulsThing,I the rule that "all is fair in love and war" is extended to embrace "and 5n obtaining exclusive news." So that was not a particularly cheer ful assignment. The shorthand man realizes that there were about 100 trained newspaper men in St. Louis, .whose business it was to get the news, all bent on the errand of procuring ex clusive news, and that the greatest news to obtain in. advance at a national political convention was the platform. ~He also knew that even though he should be lucky enough to hide himself ~in the room in which the resolutions committee met, the chances were one hundred to one against his securing a position in which he could write short hand, and while the ra.ther vulgar term "knocker" was not then a part of th~e slang vocabulary, he foresaw that in the event he should endeavor to get in the room by strategy, the newspaper reporters, knowing him, would imme diately apprise the members of the committee of his business and foil his plans. But he had been given the as signment. and this is the manner in 'which he went about the filling of it: 'The chairman of the resolutions ~committed~was ex-Gov. Weaver, of Iowa, who four years before was the presidential nominee of that party, and the secretary was Robert Schilling, of Milwaukee. 'The latter the shorthand man had met some years before, but ~not when he wa~s identified with any newspaper or press association. 'The committee was to meet at four o'clock the next afternoon at the Linden ho tel, while the offces of the press as sociation were in rooms in the fieor -above. Forest outlined his plan and fol lowed it t o the letter. . An hour before the committee was to meet, he took ~hs typewriting machine to the room of the committee, placed it on a table, and spread his paper and carbons around the table, lit a cigar and waited for the members to arrive. When they did begin to arrive, he looked at them ~condescendinlgly, and In reply to their questions told them he had been de tailed to do the shorthand work and typewriting for the committee. As soon as Chairman Weaver made his ap perance, Forest called him aside, and the following oor."ersation took.place. "Your name is Glen. Weaver?'' asked Forest. "Yes." "You are the chairman of the creden tials committee, I believe?" "No. the resolutions committee," an swered Weaver. "Yes, yes. I knew it was some com mit tee," rejoined Forest. "Well, I was sent here to do the shorthand work and typewriting for the committee." "Who asked you?" "Why, the secretary, Mr. Schiller." "Oh, yes; you mean Schilling. All right. Trake a seat. We will need you after awhile." Before long Mr. Schilling appeared. Upon his arrival he asked Forest who had sent for him, to which question the answer "Gen. Weaver" wassufcient to allay any further questioning on that point. But Schilling's memory was 'good, and soon he asked the question: "Didn't you formerly live In Milwau kee?" "Yes." "Isn't your name Forest?" "Yes." "Haven't you a brother by the name of - Forest?" "Yes." "What are you doing here?" "Oh, I'm court reporter here in St. Louis." "What court ?" "Why, I report all the inquestsat the morgue for the coroner." And then for awhile all went well. The preamble of the platform was de termined upon and given to Forest to copy. "How many copies do you wish?" asked Forest. Hie was directed to make one car bon, but managed to slip -in a carbon for his own use. As a page was fin sed, the extra copy was .llowed to LBAKIke IPOWDER licious and wholesome DeI CO., NEw nowt. engaged in discussion of a proposed plank for the platform, Forest would pick it up, crumble it into a small ball, and shove it into his pocket. Then came the various planks-the financial. the good roads, the land, the taxation, in fact all those which go to make up a national political platform. But in a short time Chairman Weaver turned to Forest and said: "That machine of yours makes too much noise. You go into the next room with it, and do your typewriting there. But look out for the newspaper men and do not give them any informa tion." Then Forest feared it was all up with him. He knew that in order to gain ad mission to the next room he would have to run the gauntlet of a half hundred newspaper men, many of whom would know him. But there was no alterna 'tive, and he started for the room with his machine. He had hardly seated him self, when a reporter for the Chicago Inter Ocean, with whom he was ac quainted, gained admission to his room and started to talk with him. "For God's sake, Frank," said Forest, "get away from here and give me a chance for my life. All the Chicago newspapers take the report from our association, and it is not possible for 'you to print that platform, in the In ter Ocean to-morrow unless you get it from us. Don't let those eastern.news 'paper men, who use the report of the other association, know that I ever saw 'a newspaper." Not only did that reporter comply with the request, but he warned' other Chicago reporters not to recognize For est. A few minutes more and a re porter representing the opposition as sociation came in. He was an eastern newspaper man, and was not acquaint ed with Forest. "What are you dbing?" he asked. "Copying the platform." "Let me see it?" "Oh, no." "Say, would you like to make $100?" "Well, I should say I would." "Well, you get me a copy of that plat form and I will give you $100." "Not much. You can't buy me. I know you. You are one of those news paper fellows. You never saw enough money to buy a copy of this platform." The reporter remained for a few mo -ments in thought. Seeing that he could not obtain the platform, he thought he -could have a little fun at the.expense of Forest. "Are you apopulist?" he queried. "Yep." "Where are you from?" "Kansas." Then he called in the other reporters and endeavored to rouse the ire of the. - "Knsas populist typewriter" by sub .mitting him to the "guying" process. But the ire could not be roused just. then. To make matters moreludicrous, a newspaper man representing the same press association as did Forest, was one of the party. Of course, he saw that Forest was doing his work, and in order to keep up appearances helpedi the opp)osition reporter in his efforts to embarrass Forest. At 10:30 o'clock that night the last (plank of the platform had been agreed upon, and was given to Forest to take to the other room to copy. As he was leaving he was asked by Schilling in a tone of voice loudenough for the whole committee to hear, if any of the news paper reporters had tried to get the platform. He answered that he had met them, but that they had not been successful. Then Schilling turned to the others and said: "Now, gentlemen, ycu know it is es sential to keep the dtcings of this com mittee secret. I desire that each one of you should reaflze that, and'when ap proached by the reporters, have noth .ing to say to them. I willinot be re sponsible for the keeping of this plat form out of the papers unless each iember of the committee gives me his pledge to that effect." Andtheypledged. Ten minutes after ward Forest rushed into the headquar ters of his press association, and dived down into his pockets. From his trous er's pockets he took the preamble, from another the land plank, and so on, until the telegraphers were busy sende ing out the entire platform. And that is the way in which a stenographer secured a "scoop" of the platform at the populist national con vention. -This story would hardly be complete,. however, without referring to a little inident which happened a few hours later. About three o'clock in the morn ing, after the night's work was com pleted and it was too late to send any' further news, Forest accompanied an other reporter for the press association he represented, by the name of Tom Dawson, to that somewhat famed res taurant in St. Louis run by Tony Faust. Entering the place, he saw his friend who repi'esented the opposition' associ ation who did not get the platform. .eated1 at a table with a number of newspaper men. "Tom," said Forest. "after we have supplied the inner man, introduce me to that fellow." "Certainly," answered Dlawson, who was the same reporter who had been an amused spectator at the "guying" process of a few hours before. He took Forest to the table at which this re porter sat, and said: "G-, allow me to introduce you to ir. Forest, of our Chicago office." "I am happy--" began G--. Then he stopped for a moment, and then al most shrieked: "Ain't you that Kansas populistic typewriter?" "So I have been told." The following forenoon Forest. I e ceived six congratulatory: telegrams from the Chicago office. The Iirst was from the general manager of the asso ciation, and read: "You have done great work in- secur [ng the platform. I personally con gratulate you, and have ordered that your account be credited) with $200 as hn evidence of our substantial appreel tion."-Bookkeeper. Commander-in-Chief Field Mrrshal Count Yon!Waldersee, of the German army, it is stated. has ben agreed upon as commander in chief of the allied forces in Chima. Count Waldersee is a soldier of high talent and distinction and no better' choice of a commander-in-chief could have been made by the allies in China. Good for Swift. Swift & Co., the great meat packers of Chicago, have issued an order that no cigarette smoker is to be employed by their company. Let the good work