The Horry herald. (Conway, S.C.) 1886-1923, June 12, 1913, Image 3
DRAWS BIG CROWD
?
L TRIAL 01 HUGH LONG FOR MURDER
OF P. N. GUNTER
> ?.?
WHAT THE STATE SHOWS
The Wife of the Accused and the
^ Wife and Children of the Deceased
Are Present at the Trial, Which
Excites Great Interest Among the
People.
The Hon. Hugh Hong, legislator
from Aiken County, and erstwhile
country newspaper editor with a
permit to practice law, is on trial at
Aiken, charged with the murder of
Mr. Pickens N. Hunter, president of
the Hank of Wagener, farmer and
well known Aiken County citizen, the
homicide occurring during a personal
encounter in the town of Wagener
between the defendant and the deceased
on about the 8th day of last
September.
The case was called the first thing
Tuesday morning when the Court of
General Sessions began its second
day's session. Some time was consumed
in drawing the jury, every
man presented being placed on his
voir dire, and both the prosecution
and the defence excusing, or objecting
to, quite a number, but finally
the necessary twelve men were empanelled
with das. R. League, of
North Augusta, foreman. Twenty
extra veniremen had been drawn
Monday from the "seven-mile box" to
meet any difficulty that might have
arisen Tuesday morning in their selo^l
inn WMmn ',/> -5...... "
.w. ,, in ii i m- jui^ ? lis ritiuplotc
the panel had not been quite
exhausted.
When it became bruited abroad
that the trial of the famous Long
case had begun Individuals began to
flock into the Court House, and soon
every seat and available space had
been taken. Interested spectators
were Mrs. Long and her sister; while
the wife, children and more distant
relatives of the dead man sat about.
One of the dead man's daughters, a
j pretty little miss, apparently about
fourteen years of age, wept silently
during the exhibition to the Jury of
the clothing worn by Gunter at the
time he received the injuries that
brought death on October 1.
Judge Ernest Gary is presiding.
Messrs. Croft & Croft and C. E. Sawyer
are counsel for the defence, while
Solicitor Itobt. L. Gunter is being assisted
by his law partner, the lion.
Herbert E. Gyles, mayor of Aiken,
and the Messrs. Henderson, Col. D.
S. Henderson, of the last named firm,
having conducted the examination of
witnesses for the prosecution. The
session is scheduled to adjourn definitely
Thursday evening, and there
will be exerted every possible effort
by both State and defence to give the
case to the jury before that time.
The first witness was E. R. Jackson,
who is cashier of the bank of
which the deceased was president, he
having been associated in that capacity
with Mr. Gunter for the past three
years or more, during which time,
witness stated, there bad sprung up
between them a mutual warm regard.
With slight variations and contradictions
as to minor details, the prosecution,
from its witnesses, presents
the following epitomized version of
the tragedy:
Long was standing on the sidewalk
with a newspaper in bis hand; Guntor
mm inrr tnwai-H lilm Tuot
... 2-? m tit vi 11 i 111, v u -?! ur.iui
the latter reached him, Long, it Is
claimed, half turned and dropped his
paper toward his pocket. CJunter collared
him, spun him around and
knocked him out into the street, falling
on top of and astraddle the prostrate
man, pinioning his arms. In
some manner Long managed to free
himself, possess himself of his revolver
and fired, which first shot, it
is alleged, inflicted no serious wound.
It seems then that almost simultaneously
with the first discharge,
Haves Hunter, a cousin of the deceased,
and indicted with Long as an
accessory, rushed from his store nearby,
ran up to Pickens Hunter's back
and, throwing his arm about Hunter's
neck, began to choke him and drag
him away from Long, the latter firing
the fatal shot after Hunter was
clear from him and while Hunter, it
is claimed, was absolutely helpless.
Clearly, and it has been so admitted
to this correspondent by one of
the attorneys for the prosecution, the
prosecution endeavors to establish
the fact that when the fatal shot was
fired Long was free of Hunter, while
the latter was helpless in the grasp of
one of his kinsmen, under which conditions,
they contend, there was no
> warrant for the last and fatal bullet.
Two witnesses have stated that tho
deceased a few hours after he was
wounded gave essentially this story:
Gunter said that he was coming
down tho street and saw Long; that
as he npproached Long tho latter
dropped the paper toward his pocket,
turned toward him with an indescribI
able contortion of the facial muscles
and muttered some imprecation that
he did not catch. Gunter did not
know what Long was going to do;
might have intended to shoot so far
as he knew, and from that point the
general thread of the story is parallel
with that of eye-witnesses. One'witness,
E. B. Jackson, affirmed that ho
%
! did not believe Mr. Hunter was arm
ed at the time of the encounter, and
based his assumption upon the fact
(hat on the next day he, (the witness)
found a revolver in Mr. Hunter's
private drawer at the bank.
On the cross-examination the defence
unsuccessfully tried to have
witnesses testify that Hunter went to
several campaign meetings last summer
and was very active in his opposition
to ttie candidacy of Long for
the House of Representatives, but
with one exception they denied absolutely
any knowledge of Hunter's political
likes and dislikes. One witness,
however, did have a faint recollection
of Hunter having gone to a
campaign meeting a short distance
away from Wagener. The prosecu-1
tion seems to have a tendency to oh-1
ject to tho admission of testimony
that may savor of the political.
One of the State's most interesting
witnesses was Benjio Baldwin, who,
under the Long administration?for
Long was mayor of Wagener at the
time of the homicide?was chief of
police. He followed Long to the house
of one Mr. Gardner, next door to his
(Long's) own home, to And Long barricaded
at the head of a narrow stairway
and armed with a Winchester
rille and a .38 calibre revolver. Witness
said lie stood at the foot of the
stairway and Long at his end, and
they discussed the case. Baldwin
said that he asked Long what was the
trouble with him and Gunter, when
the latter told him:
" 'Pick' got me before I knew it,
and I just pressed my gun against
him and shot him off."
The witness continued that under
the orders of the district magistrate
he stayed guard with Long, to protect
him from the mob outside the
house, until the sheriff and his posse
arrived on the scene.
On cross-examination the witness
admitted the presence of men, (lie
was uncertain that they were armed)
around the house; and after a little
persuasion 011 the part of counsel he
even admitted that he heard unite a
number of shots fired (luring the
night. Counsel then had him testify
that ho made 110 effort to arrest the
parties, nor did he ever prefer any
charges against any of thein. He did
claim, though, that he made an unsuccessful
attempt to And out who
smashed up and fired into the printing
office of Long.
C. K. Lyhrand testified that he
heard Long toll a friend, who was
accompanying him home:
"1 intended all along to kill the?
anyway." This statement created a
little ripple of surprise, and counsel
for the prosecution had the witness
repeat his statement.
N. G. Schual admitted that he lay
outside the yard that night with his
gun loaded, waiting to see, he said,
that Long was not removed, and with
him were numbers of others. Counsel
for defence, on cross-examination
wanted to know if witnesses didn't
see several guns around there with
the tags of "Jake Lyhrand" on them.
Lyhrand was a political enemy of
Long's, and it is known that he
fought him bitterly during the campaign
last summer, hut the witness
said ho did not remember to have
seen any such guns.
At Fit 45 Tuesday afternoon the
prosecution rested without having, it
would appear, made a very strong
case against the defendant. Wednesday
morning the defenco will offer
testimony in support of Its plea of
self-defence.
One of the most Interesting incidents
of Tuesday afternoon's session
was the spectacle of witness and attorneys
stretched out on the floor of
the Court room with Long's revolver,
re-enacting the tragedy.
TAKES CHIME ON HIMSELF.
Confesses a Murder for Which Another
Was to Die.
"I alone am guilty of the crime for
wnicn urea isyo is under sentence of
death. I fired the fatal shot and
planned to rob iMiller. Nye knew
nothing about it," declared David
Everltt, in a written confession to
District Attorney Strouss.
Frederick Nye is under sentence of
death for the killing of Henry E. Miller,
at Sunbury, Pa., last year. Miller
was found dead in his pool room
with a bullet holo in his neck. The
corpse had been robbed of $90. Nye
and Everitt were arrested and at
their trials each blamed the other.
Nye was sentenced to be hanged,
and Everitt received a sentence of
manslaughter for the crime. The
case was taken to the Supreme Court
of Pennsylvania which declined to interfere,
and an appeal is now pending
before the pardon board.
In his confession, Everitt said that
he could not sleep at night "because
it worries me so to think that another
boy is to dies for a crime I alone
committed".
Grasshoppers in Kansas.
In a bulletin issued the Kansas
Agricultural College has warned the
farmers of Kansas that the grasshoppers
are likely to cause serious damage
in that State this year. The
open winter left 00 per cent, of the
grasshopper eggs uninjured; the bulletin
stated the pests already are at
work in some parts of the State.
Brother Booker says: "We did
not know before that there was a
mint bed at the White House but
then we are not so awfully familiar
with the White House surroundings
any way."
\
YOUNIi MAN DROWNS
i
PROMINENT AIKEN LAWYER LOSES
LIFE AT ISLAND.
? ? i
WENT TO CATCH CRABS
Cut OUT on Reef by ltising Tide Not {
Knowing Safe Hot rent, Steps in '
i
Deep Water.?Cries .Mistaken for s
Calls to llis Dog.
The Charleston Post says Charles i
Ashley, a prominent young lawyer of s
aikoil, who was Bpeiuiing a low (lays l
at Sullivan's Island with his mother, i
at station 2 8, was drowned Wednes- i
day afternoon off station 29, when, i
cut off by the rising tide while on a s
reef extending out from the beach, he i
attempted to return to the shore by )
the shortest route, and stepping into <
deep water, lie perished, his cries for i
help being mistaken for calls to his i
Ittle dog who had accompanied him t
n a crabbing expedition. i
Mr. Ashley loft his boarding house
i about one o'clock Wednesday affrnoon,
taking with liini a crabbing (
net and basket, planning to catch a
mess of crabs for supper. His pet
dog went along with him. Friends in 1
cottages along the beach watched his 1
progress toward Breach Inlet, and 1
saw him go out, the tide being low, s
along a reef that is notably treadier- *
ous. lie waved his hands to watchers
from time to time and was apparently 1
enjoying the novel excursion.
Meanwhile tide had come in. shut- (
ting from sight parts of the sand reef, '
and when Mr. Ashley discovered that '
lie was being cut off, he turned shore- *
ward. Unfamiliar with the safe
course to take, he tried to wade back v
across intervening waters, and suddenly
found himself over his head. 1
Unable to swim, and being physically '
weak, Mr. Ashley called for help, 1
his voice reaching children playing \
on the beach, but they misunderstood '
his calls, thinking he was command- 1
ng his dog to follow him, perhaps. (
The unfortunate young lawyer dis- (
Ippeared from sight and his bady has
lot been found, although diligent
liligeat search was made hy organizyd
parties, who went as far as the .
Isle of Palms, thinking perhaps that
he had succeeded in getting out of .
the water's grasp, and had continued
his outing across Breach Inlet. His ,
iog made its way to the shore safely, ,
and later the crab net and basket ,
were found on the beach. ,
There is deep gloom at the Laird
cottage, known as Aiken Den, at station
2S, and in tlie neighborhood
where Mr. Ashley and his widowed
mother were staying. Mrs. Ashley is (
overcome with grief. He was an only ,
son, his brother meeting death some ,
time ago from fatal burns. Mr. Ash- .
ley had visited Sullivan's Island before,
enjoying a large circle of friends ,
who admired him for his genial dis- .
position and charming manner. ,
For the past year or two the reef j
where Mr. Ashley met his death has i
been considered dangerous by those j
using it for bass fishing. The shift- i
ing sands in this section have chang- \
ed the character of the beach, and <
now a long r^ef runs off from the ]
shore, that is covered by water, when i
P'e is high, although any one famil
'ar with the lay of the land can make ]
lis way hack safely to the shore hy i
lollowing the course of the reef care- i
'ully. I
However, Mr. Ashley did not take ;
this fact into account, and made the
mistake of coming straight in from
where he was stationed when he ^
found himself cut off hy the rising ,
waters. lie was not a good swimmer, (
and when he sank over his head he j
must have been practically helpless. ,
He was several hundred yards from ]
his cottage when the accident happen- (
ed, but in sight from the shore, his (
movements being followed through |
opera glasses. i.vir. Ashloy was in his
early thirties, and unmarried. Deep
sympathy is extended to his bereaved
mother.
RATS WERE THE THIEVES.
Huilt Xest Costing $50 Wortli of
Hostage Stamps.
A Yorkers Dispatch to the New
York Herald says the baffling mystery
of who stole $50 worth of postage
stamps from the Y^rks post office
three years ago has been solved
after postal inspectors and detectives
had given up their efforts to find the
thieves and clerks had to make gogod
to Uncle Sam the missing stamps.
Workmen on an addition to the office
found a quantity of the stamps chewed
to bits and made into mice nests
under the floor. The fragments will
be sent to Washington and the government
asked to reimburse the
clerks.
,
When the Democracy was defeated
in 1908 the Atlanta Constitution advised
that the Democrats r?f ttm 1
I South join the Republican party as it i
was in power for all time. This sen- i
timent was endorsed by a few other ]
papers in the South, but as the people
were true, it fell flat and the South
em Democracy remained true to prin- '
ciple. Some of these papers are now '
trying to run the Administration. <
NEEDED REFORMS
*
M)IXTK!> OCT \\l> liu.i:i) HV
JOHN J. M'M.MI.W.
<egul SafcKUHnlinK of Primary and
Protection of ltullot Principle One
to be Considered.
All other political reforms wait on
he legal safeguarding of the primary
deetion. The protection of the bali\t
to t lwi f/>?.?wl.?* " C r
wv ?o nit- iw UIHIUI llMl 1)1 I DM' KOVOrilnent.
A fraud, or an error, knocks
somebody out of his vote. Using a
dub roll containing names of absences
or dead men, affords opportunty
for false voting and "repeating",
sometimes pursued by professionals
lired for the purpose. Dishonest or
aruless preparation of tiie club rolls
nay disfranchise voters by errors of
nitials or spelling or by entire oniisdon
of names. There is no safety in
lepending on messages to see that
rour name is put on the roll. The
>nly certain method is to go personilly.
Allowing votes to be cast by
ninors and non-residents may change
he result. As long as the rules' pernit
these practices, there is no assurances
of the will of tiie majority
? tiie rule of the people. Democra y
is turned into a farce.
People learn little except by experence.
The man who before an evil
s upon tlie country perceived the
endencies that will bring it, and
lrges a changes from the prevailing
system while yet there is time, can
irouse no following. Noah foresaw
he flood but could prevail 011. 110rody
to join his family in being sav.1
?
mi. aiosl people see only tip* iminelinte
present and are deaf to the
ippeals of the pioneer reformer,
lence most of the sufferings of mancind,
most of (lie horrors of history
affording ample lessons if we
vould hut apply them.
Thomas Jefferson advocated gradlally
freeing the negroes and transporting
them to Africa. The race
problem was then generally unseelble
and unbelievable. In their enioyment
of the negro as a slave, the
people could not se.e the misfortune
pf thus excluding the development
pf a sturdy laboring white populaion,
nor could they foresee the inevitable
final emancipation with its
ittendant train of dangers, including
he menace of social equality and ulimate
amalgamation.
After the primary last August
here was a general realization of the
prevalence of irregularities in the
noting and of opportunities for fraud
\nd the probability that there had
tpeon serious frauds. Whether or not
there had been enough frauds to
change the result or whether frauds
pn one side had been offset by frauds
in the other may be merely a matter
pf personal opinion or bias. Whether
the irregularities and frauds had
tpeen more numerous than in previous
primary elections or whether
they were simply more closely criticised
because of the greater interest
Is likewise a matter not beyond controversy.
Rut certain it is that the
unusual interest throughout the
State concentrated attention upon
the laxity of our primary rules and
methods and the need of reforming
them. Never before had the weakness
of the voting system, the absence
of safeguards, been so brought
home to the people. They now saw
the danger of "repeated" ballots,
wmi padded rolls, duplicate enrollment
and no restriction of tlie voter
to bis locality. Suddenly waking to
these things, they may have magnified
in their minds the extent of the
actual practice of the frauds which
were so possible under the rules.
Yet the same situation had been
previously apparent in spots in the
State? in heated and close contests
pver an important county oflice and
in warm races for township commissioner
or for magistrate. How often
lias a magistrate been elected by voters
from an adjoining district? The
candidates and their supporters have
been frequently alert and active to
place on the club roll the names of
friendly neighbors across the line.
The rules of the party have not forbidden
it. Similarly, many a voter
has his name habitually on two or
hree or four club rolls and can take
iiis option as to the one at which he
will vote?he may bo dishonest
enough to vote at all these boxes or
lis name may be used by others who
'repeat" in voting. These are plain
frauds, but are facilitated by the
tiles permitting the duplication of
lames on tlve rolls.
These things have stirred neighborhoods
and counties, but the reports
had made no impression on the
mass of our citizenship because the
vil seemed too remote. Hast stunner
the whole State became aroused.
liv. u iiiuHu on ui(? winning side admitted
the appearance of evil and the
locessity of avoiding it in future. A
-eform of the primary seemed at last,
n siglit?the good that conies out of
wil, nature's compensation in the
long run. But by the time the legisature
met the keenness of public interest
had worn off. The bills for
the remedial legislation were postpone?l
to the next session upon the
irgument that there would still he
imple time before the next general
primary election, and that it would
be well to give the matter longer
consideration. And so the reform
was sidetracked, while interest further
cools. This is the standard patent
for defeating reforms?putting
*
jVEKY QUEER USE
I
FATHER'S SPIRIT CALLS TWU AS D
ONE DIES
?
i WAS TALK OF THE TOWN
?
Two Ilrothers Named Freedrnan at
New Itriinsulrk, X. J., Have Kxartly
the Same Dream, Neither One
Telling the Other, ami Shortly
After One of Them l>io<l.
The death dreams of Joseph II.
Freed man and Max Freedman, brothers,
of New Hrunswick, N. J., followed
by the passing away of Max, were
discussed with awe in that city by
many people for days.
Ten days ago Joseph dreamed vividly
that the spirit of his dead father
appeared and begged him to join
him in the grave. This dream nelthhe,
his wife nor any other member of
the family told to Max, who was dangerously
ill of a kidney disease.
Hut his wife told Joseph's wife ol
a dream the sick man had had and
Mrs. Joseph Freedman was startled
nearly into hysterics, for in every detail
it was the same ghastly dream
that had come to her husband a week
before.
Not merely did each man dream of
the spirit of his dead father calling
him, but the words spoken by th?
spirit were the same on both occasions.
Joseph Freedman is a produce
wholesaler at 11 Hurnet street, New
Hrunswick, a man not given to superstition.
Max was equally practical.
One morning about ten days ago
Joseph came to the breakfast table,
looking so pale his wife asked if he
were ill. He told her he was still
feeling the effects of a dream. A
gray, gauzy apparition had appeared
to him, had stretched out entreating
hands and had said:
'Tome with me, Joe. Come and
we'll lie down together up there under
the grass, where we can sleep
and not know or care what the striving
men are doing in the world.
Learn with mo the wonderful things
that have come to me since I have
passed to where knowledge really is."
Freedman said he told the appari
tion that ho did not want to die, as it
would bo cruol for him to do so and
leave his wife and children unprotected.
When that plea was made
the ghost vanished.
Max Freedman became very ill a
few days later and Joseph and his
wife went to (Max's home in Cedar
street. To the consternation of Mrs.
Joseph, Mrs. Max began weeping
violently and said:
"It is hopeless. Max is going to
doe! That can only be the meaning
of the dream he had two nights ago.
lie saw his father's ghost and the old
man urged him to join him in the
grave."
Lobby Should he Kxposod.
The New York World says every
member of the United States Senate
should know that an investigation of
the lobby is always in order. In
truth, the attitude of a legislative
body properly actuated toward those
who would swerve it from its most
conspicuous pledges ought at all
times to be one of inquiry, if not of
' suspicion and hostility.
1 The lobby now active at Washing
ton represents interests which for
! many years have ovorteri o?
influence upon government. Those
interests have grown rich, powerful
and insolent upon their ability to tax
! the people. They have shackled our
i industry. They have corrupted our
politics. They have filled the land
with class prejudices. They have
given to monopoly and graft the dig
nity of an economic theory.
1 It was these conscienceless inter'
ests that were voted down last Nov1
ember. If they appear now by agent
and attorney in the National Senate
it is not because they have any misgivings
as to the nature of the verdict
that was rendered against them, but
because in that body the force of
1 their popular condemnation is ex1
pressed in the feeblest terms. The
majority against them there is small.
On that weak spot in the people's defenses
they naturally concentrate
their efforts.
The lobby which to-day assails the
Senate is looking first of all for
. weak men, but it will be content, no
doubt, if it can find corrupt men.
All that it asks is that by unscrupulous
and narrow bargaining and cozening,
three or for Democratic Senators
shall nullify the will of the
American people. Its purpose is
treacherous and treasonable. Can
there be any doubt that, given an opporunitv.
its mptluwk
? , ...u.iu OIKISIUI1
will bo equally desperate?
A great conspiracy against representative
government is under way
at the capital. It contemplates the
betrayal of a Nation. It is not politics.
It Is not business. It is crime.
Every Senator whose vote is dependon
upon to consummate tills perfidy
knows it is crime. It is crime that
never again should go unpunished.
Why not investigate?
them to sleep.
John J. McMahan.
Columbia, May 31,
CREATED A SENSATION
?
SI KI HAGFTIK THIKH TO ITOVjD
H? A KIOltKK.
\Y a.m Dragged Home Distance and IVhm
Seriously Hurt by ller Foolish
Act.
At Epsom, England, Thursdey's
race for the Derby, the "blue ribbon"
of the British turf, was one of the
most sensational on record. It was
made memorable by a daring militant
suffragette outrage, in which a
woman was terribly injured whllo
trying to stop King CJeorge's horse,
Anmer, when he was running at full
speed around Tattenham corner; by
the disqualification for bumping of
Cfflirflnoiir thr? fnunrlhi nf(?? hn
r, - V/ ? w a v? t ?* ? VV * I * IKVll
finished, first; and by the award of
the rare with its stake of $32,500 to
Aboyeur, a 100 to 1 shot.
King C.eorge, Queen Mary and a
large assembly of royalty were witnesses
of these exciting incidents.
While interest in the classic was
at its most tense point, just as the
fifteen horses were turning Tattenhain
corner into the stretch, a woman
rushed out of the dense crowd and
plunged in front of Anmer and another
horse, Agadlr. Apparently she
hoped to interfere with the progress
of the rare by seizing An titer's reins
and placing not only herself in danger
but also the two Jockeys.
The horses were at the end ol the
string or the consequences might
hnvo been more serious. Agadlr,
ridden by Jockey Karl, passed in
safety and unhurt, but the woman
managed to cting to Anmer's reins
and brought down both horse and
rider.
Jones, the king's jockey, received
injuries necessitatitig his removal in
an ambulance while the woman was
thrown under Anmer's hoofs and
kicked. She was taken unconscious
to a hospital, suffering severe injuries
to her head.
Suffragette papers tire said to have
been found in her possession and a
suffragette flag was bound round her
body. Her name was given as R.
Davison.
Jones, the jockey, suffered from a
cut in the head but his injuries otherwise
were not serious.
? ?
Wil l, no Mi en
A (VanliiK-lp Conference to !>o
Held Soon
A conference for South Carolina
along the same lines us those covered
hy tho Conferenco for Rdueati a
in the South, recently held In Hichmoitd,
has been advanced and promoted
hy the leading Carolinians and educators
intereateir in the welfare and
prosperity of the State. This idea
was first presented to the pu-blic by
Prof. W. K. Tate, and it had hearty
welcome. In furthering the plans a
letter has been addressed to a number
of persons believed to he interested
in the general good of the commonwealth,
inviting them to meet in
Columbia and map out a program for
the conferences.
This letter is signed by Prof. W. K.
Tate, 10. W. Dabbs, president of the
State Farmers Union, 10. J. Watson,
Commissioner of Agriculture, W. K.
(Jon/ales and Dr. William R.' Weston,
president of the State Medical Association,
and is in part, as follows:
The coming summer seems especially
appropriate for the united effort.
The movement must bo absolutely
free from politics, and must
have as its aim the advancement of
the welfare of the people of the Stato
rather than the furtherance of personal
ambitions and political aspirations
of any individual.
This is, in a measure, an off-year
in politics. Matters relating to tho
nil U W* tifol fn 1 ~ a? "
.v. n^iKUD may u? iroeiy and
frankly discussed, and public issues
will not bo obscured by their association
with the personality of men
who are seeking office. We may now
give every man an opportunity to
state his grievances and may discuss
the needs and remedies with open
minds.
I It has heen suggested that tho
j State conference should either bo
preceded or followed by county conferences
and by public discussion in
the press of the State. Such a program
requires careful planning in order
to prevent dissapation of effort.
It is our opinion that we should select
for discussion one fundamental
topic from each domain or interest or
a few subject of most vital concern
to all and that we should not attempt
to cover the entire field.
In order to prepare this program
this committee has invited many representative
men and women who havo
the welfare of the State at heart to
meet with its members to discuss and
formulate tho program. The preliminary
meeting will ho held at the P.
M. O. Auditorium, Columbia, at 12
o'clock on Tuesday, June 10, and It
is desired that the meeting will be
fully attended. The movement to in
fulgurate such a conference or conferences
as proposed is in every way desirable
and commendable.
The Times and Democrat hopes
that the bill introduced in the United
States Senate to raise the salaries of
the rural mail carriers will soon become
a law. They are an important
lot of officials, and are entitled to
better pay than they are now receiving.