Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE MESSA(E P Of Governor McSweeney to the Ge. eral Assembly. TEE BEST HE EVER WROTE. He Advnaces Pronounced View oil the Leading Quest ions. Wh ich - ~Are Lik&Iyv to eIi.ei ed this Seion. Gov. McSweeney's lessage aas read before both IT-.uses of Ihe General Assembly on Tuesday. .a 1 . We have room only for a synopsiS of the able dociment. He made anumberof I recommendations. brietly stated as I follows: I A compliance with the clearli mandate of the Constitution that "all i taxes upon property, real and personal. i shall be laid upon the actual value of i the property taxed"-not 50 per cen't of itstual value, nor 60 per cent, nor yet 80 per cent, as is the case now-nr some parto e-Stte: but'iin the ~t ~ue. 2. A general system of road in provement, to be paid for by a property 1 tax, to be levied on all taxable pro-. perty, whether situated iin town or I country. 3. The enactment of a compulsory . education law. 4. State aidato the public schools and such an 'appropriation as will "bring up the deficient schools to a V minimum standard"--the appropria- 1 tion not to be less than the aggregate amount appropriated for The support of the State colleges. 5. The creation of County Boards of Education and the emplyment of ex pert Superintendents of Education, in accordance with the recommendation i of the State Superiutendent, so that a I business in which the State invests 1 nearly a million dollars every year , iall-not -bewithout capable business supervision. 6. The establishment of Home Schools for Girls and Farm Schools for I Boys in such counties as shall, by ! special Act of .the Legislature, vote i upon themselves a tax not exceeding< two mills for the. support of such schools. i. The continued favor of the Gen eral Assembly-towards the several State colleges. 8. The pa'sage of a law prohibiting the employment of children in the cot- i ton mills of the State. 9. The bailding of a new house for the Governor, the present Executive Mansion being utterly inadequate. 10. An increase in the number of judical circuits in the State, instead i of making any further attempt to re- ; lieve legal congestion by the expedient of ordering special Courts. - The imposition of a tax of 2 per cent- 1 outside insurance com panies doing business in the State on the gross premiums collected in the State, instead of the tax now required of these companies; and the paymenti by each agent or representative of an: insurance company soliciting insurance1 in the State of a small sum for a1 license to do business. In 1901 these companies collected from the people of the State 8'2,800,789 47, and paid back inlesses for the same time 8137 1 Tbiecompanies realized on the vear's business in this State .81,463,140 66. 12. The cure of certain growing~ evils of the pension system adopted by the State for the relief of old Con federate soldiers, by having the execu tive officers of the Camps of United Confederate Veterans in each count. act as the county pension board, or having t~he survivors to elect the members of the pension boards. LasL yeag the State paid 8200,000 to indigent - Tnsderate Veterans, four times the amount first appropriated for this -purpose three or four year ago, and the Comptroller General reported that there are now 7,750) names on the pension rolls of the State. It is a -growing evil against which the Gover nor would have the Legislature pro -vide. 13. Ample provision fof the support -: of the State militia, upon the strength of which "rests at last the safety of our structure of civil government." 14. The creation of the office of State Bacteriologist, so that the work of the State Board of Health may be * more effective and the health of the people protected and promoted. 15. Provision for the publication of1 the invaluable historical records of the State at Columbia which are inaces-1 sible in their present condition to those who would consult them. 16. The establishment of a bureau of immigration for the purpose of keeping the resources of the State steacu yand intelligently before the in-C vestment and home-seek-ing world. The above we take from The News - and Courier. What follows below is from The State: '1 The last annual message of Gov. Mc Sweeney gives a view of South Caro lia which presents many points of gtification and encouragement. The btate, he says, "has enjoyed an era of ( -naterial prosperity which is urrprece- 1 dented;" "new enterprises are being 1 projected and the building of cotton mills goes constantly on; business ofi every character has been exceptional ly prosprous; peace and good order prevail and progress has been made t along educational lines." The onlyc conspicuous cause for dissatisfaction is I the inability of the State to meet dur- I ing the year the obligations it had in-e curred. As to this the Governor says: f The Governor and the State treas-c urer were forced to borrow the full 1 amount of the 8S300,000 authorized by 1 the last legislature. This was mades necessary by the fact that the last ap propriation act carried with it morer than the revenue from the levy fora State purposes would realize. It is~ note good business judgment for the State!i to borrow money to meet current ex penses. Knowing the total assessed i property of the State, the levy shouild be suffciently large to meet the appro priations. Or if it is desired to'x n2 (meaning, we judge, to maintain ata the present rate) the levy the appro priation bill should be kept withini the amount such levy will realize. You should so regulate the tw~o that the State will not be compelled to bor row money for current expenses and be forced to pay interest charges. Which is sound advice. obvio.sly de-.a manded by the occasion. The gover-t nor goes on to make a good argument in favo-. of such a measure as Th li State has for years advocated, to wit 1 the assessment of property at its act uali value as required by tihe consit u tion. "Why not follow," asks the gov- ' ernor, "the plain language of the con-i stitution?" He shows by litustrationf that a great variance exists betw-een - the tax burdens laid on diiferent coun- 't ties, the basis for taxat ion in somec be ing 80 per cent. of actual value. a in others as little as :-0 per cent. cr les To adopt a mere percentage of ucr uau: value is, as he says. "'a plain viit o of the provisions of the constitution "It makes little dhference to thet t ax payer what the basis of valuation iss that all property is assessed in the same ratio of value. for a cerai amount of money has t o be raIised to meet the expenses of government. andu if the valuation is high the rat e is low, and vice versa. The inequality wi-cht nowv exists, however. makes 7 he bu den bear unevenly. and tihe be-st oan ei is to require that thle mandate of 1hle constitution be followed, if o'neu- v ~ ty is assessed at to per cent. ancid.a other at 54) per cent. of actual value. aying too ilttle of its proportion u he State tax." All this should hardly need the say ng. There is but one nominal objee ion to assessing property at ts I rue -alue and that is not really an U1OeL iii. but a recommendat i. It I hat the. reits from the 3 mi or mtin. shol wil b e laril y I :!e 1 cne hat ias ~i hich n I .Ain od schools S ra ~iax. and that -:nprovintg our 10 nn an engrossin - t. The solution of rI cr is to oeY the con n h I matter oassessinents * p y and thereby increase the v::eral school fund. This would per ;ir ntelV all special school taxes to e kne away with and would provide or even the imost haakward communi ies a sulticiency of public inst ruet ion. f it should prove that I he constitu ional 3 nill tax provided uuder a full ssessmaent a larger sum for ihe con non schools than was required it vould b, no dificult matter to anierdi he constitution so as to red.uce that ax to 2 nills, the forner tihure. But neanwhile Ihe legislature Owes it to Ts own pledtge-to obey the constitu-' ion. io.tnie educational interests of :e Sr~ne and to epnity between man mtman. county and county. to pro-I .-de for the assessment of property atI is true vaOLue. The total assessments for 1102 were 15.537.061. heingo an increase during . t edar of i3.2J:;. itealty is re utied at 8107.010.>29 and per:,onalty it 801.O1.5t0, and railroad property is tssessed at -.50S.:-. It is fair to as nue. what the census igures will how, i tat instead of less than $200, L.; ,jK of property South Carolina has nore tian A400.0,10.00J0 subject to taxa ion. Under the present system the ax-dodgers get the benefit of the dif erence. leaving honest citizens. will ng to bear their share of the public urdens. with the weight of taxation ipon them. The governor devotes several pages >f his message to a consideration of :he question of road improvement, and ie advocates a property tax to furnish :he means of systematically and per nanently providing the State with rood highways. The plan at present ollowed in most counties of tinkering n the roads involves, he rightly says, nere waste of noney, "The chain ,ang should be requiired to do perma ent road work, starting from the ounty court houses as the geographi al centre and building out in each irection permanent roads. If only a ew miles are built each year it will e so much contributed to the general ,velfare. The State convicts could not >)e put to better public service, even f it necessitated selling some of the tate farns. We can never have any )ermanent road work done until we :hange the present system and make rovision to raise money by a property ax. and make iti mandatory that said noney shall be put on permanent road morovemuent. and also make it man latory that the haingangs shall be ut on the sam: work." This is the ;ystem which Las been adopted with ;o great success in Richland county, ind its results point the opportunity ind the duty of tile general assembly. The governor's conclusions in this natter are those which The State. reached years ago and has from time to time submitted to the considera-. tion of the law-making body. Compulsory education is cbampioned by Gov. McSweeney. ie shows from :eusJ iigures that the illiteracy of ative whites over ten years 01 age is 8.1 per cent,, and declares that he >annot see howv in the face of this fact there can be opposition to compelling the attendauce of children on the public schools. "It is ntot necessary," Lie proceeds. "to worry about the ne ro. Iie: is getting althe education hich is provided n'row and could get to more under compulsory attendance. Wht we should be concerned about is Lhe edutation and the moral uplifting f our white boyvs and girls. Ignorance is a menace anid a burden to civil liib .rty and the, good morals of the coun tr. in addition to this, every boy or .ti-1 in this country has a right to the >pportunity to do something and to be ~oeting. Such a law cannot inter ere wvith tihe rights of parents, be ause no parent has the right to make slave *ut of his off-spring or to rob s chil-i of the right to make a useful itizen or to have the opportunity to ve a useful and happy life. We levy tax and enforce the coilection of it or public education; then why not en orce attendance so that all the child ~en may receive the beneiits and bave :he money put to -the best possible use nd for the greatest possible good to :.he ~reatest numbler?" In this matter tso the position of the governor is hat of The State. Compulsory at endance on the public schools wvould ~reatly enlarge the benefits of the chools to white children while not naterially increasing the already great tttendance of negro pupils. With the -onstitutional school tax levied on roperty at its actual value there vol be an abundance of money to naintain the schools nine months in he year and thus a law to compel at endance would have its full and de ired effect. For the improvemont of the comn-I non schools Gov. McSweeney, in ad lition to the three mill constitutional ax for school purposes, asks a legisla ve appropriation equaling the aggre rate appropriations for the State col eges. Hie also says that it would be 'in the interest of economy to expend 1,000 a year in each county to insure he proper supervision and direction f all the money that is now being ex ended in schools." He endorses the lan of the State superintendent of ducat ion of home schools for girls and. arm schools for. boys in the several ount ies and utrges legislat ion permit lg each county to vote noon itself a ax not exceeding two mills for such chools. All these atnd other improve nents. as we halve intimated, would esult without furt her legislative en etment from t he assessment of prop riyv in South Carolina at its actual 'alue in money-. A paragraph in the message is de oted to each of tile State institutions if higher learning, and as to each tihe overor dis->luys the friendly inter st he has exhibited throughouit his .dministrat ion. On the sulbjec:t of child labor. ene of he most important to come before he general assembly at this session, ov. McSweeney.", wc are glad to rind, tot only adheres to the position he ok a year ago but eimphasizes it. L'he (Hestion. lie sacs, tnnst be met nd solved .and "t he soonier it is done ie less di 'licult of solution it will be. We- cannot louger avoid the espo'nbity. That tiie State has he' right to ilt erfereI. no I boughtful ten will 1ue.uion. No one can suc ssully controvert the posit ion that iI lbor of loing anid constat hours s in jurious to 1 ne lchldnjd th'ere ore, aiTleets the citizenshi Iof0 thel uture. This beinig Itrue. thte State las the right to comec in and sa it hal he sltpped." Lookig at it fir's. rom the purely commeircial standU uIt, he shows' that to meet. the comn-1 'etition of other commx~unite ini ianufact uring we must have skilled adt intelligent labor. which '"can only e se'cumred in the operatives of the utu by edccucation anct preparation i the children of tihe present ." Then. -~ ihe' t:adnoint of humaniity, lit how~s ii t- be tine ditty of the State to )Ltect Ie ildrenm of the mili com- ' :UI~i It is a rallacy. he argues, h t cil iab~or law is an interfer ne' wit h faily givcovernment. "Te bmild is not a chattel or an accident.I ut it jias rigis ini the divine planti ~hiu~ even cihe parent mulst respect. t is here for a purpouse, and should ave opport unity for the best possible teconipunmei Of that purpose. Then ,o. it is sometimes a question withei le state or the corporation shall say s1at is to be done with the child, for iny t imes the parent who livcs in . ue m ill community must be governed Iy what the mill company says. and .inuot always send his ehildreu to ciool. even if he desires to do so, if lie labor of the child is needed in I he nill." After presenting statistics 3 ;howingtlie great and increasing evil f child labor in the south in contrast vith its reduction in other sections. he governor concludes: The question must be met. Theye s only one way to solve it, and that S on 'the side of right and justice and lum anity. The sooner it is done the jetter, for it can now be inanaged and I wise and just. bill be passed. If the iatter is postponed from year to year we may regret it. Not "inay" but ''shall." This is the time of all times to dispose of the jnatter. Whoever in the legislature nay advocate postponeient will i C thereby put himself in t he posit ion of r )pposing the reform and continuing an s vil which if neglected will grow to lighting proportions. The case is lear, and so i the duty of the general r issenibly. We are Democrats and 1 the Deniocratic party of the State has t :leelared for this reform. Let its rep- i resentatives in the legislature keep the partvs faith with the people and ful- C til their own duty toward the future - :itizenship of South Carolina. In a brief discussion.-of the expe- g liency of establishing a board of par Ions, provision for which was made I in the constitution. but which has not been carried out by the legislature, ?rov. McSweeney takes occasion to de rend the liberality of his pardon policy ind to question the expediency of s reating the board. . He recommends the erection o: a ' new executive mansion on grounds t owned by the South Carolina college f mnd suggests a joint legislatives com niittee to investigate the matter and report a plan. The demand for extra courts in vari ous counties causes the governor to suggest an increase in the number of ircuits. We have the same number I now as in 1870, he says, when the pop ulation was but half its present figure, and there were only 31 counties in comparison with 41 in 1903. He concurs in the recommendation of. the comptroller general that in stead of the present system of licens ing insurance companies a tax of 2 per cent. on the gross premiums collected be imposed. Other recommendations i by the comptroller general are ap proved. In the matter of pensions Gov. Mc- 3 Sweeney declares that "it is not the purpose of our pension laws to pen sion all who were deserving Confed erate soldiers, but only those who are needy." "We started with an appro priation of $50.000. the last year it had i reached $200,000. That there are many i on the couaty rolls who do not need 1 the assistance of the State isa mat ter which is attracting the notice of many Confederate soldiers themselves, and this fact is in violation of the in tention for which our pension laws 1 were enacted." He rightly places the responsibility for this condition upon the county boards, which often argue that as the money is already appro priated "the more they can get for their counties the better, and thus put on the rolls those who, though they come wvithin the strict letter of the law, under its intention shouldC not be there." There are now 7,750 pensioners on the rolls. The governor i suggests a change in the constitution 1 of the county boards and concludes with the statement that while no Confederate soldier should be permit ted to suffer for lack of the necessaries, of life it is "not the intention of the law to give bounty to those who do not need assistance, however deserv-( ing they may be." in this position, again. Gov. McSweeney is in line withn The State. We believe that a proper disposition of the pension fund would save $100,000 a year to the State with out depriving any veteran victim of1 the war of the money he needs for his support.' The work of the various departments and public charitable and correctional institutions is briefly considered by the governor, his remarks, however, calling for no special comment. The most important of his further recom mendations is that a department of2 immigration be established. This is and has long been one of the State's most serious needs, and it is to be< hoped that the general assembly will take some action to promote the com-( ing to South Carolina of desirable im migrants.____ ____ A Sensible Decision. The supreme court or Maine is com-] posed of a level headed bench of judges. Recently it reviewved and settled as far as it could a much con-( troverted questeion, the right of a d wife to take money from the pocketst :f her sleeping husband. From the a report of the case it appears that one t Godfrey Harrison negotiated a sale of e ertain garden and farm truck with a ~ gentleman who paid in cash and that i there passed from him to Godfrey the a eat little sum of $581. In the guile- t lessness of his heart says the Spartan- i urg Journal. Godfrey told the wife r >f his bosom of his transaction and g he cash, which he left in the pocket s >f his troussers, placing the same un ler his pillow, and slept the sleep of he just and honest farmer of Maine. l-s awakening was somewhat rude, a mnd the scene that followed is no part t > the record. It is sutlicient to state d bat Penelope Harrison, the wife of a 1s bosom, during the still watches of a :he night had taken the trousers from ri ider-nearth her husband's pillowedb ead, substracting therefrom the sum h~ ;f 5500 and returning to its abiding a lace the balance. Then Godfrey lb aled Penelope to court in an action t :o determine whether she was guilty 'y >f the trover and cohversion ot the noney of said God frey, and the su-:lf, >reme court said she was not. The It earned judge laid it down as a lh undamental principal of law that n usband and wife are one and the ~ae matrimonal entity in the sight a f the law and that as a man cannot^ teal from himsel so neither can wife ~teal from the husband, being one vith him, as lie is one with her. So s honor gave verdict in favor of Lenelope and muloted Godfrey for the I tosts of litigation. u Johnny Was Discouraged. f An aftermath feature of every con- ta resional campaign is the crop of n ood old stories-ancient and honor- t1 tbe that have done yoeman service xi n many a political campaign- -which ome back to the Capital cloakrooms I n new garb, says the Philadelphia u Heeis one brought back by Mr.P .andis. of Indiana: I "A school teacher out in my dig- t rt was -giving the class a disserta-P ion on the oftice of president and the y1 elf made men who had filled it. c "Now all who would like to be ci resident when th'ey grow up, will al aise their hands." said the teacher. very boy responded save one. tl "'.Why, Johnny. don't you wish to it e president?' Ih "'Shucks. 'tain't no use for me to n:U v'ish.' said J honny. disgruntedly. ti 'Why:" Any poor buy might bc- ti ome president.' n: "Not me,' saidi Johnny. 'Tam a 2i )emocrat.'" t And then the old members in the 1 THE WILCOX TRIAL Review of a Most Interesting and Peculia.r Case, roW UP FOR TE SECOND TIME. Grev.t Many People Are of the Opinion That 1he De'en danit Murdered Miss Nellie Cropsey.. Tie z.econd trial of James E. Wil ox. son of former sheriff Thomas P. Vilcox, of Pasquotank county, N. C., harged with and convicted of the urder of Ella Maud. or Nellie Crop y. of Elizabeth City. N. C., began t lertford. Perquimas county Wed esday. The trial was removed from asquotank on account of the feeling here against the defendant. It will e recalled that Wilcox was tried and onvicted at Elizabeth City last larch. The case was appealed to the upreme court anJ a new trial 'ranted. The Charlotte Observer says the Vilcox-Cropsey case is wrapped in aystery'. Because of the prominence ,nd the standing of the families con erned and the vei. of mystery that urrounds it, the case has attracted at ention throughout the country. housaonds of people would be willing o give liberally of their means for the acts in the case. .The case has been iscussed in almost every reading ome in the State. Is Wilcox guilty r not% That is 'ne question. What il be the result of the scond trial, ime will tell. The first jury brought n a verdict of guilty. The bill of indictment against Wil ox reads: "The State of North Caro ina, Pasquotank County, Superior jourt, March Term. 1902. The jurors or the State under their oaths pres :t James Wilcox, late of the said :ounto, and State on the 20th day of ovember, 1901, with force and arms n the county of Pasquotank. in said tate, feloniously, wilfully and with nalice aloresaid, did kill and murder ;Ila M. Cropsey, against the statute n such cases made and provided, and gainst the peace and dignity of the tate. The facts in the case as brought out n evidence during the first trial are bout as olilows: Mr. James Wilcox, he defendant in the case, went to he home of W. H. Cropsey, father of he dead girl, on the night of Novem )er 20th, 1901, to call on Miss Nellie, ,o whom he had been paying consider .ble attention for several years. Y 4en he arrived at the Cropsey home, ay about 8 o'clock, the family was n the sitting room. Young Roy rawford was there calling on Miss )llie Cr'psey, a sister of Miss Nellie. oon after 9 o'clock all the memjers if the household except Miss Ollie, sellie and Carrie Cropsey, a cousin rom New York, who was visiting ,here at the time, retired and left the oung people alone. Theref'ore the art': in the room was composed of he 'following named: Wilcox and Iisses Carrie. Nellie and Ollie Crop ey. Later, after having made two ir three attempts to excuse herself, iss Carrie went to her room. This eft Wilcox, Crawford and the two isters in the room. It was said that Vilcox and Crawford were at outs with each other at the time. They lid uot speak when they came to ~ether. A t 11 o'clock sharp, Wilcox. ho had appeared restless and moody, luring the ev~ening. rose from his seat. *aying: "I must go home; my mother vill be uneasy about me if 1 stay out .ter this hour." This was said in a ocular way. Continuing, Wilcox aid. "3Miss Nellie. I would like to ee you in the hall.'' He rolled a igarette and went out, followed by ,ne girl. After that moment Nellie 3ropsey was rever seen again by any ne save Wilcox. Her dead body was und floating, just heneath the sur ace of the water of .Pasquotank river. n the morning of the 27th day of )ecember. Thirty minutes after Wilcox and ellie left the room Mi1ss Ollie bade ~rawford good-night. saw him to the oor and went up-stairs to her room, hinking that her sister had gone head of her; but not finding her here she concluded that she and Wil ox, who had been having lovers' uarrels, had made up, crossed the all into the parlor for a quiet talk, nd were still there. However, after aving taken a short nap, and wak 3g up, she heard the clock strike 12, 2issed her sister and gave the alarm. oon the whole family was up and arching everywhere for the lost irl. But their eil'orts were in vain. o trace of the girl could be found. About 1 o'clock Mr. Cropsey went cross town to t:he Wilcox home and )ld Mrs. Wilcoxc, mother of the def en ant that Nellie had disappeared and sked to see James. Mrs. Wilcox 'eat alone to James' room and soon turned to say that he declared that e knew nothing of the girl, that he ad returned te her an umbrella and picture she had given him, and left e leaning against one of the posts to e front poreb, of her home, crying. Glcox did net get out of bed, and emed indiiferent. At- the trial be re the mayor' of the town he said at he turne(1 over after his mother ft the room and was asleep in two iinutes. After visiting the Wilcox home [r. Cropsey reported the case to the olice department. Chief Dawson ent to Wilcox's room during the ear Shours of the morning and asked im to accompany him to the Crop y residence. Wilcox crawled out of ed, put on his working clothes and -ent. Ils room was never searched util the dead body of the girl was und, :37 days later. It is not known ether his visiting suit was wet or it. At the Cropsey home he declared :at he knew nothing of Nallie's hereabouts. In order to understand the evidence iat will be given in the trial one inst. fix tihe location of the Cropsey use, relative to the town and the asquotank river, in his mind. It is cpersous little city of 8.000 inhabi .nts. situated on the banks of the asquotank river. If you will turn >ur back to the court house of the unty, cross Tiber and Herrington 'eeks and go out Riverview avenue, on the river, toward the southern >undary of the county, you will pass e Cropsey home. As the crow Ilies is about a hall-mile from the court >use. but as the road winds it is ore than a mile. The house faces le rad and the river, and to get to e river from the front steps you ust cross the road, which is abont ards from the house. A little to| 1' right of the Cropsey house, and 15 yards from the steps, and about| yardskfrom the - water. the body of the gitl was found It was not in tl main channel of the river, but in sidepocket of water. The counsel f the State in the case contend. th Wilcox struck Nellie Cropsey - on tl head with some blut instrument, ca ried her to the place where her bo( was found and dropped her into V water in an unconscious conditio The defence held that the State d not prove that the girl was killed all. James Wilcox is a small, well-bu: man, about 30 - years of age. He not a prepossessing looking man. E records has been that of a model youl man, but no one had charged hi with any criminal act up to the tir of the death of Miss Cropsey. T people who know him and ha known him since his childhood belie that he is guilty. Four out of eve live per ,ons believe him to be guilt H is old school mates, his associates the city tire department and his bo; companions frankly admit that be capable of committing such a crii as he is accused of. They say that was always cruel and seltisb. B none of these things were proven the witness stand. He did not testi in his own behalf. THE CO TTTEES Of the House of Representativ Appointed by the Speaker. The following are the appointmer of committess in the House of Rep: sentatives: Committee on Judiciary-R S W1 ley. T Y Williams, M P De Bruhl, P Thomas, Jr.. J 0 Patterson, Rob( Lide, T B Fraser, B A Morgan, J Coggeshall, E J Dennis, Jr., H Bomar, I C Blackwood, J W Devo: W C Irby, Jr., A L Gaston, W P P< lock, G L Toole, D D McColl, Jr., Spann Dowling, B Frank Kelly. Committee on Ways and Means Altamont Moses, D F Efird, T Rainsford, W 0 Tatum, W J Job son. J G Richards, Jr., R A Coop W T Logan, W E James, J C Win( ST D Lancaster, Jeremiah Smith C Lanhain, W Judson Sarratt, J Beamguard, E H Aull, A C Lyles, W Haskell, P B Callison, George': Stuckey. Committee on Argiculture-E Seabrook, D F Efird, W M Brow W R Fox, J F Banks, J R Hai J H Brooks, B F Holman, TO Midd ton, J B Leaverett, 0 W Potts, W Bennett, J A Hinton, R S DeChaml Committee on Public Schools-J Richards, Jr., Arthur Kibler, T Fraser, E L Culler, T H Rainsford, F Stackhouse, J B Towill, F C Bat J M Rawlinson. Committee on Privileges and El, tions-J 0 Patterson, D H Magill, W Nichols, U W. Potts, W B Gau: J B Wingard, J W Hill. Committee on Claims-J O Wini H C Little, W R Fox, Theo B Gour in, C J Bailey, E L Culler, J M haffey, G R Davis, J W King, G Webb. Committee on Roads, Bridges a Ferries-G W Richardson, J 0 Wins T F Stackhouse, J M Humphre Matthew Hendrix, B F Holman, W come Quick, S M Pearman, Cyi Mimms, R S DeChamps. Committee, on Incorporation-R Cooper, J R Coggeshall, E J Denn Jr., D. H Magill, R M Lofton. Tt B Gourdin, Lewis Dorroh, M G D( nald, John McMaster, T 0 Middletc Committee on Officers and Olflces John F Banks, Arthur Kibler, Robi Lide, P S Wall, WV T Logan, G Richardson, D B Peurifoy, Jeremi Smith, W F Sarratt. Committee on Mines and Mining M Humphrey, W R Fox, G A Ranki C J Bailey, J F Banks, K D) Edwar< F P McCain, C S Forde, H S Dowlir W D Bennett. Committee on Medical Aliairs- J Black, J E Jarnegan, W C Smith, T D) Lancaster, E C Doyle, P D Be ron, J B Leaverett, W C Irby, J Matthew Hendrix. Committee on Penitentiary-W Brown, J HL Brooks, R W Nichols, E Jarnegan, Joseph Glover, E Reedy, M WV Pyatt, S W Russell, T1 Strong, 3 M Rawlinson. Committee on Public Printing P Thomas, Jr., J B Towill, J Brooks, J 0 Patterson, I) 0 Herbel W L Mauldin, J W Doar, J H Lesesr WV E James, B P Carey. Committee on Commerce and Man facturing-T F Stackhouse, G Webb, WV J Johnson, J R Haile, J King, B P Carey, D) D Harrelson, WV Traylor, J E Herbert. Jesse N' haffey. Committee on Engrossed Bills P Pollock, S N Pearman, W C Smit G L Toole, T W Traylor, K J Wad J B Wingard. T C Strong, P S Wall. Committee on Legislative Library Adam HI Moss, R A Cooper, C J C< cock, Altamont Moses, R H Walke J I' Youmans, M P Tribble, M Wright. Committee on Accounts-K M Lt ton, G A Rankin, J N Humphre J B Black, K D) Edwards, Jose] Glover, J H. Lesesne, J A Hinton, P McCain. Committee on Military-D 0 HIe bert, B J Dennis, Jr., J E Jarnegal L W Haskell, Lewis Dorrob, Theo. Gourdin, WV E James, M W Pyatt, S Ford. Committee on Public Buildings F Stackhouse, J W H ill. W M Brow H C Little, WV E James. G R Web B F Carey, J E lHerbert, J D) Carwi] P D Barron. Committee on State House at Grounds-T Y Williams, WV L Mat din, A H Moss, R WV Nichols, J Brooks, J P Bunch, E C Doyle, S~ Russell, J H Clifton. Committee on Internal Improv ments-J WV 11111, A C Lyles, C Rankin. WV C Smith. Welcome Quicd J M Wise, WV P Wright, J P Yo mans, D) B Peurifoy. Committee on Education--B A Mo gan. Huger Sinkler, Adam H Mos Arthur Kibler, I) D McColl, Sr., S Towill, M P Tribble, K H Walker. I) Kirby. Committee on Railroad-J R Cogg shall. T R H Rainsford, M P D) Bruhl, P B Callison, J H Clifton, S Carwile, E L Culler, G R Davis, J Lesesne, J W Devore, R G Parnell. Committee on Enrolled Acts-A thur Kibler. D D) McColl, G} Stuckey, A L Gaston, Welconi Quick, Lewis D~orroh, S M Wise, D) Herbert, J A. Hinton. Committee on Banking and Insu nce-Huger Sinkler. John McMaste Arthur Kibler, H L Bomar, Robe] ide, S C Mace, W B Kirby. G ] aney, F C Bates. Committee on the Dispensary-d 0 Tatum, J G Richards, Jr.. D) J B: en. .J P Bunch, E L Reedy, W L Bas! D H Magill, WV B Gause. Committee on Rules-I) H Magil I P Thomas, Jr., W L Maaldin. T' Williams, Altamont Moses, T J Rainsford, E H Aull. T B Fraser. I S Whalea ie Committee on Hospital for the in a sane-E 11 Aull, J E Jarnigan, J H >r Brooks, J C Mace, J C Lanham, G K it Laney, S T D Lancaster, J E Beam ie guard, M G Donald, W L Bass. r ly Grows More Scrious. ie The small-pox situation in the up n. country has reached an interesting, id not to say an acute stage. Dr. Evans 3t has received notice from the governor of the existence of the pest at a num it her of places in the Piedmont, espec is ially along the Savannah River. The is pest has appeared again in the cotton ig mill distriets. One report received m Friday told of 25 cases within a radius ae of two miles in Laurens county. The ie situation is so grave that the board ye of health is considering the matter of ve quarantine. It is thought that most ry of the disease comes from across the y. river, and it is that source that will in be quarantined first if the quarantine )n is thought advisable. The small-pox is that has been going the rounds this ne year is serious enough to alarm any Ae body, even the most skeptical of those ut who have been ridiculing the anxiety n of the State Board in the past. In fv Virginia and further north it is prov ing very serious.-Florence Times. ARTICHoKEs FOR Hos.-In con nection with the recent agitation of the matter of raising artichokes for es hogs, the Dillon Herald says: As an antidote for disease in swine it also possesses peculiar merit. Mr. E. F. Brockway, a prominent stock raiser of t Virginia, says: Since I have been s raising artichokes I have been sur e- rounded by herds of cholera hogs, and mine still keep healty. With abun a- dance of ar ichokes, I feel that I can J almost defy cholera. Had I raised rt them years ago it would have saved R me buying many many thuusand L bushels of corn. e. 11 H FRUITS AND FLOWERS. Land cannot be too rich or too mel H low for fruits. n- Manure for the garden should be free r from weed seeds. o, The head of a tree needs to be fairly j open to admit sun and air for full E growth of fruit. L The dahlias will never disappoint q. you. Pink, white, yellow or..crimson. tall, dwarf or cactus, it is bound to I flower. n, In the fall after the leaves have le, dropped is generally the best time for le- taking cuttings from quinces, but they D may be taken later. s. Heliotrope should not be mixed with G other cut flowers in water. They de B cay quickly and have a harmful effect T upon the other blossoms. s, Myosotis (forgetmenot) needs partial shading, but not the shade of a tree. c- Plant among taller flowers or around R rosebushes, and it will do well. e, Plenty of yellow blossoms should be secured for places which lack sun o. shine. Yellow is good in almost every d situation and Is the cheeriest of tones. a- Good cultivation causes an abun R dance of fibrous roots to be made. The growth of any plant is largely meas ad ured by the number of Its fibrous o, roots. el- Toe smart. us He was one of those men who are constantly trying to beat down prices," A said a bank cashier, "and had evident s, ly been looking around for bargain eo prices for his bill of exchange. When h- e ,presented It to me and asked the arate, I replied. 'One-tenth of 1 per cent.' "Now, look here,' he said. 'You are rt too high. I hac'e done business in this Wbank for ten years. and yet you charge ah me a higher rate than I can get from Tthe Farmers' bank. over the way. They -will do it for one-eighth. If you don't Sdo it for that. I'll take my account over there.' "'-All rigbt,' I remarked. 'We will do It for the same rate, considering that Byou are an old customer.' S"The bill of exchange cost him 60 r- cents more than It would had he kept , quiet."-New York Times. M Needed For Other Purposes. A Georgia justice recently married ai L runaway couple who-drove up to his1 o house and went through the ceremony1 without descendinig from the carriage. ~3When the ceremony was over, says the H Atlanta Constitution, the groom fum t, bled in his pockets and fished up thirty be, six cents. "Jedge," he said, "this here's all the u- money I got in the world. Ef you've a R mind to take it, you kin, but I'll say Snow that I done set it aside fer the1 honeymoon expenses." a- ________ Her Opportunity. S"They say she isn't happy," comn Smented the neighbor. "but I don't see e, why." "Oh. some people never are satis -- fied." il- "That's right, and It's her own fault r, if she isn't happy, because she's able1 Vto buy clothes that will make all the other women envious."-Chicago Post.4 If- -_________ 7, An Insinuation.1 >h Doris-Yes, she was furious about F the way in which that paper reported her marriage. r- Helen--Did it allude to her age? 1. Doris-Indirectly. It stated that, B "Miss Olde and Mr. Yale were mar- - C ried, the latter being a well known col lector of antiques."-Chicago News. T Ancestry of shoemaleing. 2There is nothing vulgar about the b ancestry of the shoemaking trade ini e. the United States. The first shoemak-E er came over in the Mayflower. His 1 name was Thomas Beard, and he had dU an income from the London company -of $100 a year and received fifty acres of land on which to settle. Seven years later the city of Lynn was founded, and ever since it has been making shoes for the world. PhilipE ~Kertland, a native of Buckingham 4 shire, was the first shoemaker of the - eity of Lynn. In George Washington's day Lynn had ,200 master workmen a r- and C00 journeymen shoemakers, turn'. 5, ig out every year no less than 300,000 B pairs of fine shoes.0 NavigatIng the Elbe. -A curious means of moving boats Is 3- employed on t'he river Elbea chain F ) 290 miles long at the bottom of the E stream, which is too swift to navigate fi in the usual way. The boats are 180 ii - feet long and provided with 200 horse- c; VI power steam engines which turn a n .e drum fastened on the deck. The chain a: ) conmes in over the bow, passing along a on rollers to the drum, around which o: c'- it s wound three- times. The chain is s< then carried to the- stern, where it ir t drops back Into the water. The steam- fi ~ers tow five barges containing 1,500 al tons. y Logicnl. ti "I could have married either Whip- e per or Snapper if I'd wanted ta, and both of those men whom I refused have since got rich, while you are still s as poor as a church mouse." He-Of course. I've been supporting The Cost of Coil Mining.. The British board of tfade has just published some tables regarding the average price of coal at the pit's mouth n the different great coal producing ountries as well as the number of tons turned out by a single miner in a Fear, which are of timely interest in this country in view of the investiga tions now being made by the anthra !ite arbitration commission. Reducing the British shillings and ence to American dollars and cents, we find the average cost of producing i ton of coal at the pit's mouth in the various countries as follows: India, 1.05; United States, $1.33; Australia, )1.52; Austria-Hungary, $1,78; the Unit d Kingdom, $2.25; Germany, $2.25; New Zealand, $2.40; France, $2.88, and Belgium, $3.34. In considering these figures. which place the average cost of mining per ton in this country lower than any oth r country save India, it should be re membered that the price for the Unit d States is the price of all coal, an thracite and bituminous. while the great bulk of the production In other .ountries Is soft coal. If the cost at the pit's mouth of soft coal was taken ror the measure in the United States, it would bring the figures almost down to those for India. Turning from cost at the pit's mouth to tons per miner per annum, it is shown that the United States leads with an average of 548 tons. Then fol tow, but a long way behind, New Zea land with 445 tons, Australia, 430; the United Kingdom, 278; Germany, 264; France, 206; Belgium, 177; Austria EBungary, 163, and India, only 70. Considering the facts that cost of mining is less here than in any other ountry except India and that the out put of each miner Is greater than that )f any other country, and assuming tat coal In our market brings as high a price as It does elsewhere, it would seem that coal operators and carriers ave very little of which to complain I when comparing their profits with those of the people engaged in the, same enterprise abroad. White Flour and Appendicitis. The notion advanced by the humor ists that appendicitis is a disease in rented for the purpose of conferring social distinction may have to be aban oned if the theory of an Illinois phy sician is tenable. This physician declares that appendi- I etis was rare before the new processes I of -olling wheat were invented. He saj: "About the date mentioned (1875) there began to be a general change rom the old methods of grinding grain to the present method of roller mius and excessively fine bolting c:oths. This plan of milling began first in the arge cities, and appendicitis began to increase first there. Later the new process crowded out the small mills in the country, and the people could not et flour .made by the old process. rhey bought products of the large iilling establishments, and then the farmers began to have appendicitis." Ee adds, "Experienced millers will tell yo that the fine flour is less desirable our than that made by the old proc ess, but the trade demands It chiefly m account of Its whiteness." The Illinois doctor says also that in the last few years appendicitis has be ome one of the most common of dis eases, and he regards the discovery of the cause of Its increase as of supreme Dmportance. So It Is, but still one physcan's opinion does not settle It. "The main difference between the ew York and Chicago horse shows,"1 says the Chicago Tribune, "is the imount of diamonds displayed.- New < ork beats Chicago about two barrels." ' his causes the Kansas City Star to ~ bserve that the main difference be ween the Kansas City horse show and hose in New York and Chicago is in .1 :ha figures on which to disph.y dia nonds, and in this particular Kansas< Dity beats both of Its rivals by a thou- t ;and miles. Mr. Edison can do the traveling pub ic a real service by dropping the stor ige battery for a few moments and urning his attention to inventing some - ystem whereby the crew and passen- i gers of a through express train may be z tble to defend themselves against any s one robber that may take a notion to oot the train. During a recent debate in the Span- t sh cortes General Weyler asserted :hat he would have terminated the Cu- 3 an insurrection if he had not been re alled. Undoubtedly, but before this vas acconmplished he would have ter ninated all the Cubans. Connecticut goes New York one bet er and sentences a reckless automo- d >ile driver to a year's imprisonment. The New York chauffeur who caused he injury to a score or more of people ;t off with six months' Imprisonment.~ Whatever else may be the matter vith Mr. Schwab, he is evidently not ufering with locomotor ataxia. After iaving traveled over a good portion of b urope he is now g9i for India. The Cubans appear to think that it ould Impair their independence to get Lh n really friendly terms with the Undt- d dSates Compulsory Education:t Mr. Raysor of Oranburg introduceds bill Wednesday in the Senate which as created unusual interest the text a fwhich is as follows: t To require all parents or guai-dians cc > compel their children or wards to ni Ltend school for eight weeks in each es Section 1. That it shall be unlaw- jt 1 for any parent or guardian living ti this State to neglect or refuse to m iuse or compel any person or persons sc ho are or may be under their control sc their children or wards to attend w d cosiply with the rules of some one more public or private school or be hools. for a term of eight weeks or u] ore, during each successive year te 'om the time said children or wvards of e eight years old until they are 14 Jaz ears, old, inclusive, unless they may I0 prevented by illness or reside more ian two miles from a school house, fo -by reason of already being proti- tb ent, from attending such public or nc ivate schools. and provided that in is Lch case they shall be excused by the tii ard of trustees of the school district w4 which said children or wards may to HER FRENCH AFAILU rhe Traedy 61 g. Blaekg Jett In the Latin Quarter. She was pending her first month in :he Latin quarter of Paris. She spoke "nglish fluently, with a Boston accent; Llso she spoke German, could make a 'air stagger at Italian and itnew a few rords of Hindoostanee, but of French aot a syllable. One morning she found herself in a restling match with a bottle of French shoe blacking. The pesky bot Ie. nderstanding that it had to deal with an alien, refused to give up Iti ork. She had no corkscrew of her nwn and did not know how to ask for me, even If she dared suspect that her iext door neighbor might be possessed >f the luxury. The tine of her pet fork ihe had bent on the obstinate plug, the yoint of her best penknife she had bro en off short, and nothing remained mcept to throw the bottle out of a rindow to get at its contents. She de !ided as a last resort to try breAking he neck off the bottle. With a "stove id lifter" she administered several autious taps in the region of the jugu ar of the obstinate neck. "Nothin' loin'." Then she tapped harder still, nd the blacking came. All over her ingers it came, all over her light wool m skirt and over much of the floor and vindow smL She decided to have the skirt cleaned Lnd, packing it Into a bundle, tripped )ff to an establishment where she ound embarrassment because she :ould not understand questions. Final y she got the drift of the conversatiOL rhe cleaners wanted to know what iad caused the spot. Fortunately a )ottle of shoe blacking was standing ear by, and she pointed at this and ouid" and "ouid" until she left in ieightened spirits, feeling that she was iot helpless and that she had made the :leancrs understand. When the skirt ras duly returned the following week, t was dyed black.-New York Tribune. ANIMAL ODDITIES. Breton sheep are. not much larger ban a fair sized hare. The mandarin duck is one of the most eautiful of aquatic birds. The queen is always at the mercy of he bees and is a slave instead of a uler. A. beetle one-third the size of a horse rould be able to pull against more han a dozen ho'ses. The greyhound, which can cover a nile in a minute and twenty-eight see inds, is the fastest of quadrupeds. The girafie, armadillo and porcupine iave no vocal cords and are therefore nute. Whales and serpents are also roiceless. The glowworm lays eggs which are emselves luminous. However, the roung hatched from them are not pos ;essed of those peculiar properties until Lfter the first transformation. To escape from dangers which men tee them starfishes commit suicide. his instinct of self .destruction is ound only in the highest and lowest cales of animal life. Hebridean Proverbs. The daily talk of the Hebridean~s has .shrewd picturesqueness. "Let the an go laughing home," they say. That is, "Be careful of whatever you ive borrowed." If a person were to be met coldly in going to a friend's house, .he would ay: "The shore is the same, but tlie shell ish is not the same." .The impossible Is denoted by "black erries in midwinter and sea gulls' ggs in autumn." "Better thin k-neading than to .be mty." That is, "Half aloafis better han no bread." "The man who is idle will put the. ats on the fire." "He that does not look before him il look behind him." "A house without a dog, without a at, without a little child, Is a house rithout pleasure and without laugh Homes In Italy. Speaking of homes and ways of linY ag. Mr. Luigi Villari In "Italian Life n Town and Country" reveals a curl us state of affairs. In Italian cities here are no slum districts. The poor st of the poor may be lodged in the amne palace with people whose income uns over $25,000 annually. The poor re packed away in the garrets or In - he cellars, to be sure, and their mis ry must be rendered all the more - cute by the sight and scent of such iish living. High class Italians have o objections whatever to dwelling over shop or place of business. Forgot -Himself. Mrs. Henpeck--We hey bin married wenty years today, Hiram. Hiram (with a sigh)--Yes, fer twentl ears we've fought Mrs. Henpeck (scowling) -Whati o old wretch! Hiram (quickly)-Life's battles to ether, Mirandy.-Judge. Too Valuable to Lose. Mr. Grogan-Sure, Molke, an' what id yez do wit' yure dorg? Mike-Oh, he wuz wort' $10 an' 01 ep' t'inkin' if some wan sh'd stale mn 01 could ill afford th' loss, so 01 re um away, b'gorra - Chicago - ews. Awfully Benighted. ' Daserly-Is he so very ignorant? Flasherly-Ignorant? Why, actually, e doesn't even w a cure for colda! -Kansas City Inuependent. I 'wonder why It is we are not all inder than we are. How easily It is one! How instantaneously it acts~ [ow infallibly It is remembered rum mond. d such public or private school or hools. Sec. 2. That any person or persons olating this act shall be subject to fine of not less than 8.5, nor more ian 20, or imprisonment in the unty jail for not less tuan ten days, >r more than 20 days, for each and ery offense. Said fine shall be im sed by any court of justice having risdiction on smlficient evidence of Le same bcing furnished by two or ore creditable witnesses.and all. fines collected shall be placed in.tbe hool fund- of the school district in dich the fines are collected. Provided. That no prosecution shall instituted under this act except >nl the aflidavit of one of the trus es of the school district in which the ending parent or guardian resides, td such atlidavit may be made on in rmation and belier. It is estimated that the damage by rest fires in Washington and Oregon e past summer and fall amounts to ay $13,000,000. This great loss not merely a commercial loss of ber, but a loss to the nation as ill, and special effort should be made