The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, June 18, 1895, Image 1

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FBIENDS OF THE WHITE METAL. GItBAT GATHERING IN MKMI'UI* Two Thousand Delegate* Organlaed the Bl-metalllo Convention??011*7 tor Turple'a Hllver Speech, f Tbe bl-metalllo convention of ttv? Southern and Western States whlfh convened in Memphis on the 12th Ina^ was largely attended by ' representtV tives from almost every quarter, th? strongest delegations coming from\ Tennessee and Mississippi. 'Senator David Turpie, of Indiana, was made permanent chairman, and addressed the convention as follows : President and Qeutlemen of the Convention : The coined money of tho government in full meaning stands four square to all commercial transac tions of the people. It has four func tions or uses. It Is a medium or ex change ; it U a measure of values; it Is a ?means for reduction of its paper proxies, and it is a legal tender for the payment of all debt. There are many things besides coined money which have some of those powers and uses?it has all. Of these functions two are created by law?those of legal tondor and redomptlon ; those are ar tificial. Tho othor two?of exohange and value measurement?are natural. There is no doubt that coined money existed and was used to effect ex change of commodities and to denote the values long before legislation con cerning debt or redemptions But, although the natural functions of coined money are older?much older thau its artificial functions?yet both those classes of functions are very anoient?almost coeval with the com merce of civilization. The natural functions of suoh money used In de signating the prices and effecting the transfer of commodities do not depond wholly upon law, havo never so de puuded, but dopend also upon usage and agreement, thoy have no natural or necessary existence. Tho artificial functions depend wholly upon law. When an articlo is sold and delivered and the price puid and received, this is a finality. It is what we call a cash doal. But whon only a note is given, whether it bo a public or a private noto, this is notliuality, but creates the need that somo measure shall be en acted by public law providing for the payment of the private notes for the redemption of the public note in coin ed money of tho country. This need is not a natural one. It is altogether artificial and It is caus ed by that thing which is called cred it. Credit?that oreature of legisla tion?that product of tho statutes. Credit, the promise of today, the cash of tomorrow, looking to the power of tho government for the collection and enforcement of its obligations, cannot gainsay the right of the sumo power to enact what sort and what quantity of coined money shall be paid and shall be received in dlsohargo and liquidation of the eame. Such Is the logal tender quality, and though It Is highly artificial, yut it is doubtless one of the most valuable functions of coined money. He who would deprive one sort of coin of this quality, and leave it only with the other, whero two kinds had been used before from timo Immemo rial?from the very origin of the credit system, is guilty of gross injus tice. And that equivalent policy?an other way of doing the sacuo thing, which would permit only tho making and use of one sort of coined money, and which would prevont tho free and further making and uso of the othor, where both hud been coined anil used as money of final liquidation, perpetu ates und maintains a system of bond age. Those great artificial functions of coined money were not the cause of Its primary worth and use, although they have added very largely to it in both those respects. Coined money has always been and yet is in itself a thing of value and this value is of two kinds ?a general value derived from the material out of which it is mlqted, a specific or particular value determi nate by law. The first is called the metallic or bullion value ; the second is known as the monetary worth or legal tender value. The latter is always a mutter of law; the bullion value is one of estimation and opinion. Neither of tho two coin metals of tho world has the host or highest elements of Intrinsic or Inherent value. Both are used iu the arts, but if tho uso to which a thing is put is to be solo mea sure of tho value, iron, with its neces sary product, steel, Is tho most valua ble, as it is,the most useful of all metals. But the vast abundance of this useful metal, denoting a supply unlimited, bus deprived it of monetary functions. Silver and gold in this order, havo been from the earliest times, and yet remain, the principle coin niotals among mankind. Silver und gold havo been deemed and called the precious metals. The word' proclous i^licatos their money use and origin. It leads directly to price; it is very closely related to and concerned with prico. Price is the namo of tnat sum of money in coin which we pay in exchange for what we wish to pur chase, and it must have always been in itself a thin -, of valuo?a material capable of easy carriage, of other qualities suitable for coinage?and It must havo always had, relative toother commodities, the quality of scarcity, or Hcantaess in tho supply. For four thousand years silver and gold have been mined, coined, and used as money. During all that tlmo those two precious metals havo been furnished, both 'as to quality and as to the cost of pioduotlon, in such manner and amount as not to be compared with any other commodities, as to admit of no comparison savo with each other. It has already been said that the bullion value of the coin motals was largely a matter of opinion and ostlmatlOn. Tho bullion value of silver and gold, here and elsewhere, has always rested, and rests today, upon tho conception, upon ono opinion, upon one single and simple itom of belief; it is an old belief universally credited, based upon tho actual experience of 100 genera tions of the humau race. It is this? Tout, as there has been in the ages past, so there will bo in the years to come, no discovery of either of such metals which, as to quantity or as to the expense of production, shall make them comparable in values with any other materials suitable for the use of mankind as money, it is not impossi ble, it is not inconsiderable, that away down in somo deeply subterannean. strata of our planet hitherto unexplor ed there may be found exteaslve de posits of silver and gold, miles in area, wholo bolts, zones in uiroumference of tho metals heretofore known as preci ous?but this is a mere dream; no one believes It. The faith and credit of mankind in the natural and uncon querable limitation of supply as to vnose minerals rests unshaken and un disturbed, as it did at the first dawn of commerce ; as it did in the days of the ?old patriarch whose silver was "cur rent money with the merchant." There has a.ways been a difference between the commerioal or bullion valuo of the two metals and the legal Of coinage value. This characteristic 0r difference attaches to both. No denomination of 110 gold coinage of rho United States has a bullion value idqual to the legal value thereof. The gold dollar is not what it purports U , be. The whole series of these gold coins is made from bullion only nine tenths fine. I do not go Into tne" rea sons for this?I state the fact. The whole of the gold coinage is tithed?it is placed under par bullion value by the subtraction of one-tenth ; this is why these coins outside of our own country pass only by weight, not by count. Tho missing tenth is what is called alloy. This alloy is not gold vat all; it is a mixture of copper and silver?only one-tenths of silver, nine r.?f copper. Of course, this alloy re duces the commercial value as metal 0i the series of gold coin. This is now here spoken of oooause of a very curi ums claim made by the advocates of gold monometalism, that a piece of I tQoney whose bullion value may be less t hau its legal value is unsound and is dishonest. ^te. is the same with tho silver coin agoSAhe dollar and that part called nuhsi(fk'"'y money. This is coined under dar commercially. Like the ftold cotas the alloy is one-tonth, wholly V' copper and besides this the proportiolL ot grains of metal used dlminishosi^" the denouiination of the coins. TIN* half dollar has but 192 grains, a goo?Vdeal less than half tho number of thoNHtftL" dollar ; tho quarter dollar has <mly""yiluety-8lx grains; the dime has only tW^'ty-eight grains?tho holder of ton Alluios has only 380 grains, yet ho can gts\ halves or quarters for the wholo of thos? dimes, notwithstanding tho commercial price of the metal in them is very 'ar bolow its lawful value. Tho niekol passes for live cents?the bullion Value of tho metals which compose it iS not hulf the legal. The cent coii??d by tho United States, made of 86 parts of coppor and 5 parts in ti^ aud zinc is worth as metal commercially uot more than one-third of its lawfil1 or legal value, which 1bthe one-hundt01110 ,)llPt of a dollar. Still wo havo no other coii?<lnan thld All our balances, when settlt?l?n coin, are paid In it. The lurgest.pyniont? are made in the alloyed gold.vW'd the silver Jollarwlth its group ofW#otl?u al parts are subsidiary cainagl Pet'' forms tho functions of money?h*d>a9s ed, paid and received as coin oMM-lti mate liquidation. If. this an h<\ost eonttiftrou'Of ba9ino8s aud ?nanco ? \ According to the tost of the enomVs of blmetallsm that the logal value iL coined money must bo the same as ttrrn commercial or bullion valuo of them metal in it nothing could bo uioro dishonest. According to that test there is not. and cannot be, an honest dollar of either sliver or gold, nor an honest part or fraction of the same? us for the nickol it is vilor than the dime, and the honest penny is banished forever. According to this same test aud rule of coinage there is not an honest coin in the treasury, there is not a piece of sound, safe money in the country. I havo read the story of a good woman, a poor widow, who long ago cast her mite into the treasury, and it was said of her that sho had given more than them all. Tho mito was the smallest iJewish coin. It was worth in legal valuo about two mills of our money. What was the bullion value of tho morsel of copper out of which it was mado? Not ono mill; not half a mill?less than this. Tho coinage roformer of our day would say this was dishonest money?unsound. Why, theu, did the celostial benedic tion rest upon a fraud so palpablo? Nay, but this was lawful coin, having a legal value. It was indeed honest money. Tno law made it, she gave it, and the blessing and tho glory of the mite yot remain. CONGRESSMAN SIHLEY'S SPEECH. At the evening session Senator Stewart of Nevada, was presiding, and Congressman Joseph C. Sibley, of Pennsylvania, addressed the conven tion. Mr. Sibley was greetod with rounds of applause, and In a two hours speech aroused his auditors to a high pitch of enthusiasm. He made an earnest appeal for independent politi cal action in 1896, and occupied a good deal of time in illustrating tho neces sity of broaking away from tho old parties. His auditors wore evidently with him, for ovory attack upon Sec retary Carlisle, the President or Sen ator Sherman wus greeted with a noisy demonstration, and ovory timo ho asked tho crowd if they would remalu with their old parties and continue the domination of tho English money power, he was greeted with cries of ?'no." He paid bis rospects to tho President and Carlisle In vory plain language, calling them " traitors" for their part in the conspiracy to demone tize silver and fasten upon tho coun try tho hardship of a gold standard. All such outbursts as this was greeted with tumultuous applause. Mr. Sibley Said an eloquent tribute to Andrew ackson, the great Tonnesseean, who achieved fame through his successful antagonism of the money power, as well as by his military career. He related the story of Jackson's refus'il, when captured by the British as a boy, to black the boots of an English officer who struck him with a sword, leaving a scar that he bore until death. He gave it apolitical turn by exclaim ing that there were Democrats in Ten nessee who would black those boots today and lick tho hands that struck them. "We must win this fight in 1896," continued Mr.|Sibley, "or we lose it beyond the lifetime of my generation or tho one that follows. You cannot put this fight beyond 185M5 and win it. if tho mono-metal lists win, then comes the retirement cf greenbacks and tho forging of flvo hundred fetters on our industries. Tboro are other grout questions to be considered, but thoy are insignificant a* compared with this. If we loso this Tight in 181M1 two great conditions are to bo feared?re pudiation or revolution. One or tho Other is sure to come. " I bolieve that there are going to be two parties at the coming election, one of them will be the monomotallists and the other the American people In their majesty. Tho gold standard has been erected many times boforo. Once Aaron erooted a gold image, but it was not a success, and once Nebu ohadonezzar sot him up one and said wbosoover rofused to bow down and worship it should straightway be oast into a fiery furnace and burned up. Without meaning to make any invld uous comparisons, I respeotfully refer you to (trover Cleveland's lotter to Govornor Stone, of Mississippi. There were throe men who refused to wor ship this image, and Nebuohadenezzar ordered the furnace to be made straightway seven times hotter, and had these men cast In, but thoy walk ed upright amid the flames and came out brighter and happier than evor. There are a good many Nebuchad onozzars in this world yet, but they do not out muoh of a figure. If you will ' just read along a l'ttle further you will I find that Nebuohadenezzar had found his level all right. Fo?* seven years he bad to eat grass. We silver people have all the iogio and all tho law on our side. "The Secretary of the Treasury spoke to you in this ball the other day. I do not want to quote Mr. Carlisle when he said that the demonetization of half the money in the world meant misery and unhappiness for half the people of the world. Then John G. Carlisle was the tribune of the people ; now he is the high priest of the tem Ele of Morman. Mr. Carlisle, the ple fun, and Mr. Carlisle the aristocrat, are two very different kinds of people. But I do not want to complain of Mr. Carlisle. Every word he said about the demonetization of silver has ooine true. It in impossible under present conditions for American agriculturists to compete with those of India and the Argentine. You take your bushel of wheat to tho London market and you get fifty cents for it. When you bring it home you have no more. Whon the Indian or the farmer from the Argen tine takes the money, ho has 100 cents. Under the present system you are simply fostering tho Industries of other countries. This is ruinous com petition for you. Mr. Carlisle told you when he was hero that the wages of everybody had been increased, under monometallism about 15 per cent. It is not that way in my section; fifty thousand coal miners in Ohio and Pennsylvania had nino cents a ton tuken oh* their wages about tho day that Mr. Carlisle spoke to you hero in Mom phis. "Why, they tell you that tho wheat out of which thoy uiake bread was lower than it over was, and yet more people starved tu death for tho lack of this low priced wheat than ever did before. They toll you that cotton aud wool are ohouper than they over wore, yet there is a greater army of tramps walking up and down our highways and our byways today in tatturs and rags for tho lack of this same cheap cotton and wool. " They toll the farmer East that what he needs to make Jbo times bet ter is a high protective tariff. In cer tain ports of tho West thoy tell him what ho noeds to bo prosperous is free trade. You have to givo this tariff question as a medicine according to tho locality. Now. the fact of the matter is, tho tariff has nothing to do with monetary panics, and it is about timo the people gave it a long neoded rest, and I believe thoy are going to do It. There were two monetary panics under a high tariff and two under a. low tariff, and I think this shows tho tariff has nothing to do with tho case. The President says ho is afraid the siivei dollar will depre ciate, but the only, way tho dollar can depredate is for prices to riso. This is the equivalent to an admission by e Prosidont that ho is afraid prices 11 rise. If tho President would de his anxleticH more equally be^veen the persons who produce tho weV*'h of the oonntry and the limited few ?ho absorb them, ho would mako a better chief executive. The mu^nill cont patriotism of Mr. Rothschild, who, althought an aliont, was willing to com'J to this country and save it for the paltry consideration of $w,.'KK), 000, witch tho people of tho United States lofy and which ho gained, i9 worthy of l?Ue as iH also tho magnifi cent patrlowm of Mr. Cleveland in thus helping to save tho country. tld savo the country eck it. ts open to tho uu f silver and gold talk of the fifty say our shores But if two mi' thoy could al " With tho' limit.i>d coina there will bo n cent dollar, would bo flooded' mints wereopen to that is not true,- a would simply gl' thoy would rather wo would rathor h " Banker Cornwall a speech in Chicago lot of bankers and reporter showed the mo what I thought of he would have a nv Erioted and distrlbu nited States 1 coi another speech en th but would rest ray c ment. Ho tolls tho I keep their thumbs i We have felt tho bankers heavily in th We must win this tigh do not win it then it There will bo twoavon people after 181MJ. O pmliation and tho and both I dread. If th to land in Now York y to drive them out, would: English aro In Now Yor havo been for yearn them out oven if party l! bo dropped ? When wo on broad lines : when cot! more than party, we w fight." THE PLATFORM AND K Tho following is the resolutions adoptod by the upon which all tho friend harmonized without any tn Silver and gold coin have constituted tho money of thoy wore the money of tho tho ltepublio. the monoy of I of the constitution. The universal experience kind has demonstrated that use of both silver and gold money, constitute tho most? standard of valuo, and that t amount of both motals should medium of oxchungo. The demonetization of ei silver if the coinage. Now, t wore truo wo something ? something ffalo. made. thor day to a next day a iolo and asked I told him if jr of copies to ull tho nover make er question, n his argu s thoy must customers, bs of tho fow years. 8UU. If wo o too lato, to tho bo re volution, lish wero uld help i ? Tho v; thoy u drive have to Jogothor moans in the P* in LUONS. and alien, liver lagos torid, Irs of and these historic metals means anM elation in the value of money, h ?HB? the price of commodities, a '<^h9| tlon of tl>c profits of logitinuitc^hh uess, causing ii*croaso in the lifl of debts, a withdrawal of money ? the ohannels of trade an 1 imli^HB where it no longer yields a safoH sure return, and its idle ucouinulivH in the banks and tho tfreat money H tres of tho country. H There is no health or soundne s in financirl system under which u Imanfl od dollar is productive of IncreasdH its possessor, whilo an invested dol? yields a constantly diminishing rfl turn, and under which fortunes afl made by the accretions of idle capltl or destroyed by a persistent fall in til price of "commodities, and apparent dwindling In the margin of prolits hi almost every branch ofuseful industry I Such a system is a premium on slotn,l and a penalty upon industry, and suchl a system is that which tho crlminall legislation of 1873 lias imposed upon I this country. The bl-motalllo standard nf allver] and gold has behind it the exporienoo ' of ages, and has been testod and ap proved by the' enllghtend and delib erate judgmont of mankind. The gold standard is a depar ture from the established policy of the olvill/.ed world, with nothing to command it but twenty-two years of , depression and disaster to tho peoplo, , and extraordinary acoumulatlon of wealth in the hands of a few. There are s-jme facts bearing upon this ques tion, recognized and admitted by all candid men, whothor advocates of bi-motallism or of the 9tngle gold standard. Among these is the fact that the vi.ry year that marked the change from the bl-rnetallio to tho single gold standard is the very year that marked the change from a condi (tion of riding prlcos, large profit?, general ontentment and great pros perity, to a condition of falling prices, diminishing profits, Insecurity of invest ment, unemployed labor, ? -m a heavy depression in all branches of trade and industry. It is not a matter of dispute, even among the honest advocates 01 the gold standard, that general prosperity came to an end with the destruction of the bl-metallio ;ystem, and that hard timos, falling prices, idle worklngmen and ^widespread depression came in with tho gold standard, and prevails today wherovor the gold standard has boon ?adopted. Every international monetary eon feronce that has been called, ovory demand in this country and iu Europe for an international agreement to re-establish the bi-ruetallio standard, is a confession that the demonetiza tion of the system was a blunder, if not a crime, that its consequoncos nave been disastious and that tho conditions it has wrought are full of menace and of peril. The logic of facts establishes beyond intelligent question that tho destruction of Biiver as primary money, by a conspiracy qf selfish interests, is tho causo for the widospread depression aui suffering that began with the gold standard. There oan be no restoration of pros perity, no permanent relief from pre vailing conditions until the great cause nut-boon removed by a complete restoration of silver to its proper pluco us money metal, ?qual with gold. Wo believe in a money of stuble value ; wo believe tho least of ull in an appreciating st ami an i ; it is only through tho practical Operation of bl-tnotallisin that a stable standard of value can be secured. A standard constituted of money constantly in creahing in value is not a sound, u single nor a stable standard, but u constantly ehauging standard. Tho effect of gold monometallism is to establish ouo standard for the orodi l?'r and another iofo' tin) uoot.vr,"' BtHr there can bo no more dishonest monetary system than that which gives short measure to tho borrower and long measure to the lender. Under tho policy prevailing prior to 1873 thoro can bo no violent change iu the relative value of tho two metals, for a rise in value of one metal is counter acted by a decreased demand, and a fall in valuo by an increased demand. Under tho operation of this beneficent law a stable relation was maintained botweeu them in spite of tho most ox treme changes in relative productions. From tho first period of our history up to 1873 the right of the debtor to choose whether ho should pay his debts in silver or gold coin was always ro cogni/ed. Tho subsequent policy has beon to transfer this right to tho creditor, thus tending to constantly increuse tho valuo of tho dearer metal and destroy tho parity botwoen them. Believing that it Is absolutely neces sary to reverse this iniquitous and ruinous policy, wo therefore resolve that wo favor tho immediate restora tion Of silver to its former place as a full legal tender, standard money, equal with gold, and tho froeN-and unlimited coinage of both silver and gold at tho ratio of 1<> to 1 and upon terms of exact equality. That whilo we should welcome the co-operation of othor nations, wo be lieve that the United States should not wait upon the pleasure of foreign governments or tho constont of foreign creditors, but should themselves pro ceed to overthrow the grinding pro cess that is destroying tho prosperity of the people and should lead, by their example, tho nations of tho earth ; That tho rights of tho American peoplo, tho interests of American labor and the prosperity of American industry have a higher olaitn to tho consideration of the people's law makers than tho greed of foteign creditors, or tho avaricious demands made by " Idle holders of idle capital." Tho right to regulate its own mone tary systom in tho intorosts of its own peoplo is a right which no froo govern ment can barter, sell or surrender. This reserved right is a part of ovory bond of every contract and of every obligation. No creditor or claimant can sot up a right that can take precedence over a nation's obli gations to promote tho welfaro of the masses of its own people. This is tho. debt higher and more binding than all other debts and one which is not only dishonest but treasonable to ignore. Under the financial policy that now prevails we see tho land tilled with idle und discontented workingmeu and an ever-growing army of tramps, mou whom lack of work and opportunity have made out casts and beggars. At tho other end wo find that a few thousand families ov n one-half of the wealth of the country. The centralization of wealth lias gono hand in hand with tho spread of poverty. The pauper and the pluto crat are twiti children of tho same vicious and unholy system. The situa tion is full of menace to the liberties of tho people and tho lifo of tho 1 to public Tho issue is enfranchise ment of hopeless servitude. Whatever the power of money can do by debau chery and corruption to maintain its grasp on the law-making power will be done. We, thoveforo, appeal to the plain people of tho land with perfect confidence in their patriotism und intelligence to arouse themselves to a full sense of the peril that con fronts them and defend tho citadel of their liberties witlt a vigilance that shall neither slumber nor sleop. AI>I>IIHHS TO the) I'MOIMjIO. TltO Forty Advise that the Action of Hrigcilcld ami AikCM be Followed In nil the Counties. The working committee of the Forty Convention met last week in Columbia, \id issued the following address : VTo the White Voters ef South Caro }n: [The working committee constituted Ltho authority of tho conference of [ormors and Conservatives, which in Columbia on tho 27th of March commonly known as tho com jo of the Fortv. in view of the conditions still confronting tho ? >' of this State, doom It proper Hixpedlont to make somo rooom Mktinns in furtlieranee of tho well 5V objoots and purposes of its H zu tu ?i i. We desiro to call at* Hi again to the cardinal prioul? Hit forth in tho platform adopted Hconvention, namely, tho mnin I H of white supremacy "by fair Hstitutlonal raothods," and to Hy urge upen every patriotic Houth Carolina, without regard Heal faction, the Importance in Hh of contributing everything H j?wfr Ii; the attainment of that ds& Hthoso who have labored for hIB Hid Democracy for the r?H Hi of peace and unity among tlH Hfpconlo of the Stato it is a MiH Beatification that a number of H H have already taken suoh ao*H ^-egnrd to tho election of delH h" 1'"' '11 "! ln":'' verJH Bwitl obvlato all friction utnoH Hr-'iiph of our race and will insiH Hsolectlon of men whoso undH Hunliilcatlons and lofty patiH Hiinrnt iv fit them for tho I important duties they will be called upon to discharge. We cannot appeal too strongly to those counties which have not yet acted in this matter to take imme diately some steps that will place them In iine with this movement, and will render it general throughout the State. The practical method of solving the problem is after all one that every county must settle for itself. The time for action is very short. Tho crisis that eon fronts us, it goes with out saying, is imminent. We believe the white peoplo of South Carolina fully realize this. It is for them to act and act now. T. J. Kikkland, Chairman. P. H. Weston, Secretary. REGISTRATION LAW STANDS JUDUF, GOFF'S DUORKK 18 SET ASIDES. Tho Stato Wins the Fight?The Fed eral Court ol Appeals Decides Unan imously In Its Favor. The United States Court of Appeals in session at Uichmond has dissolved tho injunction grantod by Judge GolT in tho famous registration eases from South Carolina. Judgo Hughos an nounced the decision, und in tho course of u caroful review of tho record, lie says : '?There is nothing in iho record to show that tho complainant is a man of color or that thoso for whom ho sues aro colored porsons. Tho bill contain* no allegation that tho parts of the law complained of were devised against the complainant or thoso for whom he sues on account of their race, color or previous condition of servitude. There is nothing in the averments of tho bill from which it may naturally, or must necessarily ho inferred that the com plainant and those for whom ho sues ttP8 jJJkoas- e.' -tiplor?. -There aro no averments in tho bill which show that" tho case falls within tho purview of tho Fifteenth amendment to tho constitu tion of the United States. Nor does the bill contain any allegations which raise a Federal question under tho clause of the Fourteenth amend mein which forbids u State to deny any per son tho equal protection of tho laws. It charges that the provisions of tho registration act complained of is to give unequul facilities of registration to different classes of citizens, but It does not point out how this is so. It loaves the discrimation as to tho priv ilege of registering, if there be dit orimlnatlon, to inference and research in sources other than its own aver ments. It charges that tho provisions of law complained of discriminates, but does not describe tho manner of discrim ination, or define the classes alTccted, pro or con, nor doos it show that tho laws ooinplaiued of in discriminating between classes as to tho privilege of registering granted by them, violate tho clause in tho Fourteenth amend ment which forbids a State to deny to any person within it, tho equul protec tion of the laws. It confounds privilege witli protection. " The bill bus no roforouco to a Fed eral election in sotting out complain ant's ease. Tho gravamen of tho bill contemplates only a State election to be hold for members of tho State conven tion to convene in August next. It is not shown that any Federal elect ion is to be held In South Carolina bofore November, 181XJ. To tho bill thus described and to the order of injunction granted by tho court below in pursuance of its prayers, several objections aro urged in behalf of tho Stuto of South Carolina. In what follows I shall consider but ono of these. In the ruling of tho Circuit Court in this case, it was hold that tho court had jurisdiction to restrain a county supervisor of registration in the performance of his duties under tho election laws of South Carolina. Tho division of our government into tho leg islative, executivo and judicial depart ments is a distinguishing feature of our American policy and it is essential to its existenco that each of these depart ments shall be independent of the oth er. Tho division is fundamental and organic. It would bo just as dangerous to its stability for tho judicial depart ment to override tho others as for ex ecutive or legislative departments to do so. Hence, while tho right of tho judiciary to pass upon tho constitution ality of tho laws is undoubted, it has that right simply as an incidont to its protection of private rights, it has not that right as a mere means of settling abstract questions and even in the en forcement of private rights it has not the power to ltiterfero with tho discre tion vested in tho othor dop&rtmonts or with theexoreise'Of political powors of tliis department. It seoms to me that it is u dangerous oncroachinont upon tho prorogations of the othor de partments of the government, if the judiciary be entrusted to oxorciso tho power of interfering with tho holding of an election in a State. If the supor- 1 visor of one county can be enjoined from the performance of tho duties imposed upon him by the election laws of tho State from whom he holds his commission, those of tho other counties can be also: thus a single citizen in each county, and if ho is not even a qualified voter, can enjoin an olectlon throughout the entire State, and thus doprivo thousands of thoir right to veto. If a court has power to do this, free elections are at an end. If elec tions are improperly hoid, there aro appropriate means provided by lav for questioning their methods and roi.te dying wrongs without the oxorciso of this dangerous power by tho courts. A candidate who has been defeated may congest; a voter whoso right to register has boon denied may proceed to compel tho enforcement of that right, and these provisions givo what tho Legis lature dooms sufficient protection to tho injured, but In my judgment ono citizen cannot, under tho pretonso of righting his own wrongs, disfranchise others. " I do not think that a court has ju risdiction to intorforo by injunction or otherwise with tho onforcjinont of tho laws by olllcors holding and deriving their powers from these laws; certainly not to the extent attempted to bo done by this bill. In arriving at this con clusion I have not considorod tho ques tion whether or not tho registration laws of South Carolina violate tho Fod oral Constitution or laws. I profor to ro t my opinion upon tho ground of tho indopondonco of the dlfforont de partments of tho government upon tho impolicy of intorforonce by the courts in quostion which will rosult in drag ging constantly Into array party poli [ tics, and upon the gonoral principle that each dopartinont of tho govorn ! ment and oaoh officer thorc, high or I low, has tho right to administer accord j ijg to his best judgmont tho duties I imposod upon him by tho iawscreating his offico. I "As illustrating those gonoral prln ' clplos, I refer to tho following decis ions: Mississippi vs. Jackson, 4 Wall. Louisiana vs. .Inno, 107 United States, 711 ; Hagood vs. Southern, 117 United States; Ayors in ro 12.1 U. S., 44.'lv in ro Sawyor 124 U. S., 201). It is useless to cite the many cases whiob bear on the . Thorn quostions arising Id this ease and so profusoly at thu bar. "So far aa tho rights of tue individ ual complainant in' the bill were eou oerned it may have been competent for the court to grant individual relief. The Supreme Court of the United States the other day grauted relief from the payment of an income tax to the individual complainant in bis suit before it but it went no further. On tho authority of Mississippi vs. John son, supra, wo may assumo that it would not have entertained a bill for enjoining internal revenue officers of the government from collecting income taxes generally. Tho judicial power covered tho right to graut individual relief, but did not extend to tho gen oral power of repealing tho law impos ing too tax as to tho eutlre public. " I repoat that in tho case at bur it may havo been competent for tho court to grant individual relief, but thu bill utked more. It asked similar relief for all other citi/ons of the county situated llko tho complainant. It practically asked tho relief for a numerous politi cal party, forming a portion of the peo ple to whom tho Legislature wat solely responsible for the luws und to whotn alono tho gonius of our institutions makes tho Legislature responsible. Moreover, it brought tho court into im mediate and active contact with party contestations. It made the court a con trolling factor in party strife. I can imagine nothing more pernicious than a direct participation by tho judiciary by judicial action, in the polities of the people. Tho bill asked practically that tho process of registration under the laws of tho State should bo suspended In an entiro county during the pleasure of t he court and that all citizens of a county not thon registered as voters should bo doniod tho right of suffrage during that pleasure. It seerus to me that the more statement of this view of the ease shows that the injunction was im providently granted. I think the bill should bo dismissed." I)KSTHUari?5r?y. IilG HTN1NG Some Interesting Duta from thcTTVit*, tioiiul Weulher liiircuu. For the past few years tho observers of the VVeathor Bureau have been col lecting statistics regarding tho damage done by lightning to life and property in the United States. Their results show the following casualties and fires in this country for tho year of 181)4, as tabulated by Mr. Alexander MoAdlo, of Washington, o. C: In January no lives wore lost bo fav as known. In February two lives were lost, two persons injured, and 50,000 feet of lum ber destroyed. In March six lives wore lost, three persons injured, aud two barns, two churches and live dwelling houses struck and damaged. In April fourteen lives were lost, fifteen persons injured, ono barn and seven dwelling houses damaged. In May fifty-five persons were killed by lightning and thirty-four severely injured, twelve houses were set on fire with a loss of not loss than $36,000; thirty-six dwellings, four churches, two school houses struck, and more or less damaged: fifty-eight horses und twonty-two cows not in stables were killed. In Juno ninety-six persons were killed and one hundred and two se verely injured, sixty-nine barns wore damaged not let-s than $40,000 ; forty nine horses, thirty cows and fifteon sheep not stabled were killed ; eighty dwollings, twenty-two churches, ono railroad depot, ono oil tank, one grain elevator, six mills and factories were damaged ; tho loss in the eight lust named boing no less than $257,000. In July sixty lives wore lost, and one hundred and three persons injured; forty-six barns were damaged not less than $50,000; forty-five dwellings, twelve churches two academies, three mills or factories, and two railroad depots wore struck ; twenty-four horses and thirteen cows, five mules and six sheep not stabled were killed. in August seventy-eight lives were lost, and seventy-six persons injured : eighty-one barns were burned with a loss of not less than $120,800 ; forty-one dwollings were struck, twenty-two horses and fifteen cows, not stabled, were killed ; five ohUrelies, two acade mies (one with a loss of $."18,000.) two mills, and ono oil tank, (loss $20,000) wove struck. In September ninety-nine persons wore killed, and fourteen severely in jured ; fifty-six barns wore struck with loss of not less than $111,000: forty-two dwellings and two churches were struck, fourteen horses, not stabled, were killed. In October six persons were killed and two severely injured ; two barns valued at $2,000 ; two dwellings, two churches, and several stacks of irr'ain were fired. In November ono dwelling was Struck, valued at $3,000. In December ono barn in Ohio, two dwollings (ono in San L'rancisco, Cal., whore damage from lightning is al most unknown), woro struck. During the year .'{.'id persons wore killed and 351 severely injured ; 208 barns struck with a damage of $107, 500 ; 56 ohurohes woro struck, damage unknown ; 201 dwellings ami several oil tanks, factories and elevators, the damage amounting to not less than $351,000. It may be said in general that the ! risk in tho country is five times as J great as in tho city. With regard to trees tho oak is most frequently and I tiio beech least frequently struck. ' TUM DISPENSARY FINANCES. Tho ltcport ol' the Legislative Coin mittee of Investigation?The Ac OOUIP are Found All Itight. The loport of the operations of tho i State Dispensary lias been submitted to tho Governor by tho committco ap- I pointed by tho Legislature to examine its condition. This committee consists of Senator Ellrd, of Lexington, and Representatives Carroll, of York, and Thomas, of Kichland. They have thoroughly examined all the accounts, vouchers, etc., and make the following report: AS8KT8 Cash in State treasury and in bank.$ 76,638 75 Teams and wagons per in ventory ... - 700 05 Merchandise on hand at i .State dispensary pur in ventory . 02 821 57 Machinery and office fix tures per inventory 2,025 97 , Supplies, bottles, corks, etc 15,007 15 Books, stationery, etc_ 007 Oo Mirohandiee on baud in county dispensaries (State's I 40 per cent, added) ac ' cording to commission I eVs books. . $122,258 41 i.e..a 40 per cent, of un earned protlt added by State at time of ship- * ment. $84,080 08 Value of above mercban disc in bauds of dispen bets (at coat price). 87,827 48 Personal accounts due the State according to com missioner >i books.. .. ?.!M I 01 $254,821 43 LIABItilTIBS. State appropriation. .$ 00,000 CO Personal accounts duo by * tbo State on merchants purchased, according to cotnmisaioner's books 44,054 05 Net profits of State dispen sary accrued from begin ning of operations up to Fob. 1, 1805. 111,050 02 Net accrued profits for quarter ending April 80, 1805. 48,827 0? $254,821 43 Of tno net accruod profit of $48,000. bO for quarter ending April 30, 1805, $18.071.70 IB a pietit on sales for this quarter. Tbo remainder, $34,047.87 was an unearned profit on February 1, 1805, on goods unsold then in tho hands of county dispensers, but sinco that time this prolit has accrued by sale of goods. By referenco to the report of I), II. Traxler, the late commissioner, for the quarter ending J muary 31, 1805, at page four, it will be neun thai the total profits there given ie $151,205.51, as this committee explained in the report of their examinations for tho quarter ending January 31, 1805, this amount of total profits included tho earued and the unearned profits at that time. The books of the present commissioner. based upon a calculation made by the chiif bookkeeper, shows that on Janu ary 8i, the earned profits were $ili, 060.88, and that since that time $34, 047 87, of what was then unearned, has accrued and may properly now be added to the oamed profus, making tho total net protits earned upon busi ness done by Mr. Traxler, $ 140,007 Ottj Thcdillerer.ee between these llu^H Stfd"tfie nc'. profus givt n 'j^rf lcr on page \\ "?i '^L2 $151,205.51 is .f l.i;s;.slv rWWBBI tion of Mr. trailer's not profits as shown by the present cbtnmissioner's bonks is caused by the correction of various errors in the commissioner's books which occurred prior to Janua ry 31st, 1805, snd w.hich were not de tected until lifter tho present commis sioner took charge, und which the pres ent commissioner will see forth in do tail In his quarterly report. The total net profits therefore of tho State dispensary from the beginning of the op-ration up to April 30th, 1806 is as follows : Accrued from business done by Mr. Trnxlei . . . $140,007 00 Accrued from business done by Colonel Mixson during quarter ending April 30th, 1805 . 13,070 70 Total.$100,287 48 From the profit and loss account upon the commissioner's general ledger, we lind that a statement of ilie gains from the income uccouuts is as follows : Gross gains on nu rchandisc ?sold during quarter ending Ayril 80th, 1805.$ 03,303 53 Gains on oontiabaud liq'r. 8,450 50 Discounts allowed. 5,020 42 Total.$100,040 45 And that the losses made up from the various expense accounts are as follows: Supplies- bottles, corks, etc.$ 23,003 51 Constabulary. 12,174 00 Freight and cartage. 13,335 40 Statiouery,coal,po8tagc,sal aries, etc. 2,884 04 Labor. 4,708 38 Insurance. 311 75 Breakage and leakage ..... 830 20 Total.$ 52,23? 08 Gains on salaries for quarter ending April 30, 1805, to-wit: Accrued protits $13,070 70 Unearnend p'fta 84,080 08 $48,010 77 Total.$100,810 46 The $13,078 7 0 is the amount ol ac crued proiits: the $34,080 08 is the un earned profit on goods remaining un sold in hands of cottntv dispensers at the end of the quarter. These statements according to the entries of the commissioner's books are correct. The commissioner's statement of cash received and disbursed during tlie | quarter is as follows: Feb. 1?Traxler'a balance.$? 45,648 40 Feb. 28?Feb. receipts_ 08,285 16 Mar. 31- Mar. receipts_ 04,404 00 April 30?April receipts.. 71,010 08 Total.$240,314 47 DISnU K8BMBMT8. Feb. disbursements.$ 40,281 14 March disbursements .... 74,045 70 April disbursements. 50,513 82 Kdance m State treas ury on A pi 30.$00,872 55 Balance in bank on April 80..$14,651 20 $ 75,524 75 Totai $240,312 75 The state treasurer informs us that on April 20th, he had to the credit of the state dispensary $01,784 88. ?The old'Astor residence which is being torn down to make way for John Jacob's big hotel, was erected in IH5I for William Astor. This bloc* takes up on Fifth avenue 100 feet and on Thirty-fourth street 175 feet, in I addition to this seven additional house.-, inumbering from 2 to i4 Incluslvo, uro being torn down, making the total frontage on the avenue 100 feet and on Thirty-fourth street 350 foot. ?Thu Chinese knew of and used eoid in the 13th century. Tho earliest roforence to coal in Belgium is in 1108, when a blacksmith at Liege is said to have lirst used it for fuel. Paris received its lirst coal from New castle in 1020. in Scotland coal was worked as early as the 12th century. ?"How does Miss Bli/.z.ly like you V" Bald one young man. " Not very woll, , I'm afraid." "She hasn't l>oon rudo to I yOU, has HQO ?" " No. But whenever I I call sho gets hor little brother to I recite 'Little Diops of Water,' and \ then plays ' Home SwootHomo,'on tho piano." MUS. CLAU l MOKI>HCAI. Inioio<liiiic Incidents In tlie Idle of u Nnble Won.an Krculled. New Orleans Times-DeillOOraU The recent death, in Nowjfork, of Mrs. Clura Mordecai ? I 'Hm^ this earthly sc? ?c^^B|H of ruro charity und deep i ? 11;: i >us cou vietions. Her immediate ancestry ex tends back to tho early settlors of South Caroliim, ami she was a lineal descouduut of a liueold lOnglibh family which settled in that State prior to the Revolution. After locating in Charleston, her parents romovod to what is now known as Columbia, the State capital, which city her father assisted m laying out, and which was the birth-place, of the subject of this sketch. Uur death recalls to memory many stirring incidents lonnocted with the great civil war, and the immense wealth of her husband enabled her to develop that broad charity that so ful ly possessed her in relieving tho many bitter necessitiesol her myriad friends, who to this day recall her many good deeds and uoble benefactions, in con sequence of the seige of Charleston, in which city too family resided at the beginning of the war, and tho danger of its capture by the Federal army, tho family rofugeed to Columbia, and it was in tho latter city, during its oc uunation and destruction by Con. Sher man, that several not a hie instances occurred. Mrs. Mordocai's husbaud, the late Benjamin Mordecai, was ono of the leading spirits of the secession movement in South Carolina, and it was on account of his prominence in thisuct of the convention, and in other pro minent . events, that his beautiful family resilience in Columbia was among the first to be burned by eher man's army, prior to the destruction of the whole city. The family had, however, abandoned it a few days prior to its destruction. Mr. Mordeoj escaping from the city in con with tho Uovernor of tho Stat? er [Touted w o~oT^WW^|^BMIH^^(Prri 11 ? i , knowing- tho GenorjU intimately, feit Oertain thut Columbia would not ho destroyed, it was ut bot' earnest solici tation that Mr. Mordeeai's collection of silver, whloh was known to be the linest in tlie Stute, together with price less family relics, was placed in the COO von t for safe, keeping. When (Jon. Sherman entered the city be at once culled upon the mother superior, and in the presence of the deceased Mrs. Mordecai's mother, assured her thut Columbia was as safe in his hands as in those of tho mayor, and further in formed her thut if she so desired, he would send a military guard to protect the building. The propisltion was gladly accepted, it is needless to state, but the very guard that was sent broke into the building the lirst night, and after pillaging it thoroughly of all its valuable contents, destroyed it by lire. The valuable, silver of the .Mordoeai family was thrown into the street, and piece by piece, distributed among the soldiers. An interesting incident con UOCted with this event may hero be recorded, viz: During the lirst admin istration of President Cleveland, tho Hon. Daniel Manning. Secretary of tho Treasury, discovered among the archives of the Treasury department a silver pltchc: that had been there since the. close of the war, having been deposited originally by a Federal oflioer. It proved to be one of the pieces of the Mordecai family silver carried UWUJ al the tune Columbia was burned and the convent looted, the family inscription being plainly en gravi d upon it. Mr. Manning ordered it returned to the family. It is said that the oldest and linest stock of wines to be found in the South was in the cellars of the Mordecai faimiy, and it is a well-known fact that they were not less than seventy years ol age. These lino wines wore generously distributed by Mrs. Clara Mordecai and her husband to the sick anil wounded Confederate soldiers in the hospitals at Columbia, a graceful and philanthropic act. truly. At the close of the war Mrs. Mordecai. ac companied by her husband and family, succeeded in making their escape into Canada in wagons, most of the entire journey being made in this manner. There they remained until Mr. Mor decai was pardoned by I'vesident An drew .Johnson. This venerable couple celebrated the anniversary of their golden wedding in New York a few years since. Mr. Benjamin Mordecai died just two yeaiH ago. Mrs. Mor decai leaves seven children, sons and daughters, to mourn the loss of a devoted, loving mother, besides many grand ami great-grand-eh i Id ten. Two oi her sons. Mr. Henry Mordecai and L. A. Mordecai, aro residents of this city. Full of years and loving mum.u'ics. mourned by many loving hearts thus parses to a well-merited reward a noble co ll, a devoted mother and one wiio went about doing good. Surely tlx? world is better by reason of her having lived, for its records have been enriched by her splendid example. The Mississispi has over a dozen native names, designators being given at different points in its course. The Algonguins called It the Mocho S.tbe4 other tribas termed it Chuoagua, Miro, Turaalascn, Tapaln lilt ami other names, The Alonquiii name was linally adopted by the whites for tie whole river. The inclining is " Katht r of Waters." ? A man svill conns d bis wife to bo patient and avoid a neighborhood row when the neighbor slaps ono of her children, but ho won't listen to any talk about patience if a neighbor kicks his dog. ? Kinincnt medical authority de clares that the people least liable to take colds are those, who keep their mouths closed, unless when they at e alking, 0 iting or drinking. ?A Boston man was advised to take exercise on a bicycle in order to re duce his weight, lie tried it for s??von days and found that bis avordtipois bad increased two pounds. ?VVhoo some people go t> church tlicy always think thu proachor is shouting straight at the pooplo in tl.o noxt pow. ?The, observatory at I'okin is tho oldest in tho world, having boon found ed in 127!? by Kulba Khan, tho lirst emperor of tho Mogual dynasty. Corals are not found within tl.o range of rivers Mowing into the 0:080, as fresh wator is fatal. - Prance still possesses four Watorlco veterans, liireo of them being centena rians ?As a rule a man's hair turns gray ? 11 vo years sooner than a woman's. I ?The annual consumption of salt in i Europe is estimated at 0,02?,000 tons.