Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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WANTS TRUTH Senter Saritk Declares Cattaa Estaatee Are EnrMeeas. HE ISSUES STATEMENT Presents | Statement from Principal Cotton Growing States, Refuting Department's Claim as to Probability of Record Breaking CropPrevious Protest Unheeded. Senator E. D. Smith, of South Carolina, Friday spoke at length in the Senate in behalf of a resolution which he introduced, requesting the Secretary of Agriculture, if feasible, to issue a preliminary report upon the condition of the cotton crop, and c make the same public at the first possible moment. Senator Smith contends that it is only fair to the Southern cotton farmers that the department issue a satement of the condition of the crop now in order to atone in some degree for the damage done the farmer by the advance estimate on Juno 25. In this connectrtoni, the Senator rdad telegrams from the agricultural department of the various States tending to prove that the Federal department's advance guess was heavily exroHsive. Senator Simmons, of North Carolina, supported Senator Smith by calling attention to the fact that the federal department's pessimistic guesses as to the corn crop in the cotton states where corn is subject to very much the same influences as the cotton crop. Senator 'Burton, of Ohio, a corngrowing State, endeavored to break the force of the Suoth Carolinian's aigument, but with no success, and also did Senator Burnham, of New Hampshire, a leading cotton mill State. Senator Smith agreed to referring his resolution to the Senate committee on agriculturo, if Senator Burnham. the chairman would promise to ?call tho committee together at once to consider it. Tho chairman promised, and the committee voted to submit the matter to tho Secretary of Agriculture, asking him to report, before tho meeting of the Senate Saturday, whether or not the request made in Senator Smith's resolution is feasible. Chairman T&urnham and Senator Smith went to seo Secretary Wilson ^ and communicated to him the committee's wish and the Secretary promised to "talk with the boys" who make up tho department's figures i and let the Senate know. In tho I <?vent of an unfavorable answer from * 1he Secretary of Agriculture, the South Carolina Senator announces his intention to push his resolution with all his might. * Sen. Heyburn who was in the chair when Senator Smith was speaking ar-ked the latter if his resolution was oj'fered as a substitute for the previous resolution, asking information as to the methods employed by the department of aigrjculture in making advance estimates. Senator Smith replied emphatically it was not and that he would press both resolutions separately. Senator Smith said cotton dropped if 2 0 a bale on the strength of the ' Government's report of a 3,000,000foale Increase in this year's crop. "This estimate was made June 1 2 8," he declared, "before part of the crop was out of the ground." He said, he protested to Secretary > on and was informed the Secretary did not know the preliminary report had been issued and that it would not occur again. But on August 2, Senator Smith, added, another glowing preliminary report was issued. "I should hate to draw, in the Senate of the United States," Senat tor Smith said, "the conclusions that ^ I might feel might bo drawn from this remarkable report of the agricultural department. Either the commissioners of all the cotton States, men right on the ground and familj iar with conditions, are utterly misf l iken or else the agricultural department is wromg in its deductions that there will be a record crop this year." On account of his belief that the cotton growers of the South have b^on heavy losers by the guesswork a rivance crop estimates of the department of agriculture, Senator Smith issued the following statement intended to offset these enormous estimates as far as possible. On July 3 the agricultural depart-a j?a ?ta m/Mithiv eron renort mem, muvu iu> r giving the condition of the growing cotton crop as 88.2 per cent of normal, as compared with 80 per cent as the average condition on June 25 . during the past ten years. The numV h?r of acres to be harvested was esti mated at 34,000,000. The following lan/gruage as reported by the press was used as a deduction from these two facts: "The condition indicates a probable yield of 208.8 pounds per acre which on 34,000,000 acres would mean 6,896,000,000 pounds, or 14,425,000 hales." I saw the secretary of Agriculture and he informed me that any estimate as to the probable yield thai have been issued from his depart ment, based upon a condition report was without his knowledge or consent and would not occur again. On August 2 the crop reporting bureau of the department of agriculture placed the condition of the crop from estimates gathered up to July 25 at 89.1 per cent of normal. An estimate was made upon th.s, but marked in the press reports "unofficial/' that the probable yield would be 14,700,000 bales. I introduced a resolution In the Senate requiring the Secretary of Agriculture to furnldh detailed information as to the methods employed in ascertaining the condition of the growing; crop, the names of the persons by states making the reports. On August 15 I received the following telegram: "Sumter, S. C. August 15, 1911. "The Hon. E. D Smith, Washington, D C.: Joint meeting Sumter Farmers' Union and Chamber of Commerce. Cotton situation discussed. From Information cotton yield greatly overestimated. Drought unbrokne. Deterioration rapid and general. Request you urge department of agriculture make immediate investigation and publish results. E. W. Dabbs, Presidont Farmers' Union. A. W. Snell, R. I Manning, Acting Ch'm Chamber of Commerce. I took the matter up with the department of agriculture, and the assistant Secretary informed me that the department had been discussing the advisability of making arrange ments for an inter-monthly report when the conditions were extraordinarily uusual, hut that they were not preparod to do this work efficiently in this emergency; that it was only about ten days before they would issue their August cotton report. In order to get the facts officially as near as possible, I saw a Senator from each of the nine-principal cotton states and requested them to send the following telegram to the commissioners of agriculture of their respective states: "Wire immediately what deterioration, if any, has taken place in condition of the crop in your state since July 25. Also give prospective yield your state, this year as compared with last year." The following replies have been received: Jackson, (Miss., August 15, 1911. Hon. John Sharp Williams, Washington, D. C.: Deterioration 20 per (cent. Excessive rains. Overflow. Doll weevil and worms. Outlook not encouraging. A. E. IMakeslee. Atlant, Ga., August 15, 1911. Hon. A. O. Bacon, Washington, D. C.: Deterioration of cotton since July 26 is at least 20 per cent. The yield comparison to last year about the same. T. G. Hudson. ? Montgomery, Ala., August 15. 1911. Hon. J. II. Bankhead, Washington, D. C. : Deterioration since July 25 at least 15 per cent. Estimate the yield as compared with last year as 5 per cent greater I. F. Kolb. ? Austin, Texas. August 15, 1911. Hon. C. A. Culbeson, Washington, I). C.: Your wire 15th. Slight deterioration in cotton crop since, July 2 5. Prespects very slight increase, if any, in yield this year compared to last year. , Ed R. Kone. ?. Little Rock, Ark. August 15,1911. Hon. James P. Clark, Washington, D. C.: Cotton crop has slight depreciation since. July 25, caused by rain. Inferior fruitage and lateness of plant will not give us a crop exceeding last year, notwithstanding fine appearance of stalk at this time. Clay Sloan. V Raleiisih, N. C. August 15, 1911. Hon Dee S. Overman, Washington, I). C.: Commissioner absent. INo deterioration in cotton crop. Outlook for better yiold than last year. Elias Carr. Baton Rougs, La. August, 15, 1911. Hon. Murphy J. Foster, Washington, D. C.: No reports of deterioration received since date mentioned, though the continued rains ow prevailig might prove disastrous. The present outlook indicates a third more cotton than last year. E. O. Burner. ? Oklahoma City, Okla. August 15. Hon. Robert L. Owens, Washing ton, D. C.: Practically no change In condition for cotton since July 25. Estimated yield this year 1,000,000 bales. G. T. Bryan. Columbia, S C. August, 15, 1911. Hon E. D. Smith, Washington, D. C. : Yours even date. Our crop now In the midst of crucial period. In certain sections deterioration rapid ! and heavy. In others none. Condition not as good as on July 25. Until end ( of August would not care to venture prediction as to total production. II no Adverse conditions in three weekf this State's crop will be about an average crop. E. J. Watson. From the foregoing it will be seer that, according to the commissioners of agriculture of the States of Geor* gia, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi the yield will probably be no greatei I than last year. In Alabama deterioration since July 25 to August 15 has been 15 pel > cent, and with present prospects the yield will only be 5 pear cent greatei t than last year. From North Carolina the report PASS THE BILL Ariztaa ail New Irzict May Be admitted at Tall Wishes Th n CHARGES OF COERCION Senator Red diarges That President Taft Sent His Katelltes Into the Two Territories to Coerce Them Them Into Adopting His Views Statehood for New Mexico and Arizona, upon a basis acceptable to President Taft, was approved by the Senate Friday, through the passage of the Flood-^Smibh resolution, presented by Senator William Alden Smith, chairman of the committee on Territories. The resolution pased, 53, to 8, after a debate in which the House was charged with evading a vote in the President's Statehod veto, and in which the President was charged with trying to coerce the people of Arizona upon the proposed recall of Judges. The new resolution, favored by ! the President, requires that Arizona shall elimate from its new Constitution the recall of Judges provision it shall be admitted to theUnon. New Mexico is instructed to vote gain on a charge in its Constitution, designed to make that Act more easily amendable in the future, but it is not made a condition of New Mexico's Statehod that the people approve the charge suggested by Congress. During part of the debate four Cabinet officers. Attorney General PASS THE 'BILL. (2) Wickersham, Postmaster General Ilitchcook and Secretaries Stiinson * * * 1 1? A U CfrxM rtf/s o 1Y> ail(l INUg61, W(!FC ill lite ocutvic ber, Mr. Hitchcock listened while Senator Reed of Missouri, Democrat, criticised the President for trying to force Arizona to give up its recall of Judge and read a telegram arraii?nI ning Mr. Hitchcock for his political ivity in Arizona. The telegram read: "Phoenix, Ariz, August 12, 1911. ?E. 13. Reed, Washington, I). C.? It is a well-known fact that Hitchcock, during the election of the delegates to our Constitutional conventravelled over*"the State of Arizona with different Federal officials. Taft's name was freely used and insinuations made concerning projected Federal buildings. His friends told the Arizona Gazette to be good or Repubcan patronage would cease. The Gazette refused to be coerced and patronage did cease. Practically every postmaster in Arizona immediately became active in fighting the progressive candidates. It is well nown his visit influenced papers in Tucson, Yuma, Globe and Prescott. (Signed) C. H. Akers, acting chairman; J. L?. Irvin, secretary." "The objection is not to the recall of Judges," declared Senator Reed, nruo. r>ro?ifif?nt through his satelites JL JiU *- * and o-fffce-holders, was unable to dictate the action of the people of Arizona, and we find him now using his power to prevent the people of that State from being admitted to the Union." Despite many objections to the rersolution, all Domocrats voted for it except (Senators Bailey, of Texas, and Pomerene, of Ohio. The Republicans who voted against it were: Bourne, of Oergon; Brandegee, of Connecticut; Bristow, of Kansas; Clapp, of (Minnesota; Oummings, of Iowo, and Heyburn, of Idaho. It was apparent that the vetoed Statehood resolution could not have hpon repassed by a two-thirds vote in either house. The Holler Kxploded At Fort Fairfield, Maine, one was killed and several injured while riding on a merry-go-round at a church picnic. The boiler by which tho merry-go-round was operated exploded. does not come from the commissioner. The increase if any is not indicated. From Louisiana the report is to the effect that the crop would bo a third greater than last year. Ixmisiana made last year according to the department, 256,375 bales. From Oklahoma the report is to the effect that they will make 1,000,~ a a i? i nirinlinmo mnrln Iflfit. vear UUU UilltVJ. uniniivuiu ? acording to the department, 955,951 bales. From South Carolina the report Is that If conditions remain practically the same the yield will be about an average crop. The conclusion therefore, from these reports would seem to 1)e, taking the increase of Oklahoma, Louisiana and North Carolina and Alabama, not exceeding 1,000,[ 000 bales. The conclusion drawn from these ' reports are widely at variance with i the preliminary crop estimate made . by the department of agriculture. """ - rvP nAtfAn nn band la. '1 nO HlUl'IV U L vuvvvii ... m perhaps, the smallest In more than a i decade. Were there to be an unns? Ually large crop, the world has need for every pound of it at a much hlgh> er price than they are now offering ' and I hope the farmers will see to It that they shall not be deceived and - led into sacrificing their cotton by these reports. > Act wisely and conservatively. Agree among yourselves what you are willing to take, and stand by that t price. TOOK MAN FROM JAIL WHO INSULTED YOUNG LADY ANI) PUNISHED HIM. ? The Nero Confessed His Guilt and Was Taken to the Woods and liadly Multilated. There was considerable excitement in Abberville Friday night, when Bob Davis, a young negro had a narrow escape form lynching, at the hands of a mob as the result of an alleged insult and improper proposal made to a young lad'y from the cotton mill village. * 1 J - * r. t IHHlCilU 171 1 y lt<JUilig> iiic nc()i v/( alter taking him form the Jail, he was subjected to other punishment. He is said to have confessed his guilt. The facts in the case are as follows: About 2 o'clock a younig lady, from the cotten mill village, was on her way up-town, when she was accosted by a negro man and grossly insulted. An improper proposal .was made the negro made an indecent exposure of his person in her presence. She ran and reported the matter to her farther and the hunt began. Davis was finaly arrested, charged with being the guilty party, and and lodged in jail. fWhile he was not fully indentifled, little doubt was felt that he was the guilty party. It developed during the investigation that he had been annoying two other ladies recently. The crowd which leathered was already excited, and this increased the excitement. About 9 o'clock Friday a large crowd armed with guns, congregated on the public square, but it was not thought that any attempt would be made to storm the jail. However, at about 10.30 o'clock the crowd stormed the jail, broke in the outer door, two inner doors, broke in the cell where the prisoner was and took him from the jail. He was taken out of town, and in about one-half hour a volley of shots was fired. Indicating that the negro had been lynched. This proved not to be the case, however as he was only mutilated and turned loose. Sheriff Lyon was absent in Columbia. The city police and other oflflcals did what they could to protect the prisoner but to no avail. CRUSHED VICTIM'S SKULL ? ?" - ? r.u?i lie Is Also tiiargea nun riimi^ Threo Buildings. Three buildings are burned to the ground and a negro, Ike Sanders, lies at the point of death, with his skull crushed to a pulp, as the result of a wild outbreak which occurred about 9 o'clock Friday niisht on the place of Mr. Morgan Holley, some ten of fifteen miles south of Aiken. .Sanders, it seems, had gohe to the home of one I^ee about dark, and they had been sitting on the steps talking in a friendly manner when Lee went to the wood pile gathered an armful of lightwood and with an axe entering the house and turned upon Sanders and quickly struck him throe rapid and terrific blows in the back of the head with the axe. Lee's wife screamed and cried for help and her husband attacked her. Dragging her into the yard, he rain' 1 * ? ~ *"* 1 ^ n on \r\r atiolf OC1 l) 1C) W M OH IltM nun tv iioiv. j and ended by brutally dashing her to the ground, but she arose and fled. Leo then proceeded to fire three houses in rapid succession and made his escape and has not yet been caught. ? THREE NEGROES KILLED. ? Knees Clash Following the Murder of Town Marshal. Three negroes, members of a part'y of blacks who barricaded themselves in a house and fired upon a party of whites, were killed at Jakin, Earlf county, Saturday afternoon and more clashes are feared. A race riot of serious proportions has followed the killing of Marshal Newberry, Tuesday night at Jakin. Thoroughly aroused over the murder of the officer, people have burned a number of negro lodge buildings, school houses and churches. All business at Jakin is suspended. Tt is understood that the sheriff of the coainty is having difficulty in controlling the situation. The whites are angry because the negroes refuse to tell the whereabouts of West, the negro alleged to have killed Marshal Newberry. ? ? Caused by Accident. At Joliet, 111., four men were killed, four fatally injured and nine others received severe burns when an explosion wrecked bhe Hills Steel Company's plant and imprisoned one hundred men. The accident occurred * - J* - - M Iaa/1 tin. wnen a lanie 01 muncu icau u.? set on a wet floor. In an instant there was a terrific explosion, which blew out the walls of the buildings. Killed Flagging Trftin. Standing on. the tracks of the railroad waving their bonnets* to the 1 fireman of a passing freight, at Thompson, Ga., Hose Casing, 8 years old, and her sister Ann, 6 years old i were struck by a passenger train, re cetvimg Injuries which caused their death shortly afterwards. THEY HELP TAFT The DtoncraU Fail Ka Past Bill 0?er (he Presidents Vela. THEIR ALLIES DESERT Defection of Insurgents Gave the Administration a Victory Over the Democrats, Who Made a Gallant Hut Unsuccessful Effort to Get Some Relief for the People. In a succession of dramatic events the Democratic House of Representatives Friday met defeat in its supreme effort to pass the wool and free list bills over the President's vetoes, and virtually fixed upon adjournment of Congress early this week. The Democratic House majority, with a great demonstration of enthusiasm, marshalled it s ranks for the great battle to override the President and went down with flying colors. The party leaders failed to muster enouigh insurgent Republican support to pass the tariff legislation over the President's head. On the motion to pass the meas ? 1 \xm ro 11 re UVCl" LI1U W UUl ?ciw, n V/! vy 227 affirmative votes, 32 of them insurgent Republicans and one independent Republican, while the negative votes were 12 0. The motion to override the veto on the free list failed of a two-thirds majority also, being 22G to 127. During the three hours of debate on the wool bill, the corridors of the Capitol reverberated time and again with shouts of approval and derision from the floor. Spirited discussion between members was frequent. Republican Deader Mann and Representative Clayton, of Alabama, had a wordy encounter, which for a moment had a threatening aspect. The incident was precipitated when the minority leader objected to the Alabama member's request to have the newspaper editorial printed in the Congressional Record. That the Administration was keenwatching developments was evidenced in the presence on the floor of the House of Messrs Wickersham, Hitchcock, Nagel and Stimson of the President's Cabinet. All of them kept a close tally on the roll cal until it was apparent that the Democrats could not rally the necessary two-thirds majority. Speaker Clark was given an ovation from both sides of the House when he left the chair and took the floor to the end the discussion. The climax of his address was reached wben he said: "The President has a right to veto this bill, if he wants to. I am not quarrelling with him. I am 1.... 1* lei lonlr nf wloilnni HQ ll 1 <S lit I11CMI I I IlfS 111 ?? nii/rv ui 11 auuv/m ?u personal friend. He has raised an issue that will ratge with unabated fury until the close of the polls in November 1912." This was the signal for such an outburst as seldom has been known in the halls of Congress. Again, as he proceeded, the Democrats applauded, cheered and pounded desks until Democratic Deader Underwood, who occupied the chair for the first time this session, almost despaired of maintaining order. Then the roll was called. The twenty-two insurgents who stood on their former record and voted the President's head were: Anderson, Davis, Uynderberg, Miller, Steenerson and Volstead, of -WW 1 TT?1 ^ f Minnesota; Manna aim upikuukuii, ui North Dekota; Haugen, Hubbard and Woods, of Iowa; Kent, of California; Norris, of Nebraska; Jackson, Madison, Youn,g and Murdock of Kansas LaFollette and Warburton, of Washinton; Lenroot, Morse and Nelson, of Wisconsin?22. Akin, of New York, Republican, also voted to pass the bill over the veto. The eight insurgent Republicans who voted with their colleagues for the conference report last Monday, but who deserted them to support the voto of the President, were: Nye, of Minnesota; Ksch, Kopp and Davidson, of Wisconsin; Rees, of Kansas; Stephens, of California; Sloan and Kinkaid, of Nebraska?-8. Drops into a Hotel. Crashing through the glass dome, surmounting the dining room of the Hotel Marlborough-Blenheim, while making a parachute descent from an altitude of 3,000 feet, Charles Bennett, came near losinig his life. He landed in the dining room just before the dinner hour in a mass of cut glass but his injuries were not serious. e ? ? Four Were Drowned. William Hamby, his wife and daughter, of Princeton, Ala., and Dink Hill, Newmarket, Ala., were drowned Friday night while trying trying to ford Dry Creek near Maysville. The stream was swollen from recent rains The party was returning home from a Confederate reunion at Curley, Ala. Snake in a Towel. Much Grain Ruined. A hail storm passed through Southern Alberta, Canada, Mist week and destroyed millions of bushels of grain. SHOT HIT LADY LAW OFFICER FIRES TO KILL A MAN IN A STORE. One of Governor Mease's Appointees Who He Should Remove Without Delay. A dispatch from Spartanburg says Thompson & Dillard's store, on Morgan square, one of the largest in the city was the scene Friday afternoon of a fight between Magistrate T. O. Fowler, of Reldville, and Robert G. Gibbs, a farmer of Switzer, in the course of which, after the men had battered each others' faces with their fists and been separated, Magistrate Fowler drew a revolver and fired four times, missing Gibbs, but wounding Mrs. Jones F. Thompson, a saleslady, and breaking a showcase and a plate glass window. The quarrel started in erg firing over the effect of the drought on the crops. Mrs. Thompson had a narrow escape. The bullet struck her in the breast, but was deflected from its course by a corset stay and inflicted only a flesh wound. The nervous shock is more serious than the injury. Roth men were arrested by the police but released under bond. Fowler was then rearrested on a warrant sworn out by Gibbs, charging assault nwl huttorv with intont to kill. He waived a preliminary investigation and gave bond for trial at the General Sessions Court. Fowler's excuse for the shooting is self-defence. Gibbs admits he drew a knife but says he did not do so until Fowler produced the revolver. Fowler was appointed magistrate at Reidville by Govefrnor lUeasee, contrary to the wishes of the legislation delegation, who recommended Magistrate Harrison for reappointment. COHN BEING HELD. Until It Can Be Inspected by State Officials. With inspectors busy sampling meal and grits in retail stores and wholesale warehouses in Columbia, and with samples drawn elsewhere in the State coining in, while a special agent is visiting mills in order States from which suspected goods have come, large shipments of corn products are being held up on sidings at Columbia and other points, awaiting the result of analysises being hade by the labratory of the State T-v 1... nf A ivfiniiHnrn Path 1 K! 11 il r LI 11VII I l/l Ikiiibuiu! WW... merce and Industries to determine the toxic content of the corn products being sold in South Carolina. One manufactorer supplying largo quantities of his goods to merchants in this state, left Columbia Friday. After a conference on the subject with Commissioner Watson, declaring he would install a labratory at his plant to make his own tests and avoid trouble. ? 4 ? MAKE REPORT SOON. 4 Where Rati Meal Is Sold Pellagra is Found in Worst Form. "It is noteworthy that the worst goods are found being sold in localities in the state where the disease of pellagra is most prevalent and has proven more fatal than anywhere elso " This statement was made by Commissioner Watson Wednesday in announcing that a chemical examination of cornmeal drawn from the market in eleven cities in I he State had shown the meal in a majority of cases to be extremely dangerous to man and beast. The chemist will in a few days submit a report on meal seized at Glendale, in Spartanburg county. SOAIIED AWAY KY SHOTS. St. (Joorgo Merchant Finds Strange Man on Premises. When W G. Zeigler, a young merchant of St. George, Wednesday returned Wednesday nlight from Blackvillo he discovered an unidentified negro on his home premises. Becoming suspicious, Mr. Zeigler shot five times at the intruder, but each shot evidently went wild, as the negro escaped A thorough search will be made, however, in an effort to apprehend the darkey. It is not known whother or not the negro committed any offense other than that of trespassing on Mr. Zeigler's property. No member of the family was at home at the time ? ? Killed by Falling Pistol. While J C. Henderson was inning a coin from his pocket in New York ho pulled his revolver out with It. The weapon was discharged as soon as it struck the sidewalk and the bullet killed the woman at the news stand. In default of $2,500 bail, Henderson was kept in jail to await the coroner's inquest. Myrtle Kee<l Found Dead. Mrs. Myrtle Reed McCullough, author, was found dead St her home. Police reports indicate that death was caused by an over dose of sleeping powders, taken with suicidal Intent. She was thirty-seven years old. She left a note and cfceck for one thousand dollars to her maid.