Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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t P RIVILEUE TAXi T Be Divided Between Clemson and Winthrop Colleges. ROW MEMBERS VOTED. How Much Winthrop Will Get is a -mat ter iorlConjecture as the Tax is Coming in Com paratively Slow t&is Year. After one othe hardest fghts in the last dtz-n years in the general as sem2ly the house T sday passed the bill to let Winthrop participate In the privilege tax on fertilizers, all of which revenue now is paid to Clem son. The opposition to the bill gained considerable strength Tuesday, and the bill was passed by but five mzj->rity on a test vote. 1, was an issue in which the align merts were not well defined and every meinber appeared to be votirg just as his convictions dictated. Leaders of the house divided and many forceful arguments were advanced by both sides, all the speakers seeming to be anxious to vote intelligently and hon estly. There was lets small practice In the fight than any other which has been made in a long time. Following is the way the house di vided on Mr. Lyons' motion to strike out the enacting clause-or to kill the bill. Ayes-Speaker Smith and Repre sentatives Ashley, Baker, Banks,' Bass, Boyd, Brant, Bruce, Callison, Clifton, Colecck, Cothran, Culler, Des Champs, Doar, Dukes, Edwards. Faust, Fishburne, Ford, Graham, D. L. (reen, Haskell, J. E. Herbert, Heyward, Irby, Ktrven, Lester, Lit tie, Lomax, McColl, McFaddin, Mc Master. T. J. Mauldin, Miiler, Moses Nance, Nicholson, Prince, P3att, Rawlinson, Richards, Riley, Sea brook, Sheldcn, Stoll, Tribble, M. W. ,Walker, J. M. Walker, J. B. Watson. Total, 50. Nays--Messrs. Ardrey, Arnold, Bal lentine, Beamguard, Bradham, Brant ley, Brice, Browning, Cloy, DeVore, Earhardt, Eptir g, E. J. ELheredge, L. B. Etheredge. Foster, Fraser, Frcst, Gaston, Gause, J. P. Gibson, Gray, W. McD. Green, Gyles, Hall, Harrison, Harley, Hemphill, D. 0. Herbert, Higgins. Keenan, Kirby, LaFitte, Laney. Lawson, MaCants, Massey, Laban Mauldin, Otts, Par her, Patterson, Pittman, Pollock, Poston, Reaves, Sanders, Saye, Sell ers, Sinkler, Spivey, Strong. Taylor, Tcole, Turner, Verner, Wimberly. Total, 55. After the house had decided to kill the bill it accepted Mr. Hemphill's i-mendment, which modified the ef f cp #f the bill very much. The orig inal bill in section 3 provided that t50,000 should be given to Winthrop. .as amended at the suggestion of the committee, this definite amount was chbanged to 40 per cent. Subsequent 1v the entire section was knocked out $and the fotowing was inserted in lieu 9thereof: "Section 3. That from and after the approval of this act the treasurer of this State shall first pay from the fund arising from the privilege tax on fertilizers sixteen thousand six hun dred and seventy-one and 64 100 ($8,671.64) dollars c-n the order of the board of trustees of Clemson Ag ricultural and Mechanical College of South Carolina, and shall then pay annually upon the order of said board of 3rustees cut of said fund the sum of sixty-five thousand (85,000,000) dollars, and shall pay out annually any balance remaining In his bands on the order of the b ard of trustees of Wirthrop Normal and Industrial Co:lege of South Carolina." On motion of Mr. Price tbis was further amended so that the 865,000 for operating expenses was increased to 375,000. The bill was taken up first thing Tuesday under the head of unfinished business. The motion made by Mr. Lyon Monday was to strike out the enacting words. Mr. Lyon explained his opposition to the privilege tax being divided in the ratio of 2 to 1 between Clemson andI Winthrop.G He showed that the privilege tax collected in January, 1904, was $35,000 and but 818.000 In Jaauary, 1905. If 40 per cent. of this be paid to Winthrop, Clemsoni would get but $9000 this month. Fur. thermore, the constitutionality of the whole tax would be jeopardized by this diversion. Mr. Laban Mauldid favored the bill. He is a farmer and helps to pay the tax, but Winthrop is also a farmers' college and the farmers will agree to give Winthrop part of that privilege tax. If It hurts Clemson financially, the money can be returned by appro priation next year. Mr. Verner declared this to be an old hobby of his to place some limit on< Clemson's expenditures-and Clemson is In his county. He argued In favor of the bill. Even if the privilege tax< be decreased this year, there wi.1 be 1 no $42,000 buildidg to pay for. He de- ( clared that prudence, economy and I toil should be taught, and not ex travagance. He hai always taken this stand, and would continue to do so,t although his personal interests lie otnerwise.. He thinks it is a shame for one college to get unlimited Income and another but miserly 830,000. He had been opposed by Clemson college< in his race because he had always ar-1 gued thus. Mr. Epting of Lexington declared:] that the people of his county think ( there is xtravagance at Clemson. He F poke of the claims the commonc s:chools have on the State and the claims that other colleges have. Ev ery college cries that It is getting too little. The people of his county can't< nnderstand why it is necessary to pend $300 on ever-y boy at Clemson. Mr. Gibson of Marlboro also spoke in favor of the bill. This was this first t ppearance on the floor and he was I rivon close attention. He did not, I ::peak at length, but, quite pointedly.( Mlr. Prince expressed his firm belief that the farmers this y ear will stick a to their determination to reduce the s cotton acreage, and this will reduce I 'he use of fertilizers 25 to 40 per cent.c This will be a dangerous time to rmake c any changes. In reply to Mr. DeVore z he admitted that the 842,000 spent for permanent improvenrents last yeart would not be spent this year but the I income would be redu~ced an equiva lent figure, no doubt in 1905. The agricultural hall had been built by an. aggegate of surplus Tenica eaching costs more than literary I d raining. He declared himselt a de- 1 P Lominational college supporter, a he higher the State colleges are la aised the higher will the denomina- j ional colleges be forced to raise them elves. He wanted to keep Winthrop t mder the guid'nce of the legislature, I Lnd this proposition would male J inthrop responsible to nobody, as llemson now is. Mr. J. A. Banks of Orangeburg de :lared that he had listened to the dis ,ussion with a mind open to convic aIon. He bad been stud) ing the mat ter and at first had favored the prop osition when Mr. Pollick introduced his bill. But Mr. Richards had raised an objection which was insurmounta ble. Clemson Is looked upon by the farmers as their college, and this tax which they pay goes to their college. He would prefer to see the privilege tax reduced rather than a part of it diverted to Winthrop. Mr. Hemphill of Chester in speak ing in favor of the bill declared that the friends of different colleges should not be suspicious of each other. His own interest in the colleges is uni form. This matter should be settled by taking the information p'aced offcially before the legislature. Referring to the report of the legisla tive committee, he showed the annual necessary expenditure out of the direct tax to be about $85,000. He proposed an amendment to give Clemson $16, 000 to pay the indebtedness on the agricultural hall, and then to give Clemson $65,000 and the residue to go to Winthrop. He does not want to cripple Clemson, but he is very much in favor of putting a check on extravagance. There would be other sources of income in addition to this 865,000 which would give Clemson the necessary 885,000. Capt. John C. Sellers as a farmer favored diverting a part of this tax to the college where farmers' dangh ters are taught. We are confronted by a fact, not a theory. The State has a deficit, and this is the first bill he has seen to reduce expenditures. If Clemson should have a deficit she could come before the legislature and get an appropriation by exhibiting her financial statements. He believes that the management of Clemson can be wonderfully improved. He believes that no State college should be in competition with the graded ichools, and it is his opinion that Clemson takes too many little boas who should be at home in the graded schools. Mr. Nicholson of Edgefield had been in favor of this bill at f rat, but now he Is opposed to it on principle. He had thought that it wodid reduce ex penditures, but he has changed his views and thinks that it Is not an equitable principle to make a chss of peop'e pay a tax to support more than one college. Mr. Poll ek, in reply to Mr. Prir ea, declared that there would be no act of bad faith to takepart of this tag tax from Clemson. He read the act of 1890 providing for this tax to go for the erection and maintenane of the college. One of the purposes of that act has been accomplished-the work of ert otion. He showed the receipts of privilege tax In former years and de clared that if this was enough to build, equip and run the oollege, it ought to be enough to run it now. Mr. Richards was more thoroughly convinced that this is an unreason able request. Mr. Pollock wanted to know should the privilege tax fall to $30,000 would Mr. Richards vote to make an appropriation suf~cient to bring up their revenue to the enor mous expenditure of last year. Mr. Richards replied that he would vote for every dollar asked for by the m~an agement of Clemson as he would vote for the appropriations asked for by Sonth Carolina college trustees) Win throp trustees or the Citadel tiuitees. He read an itemized inroice of fertili zers, showing that there Is evidence that the farmer pays this tax. Mr. Brantley Inquired If the farmer pays any more for fertil'sers in this State than they do in other States. Mr. Richards thought not. He ocn cluded by deriding the measure and declaring that he would vote for it if all the State colleges should be miade beneficiaries of the fund-and the farmer would support them all He also made light of Mr. Hemphill's amendment. Mr. Moses opposed the bill. This is not a bill to help Winthrop. The State will always provide for Winthrop any way. Clemson did get along with a smaller income once, but it was a smaller institution then. Mr. Moses quoted merchants to show that there1 is no demand for fertilis and that probably less than 80 per cent. of last year's sales will be handled this year. He recited the history of legislation adverse to the South Carolina college, and warned the legislature of the danger of crippling Clemson. If Clem-1 son Is extravagant it is proper to re-c primatrd the board, but not to tear down the institution. By avote of 55 to 50 the house re fused to strike out the enacting] swords. The question then was the adoption af the committee amendment to give 1 Winthrop 40 per cent. instead of 550,-t )00. Col. D. 0. Herbert moved toe Lmend by inserting 33 1-3 per cent. 4 Phis was accepted and the committee I irnendment as amended was adopted. Mr. Ashley's amendment to give ther >verplus to the common schools was diled by avote of 52 to 16. Mr. Hemphill's amendment then I :ame up. Mr. Prince offered to amend ihe amendment to give Clemson 875, 00 for maintenance before anything t >e deducted for Winthrr p.s Mr. Haskell asked Er. Pol'ock a- c Lumber of searching questions as to I he finacces of Clemeon. Mr. Pollock 3plied with some asperity. Mr. laskell in a spirit of pleasantry said omething about Mr. Pollock casting Ssmall shadow. To this Mr. Pollock ountered by saying that Mr. Haskel]l vas a very large, empty substance. Mr. Haskell wanted to know if Mr. ollock wouldn't accept the statement >f the president of Clemson college, nade with almost the solemnity of an ath. Mr. Pollock replIed that he had eceived his Information from the re orts of the State treasurer, the Stater uperintendent of education and the ommittee from the legislature. Clem on is hard to shake off from the teat, t has been getting the pap so long, end it is not to be marveled at that he president will make this appeal. rir. Pollock was trying to show that 165,000 annually would be enough for )lemson instead of the 675,000 proposS d by Mr. Prince. Being interrupted ,t times by Maj. Haskell, he made ome caustic reference which Maj. iaskell received in good nature. The ifference between them was whether a tr not the money paid by the govern- ti sent for the experiment station is I sed in part for salaries and whether h he interest from the Clemson bequest C s $3,500 or $5,000. Mr. Prince, in a concluding appeal, Il leclared that Clemson cannot get I .long, with less than 875,000, for I eep at ilrst. He denied that he would ursue roundabout practice to defeat he will of .he majority of the house, rd his amendment is offered in all incerity. Mr. Haskell stated to the house hat he had just been informed by the >resident of the board of trustees (Col. I. W. Simpson) that the college gets io benefit from the funds from the JnIted States government for the ex >eriental station. Mr. Pollock replied -hat this is disproved by the annual eport, which shows that about $7, i00 is paid for salaries out of this aund. Mr. Prince's amendment was adopt -d and then Mr. Hemphill's amend ment as thus amended. This knocks aut of the orJglnal bill section 3 and inserts the pa-agraph prinsed above. The bill as thus amended passed sec. Dnd reading. A BMI& AL N1GRO ttempts outrage on a Lady in the Augusta Ce metary. The followig account of the brutal attack of a negro on a white lady in the Augusta Cemetery is taken from the Augusta Herald: OWhile engaged at about half-past 12 o'ch ek Monday in paying that devo tion to her dead loved ones by placing aowers on their last resting place in the city cemetery of Augusta, and with her tender hands clearir g away the weeds and grasses that threaten ed to creep over and cover the shafts that marked the last resting place of her relatives, Mrs. Percy Spellman was approached and seized by a burly negro, who is as cowardly as he is vile. The screams of Mrs. Spellman quickly brought the cemerery autho rities to her rescue, and when they arrived the black brute had speeded away and scaled the wall of the city of the dead. Much agitated this good lady told in broken sentences to the cemetery cffa8als how she had been seized by the negro and had screamed for help. A search was at once Instituted for the negro, but he had taken leg bill with a good long start on the authori ties. However, a vigorous effort was made to apprehend the assailant of Mrs. Spellman, but with no result so far as the authorities information given the Herald goes. The assault was kept very quiet and only this morn:ng did the reporters get wind of the occurrerce. After a deal of trouble reliable authority was found-a friend of Mrs. Spellman's who told of the occurrence as Mrs. Spellman had related it to her. The negro assailant Is named Jopa Brown, and Wednesday was employed by a local marble yard to do some tombstone cleaning at the cem etery. He happened to be near the section which Mrs. Spellman visited. Seeing her alone he cautiously erept up to and seized her. Fortunattly the spot where the assault occurred was not in a remote part of the cemetery, so the screams ot Mrs. Spei~man soon brought the cemetery cificers to tae spot. Meanwhile Brown had rushed to wards the south wall and climbed over. The Bible. The Bible is the "best selling book" in the world. One would be inclined to doubt the statement when he reads about the enormous editions of popu ar novels. And there is a widespread feeling that the Bible and religious iterature is going out of fashion. Buat the digures tell a different story. Never before has there been such a dlemand for the Christian Scriptures. The recent report of the British Bible society shows that since its establish ment it has distributed 180,000,000 opies of the Bible. Tae American society has distributed 70,000,000. And both societies say they printed more copies last year than in any pre vious year. While presses are being pushed to supply a passing demand for current fiotion they are running the year around to suply the call for the Old and New Testament. The Bible is now printed in 450 languages and dialects. Translatcrs are eon stantly employed in putting it in new tongues. No, the Bible is not going out of fashion. Religion is a .part of man's nature. While he will always busy himself with science and art and iterature, religion will always engage bis thought. It is the thing that alls his supremest need. Roligion of some kind will always have Its place in human life. And the religion of bhe Bible Is the best brand extant. A Foolish Boy... The navy department has instituted a search for Midshipman Milton W. &rrowood, who has been absent seve tal weeks without leave from his sta Mion on the battleship Kearsarge. The iepartment has applied to the young man's father, who lives In North )arolina, for information on the sub lect. The case is a most unusual one. F'or private reasons the young man lesires to leave the navy and tender id his resignation a short time ago, >ut the department refused to enter ain it on the ground that the gov, rnment, having educated him, is intitled to the benefit of his services or a few years ati least. It Is inti nated now that when the young nan found he could not get out of the javy in the regular way he returned o his home in North Carolina, where eis now said to be. Midshipman trrowood passad the regnisite acade nic course and has nearly completed he regulatior. two years service at ea prior to his final graduation. In ase he fails tc return to his station e will be dror ped as a deserter. Seneat lonal Charges. Sensational disclosures in relation o the alleged use of Indian trust uinds for the support of sectarian chools were made Wednesday by~ enator Bard in a statement to the inited States Senate Committee on ndlan affairs. In addition to thet harge that Roman Catholic schoolst ave received 98 per cent, of the mon y expended under contracts made by tie Indian commissioner, the senator aid he had been approached by rep- 1 asentatire of a Catholic association( rith the promise of carrying certain umber cf districts In California for immi return for his influence in ringing about a continuance of such avorable contracts. Senator Bard uot-ed a circular issued by M. K. niffen, secretary of the Indian Rights masciation, charging that discrimina- 1 Lon in favor of Roman Catholics was y direction of the president. Oat on Bau., W. B. Rowell, the State constable rho shot and killed Jonas C. Blount,a he Atlantic Coast Line detective inr lorence in December last, and whoa as been conined in the Florence otinty prison ever sInce, was released t iednesday night. Judge Purdy hay- 1 2g granted him bail in the sum of I 4,000. Dr. William Ilderton and J. 1 L Humphrey, of that county, are his FAIRMRS CA.N WIN. 1 t t the Cotton Problem Discussed by Mr. Shepperson, of Boston. &dvises Farmers to Hold Their Cot ton Like Stonewall Did the Lines at Bull Run. Mr. Alfred B. Shepperson, of Bos ton, Mass., who is an authority on the cotton question advIses the farm ers to hold their cottton and they will win the tight. Here is what he says. Read it: The farmers and merchants of the south who now hold cotton are con fronted with the fact that the yield of the presEnt crop has been more than the world's requirements of American cotton for this season. The prica is now somewhat less than one half of the quotations of a year ago. OWhen there is an oversupply of any mommodity and a serious decline in price from that cause, the first sug gestion of common sense is to curtail production and thereby reduce the supply to proportion of the demand and thus restore the price to an -equit able basis. This simple Dlaa bas al ways succeeded with cotton. Mr. John L. McLiurin, formerly a senator from South Carolina, in a let ter in the New York Sun of 17th in stant, scuts the idea of a reduction of acreage and urges that the grant ing of subsidies to United States ves sel3 would. in some way, so vastly in crease our exports of cotton goods that the resulting greater demand for the raw material wou'd take at full prices all the cotton our country could produce. He tells us that "trade fol lows the flag," and says a great op portunity is open to us in the intro duction of our cotton goods into China and that "a market is waiting there which will enable us to sell 20, OCO,000 instead of 10,000,000 bales of cotton above ten cents per pound, as it should not be difficult to teach a thrifty people the advantage of cotr ton goods." As a matter of fact, cotton cloth was manufactured In China as early as A. D. 1260 from cotton grown in that country, and is now the only clothing for all seasons of the year of the great maj rity of the Chinese population. Cotton cloth was not male in the Unitel States until more than 500 years later. In the year encing ylune 30, 1903, more than one -half of our exports of co ton cloth we-e to China, and in the previous year the quantity was over three fifths. Our exports to China are priacipally of coarse, unbleached cot ton cloth, of which the chief element of cost is the cotton itself. Mr. McLaurln says that "the ob stafle to trade with China is lack of transportation" and high freights. There are actually greater shipping facilities between the United States and China and lower rates of freight than ever before. There are now prcbably more vessels, and certainly a greater carrying capacity, for the wo:-ld's conmerce than at any previ ous time. Ocean freights are exceed ingly low i-nd far below the rates of a few years go. 'The fla 3" or the nationality of the vessel has nothing whatever to do with the selling of commodities any where. The only factors in the mat ter are the suitability of the articles and the reasonableness of the prices demanded. If the commodities o: not suit the markets in which they are offered they cannot be sold to any extent even at a very low prica. Our commodities cannot be sold in foreign markets for any more than similar articles from other countries. Our flag has entered the Philippines and Is now the flag of that country, but trade has followed It at so low a pace that during the last fiscal year the imports of cotton goods from the United States were only 8 1-2 per cent. of the total quantity, while Great Britain furnished 45 per cent., Sapin 15 per cent. and little Switzer land 7 1-4 per csnt. The chief obstacle to the increase of our exports of cotton manufactures is the high tariff on textile machinery and on the chemnicals, dyes, etc , usecn in the manufacture of bleached, dyed and printed goods. On account of these tariff taxes, the equipment of a cotton mil here costs about 50 per cent. more than in England, and the cost of the manufactured product is so greatly increased that we cannot successfully compete with European mills anywhere outside of the protec tion walls surrounding our own coun Our cotton mills, if worked to their full capacity would produce vastly more goods than could be used in the United States and an expansion of foreign trade is greatly needed to take the sur plus production. During the past season the world's spinners consumed only 10,100,000 bales of American cotton owir~g to the high price and limited supply, while 11,000,000 bales were consumed in the season of 1899-1900, when the number of spindles was 7,350,000 less1 A cablegram on the 20th instant rom Messrs. Elison & Company of [verpol estimates the world's con-1 mmpton of American catton this sea ion at 11.327,000 bales, and says that Iuropean mills may take 300,000 to I0,000 more to add to their stocks. It may be safely 8ssumed that the I rold's mills will consume fully 11, ~5,000 bales of Americaa cotton. Shuld they buy an average of only ~otr weeks' supply beyond their ac- I Sue requirements, it wO2ld make I :hir entire purchase for the season I bout 12,220,000 bales.1 ]f our "commercial crop" should by t ws nuch as 500,000 bales more than o ~his, the addition to the stocks in I kerican and European markets a huld not rinfavorably affect prices. I think cotton is too low, and that a he great decline has been Isrgely due ~ o f.peculative influences. Surely the I pners did not expect so great a de- C lie or they would not has e bought ~ o freely earlier in the season when >rices were several cents per pound earer. An advar c3 of a cent and a alf per sound would undoubtedly , rcmote ti e interests of a majority of he spinners as it would caus;e a stead- a er market and larger demand for cot on goods At the advance there ro-ild be s better demand tor cotton or spinnir I and for investraent thang here is to-lay. The cou~ se of the market for the b text few months rests entirely witn si he present holders of cotton in the t1 iouth. If they will market it slowly .id only as they actually require the noney from its sale, it is likely a re tion to better prices would occur. 'w n the season of 1898 99 fully 400,000 d: ales were held back in the interior E ntil the following season and the I nancial condition of the South Is in- w nitely better now than at that time. A Let the southern owners of cotton ql aMd It with the "Stonewall" tanaeiity A rith w*Ach Jackson's brigade held he line of battle at Bull Run, and in his fIgI.t over the price they will gain he victry they deserve. A sut stantial reduction of acreage, towever, is essential to a permanent mprov ment in price, and such re :ation can be safely left to the good udgment and self-interest of each southern farmer. H3 WANTED TO KNOW. Why a Stranger Recently Viilted the State Ditpensary. "I want to know," said a visitor at be state dispensary last week. His :ard announced him to be Frank J. Sheridan, of Washingtr-n, special igent of the United States bureau of labor, a branch of commerce and labor. Hle was a very pleasant gentleman, Df a most inquiring turn of mind. He has traveled far and wide throughout the United States and observed close ly wherever he went. While Mr. Sheridan's official home is Washington, he is a native of Iowa, a state where the prohibition farce Is more than a law-it is an integral part of the commonwealth's constitu-, tion. Mr. Sheridan explained his visit to the state dispensary by say ing his curiosity had been aroused. It had forcibly struck his attention that the liquor evil was m'e conspicuous ly ab ent f-om Columola than from any city of similar size he bad ever visited. He saw no signs of drunken ness and no place where drinking was made attractive. He Is from a pro hibition state, but nowhere in the cities of his state had he observed such satisfactory conditions. And he wanted to know what was the law that produced such results. As a result of the answcr. that South Carolina had the dispensary law and that the headquarters of the dis pensary system was in Columbia, he went to dispensary headquarters for further information. He was wel comed by Commissioner Tatum and spent. several hours at the dispensary, asking most pertinent questions as to the dispensary law and Its operations. He very freely expressed the opinion that the dispensary law, judged by what he had seen of its workings, was the best solution of the liquor problem that had ever come under his observation. Judged by practical re sults for sobrier) and order, he pro nounced it far better than the pro hibition law of h!s own state. According to Mr. Sieridac, the prohibition law of Iowa has become azch a farce in the cities and towns of that state that no attempt is made to enforce It there. Prohibition be ing constitutional in Iowa, the bar rooms are not licensed, but a com promise system has been worked out under which the " ,rtnous" prohibi tion law remainp r- he statute books while the barket .s continue busi ness, being periodically arrested and fined. These arrests and fines are so manipulated that a barkeeper pa78 il fines In the course of a year about what he would have to pay for a licensa In a license state. The rult is nothing like as satisfactory as tiat obtained by the dispensary law. ac cordit.g to Mr. Sheridan, who la an unprej2udiced observer. The impres sion rnade upon Mr. Sheridan is that made upon practically all visitors to South Carolina, particularly ladles, who are delighted to be where they can walk upon city streets without having to pass barrooms.--Columbia Becord. Murder and Suicide. A tragey in which four men lost their lives occurred in N gales Arn zona, Friday, William Walters, a gambler, entered the Palace saloon owned by Mi. Mi. Conn, walked to a poker table, and without a word of warning drew a revolver and opened fre on the dealer, known as "Cow boy" Johnson, firing two shots through his head. Walters then turned on Conn, the proprietor, who was making his way toward the door, shooting him through the head and eart. The murderer then turned is weapon toward the monte dealer, shooting him through the back of the bead. He fired a shot at George Bendle, a cattleman, which grazed the latter's face, and then turned the revolver on himself and sent a bullet through his own brain. All of the victims died before being able to [ake statements. Walters had been mployed by Conn, but had been dis harged a few days before. Attakked by a Cat. Mr. 3. W. P. Hope, of Yorkville, was badly bitten and clawed by an .nfuriated cat at his residence on 'hursday afternoon. Mr. Hope was itting on a chair with his right hand anging down when the cat, which was lying under the chair, sprang at 3s hand in a savage manner, biting mnd scratching it quite severely. In ~rying to draw his hand away from ~he animal it was pulled through the ounds of the chair and Mr. Hope had o choke it off. Miss Lucy Smarr, a roung lady boarding with the family, as also severely bitten and scestched >y the cat In her efforts to aesists dr. Hope. The cat has been i.1 the smily for a good number of years and vas looked upon as a pet, Mr. Hlope attending mostly to Its feeding. Sate (Orackers. Burglars broke into the store of 1111er Bros. at Stone station on the Henn Sprin~gs railroad Wednesday ght, and after blowing open the safe rith dynamite they rifled its con ents, securing 838 in money belong ng to the Messrs. Stone and about 18 belonging to the pos tofflce, which a located at the store. Alorg with he money 200 two cent stamps, 1,000 ne cent stamps and 400 one cent >eces were taken. A batch of notes nd mortgages taken froi the safe ere found In a woodland about half ,mile from the store. This work of the afe crackers was successfully planed nd carried out, and the authorities 0 not belheve that it was participat d In by novices. &tr ai of Smallpox. Representative Etheridge Intro uced a resclution in the Ho'use on hurn day to exclude all visitors from he losr of the House on account of n ep demic of smallpox in Columbia. he resolution failed, as It was bought to have been inspired less by ar of' smallpox than by a desire to et rid of visitors on account of the ose >f conversation. Richland mem. er cf the House protested that the allpox situation was no worse ,here an elsewhere in the State. 1 Fatally Injured. The man struck by a Southern rail- 1 sy train near Trenton on January 31a ed Thursday morning at 2 o'clcck. i e has been identified as Milton J. I almer of Augusta, Ga. He has a ife eid one child residing in Augusta. c oting Coroner Brunson held the In est. His remains wore taken to ja ngnata for burial. I A CALL TO FARMERS. President Jordan Urges that They Meet and Orgai ize. "People Are Aroused to Imperative Necessity to Do Something," He Declares in Addoress. President Harvie Jordan, of the Southcrn Cotton Association, has is sued a call to the cotton planters of the South, urging them to organize to carry out the will of the great New Orleans cotton convention. The call of President Jordan in full is as fol lows: To the People of the South: The time has c:me for action; in unity now is your only strength. The movement inaugurated at New Or leans whereby the Southern Cotton Association fas organized, is the hope now for the accomplishment of last ing benefits to the cotton growers of the South, and to reap the full bene fits of that organization, and to suc cessfully carry out its purp-ses, it is essential that we have organization in every precinct in the south. The peiple of the cotton-growing states are aroused to the imperative necessity to do something, and the line of action marked out for the Southern Cotton Association at New Orleans, after full and free consulta tion between bankers, merchants, brokers, professional men and farmers, Is the guide to follow and we must be entbuwtastlc, determined and must not tolerate any hesitation or devia tion or else our efforts will be in vain. It is hardly necessary for us to bring to your attention the fact that unless we control the markets and demand and receive fair and just prices for our cotton, bankruptcy stares us in the face, and there can be no escape from it except in the manner indicat ed by the plan suggested to the Southern Cotton Association and the executive committee to which your attention is called, and is as follows: 1. To tie up and take care of the surplus of this crop; remove It from the market until next fall and hold balance of crop until prices advance. 2 Reduce cotton acreage and use of commercial fertil'z.rs under cotton at least 25 per cent. of that of last year. 3. Arrange for a general system of bonded warehouses under the control of the people of the south. 4. Organiz,. the producers of the south in every cotton-growing county on a business basis to carry Into ope ration a permanent system, of relief and protection for the f -ture. In hearty accord,then with this plhin, and in order to stk..rt Lhe move ment for organization -n the entire scuth, we earnestly call upon the peo ple to as-.emble in thdr respective vot.iug precincts, be:.c cr militia dis tricts on the 11th die of February, 19.'5, at 1 o'clock p. m. an: elect- a pre:!nt chairman for each precinct and county and also appoint a com mittee of three on acreage, this com mittes to immediately request the signature of every cottan grow r in that precinct to a pledge to reduce his acreage 25 pei cent unde.r that of the prevIous year. Also e'e~t three repre sentatives to a county convention to be held at each county seat on Thurs day, February 16th, 1905, which shall elect its own officers and elect one rep resentative to a state convention at your state capital on Tuesday, Feb ruary 21, 1905. Be sure you elect as your representatives from the county one of your leading citizens, and one who will be certain to attend the state convention. We again urge upon the people of the scuth a loyal and strict compliance with these. suggestions, and append herewith the call of the executive committee for the state convention and also the duties of toe county and precinct conventions: The cotton prodiucers, merchants, bankers, manufacturers and members of the different profe-sions of each voting precicct or political sub- divi s=.on (or by whatever- name called) of each county or parish In each cotton growing state or territory is hereby called to meet on the 11th day of Feb ruary, 1905, for the purpose of organ izing and electing officers and after so organizing shall elect three represen tatives of that precinct to the county or parish association to be held on the 15th day of February at the parish or county seat Each county or parish shall convene, organize by the election of its own of ficers, and elect one representative to the state or territory association to be held at the capitol of each cotton growin'g state or territory on the 21st day <f February, 1905, provided that the Tennessee state convention shall e held at Memphis, and the Indian Territory convention to be held at South McAllister. The state or terri tory organizition shall elect, in addi tion to their own eT'ficers, the mn'm brs of the national excive comn mittee~ as foliows. Alabama, 3 members; Arkansas, 2 m:nbers; Florida, 1 member; Geo-gia; 3 members; Louisiana, 2 members; Mississippi, 3 members; North Caro lina, 2 members; South Carolina, 2 members; Tennessee. 1 member; Tex as 5 members; Oklahoma, 1 member; Missouri, 1 member; Indian Territory, 1 member. - The membership f..r all persons joining this association shall be 25 cents and fees thus collected to be turned over to the treasurer of the county or parish association, who sall retain one-half of ;:.he amount so ollected for the use of :he county or parish association, for warding one balf to the treasurer o: the state or territorial association. The treasurer f the state or territoriil association to forwarj one-half of th~e amount re eived by him to Johr H. Latham, Dublin, Tex., the treasurer of the southern Cotton Association. and re port the amount thus se'at to Richard Jheatham, secretary, IN onticello, Ga The parish or count y association hall pay its own treasu:er. The county or paris2h association hall ftx a reasonable compensation to e paid the township or political sub livisica canvassers for :4llecting the bove named pledges an'. statistics, to e paid out of tne count;y funds. Every township or pol-tical subdivi ion not heretofore organ ized is urgent y requested to perfect its organiza- f ion at once. Such precincts or counties as have eretoore organized for the purpose erein stated, under whatever name, .re requested to hold their meetings n accordance with the above call andc ecome members of this association. C Tne p tople must act now and shakea f the obstacles in the way of pros- I erity of this section or it may be an- a ther decade before we get the de- 1 red relie. In unity there Is strength. Let all our people stand together In a common cause. HARVY JORDAN, Pre st. Southern Cotton AsscTlation. RICHARD CHEATHAM, Secretary. CALLED TO ORGAJIZE. Meetings to be Held in Every Town ship Next Saturday. The following is published at the request of Mr. E. D. Smith, President of tne South Carolina Cotton Grow ers' Association: "I wish It had been possible for the entire business element of the State to have been at the New Orleans con vention. The earnestness and determ ination that was shown was evidence of the fact that the time had come in the history of the south when the merchant, banker, lawyer, mechanic, teacher, preacher, In a word every vo cation and profession were alive to the situation and were determined that the shouth should do business on business principles, and that the vast wealth possible to her through her great staple should not be made a means of poverty to her any longer. "Every other consideration was laid aside and nothing was allowed 'as a topic of dis!ussion save cotton and its produ-ts, and the best plan of hand ling them. The simple plans outlined by this great convention, in my judg ment, are in every way worthy of such a gathering, ana are going to be put into operation, and are going to solve the problem. "The time has come now when any man who does not come in has either not posted himself or is Indifferent to his own and his country's welfare. Some will say and are saying, 'You can't organize the fa-mers; they will make promises and break them-and that this will come to naught. Reasoning from the past, this seems to be true; but the farmer of today is not the farmer of a decade ago; nor are the merchants and bankers the merciants and bankers of a decade ago. They may be in part the same men, but bitter experience has taught them one and all that each one is de pendent upon the other for prosperity -and that prosperity is dependent upon an Intelligent, organisd control of the output, and thereby the con trol of the price of cotton. "The most ignorant darkey can see and appreciate the logic of the fo-low ing figures: A 10,000,000 bale crop at 10c. per pound means $500,000,000 while a 13.000,000 bale crop at 6c per pound means 8390,000,000--a differ ence in favor of the smaller crop of $110,000,000. This is the gross dif ference. if tL this difference be add ed the sav!nc .n making and gather ing the extra 3.000,000 bal; s, putting it at $20 per bale, there is a difference of $160.000,000 more in the hands of the producer for the smaller than for the larger crop or $10 more for every man, wcman ard child in the cotton growing Statis. Besides, in the ca e of the s- aller crop every bale made reprsents a profit to the maker for the money and labor invested, waile in the larger crop every bale represents a loss. Again there is less land needed to make the smaller crop, leaviig millions of improved acres to grow food crops for man and beast. Now~ It does seem that with these facts burned into us by experience that every man should join in to perfect an organization which has for its ob ject the control of the output of A merican cotton to the limit where it will bring the largest returns to the producer and-the greatesti prosperity to the Sjuth. We do not propose to attempt to put the price so high that it will jeopardiz our monopoly of cot ton-simply to get 10 cts. per pound. "No N, in order to bring into prac tical operation this much desired end, the convention decided that on the 11th day of February every township in the State should meet and organ'z by electing a president, secretary and treasurer and e'ect delegates to go to their respective county seats on Feb ruary 18th, there to perfect a county organization with (ifiers like the township; the counties to elect dele gates to Columbia to meet there on February 21st to elect State offcers for the a.ssociation, each county to elect not less than five nor pore than 10 delegates to the- State convention. It is to, be hoped that each county will send its full quota of delegates. "The township and county as well as the State meetings are expected to ratify and confirm the recommenda tion of the New Orleans convention as to the 25 per cent. reduction in acreage and fertilizers and to hold spot cotton for.10 cents per pound.' A G00D BILL KILLED By the Bouse After a Very Short De Date on TnRUday. The house by a decisive vote Thurs day killed the compulsory education bill. While hours have been spent in debate on other matters of far, less serious import, the members of the house seemed unwilllag to discuss this measure. In less than an hour it was numbered among the good whici lie buried In the archives of the house. Those who voted in favor of strik ing out the enacting clause-and thus to kill the bill-were: Speaker Smith and Bepresentatives Ardrey, Ashley, Baker, Ballentine, Banks, Beamguard, Bradham, Brant, Brantley, Browning, Cailison, Clif ton, Cloy, Coloock, Coth ran, Doar, Dukes, Earhardt, Eping, L. B. Etheredge, Faust, Ford, Foster, Fraser, Gause, Graham, D. L. Green, Hamlin, Harrison, Harley, Hemphill, J. E. Herbert, Higgins, Kirven, La Fltte, Laney Lawson, Lesser, Lo max, McCanW, Massey, Miller, Mor rison, Nance, Parker, Prince, Pyatt, Rawlinson, Richards, Seabrook, Shel don, Stell, Strong, Tribble, 'Verner, ,i. 3. Watson, Webb, Whatley and Wimberly. Those who favored the bill and voted nay on the motion were: Messrs Arnold, Bass, Brice, Bruce, Culler, Davis, DesChamps, DeVore, Edwards, Frost, Gaston, 3. P. Gibson, W. 3. Gibson, Gray, W. McD. Green, yles, Hall, D. 0. Herbert, Heyward, Rutto, Keenan, Kirby, Little, Lyon, EvcColl, McFaddin, McMaster, Laban Eauldin, T. 3. Mauldin, Moses, Nich ylson, 5tts, Patterson, Pittman, Pol cek, Poston, Kolev, Sanders, Seller, sinkler, Spivey, Taylor, Toole, Tur ier, Mi. W. Walker, 3. M. Walker Lnd Yeldell. Col. D. 0. Herbert made a splen lid speechi in favor of the bill, but it Lvailed nothing. NORFoLE has a philosophical pegro nan who saved his personal apparel he other day at the sacrifice of two olored women who were burned to leath in an adjoining room. When sked why he had not gone to the re lef of the victims of the fire he an wered that he "had to work too hard1 o buy his clothes to lose them saving A BUEB;LE PRICKED. Tc.tal Value cf Crum's Tstate Less Ihan Fourteen Thousand Dollars. Exact Fgures of Appraisement Given Uader Seal of Bamberg Coun tre i Probate Judge. The late H. H. Cram, of Bamberg, came into political promineace In the nineties. A farmer himself and the son of a farmer, it was natural that he took a lively interest in ~.he fatm era' movement and his woi k and in fluence contributei largely to the suc cess of that movement in his section of the sate. One result cf this was that for several years be ws a mem ber of the house from Barn well coun ty and afterward fran Bamberg, when that county was crt.ated. In the legis'ature be was regarded as a safe and conservative man and a good committee worker. His strength in the legislature was shown b; the large vote he received when he was a candi date for the pos:tion of state dispen sary commissioner. Af ter serving two years in that office he was re-elected - and served another term. His admin istration was considered conservative and business like. Before going into office he had farmed some fertile land given him by his father and bad purchased addi tional Tiacts. While in offce he con. tinued his farming operations and the four years be was in office were four of the best years the farmers have had in a generation. They were years (f a high price for cotton. With the start given him by his father and his own planting operations, together -with four years ia oM-.e at a good salary, It was natural that he shoWd Rather together something of an estate. - But when he died, last year, amaz ing stories were Immediately set afoat as to the large value of the estate he left. No father for these stories other than the hoary-headed "They Say" ever appeared. No one vouched for them. No one would be responsible for them or would vouch for their ac curacy. But they were circulated with a persistency and system shich indicated a purpose bahind them and led to a suspicion that some organiza tion was using them for political. par poses. Whenever a friend of the dispe sary would say anyth!ug In defense of the honrty of its offlioal, he would be a-ked how Cnum gathered to gether such a large estate. Acmord tng to the rumors, Crum left an es tate variously -valued at from $i50 000 to $250,000. One arWkould say he had teard from some one who ought to keow that Crum Lad S59, 000 In bank anid owned houses and lands and stock worth more than $100,000. There were.variations of this story, but the only diference was in the figures, which by many were placed higher. One of Crum's warm personal friends in Columbia, who had repeat edly heard these stories, investigated M~r. Crum's affairs and fou'nd that at the time he died he had an eate of Iabout $13,000, including $1,800 in bank, and that he owed abant $3,000. lHe asked that-this statement be pub lished in jnstice to the mefnory of Mr. Cram and to offset the attacks being made on the dispensary over his dead body. . Au his statement was ex parte and uncometcal, The Bacord deed'it beat to obtain a signed and sesled state ment of Mr. Crum's estats from the judge of prob'ate of Bamberg county, through whose offie the essate had to be settled. This statemient is now In The Record offce and can be ex amined by anybody who cares to see it. Mr. Crum left no will, se- an admnin Istrator was appointed for his estate. The appraisers of the ests -te were J. D. Baiter, James A. Walker Elward P. Sojourrner, C. S. Folk and A.' H. Noely, all prominent citizens of Bam. berg. Their appraisement, as certified under seal by Geo. P. Harmon, judge of probate of Bamberg county, made the total value of Mr. Crum's estate, Including both personalty and realty, $13,829 87-by r omeans a largefor. tune when~ all the facts iit the case are considered.-Columnbia Becord. Accidentally Kflled Bimuelf. On last Wednesday a colored man by the name of Jim Jones, while play ing with apistol in the engine room of the Orangeburg Cotton Seed- Oil Company, accidentally shot himself In the head, from the effects of which he died almost Immediately. The shoot ing Is supposed to have been accident al, but it is not pasitively known as the man may have committed suicide. If It was an accident, the unfortunate man certainly paid dear for his own careles-ness. Jones was one of the hands at the mill, and was well thought of by his employe:.s. He came to Orangeburg last fall from-BRowes ville, where his folks -now live. He was about t wenty-four years of age. Killed by a Train. A dispatch from Green Pond to The State says Mr. M A. Brawdy, whose home was in Beaufort county, was killed there Wednesday by the fast mall. Mr. Brawdy and his wife had been to Walterboro to attend the fun eral of their daughter and were re turning to their home at Dale, in B3eaufort county. While waiting at the station here for the local train Mr. Brawd~y w.ent ac-oss the track for a few minutes, and hearing a train coming, supposed It was the train he wvas to take a~nd attempted to cross the track. Thie fast mail flying along~ the fine stretch of track, struck the man, killing him almost inotantly. Mr. Brawdy was not mangled, but never spoke after the engine struck him. Mr. Brawdy was abcat 63 years old. Postmasters Muen't Pay. The acion of Postmaster General Wynne In uctifying Bepublican Na tional Committeeman Capers of South Carolina that postmasrers will be dis missed from service if in future they pay expenses of delegates to political cmnventions was approved by the President and cabinet *Wednesday. The, decision grew out of a complaint ' that It was the custom fo:' postmast ers in Soutn Carolina to pa'y railroad and o:her expenses of delegates to political conventions. In the com plaint two postmasters were named. C. J. Mulky, of Westminster, and J. 31. Stewart, cf Lancaster. Waylaid And Shot. At 10 o'clock Saturday night Mr. W. B. Hubbard was wayla:d and seri Jusly shot in Hardeeville. He was on ihe way home from his at tre. It Is shought he will recoer. 3o clue to