The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, March 23, 1886, Image 1
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*.