University of South Carolina Libraries
She lAfcetflle Hfespip, I VOL.2. ABBEVILLE, S. C., TUESDAY, J)IARCH 23, 1886. NO. 29. rap,' . . #_ . Farmers In the Legislature. In an address recently issued "to the farmers of South Carolina," calling for a Convention to be held at Columbia on the 29th of April next, the following statement was made: "We constitute the State and yet we do not govern it; nor are the laws administered in our interests, and few are passed for our benefit. We pay taxes, but there is no further use for us." This address was signed by ninety-two persons, a majority of whom are practical farmers. The declaration which we "Nfoave quoted above is a reiteration of a complaint which has been heard from time to time during the past eight or ten years. In fact, there ha? not been a time in the history of this State for the last fifty years when a similar claim has not been made on behalf of the farm era. We simply wish n;>w to call the attention of the fanuers themselves, and of nil others who ina3r be interested in the movement for a "new deal," to some facts which should be known ? to j every person ic. the State, and to say I Again, as we have said before, that, j# -"having 76 per cent, of the population fj of the State, and at least half the remainder being directly dependent upon i> the farmers for the means of livelihood," the farmers themselves have it within { their power to correct all the evils from "which they now suffer. There has not I been a Legislature in South Carolina / ?ince 1870 who has not been elected by > the farmurs. There has not been a Governor, or Congressman, or State official elected in South Carolina since 1876 I who has not been elected by the farmers. That is to say. without the votes of the farmers no public official could have I been elected in this State except in the K county of Charleston. Let us see what representation the farmers have had in the executive offiW .ces of the State Government. In 1876, I . when the Democrats were restored to 4 power, there were three farmers on the I Estate State ticket. Hampton, the Goverf nor, Sigio, the Secretary of State, and Hagood, the comptroller general were [ farmers. | In 185ft, the comptroller general' al and the secretary of State were farm|.| ers. In 1880, the Governor, the secretary of State, the comptroller general, the treasurer and the adjutant general were farmers. " In 1882, the secretary of State, the treasurer, the comptroller general &?d the adjutant general were farmers. In 1884, the secretary of State, the comptroller general and the adjutant general were farmers. The commissioner of agriculture, since the establishment of that department, lias been a , farmer. It will bo seen that the farmers > have had a fair representation in this department of the State Government. The farmers have also had two able representatives in Congress since 187G? Col. 1). Wyatt Aiken from the Third District, and Col. George D. Tillman from the Second District. The House of Representatives is com posed of one hundred and twenty-four members, and we give below a statement showing che number of members from each county and the number of farmers who have been members from ~ the year 1880 down to the present time. This information, which we give in tabular form, will be of considerable interest at the present time, and will dispel, we hope, the claim that the farmers of the State have not had a fair, and just representation in the lower Mouse : Covntie*. Mtmbert. 1884. 1882. 1880. Abbeville 5 2 3 2 Aiken 4 2 3 2 Ander?nn ...4 4 3 1 llarnwtll 5 2 1 3 Beaufort 3 1 2 1 Berkley 5 4 6 0 Charleston 12 2 2 5 Chester 3 3 3 2 Chesterfield 2 1 2 2 Clarendon 2 1 2 1 Colleton 5 5 4 4 Darlington 4 3 3 3 Edgefietd 5 4 6 4 Fairfield .3 2 . 1 2 Georgetown .2 1 0 1 Greenville .. 4 2 3 8 Hampton 3 110 Horrv.. 2 2 2 2 Kershaw 3 3 3 0 Lancaster 2 2 11 Laurens 3 2 2 2 Lexington 3 2 2 2 Malboro' 2 2 11 Marion. 4 3 3 3 Newberry 3 2 2 2 Ocpnee 2 1 1 0 Orangeburg 5 4 3 4 Pickens .2 1 1' 2 Richland 5 2 3 2 O- 1 A A . nparmiiuurg * 2 i .) Snmpter 4 3 2 3 rVv Union 3 2 1 2 Williamsburg 3 3 2 2 York 4.2 2 3 Total 124 78 73 ~7l~ *0:Vho statement, which is approximate ly correct, shows that in 1880-81 there were in the House of Representatives 71 farmers ; iy 1882-83, 73 farmers ; in 1883-84, 78 farmers. It will be seen that there has not been since 1880 a single session of the Legislature in which the farmers have not had a safe working majority in the lower branch of the Legislature. In the Senate, in 1880, there were 17 Senators who were farmers. In 1882 there were 17 farmers, and in 1884 there were 16 farmers in the Senate. It Will be seen that in this branch of the General Assembly the farmers since 1880 have had an equal representation. And now a word about the work ofthe Legislature. In 1881 340 Acts were passed, of which 46 directly affected the agricultural intares. In 1882 the total number of Acts passed was 179, of which 16 were upoa subjects appertaining to agricultural interests. In 1883, 283 Acts were passed, of which 37 were pnssed for the benefit of the farmers. In 1884,18f Asts were passed* of which 18 were passed fer*6he benefit of the farmers. In 1885, 257 Acts were passed, of which 53 were for the benefit of the farmers. For the fivo years ending in December last. 152 Acts have been passed by the General Assembly for the benefit or the farmers, an average of more tlian 30 Acts a year. All of thfese Acts, in fact, were passed directly upon the petition of farmers, or upon representations made to the members of the General Assembly that the agricultural interests demanded the legislation provided in these Acts. Having a clear majority in the General Assembly, and being able to secure whatever legislation they demanded, it is evident that if the farmers had desired more or any other legislation they could easily have secured it. It should also be remembered that a majority of all the Acts passed by the Legislature have been Acts for the incorporation of railroads, and (Manufacturing and other industrial enterprises in which the farmers have been as rnqch interested as any other class of citizens. It is assumed that the farmers who have been sent to Columbia were the best representatives that could be found in their various sections. They were elected as farmers, were elected by the votes of farmers, and if they have failed in any way to do their duty to the farmers, it necessarily follows that the f-irmnri? f(innicnlvno 1st Klutnn fnr tinir ...V- VW .W, ?W.J lack of such legislation as they needed or required. Having, as we have already shown, and as the leaders of the fanners' movement claim, acloar majority os all the voters in the State, it is evident that, working with in th? lines of the Democratic party, and controlling the eloction machinery in all of the counties, the farmers have the remedy for wrongs safely within their own handls. These facts are given in order that the people ma)' have a clear conception of the relative strength of the farmers in the Oieneral Assembly, and also in order that they may judge Tor themselves as to the merits of the movement which is now in progress.?News and Courier. Lynching. We have no approval for lynch law under any circumstances. There are cases, it is true, when outraged human nature loses all self control, and puts to death the wrongdoer. Here society condones what it cannot help. Yet if lynching is an outrage in Hampton, we fail to see why it is less so in Spartanburg. The trouble about the whole matter is that lynching in one case leads to it in another. And if one mob may lynch another may do likewise, and thus there is no law left but that of the licensed mob, which may slay whom it will. There is no escape from the conclusion that lynch law is the greatest of wrong to human society, in so much that it dispenses with regulated justice, without which there is neither social order, justice nor reasonable security of liffi and limb hilt ?# tVl n mnrou nf an infuriated mob. What begins with what seems righteous retribution, is sure to run swiftly into mob law with its knife whetted as well for the innocent as the guilty. No mob is capable of a dispassionate trial, and without that the guilt is ont brought home to the accused, and he is simply made a sacrifice to human fury. Incendiary editorials justifying such acts are worse than mistakes, they connsel wrong and invito criminal dito?*der. And it is too late when we have justified lyncing in one community to cry out against it as murder in another. ?Columbia Register? SiSiySH^ Yonng men iu Carolina. [Sepciul to Aufrustn Chronicle.] Chaklbston, March 16.? Nothing strikes an old Carolinian, who has returned to his native State after several years residence in other States, so forcibly as the fact of the vigor and activity of the young men of the State, and everywhere 1 have observed that the young men are coming to the front. I consider this one of the most hopeful signs for the future of South Carolina. With the young and new generation in charge of its affairs, South Carolina is destined to make rapid strides in genuine material progress. It is a Hopeful sign to notice that this young element does not despise the wisdom of years, but on all occasions blends its active force with tne experience ol the okl men. I liese young men do not belong to that class of youthful politicans, who are continually making sport of the "mos^ backs." It is evident that there is- no movement on the part of the young men to gain control of the State, but that they aro put into positions of honor and trust by the people because their sterling qualities are appreciated. * My attention was first directed to the prominence of the young men of South Carolina by going to the editorial rooms of the Ifeivs and Courier and finding in the chair, for years so ably filled by that graceful writer and profound scholar, Barney Riordan, an active and bright young man, who has not yet reached his twenty-fifth year. This young man, Mr. John L. Weber, reads the entire mass of exchanges received at his office, besides managing the State department of hit) paper and doing his share of editorial work. I was told in Charleston that Mr. Weber is one of the best equipped journalists of the South, and is as much noted for his popularity as his ability. Gen. Hemphill, who is manager of the Rett's and Courier, in the absence of the editor-in-chief, is a 1 _ C* 1 1 It young man, ana one ui uie luuuurs oi progressive thought in the South. There are other young quill drivers in the State who are making preparations for themselves and doing good work for the State. Among these are the vigorous Jones, of the Spartanburg Herald, the clear and witty Williams of the Greenville JVeMtf, the courteous McSweeny of the Hampton Guardian, and the progressive Murray, of the Anderson Intelligence). There are many others whose pens exert an influence beyond their counties. The young men are more prominent at the bar perhaps than in any other field of activity, fn Charleston Chas. A. McHugh, Ancrum Simons, John D. Cappelman, Goodwyn llhett, Lamb Perry, George M. Trenholm and Chas. A. Boyle are the young men who have already reach an enviable position at the bar. Mcllugh and Simons have both been pressed into service in the Legislature, though neither has roach his tliirteith year. Orangeburg county has always shown her appreciation of her young men. T. M. Raysor, who has just passed his twenty-fifth year, has reached a commanding place at the bar and against his has been sent to represent his county in the State Legislature. The same county sends as a Representatives Mr. C. G. Dantzler, a young man less than thirty years of age, who has just begun the practice of law. Barnwell has her young representatives Jas. E. Davis and W. R. Kelly, Union her Chas. C. Culp, and David Johnson, Anderson her George E. Prince and H. G. Scuddy, Abbeville her W. C. Benet and W. A. Bradley, Edgefield her N. G. Evans and E. B. Gary, and, indeed, every county in the State has active young leaders. Spartanburg, perhaps, has more vigorous young men than any other county in the State. They take an active interest in every movement that concerns the country, and exert a l*Ai?WV*tr AA/otl tnfltr ^UUUj Ileal lllj lllMuvuvi/i v* v?? uimj Spartanburg be proud of her Stanyarne Wilson, Ed. Bomar, J. K. Jennings, Charles WofFord, Stobo Simpson, Hugh Farley, and Tucker McCrary. South Carolina has a host of young men with the right spirit and may meet any issues presented to her without any fear of AiTi aanger. , \ju. The business men of Athens, Georgia, are aroused upon the suject of the perjected railroad from that place to ?)b?rton and to Monroe, North Carolina, by way of Chester, They are willing to put their money into it and gire it all the supoort in tbeir power. HI; vte&y-.iJ..h*is Ireland'grPatron Saint. tl n There are many curious and interest- a ing legends connccted with St. Patrick, h Almost as many countries arrogate the G honor of having been the soil npon tl which he was born as have made a b similar claim with respect to Homer. ,fl Scotland, England, France and Wales Y{ each furnish*' their respective pro ten- 01 sions. But whatever doubts may obscure his birthplace all agree that he v' was of a patrician family. He was el born about the year 387, and when 10 ti years of age was caried ofl" by pirates, h who sold him into slavery in Ireland, tc Here he passed seven years, during P" which time he acquired a knowledge of tt Ti- ?i J- ' - " tus >11011 uiuguugt: aim uyiue uuiisuii acquainted with the mannerR, habits a' and customR of the people. ?* Escaping from captivity, after many hi adventures, he reached the continent 1D and was successively ordainee deacon, 111 priest and bishop, and then once more, at with the authoriy of Pope Celestine, (It he returned to Ireland to perach the re gospel to its then heathen inhabitants, gc Of the many miracles that he preformed gi tho greatest was that of driving the venomous reptiles out of Ireland and rendering the Irish soil4 forever after, bo obnoxious to the serpent race that . they instantly die on touching it. It ^ is related by somo ruthorities that St. ci Patrick accomplished the feat by beating a drum, which he struck with such fervor that he knocked a hole in it, j. thereby endangering the succcss of the . miracle. But an angel appearing, ^ mended the drum, and the natchwl in r ... H strument was long exhibited as a holy relic. ^ In the Galtec or Gaultie mountains, betweeu the caunties of Cork and Tipperary, there are seven lakes, in one of which, called Lough Dilveen, it is said St. Patrick, after banishing all the ^ snakes and toads from Ireland, chained . a monster serpent, telling him te remain "there ull Monday. The serpent . every Monday morning called out in ^ Irish r "It's a long Monday, Patrick." ej Then St. Patrick chained the serpent ^ in Lough Dilveen, and that the serpent calls out to him every Monday morning is still lirnaly believe by the lower ^ orders who live iu the neigoborhood of ^ tho Lough. Of St. Patrick much that has been al handed down in tradition is fabulous, . di bat his autobiographical "confossion" p reveals to us a devout, simple minded, ai unlettered man, and a most discreet and ? u energetic missionary. ,,, There is a pretty belief connected w with the shamrock or small white clover a< which is almost universally worn in the m hat all over Ireland on St. Patrick's day, tl and in other countries where it is found, w Tho nonulnr notion is that when St. tr Patrick was preaching the doctrine of b the Trinity to the pagan Irish he used vi this plant bearing three leaves upon one tl stem to symbolize the great mystery. ft As the birthplace of St. Patrick has a; been disputed, so has that of his burial, a But he died on the 17th of March, the r< day now HHcred to his memory, and the S general evidence indicates that he was h buried at Downpatrick and that the re- c mains of Saint Bridget were laid besido him. i] Cartoon on the Affricnltnral Agitation. ^ a Your correpondent has been prese oted ^ with the latest cartoon on the agriculturae ^ agitation. It is the work of a Newberry artist. The scene is laid in the country, 8 but in the distance is seen a largo and * handsome building. This bnilding for 11 the puroses of the politcians is called an a agricultural college, but it is actually the ^ Governor's mansion. Approaching this 1 edifice along a dusty road two political r teams are travelling, . The first is a some what dilapidated wagon drawn by a v spaliued mule and an aped ox. The driver is Moses Tillman, arrayed in his n priestly robes and bearing in his hand a rod, which serves the pnrpose of afiag * staff, upon the top of which a serpent e represents the banner of the organiza- 8 tion. In the front of "the wagon, at Moses's feet are the stone tablets with . the commandments. The wagon iu filled to overflowing. This crowd is ^ called the "Lost tribe of Israel." The ^ wagon is evitenly overloaded, as one wheel is leaving the axle and the motive power is rapidly becoming exhausted. Riding rapidly in the rear is the Master of the State Grange mounted on a new pi bicycle, to which Is attached a afcout di wagon by a rope. The ridor calls out to c< > / . t le travellers in front of him to "pile in < o Moses for." while abovo his wagon 1 sign indicetes that the seats tlicruin i ave been reserved for all "sitnon pure ( rangers." The author dlearly think ] lat this team will win the race. Near 1 y, but still in the rear, the free trader 1 pushing his humble wheelbarrow, not , ut having age or financial strength \ lougn to own a wagon. . Off in the distance, on a hill, in full , iew of the contest below, a few farin s have gatherod to meet the convenon. They are weary of waiting. They ave responded to the call and are ready > save their beloved State from the im*nding evils that have been pictured to icin by the agitators. They are about > conclude that it has been a false arm, when one of the most watchful their number observes the procession alow, which should have been coming i the direction of the convention, headg directly for the Governor's mansion, id turning excitedly to his companions ;clarea "they have tuck the '.he wrong >ad, by thunder !" The picture is a >od burlesque on the situation.?Auista Chronicle. The Eu?tis Interview. Senator Eustis was displeased early ' the day by the course appointments 1 id taken in Louisiana. He lias been ' iticising the administration ever since. ' earing of this the President asked ' hy Senator Eustis did not come to see 1 m and talk it over. The latter accord- 1 gly called one evening last week, and 1 as cordially received at the White ouse. Senator Eustis declared to the Presijnt that it would be fatally unfortuite if the Republicans should be able ) establish serious charges against any msiderable number of the President's jpointees. The President quietly said : "If it 2 true that any of my appointments e unworthy, I Lope they will be reicted. It is the Senaters function to 9 this. The Senators arc my coadjut s and advisors ; they cannot be too ^acting tor my taste. 1 want no hnroper mea in office." "Very true," responded Eustis. ^if le matter ended with the rejection of le bud men and the substitution of jod ones., there would be satisfaction 1 round. Nobody imagines that you usire any other consumation, but, Mr. resident, do you not see the political >pect oi this matter and its bearing pon the Administration and the party ? he lesson the Republican Senators ill seek to teach is not that of your ;qui<.>sccncc in the rejection of a bad lan. but that of your having appointed lese bad men in the first place. They ill make the point thai your adminisataon lias been unequal to its responsiilities; that it is under reckless or icious influences, and in support of lis will bring forward the list of debated nominees, with the charges made ad sustained against their competency nd fitness, and then ask the country to emember that but for the Republican enate's intervention these men would ave been holding office under a Demoratic Administration." The President nodded, but said nothig. ,%It is not a question," continued lr. Eustis, "of whether you knowingly ppointed bad men, or will approve or isapprove of their rejection. No inelligent observer of political events beieves, or can be made to believe, the lightest charges against the perfect innrrrifv rvf vAiir mntivpn 'I'hft niiAKtion j whether the Democratic party can fiord to go before the people in the approaching Congressional election with he record of having produced so much ejected material." "I do not see how that is to be preanted now." "The record can be forestalled. The amcs of appointees as to whose fitness here is any doubt can be withdrawn. Ivery man whose presence in the govrnment is a source of criticism and 1 uspicion can be eliminated." "Would you do that ?" "I would, from the highest to the >west. I would lop off every branch ireatening the health and vitality of the lemocrats." ' ( The Boycott tn Ureenvllle \ i Most people in Greenville will be sur- < rised to know that an organized, fully I eveloped and regularly authorised boy- < >tt is in progress in th]? pity. Gower < Sc Rcilly are the victims ani the Drummers' P otective Association is the moTing force. The boycott hns been orderid because Gower & Rcilly refused to haul baggage to and from the depots for less than twenty cents each way, and is being executed by a colored teamster kvho was engaged by representatives of Lhe Association and provided with i badge designed to secure him the patronage of all drummers. For the last two- years Greenville has ;iven the cheapest hauling in the eoun :cy to travellers. The bitter competi:ion between the street car line, operated by Gilbreath & Harris, and the omni3us line operated by Gower & Reilly >ut down the price of hauling pasBen;ers from the depots to the hotels?a listance of a mile and a quarter?to ten ;ents and the price for baggage per jiece to the same figure. These prices caused most of the hauling to be a dead oss, especially that of baggage. When jilreath & Harris sold the street car ine to Gower & Reilly, the latter pat lp the price for hauling baggage to ;wenty-five cents per piece. A coramit;ee of the Protective Assooiatioct prorested against this, whereupon Gower & Reily wrote a letter explaining the circumstances and showing that they conld aot haul baggage except at?loss for less than the concession rate they offered in the same letter?forty cents per piece for hauling both ways, from and to lho rlnnntc XTn. vanlv K?o KAA.* to this letter but the boycott has been put in force against the baggage wagon. Gower & Reilly aro holding tbe fort serenely, as they ar* willing,, they say, to let somebody else take chances on hauling baggage while tbey continue to carry passengers, that being the paying part of the business. Past Mortem Kindness. The burden of life would not be so heavy nor the way so long and wear}', if one half of the kind words we intend to say after our friends aro dead, were spoken while they are living. They need encouragement and checr now while in the thickest of the fight. Often times they are weary, sad and disheartened. A few brave, cheery words would be like cold water to a thirsty souL Theflowers that are sent for their coffins or planted around their graves cast no fragrance backward oVer the weary way that has be??n trodden with bruised and bleeding feet. The kind and appreciative words wo whisper at the funeral are powerless to . reach the burdened spirit and broken .. heart. The alabaster boxes of sympa- . thy and love broken over the tomb, of departed worth are like flovcerfe: KlUt "Blush unseen, Anil waste their sweetness on the deRcr{ nir." Last week, with some Augnsla ladies I visited Col. .lames K. Snead, who is Chitff of Ihe Treasury liond J>ivision. He showed as the ponderous st< el and granite vault where so much wealth is deposited. Many curious, faded and plain soourities were exhibited, some of n?KinV? Kor) Vvtwin tuunnrl TW UIVU UWV4 WWII IVI CMC puix^liaou of Louisana. One packagc of registered bonds we were allowed io hold for a moment. It was .worth $70,000,00. A month ago the VanderbilU oame over and divided' between them $35,000,000, a small part of their combined fortunes. We all think our lots would have been better if some of those millions bad fallen to us, but it is a grand thing to hand jo go much opulence curiously and not envy the possessor, who, God knows may have cares that some of us need not desire. And yet, with rare exceptions, there are no persons, even the most pious, who do ro4. crave money. It enters into the very marrow of humanity because it represents not only' ordinary comfort but all necessities of rent, fuel, subsistence ? what not ? There is many a man or woman who would be nobler, better, more useful with enough of it to secure independenoo of thought and aotion. There are thousands to whom it is a curse that leads to perdition. Even Beranger, who was proud of his old coat, did not disdain a pension. The only heroio souls who prove their scorn of the world and tsftemntationR. are thav who htva UU iown voluntarily vast riches and pr?~ t ferred the crown of thorns to the purple . of Solomon,^rt/j R, -R, in Augmtq C/jr<mi'cic. ' .: . ;' v* < x ' ' 'M- O-W:. "v*.