The ledger. [volume] (Gaffney City, S.C.) 1896-1907, October 20, 1903, Image 2

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• I 1 ’ i Thfc JUKl^OKW. PUBLISHED TUESDAY AND FRIDAY. BY Ed. H. DkCaMP. The Ledger is not responsible for tbe views of correspondents. Correspondents who do not contri bute regular news letters must fur nish their name, not for publication, but for identification. Write short letters and to the point to insure publication; also endeavor to get them to the office by Monday and Thursday mornings. Obituaries will bo published at five cents a line. Heading notices will be published at ten cents a line each insertion. All correspondence should be ad dressed to Ed. H. DeCamp, Manager. THE DAMNABLE DEED! The damnable deed is done ! The advocates of all that is base and cruel are triumphant for the time being. In the conflict Truth has been crush ed to earth and trampled upon, but by the eternal God it will rise again. We realize that there are those who dwell in Cherokee county who rejoice that J. H. Tillman has been acquit ted. They do not rejoice because they believe it right for a quiet, law- abiding citizen to be assassinated in his tracks as he walks a public thoroughfare, but they rejoice be cause their political faction has triumphed through force, whether it be right or wrong. We wonder if these men who have fought to bridle an uncorruptible press think that because they have been victorious in this instance that they will be able to cower honest men from expressing their opinion of men and things that are corrupt? If that be their idea we believe that the ex pressions of the press for the past few days will dispel that illusion. If. G. Gonzales is dead. He died the gentleman that he lived, and no one who knew him and understood his motive is ashamed of him. J. H. Tillman lives to go on through this world wearing, with his other In famies, the mark of Cain upon his brow, and all the verdicts of all the jurors in the world cannot efface that mark. It will remain with him until his dying day and the white face of his dying victim will ever haunt his memory. Something, we know not what, teaches us that N. G. Gonzales never gave bis slayer the slightest ex -use for his deed at the time it was com mitted. It was a political murder and a political acquittal. From the first witness on the stand for the defence could be observed the black thread of deception. It grew and grew, like a river of inky black ness until it finally emptied into an ocean of hellish foulness. What a spectacle! Such a scene! Such a farce in the name of justice! And thus enacted in a county that had been noted by the press for its fair ness! We bury our face in shame for ppor old Carolina. Never in all time will she be able to hold her head so proudly as before this outrage. What else could be expected of twelve men who had expressed them selves on the case before they went on the jury and then took an oath saying they had not? Nothing. We never expected a conviction, although it was the only proper ver dict that could have been rendered, but we did not expect that twelve men so base could be put on a jury. We did expect a mistrial. We knew the jury was packed. You ask: How did you know it? Did you see it packed? We answer: We have never seen the Uocky Mountains, but we KNOW they exist. We did not see the jury nacked but we KNOW it was. No man with a particle of intelligence and a spark of honor could gaze upon that jury or watch the proceedings in that court five nainutes without knowing that there was a leaning for the defence from the highest to|the least officer connect ed with it. Rash words, you say? Perhaps they be, but they are true words. Do they think they’ll stop the press from exposing well-bred liars, gam blers, thieves andjmurderers? Not so long as there remains a spark of man hood within the breast of a single man in South Carolina who follows the Fourth Estate. Again we say, the damnable deed is done. We accept the decree, not because we want to, but because we must. We know that there have been some men whom we believe to be honest that have sympathized with J. H. Tillman and wished for bis re lease. We have no quarrel with them. We can’t understand them. God In.bis infinite wisdom has decreed that poor weak humanity should not understand all things. We cannot understand why He should allow Truth and Honor to go down In a con flict with Falsehood and Infamy, but He has done it, therefore we bow in humble submission to the decree. SENDING MONEY OUT OF THE STATE. Last week handbills were distribu ted in the city in aid of the State Fair. These handbills were printed in Kentucky. The Fair is supposed to be for the encouragement of home enterprise. The State contributes money to it with that understanding but it seems that the management sends its work out of the State and pays its money oat to people who pay no taxes in our State. The Medium does no job work and therefore we cannot be suspected of being influenced by any interested motives in saying that the manage ment should have given the work to home offices. Did the management call for bids for the printing? The above is from the Abbeville Medium, edited by that staunch old citizen and soldier, Robt. R. Hemp hill. Brother Hemphill might have gone farther on this subject. What right have the managers Tf the State fair to expect the press of the State to boost the fair when they send out of the State for all the advertising matter that is paid for? As stated once before, this may have been a thoughtless act on the part of the officials of the State fair. The Dress has treated the matter very consid erately so far, but it would be well for the officials not to fall into this error another time. Just along this line let us say that it is a suicidal (policy for people not to patronize home industry. Every dollar spent at home means that much more business for local busi ness men. We are compelled, be cause of circumstances, to send off a great deal of money every year. If only 25X of the money which we send off could be retained there would be a wonderful change in the business of this section. Then why make our selves the poorer by sending off more money than is necessarj? We venture the assertion that the local merchant will give you as good a bargain, if not a better one, than any mail-order house in the country, and if goods are not satisfactory they can be exchanged or the money re funded. We once knew a man who sent to a big western mail order house for all his clothes, hats, etc., claiming be could get better bargains. The truth of the matter is that he got worsted every time and did not have sense enough to realize it. This man's employer finally became ac quainted with the fact that this man was sending away for everything he wanted and that he was being worst ed every time and remonstrated with him. The man continued in his error and his emoloyer finally told him to bunt another job, on the ground that if the fellow did not have sense enough to keep from being swindled by foreign dealers that he didn’t have sense enough to properly transact business for him. We don’t know whether the position taken by the employer was correct or not, but we are inclined to believe it was. At any rate we believe he had good ground for complaint. Every man ought to have interest enough in his own town to buy every thing in it that he can buy at any thing like a reasonable price, in pre ference to sending out of town for it. Therefore patronize the local mer chant, the local paper, the local foundry, the local laundry, the local college, and everything else of a local character that you can. Don’t do it blindly, but see to it that the local man treats you right, and nine times out of ten he will do it without watching, but watch him anyway. But for the sake of your town, your county or your State, don’t send abroad for anything you may be able to get at home, prices, goods, etc,, being tquah CONDITION OF COTTON. An eastern cotton mill treasurer who did not wish bis name given said in New York a few days ago that the policy of the eastern mills thisseason was to buy lightly now and wait later to get their stocks of cotton. This action is intended to decrease the apparent demand and thus keep the price down as low as possible. But the farmers need not be alarmed for there has not been such a small quantity of cotton in the United States in October for years as there is now. Many mills had to stop in the summer because the old crop bad been exhausted, and they will have to stop again if they don’t buy the new crop. Shutting down a cotton mill or any other big industry is an expensive business and will not long be in dulged in by the management. We hope that the farmers will be able to manage the sale of their crops so ss to secure the price that the demand warrants and that the mill products will advance to a price commensurate with the cost of their cotton. The mills, like the farmers, are entitled,to a profit on their work and the present supply of cotton will give a profit to both if the crops and products are legitimately handled. NOTES AND COMMENTS. It is now in order for North Caro lina and South Carolina assassins to shake hands across the chasm of their bloody deeds. “If we can’t control the press we can kill the editors,” seems to be the successful plan of candidates who are relegated to the rear by the voters of South Carolina. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ It is said that Jim Tillman con templates leaving South Carolina. No doubt a sigh of relief will go up from the members of the press gang that have opposed him, should he take such a step. ♦ ♦ ♦ There was but one Judas in the twelve selected by the meek and lowly Nazarine, but there were twelve in the Lexington jury that acquitted Tillman—for eajh of the twelve be trayed his State. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ You may tell the truth on a man through the newspaper, but you had better be careful and not have your hands in your pocket when you meet him. If you do he can kill you with impunity. As a result of the Till man verdict there will be a lot of frost-bitten fingers in South Carolina this winter. The Woodruff News and Review has completed its second year. Brother Sweeney is giving his patrons a first rate paper and be is to be con gratulated upon the magnificent sup port the people of Woodruff and sur rounding territory are giving him. The only thing needed to make Wood ruff attain the distinction she is en titled to is a county site, and they ought to have it. AMONG OURSELVES. If popular disproval could bury people, those twelve men who sat on the Tillman case would never be able to dig out.—Florence Times. Abuse of newspapers used to be Ben Tillman’s specialty, but he must turn green with envy when he reads the speeches of bis nephew’s attor neys in Lexington. They out-Till- maned Tillman.—Columbia Record. What is most puzzling to the ordi nary man is that as the cotton pros pects grow worse the price of the sta ple goes down. Will some wiseacre explain to us the reason of this?— Easley Progress. Haywood and Tillman are both free men, not guilty, acquitted, cleared, exonorated. The courts have de clared Skinner and Gonzales murder ous dogs who deserved to be shot down on the highway.—Gastonia Ga zette. It is rather remarkable that out of four newspapers published in Edgefield county, none of them have a good word for J. H. Tillman. On the contrary, they all seem to have a pretty poor opinion of him.—Bam berg Herald. The verdict rendered at Lexington will do much to increase lynch law; it will decrease confidence in the jury trial; it places a terrible cheapness on human life. Can any one doubt that if it had been a poor, unknown white or colored man in Tillman’s place th&tthe verdict would have been the same?—Aiken Journal and Review. A HleMlng to a Town. (Cherokee News.] A newspaper—a newspaper that stands for something—is a blessing to a town. No town has ever amount ed to anything until it had a suc cessful paper published within its borders. Atlanta’s prominence today is due to the fact that she has up-to- date, live and progressive newspapers. Nothing advances a place more than a good paper. Nothing else can be compared to the good a newspaper does for a place. It is the duty of every true citizen to support his local paper, for, by so doing, be is bring ing prosperity to his community. The papers go into the homes of the people and tell them of the town and community, of the improvements un der way and contemplated; they are sentinels to gnard£the rights of the people; they stand on the watch tow er and sound the alarm when dangers approach. Without support, liberal support, a paper oannot live. This should be borne in mind. Whenever you put in a good stroke for a Gaffney paper, you put in a good stroke for Gaffney. You help to advertise and push a town. Whenever you give a Gaffney newspaper your support, aod influence, you are doing, perhaps, more for the development of the town’s interest than you eould do in any other way. This sounds like self- advertising; but it is the truth acd nothing but the truth. We do not mean that all the patronage must fall to The News, but what does oome this way is no bad investment. OUT, DAMNED SPOT! (By C. 0. Brown, I). I).. Pastor First Baptist Church, .Sumter, S. C.] You are mistaken, sir; it is no spot, this that brings a blur upon your vision is wool and warp—thine own essen-Jal self, and cannot be charmed nor conjured away. The spot, just as you see it, will tarry into the eternities, and will come up from the grave again uncleansed. Not even the horrible alchemy of the tomb can avail for its removal. But you may go free! Your 12 countrymen have said so under the lash of lying tongues that perjured themselves, and under the appeals of frenzied lawyers who have pleaded the case all too well for their best comfort. No man feels perfectly at ease who has torn down the bars that guilt might escape. And yet to go free, after all, is not much nowl “Ah, whither shall I flee from hell? Myself am belli!' Is it better to die and be buried, or to die and still walk the yielding earth unburied—dead to all that is true and good and noble? The genius of history sits with his quill in a nerveless hand, and will write a true record at last, and he will put the story down so that no man can challenge it. The murderer’s name becomes at last a hiss upon the children’s lips, atd so really it does not seem that freedom confers much, when one is cousmous of the eternal bondage whose fetters tear and torture the quivering spirit. The murderer makes the solemn dis covery that man can suffer elsewhere than merely in body and estate. The worst ills that come to these are but surface griefs, which sleep or night may soothe away. Is not Gonzales better off in his grave than the mur derer is who goes back to what can never be a home nor resting place again? Would any one dare call ihe dead man back, and bid him make a fair and even exc iange with the liv ing? Count all the wrath and bitter ness he ever wrote; condense it into one sentence ;then into one word;and it will not reek with blood like those twin syllables that make up Murdarl This is the indellible something that will hang like a cloud over the wretch’s life. It will sit on the bed post at night, and stalk spectre-like through the mists of morning. It will come again when life has well- nigh ebbed away, and shake its red locks that drip with blood, and mock at the murderer who lies dying. It is the awfullest curse on earth. It carries with it both torment and tor ture. It is cruel and unrelenting, ano will hound a man to his grave, never giving him one moment’s rest from the hated consciousness that this deep-mouthed sleuth-hound is baying upon his tortuous trail. It is better never to have been born than to be a murderer. It would be bet ter to be dead than to be a murderer. It would be better perhaps to work suicide, and with one’s own hand to spread wide|the gates that look up on eternity. Acquitted! Yes, there was a double acquittal, and the dead editor re ceived his full share. There was no testimony against him that impeach ed bis good name or brought his bright integrity into question. The lies of lying witnesses fell short of him. Was it not true once that “the blood of-the martyrs is the seed of the church?” If so, let it be true again The church desires no monop oly in claiming for its own *the shin ing galaxy of those who have died for the truth and for the right. This broad place of death is open to all. If out of this one man’s grave, to which an assassin’s hand has sent him, there shall come trooping forth bat talions of good spirits to possess and inhabit the minds and hearts of the editors who still live, then Gonzales’ death has been atoned for. The hanging of Tillman would have wrought but a poor atonement; the lives were so unequal. No matter how much the lawyers may froth and foam, it is the duty of the press to assault and unveil the unclean, and to make it impossible for vagabonds to sit in the high places. What we need now is other editors who will play this high part, and so, if needs be, keep the tragedy going Let it be understood that the curtain has only gone down temporarily, until the stain of the blood could be covered. The people's good is no mean thing to die for. Now and then according to God’s engraven decree, it is neces sary that one man shall die for other men. The doctrine of substitution is a law of heaven as well as a law of earth. Whether one dies in the high front of battle, or while walk ing in the quieter path of duty, it matters not. Who knows but he has a double share of glory upon whom the lot falls to die for the good of his fellows? And Gonzales died well! His pass ing was like the going by of a triumphal procession in the good old Roman days. We find no idle railing nor grim wrath staining his last hours. He set bis face as a hero, firm as flint, and marched undaunted through the opeu door that led to the grave, satisfied to go, if he could carry with him the consciousness of duty done. Upon such a closing scene the bud may well go down that the gentler stars may begin their vigil. What need has one for a longer day whose task has been well performed? O good angels, blow now the sun-down born and beckon the martyr to bis rest! But the murderer lives! Yes, if merely to exist is to live. When character is gone, what is left? What remains to contend for? If there were some land of night with out a dream, out full in twojby a flowing stream of forgetfulness Into which one could headlong plunge!— if there were just anything, any place other than what is I But it cannot be! High heaven (has writ ten the word which no man can erase—“Whatsoever a man eowetb, that shall he also reap.” So, then, go forth, 0 reaper with the weaken ed eye and the fainting heart! Go forth to your task. Reap what you have sown—gather the piercing thistles to your yielding breast— lay the thorns upon your bleeding arms! Go forth to the reaping! Men may corrupt or distort the verdicts of these earthly courts, but no man can set aside this high decree—“Whatsoever a man sow- eth, that shall he also reap.” • The Bloody Work Goett On. (.Summerville News.J Another cold blooded murder has been committed in South Carolina, and this time the scene is here at our very doors. It is a horrid deed, as brutal in detail as any on the long list of tragedies that have blackened the fair name of the State in the months that have passed since the pace was set by the ruffian who is to day the central figure in the scene that is being enacted in the Court House at Lexington; and yet so ac customed have the people become to these bloody deeds, of almost daily record, that they are regarded often as matters of course, and are provo cative of only passing comment—a brutal murder with scarce a ripple of excitement in the community! It is true the murderer in this instance is an “ignorant negro,” but is he not following the footsteps of his more enlightened and more responsible white neighbor? By no means a pleasant reflection! Nor do we find much room for comfort in following the matter a step further. The negro’ if he is finally caught, being without friends, money, or influence, is tried before a jury of twelve white men and speedily meets the just reward for his crime at the end of a rope, while the intelligent, educated white man, with ten times as great responsibility resting upon him, commits the same crime, equally shocking in detail, is defended by the ablest legal talent in the land, is speedily declared inno cent by perhaps the same jury, is set free amid the congratulations of friends and plaudits of the crowd and turned loose on the public to commit new crimes at his own sweet will, knowing that in South Carolina a white man will not be hung for mur der. The record is a shocking one. The blood of the murderer is crying aloud from every county in the State. The press has been eloquent in its denunciation of the unpunished crimes that disgrace our civilization and Christianity. What of the pul pit? A Bunch of Funny Advertlsementa. Here are a few specimens of queer advertisements collected from differ ent papers: “Wanted—An organist and a boy to blow the same.” “Bulldog for sale; will eat any thing; very fond of children.” “Wanted—A boy to be partly out side and partly behind the counter - ” “Widow in comfortable circum stances wishes to marry two sous.” “Annual sale now on ; don’t go else where to be cheated; come in here.” “For Sale—A pianoforte, the prop erty of a musician with carved legs.” "A lady wants to sell her piano, as she is going abroad in a strong iron frame.” “Wanted— By a respectable girl, her passage to New York; Willing to take care of children and a good sail or.” “Lost—Near Highgate archway, an umbrella belonging to a gentleman with a bent rib and a bone handle.” “Mr. Brown, furrier, begs to an nounce that he will make up gowns, capes, etc., for ladies out of their own skin.” A Small Bla/.e. Sunday night while services we^e being held in the Wesleyan Hall, the ceiling of the hall caught fire from a lamp suspended from it, but the fire was put out with a bucket of water before it gained much headway. The alarm was promptly sent in, but the information that the fire was out fol lowed close upon it, and consequent ly, the fire companies were not called out. Mr. W. M. Maness, who has charge of the hall, intends having electric lights put in it this week, and thus lessen the danger of fire from defec tive lampiL Letter to Carroll A Co. Gaffney, S. C. Dear Sirs: A man said: Send me 25 gallons. Generally I use 24; don’t think it’ll be enough. Had 7 left. Ordered 9 more for another job; 16 for the job. Had 6 left. This comes from Messrs W A & F Bower, Methuen, Mass. They add: Tbia has been our experience all this year. New agents always have to go through it. After a little, they learn to guess better. Yours truly, 29 F W Dkvoe <fe Co A Cough Is Only A Symptom, A cough is not a disease, but a symptom of disease. A caugh always indicates that either the throat or lungs are affected. When the mucous lining of the throat or lungs becomes inflamed the irritation causes cough ing. Don’t neglect a cough. It may be a symptom of serious throat or lung disease. Rydales Elixir kills the germs that cause the trouble, soothes the Irritated mucous mem brane, gently stimulates the nerves that control the respiratory organs and thus help nature to speedily re store normal conditions and healthy action.—Gaffney Drug Co. THE OLD RELIABLE Mum W/ ^Absolutely Pure 1 THERE !S. NO SUBSTITUTE Hit* Them Hurd. Abuut the niuHt vigorous piece of newspaper English we have seen for sometime is from the \ugu.-td Chron icle. which paper ihe jar rooms of Augusta threatene | to bo\oot because it advocated nr.-ong the license fee from $200 to $1,000. Here is what the Chronicle says: “Boycott? Boycott and be damned, all of you! W hat, in God’s name, is the average bur room worth to a re spectable newspaper anyway? What are they worth to any other business enterprise of this or any other city? What are they worth to the commun ity as a whole? Boycott the Chronicle, eh? And while you are about it why not boycott every dry goods merchant and every shoe merchant and every clothing merchant who agrees with the Chronicle? Boycott them? Why, there isn’tone that doesn't lose every year a hundred times more legitimate trade, through the failure of some poor wretch to provide himself or bis family with proper clothing because all of his money goes to your dives for drink, drink, drink than all of your dive-keepers and their helpers and their friends spend with these merchants in ten years. Boycott? Do you dare stand up and draw such a weapon against decent public opin ion when you are costing every legiti mate business enterprise in this com munity dollars where you are spend ing dimes with them.” Kydales .Liver TabletR. Rydales Liver Tablets cure all liver troubles. They act specifically on the liver, the bile, bladder, and bile duct, the intestines and bowels. They stimulate the liver and cause a perfect flow of bile into the bowels, keep the bile duct healthy, increase the peristalic movement of the intes tines and thus restore a healthy ac tion of all these organs. Rydales Liver Tablets are easy to takf, being small chocolate coated tablets. They act promptly and can always be de pended upon. Price per box of 50 tablets 25 cents.—Gaffney Drug Co. —When you ride a wagon ride THE RYDER wagon. Sold byjSmith Hard ware Co. For Sale. Advertisements under this head will oe Inserted for one cent a word each Inser tion. No ad Inserted for less than ten cents POK SALK—Fifty acres of land and one * four-room cottage and outbuildings, one- half mile from depot, and within the corpor ate limits. Apply to John T. Humes. Oct. 13-tf. F ou salk- building Humes. -Four houses and lots, and four lots. Apply to Mrs. (Jlara C. Oct. 13-tf. FOR SALE—Six small farms. Fine building and farming land. .Just outside town Hmits. .1. J. Gaffney. l(M3-8t pd For Rent. F OU BENT—The G. 0. Wilkins house on Montgomery street. Apply to J. N. Lips- comb. 10-18-tf T’O RENT—Good two horse farm with nice •*- five room cottage, Apply to .J. C. Lips C0In b. W. O. Lipscomb. F OR RENT—One two-horse and one one- horse farm, within two miles of Gaffney; mostly fresli upland and bottoms. Apply to Ross. 0-30-tf. S. S. Ross w Wanted. ANTED—At this ollice, copy of Ledger of Sept. 11th, IIHW. The w AN TED-Persimmon, Dogwood. Hickory and Holly Logs. Freight paid on car loads. James Cockshott, Charleston, South Carolina. Oct. 30, 4 mo. two IXTANTED—Four young ladies and »» young men. Apply at The Dixie at once. TIT'ANTKD—More Green Salted Hides than »» anybody. Highest cash pi G. Clary. prices paid. B. 8-24-tf TXT'ANTED—Everybody to know that I am still selling beef. B. G. Clary. w 8-11-tf ANTED—To make straight loans on cltj No commissions. Severa real estate. thousand dollars to loan. Apr29-tf 2 J. 0. Jefferies. Mo neyLoaned.^^ L OANS on Improved farms for a term of years at seven per cent. Interest. No commissions. For Information apply to J. C. Jefferies. Attorney at Law. ll-2g-lyr A New Store Filled with the best and freshest line of Fancy Groceries and Confsctioniries /• in the city. Stand below Commer cial Hotel on Limestone street. Prices right in every particular and prompt service jrendered. Give us a share of your patronage. HAMLIN & RADFORD. Goods delivered free In any part of city.