Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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BENATOR TILLM?H AT TIBZAH. WHAT UK HAID TOTHK AIXIANOK MEN IN YOKK. Tho Cloak of National Democracy Thrown A*ltle?Qovernor liivami oh tho Coiiatltutional Convention. Benjamin R. Tillman made hia first Appearance on the hustings nine years ago at Tirzbb, in York County, and tho Keforui movement there had its origin. 1 lo spoke thore agala on last Thursday at an Alliance plo-nio, and openly de clared his purpose to throw oh* allegi ance to tho National Democracy if the South and Wcet will join in the forma tion of a new party pledged to dllver. Senator Mariou Butler, of North Caro lika, first addressed the meeting in a long and vigorous speech. He main tained that Congressmen were tnlsrop resontatlves of the people ; that they had covered tho tiuauuiai queoiiou; that the people had risen iu revolt; that a big crop of millionaires hud grown from tho present fiattuoiul tvn tem; that the ourrenoy quoBtion hud become so s nous that the time had come for the masses to form tneir new party and light; that the prcbont load ers were traitors; that tho lureigu financial policy waa revolting; that too time had uuddu to olioooo between ullo gianoe to party aud allegiance to iho Constitution; that Cleveland bad acted us a faithless overseer to tho peopled farm; that party labels should ho wiped out; that ho waa a PopuliBt be caubo he wan a Democrat. Then hu exclaimed dramatically, ' Would to God we could call up Andrew Jackson today from hia grave to load these peo ple against tho same eneuiiob that ho fought and thought he bud oruulioo, to hurl defiance at and crudh tho gold bugs." He went on to say that wo had to-day tho English on our shores aa thou and we had tho Tories here lighting with them. Now that we have all those dangers hero aa in hia time wo need an ?Vudruw Jackson to lead tbo people agalnbt this tri-houdod monster Which will destroy American prospjrity und American liberty. " I did not have the privilogo of liv ing iu .luckson's timo, but when 1 suw your distinguished Senator hero (Till man) stund up at Memphis, and noted the Hash of his eye, the set of his countenance and tho ring of hie voice as he declurod for liberty, first, last aud all the time, I suid to myself: 'Hero wo'vo got unotiier Andrew Jackson who will stand agaiiibt tho Tories and drive them out.'" Senator Tillman made tho closing speech of tiio day. After some prelimi nary romarks he spoke aa follows : ' " When 1 received the invitation to spouk at Tirzah my mind travelled back to 1880. Capt. Tillman, who had been raising some rumpus in tho News and Courior with his pen, was invited to York." The Senator then indulged in a littlo fun at his own expense and rolerred to tho old Tirzah, whoro he made his lirst extemporaneous spooch nine yours ago. "Iliad been tongue-tied previous to that, but tho people of York clipped it, and my tongue has been wagging ovor since." He was glad to bo on hand today. He thought thoy liked him, because he had always tried to tell them the truth. This was what he war.tud to do now. This was an Alliance meeting. The Alliance was not so strong in numbers as heretofore, but as an edu cative force its principles wore strong er than ever. He felt proud that tho Alliance was the organization through which our principlesof reform had been advanced. Why are you so poor? Ho said that Senator Hutlor told a truth when ho said fifty votere in one party are cutting fifty others' votes in u dif ferent party. " Look at your condition. Although the United States has produeod un exampled crops for many years, thoro aro millions of our peop e starving, and other millions naked. We will always be Democratic In principle, booause we suoked those,principles, with our mothers' milk, bat we cannot continue to wear the livery of a party in whloh SUOh debauchery and treachery exist. "When you look buck at the repeal of tho Sherman law you find that the Republicans and Democrats of tho Northern section voted without rogurd H) party lines. Tuey buy your Con HresBmen up there at Washington like Bou buy sheep. They also controlled. ?he nomination for President, in both ?parties.,: ? It did not matter whether Harrison lor Cleveland was olected. Tho Repub licans had been trying for years to I demonetize silver and could not Jo it. f The change of tho government from one party to anothor enabled Clove land, by the use of the patronage, to demonetize silver. The greedy Demo crats who had pledged the pooplo to fight for silver, Bold thoir votes for olllc.es for their friends or for money, I don't know which, and tho conspir acy was consumod. The Democratic platform was good enough tobe oleotod on, but not worth carrying out. Tho result has been that our yardstick which measures values has been cut in half, with tho otToct of doubling the rurohasing power of the gold dollar, t takes now twico as much of labor, or the products of labor, to buy a dol lar. Everything has shrunk in value except debts. To all intents and pur pose they havo been doubled. J will illustrate. If a man bad ten biscuits and there were two plates of butter, one white and one yellow, and you throw away tho white (silver), thore is only half as much butter to the bls cult as there was before. The shrink age in the amount of butter roprcsents the shrinkage of tho price of commodi ties, and until we make them bring back that other plato of butter all the producers of this country will have to spread it vc ry thin, and a great many will have neither bread nor but ter. It is dear that both old parties aro disintegrating and a now alignment is in process of formation. Party ties are weakened. Like drowning men who oatoh at btraws, the people are casting about for means of relief. .-The issue has heretofore obscured or side tracked, but in the uext Presldontial campaign the only question will be the financial quostion. A now Mason & Dlxon's line is forming on the one side with tho Northeastern section, consisting of tho creditor and manu facturing States. On the other side will be a Solid South allied with a praoticaily Solid West. An examination of the census reports will indicate tho enormous inoroase in i the wealth of the Now England and Middle States, as compared with tho rest of the country, and even a fool must know that it is the result of legal rot'hery and unjust discrimination by Coi ,;ress. D -mooracy is a dear name to us, but we no longer havo the substance?we have only the shadow. Aesop's fable of the dog and the shadow will illus trate the situation and show the condi tion of those of us who cling to the name, whilst wo can't get the sub stance. We had a very small bone undor the Sherman act. We snapped at the shadow of a groat relief promised in the Chicago platform and the restora tion of tho Democracy to power, and I wo have lost the little bone we had and got nothing*. At Memphis I undertook to repre sent the people of South Carolina and told the frienda of silver that if we could not get a man whom we could trust in the Democratic party on a platform that was unequivocal and ex plicit, we would cast our electoral vote for the candidate of some other party. '?(Did I represent you ?" (One or two "Noes" and a chorus of "Yes" were heard.) * Well, I'll take a hand primary on lt. I don't want you to declare your selves Populists. I ask all of you who are willing to vote for a man for Presi dent, pledged to free silver, whether he be a Democrat or not, to hold up your bunds. (There was a forest of open palms in the air in a moment, only one man, Mr. Hull, voting in the negative amid derisive ories.) " Now, gentlemen, he's not to blame ?he's only blind. I respect and ad mire men who disagree with me, but who have the manhood to stand by their convictions. " We are all white mon. but for God's sake, for South Carolina's sake, never let it bo said that tbo white men appealed to the negro to arbitrate their differences. I am no Populist. Tho Domocratio party in tho North west*has been practically disbanded in tea or twelve States. What hope have we of oleoting a Democratic President*. What sort of a hope have we for gen uino Democracy to win in the next f'enoral election ? The result of the ast election indicates that the Repub licans have strong hopos of electing the next President and thero aro many men in the South who think it a good timo to join that party in tho hope of getting olflce. I have boon looking for somo now converts to that party in this State, but so far none have an nounced themsolves. Cat we stand four more yoars of this sort of thing, boys ? Well wo have stood so much of it that 1 don't believe you oau starve us. Nothing can do that, but my God, it is so awfully tiresome. " While the South is praotically solid for silver our condition of finan cial slavery is almogt intolerable. We must endure, our suffering until the hand of American brotherhood is readied out to us by tho Northwestern farmers, and they cry aloud in their distress, 'Como, help us.' The only hope is to ally the South and West to gether against too North and East, but don't let us imposo tho condition on those sacking the alliunco that we fO as Democrats alone Those people espise that name. That hatred is .an inheritance of tho wai"?just as we hate the namo Ropublicun. Those States eontain a larger poroontage of Union soldiers than any others, be cause they moved there just after the war to got soldiers' homesteads and they have been accustomed to connect tho word Democrat and Copporheud together just as wo connoct Republi can and negro together. Those poople uro now boing ground to powder be tween tho upper and nether mill stones. Why not both sides givo up party names aud meet halfway? If your house is burning down, will you stay in it bocauso it is labeled Demo cratic. We can't take tho namo of I'opulists because they have too many 'isms'and radical ideas, andthoy have pandered too much to socialism. They call me an anarchist?a right bran new one?but I cannot stand many things in the Populist platform. Why, in God's name, stay here und go down with the hull ol tho old rotton Demo cratic ship? At Mt mphis I tread on some Democratic .oes. But on the other hand you should hu've hoard the wild hurrahs of those who agreod with me. It was like a Tillmaulte cam paign mooting in 1800. Now they talk about a ring. Yes, its a haud's-all round ring of 110,000 Reform Democrat ic voters?and 1 am proud to belong to it. "I cannot sec how any man can stand by the Democracy when it is con trolled by such truitors as Cleveland and Carlisle. I say to you now?when the tlmo comes wo can deliver the electoral vote. I bolievo. I know we can do it. (Applause.) The only test heretofore in this State, of Democracy, has been white supremacy. The only obstacle to the union of the friends of silver is tho loavos and fishes of the local offices. The desire to control these has moro to do with tho contin nation of tho existing parties than the , principles of those, parties. The local machines in each State are tho greatest barriers to tho formation of a new national U< anclal party. Tho Ameri can people should narrow down their local politics and come together. For myself, I am so disgusted that I am ready to throw up tho namo and givo . Up tho party. Wo must join the people . of tho Northwest. Tbo friends of , silver aro in tbo majority?45,000,000 out of the 70,0000,000 la this republic? , but they are hold down. All they want is tho opportunity to got together. Shall we let this matter of namo koop us apart ?" Senator TUlman then referred to the buying up of tho metropolitan news papers and news agencies by tho gold bugs. " Their cry," said Tillman, "is that tho silver cra/.e is dying out. Thero was never a more brazen false hood. There is no silver cra/.e to begin with. Our poople are not fools, and thoy are only striving with the intensi ty of despair to release our govern ment from the grasp of tho octopus to prevont the torlos from soiling us into bondages to tho British goldbugs. They understand the issue perfectly, as will bo proven when tho tlmo comes to vote. I think 1 can safely say tho South is solid for financial relict". When we moot the Northwestern peo ple we must be ready to go ahead and organize tho now party. Dot the name bo what it will. Dot us dotermlno here now that wo will get together, and that the goldbugs will boo how little roliancels to be placed on the cry that the silver craze is dying." * Senator Tillman spoke forty minutes and was frequently applauded. EVAN8 ,?N THE CONVENTION. Governor Evans spoke on tho con stitutional convention, and throw much light on 8chomos horotoforo and under a bushel. He advocated the Missis sippi plan, with modifications, for the regulation of tho suffrage. He disouss ed the scheme at length?the taking of the two-mill tax out of the constitu tion and putting it in the hands of the people, leaving in tho constitution a requirement that tho Legislature shall provide a systom of free common schools, tho taxpayer designating to which school his tax shall go ; that the constitution provide that the Legisla ture have power to create corporations under general laws, relieving that body of special corporation privilege bills, that provision be made to allow the Legislature to deal with the liquor question as It deems best; that the State bo divided Into smaller counties for tho convonlenoo of the people and saving of expenses; that tee judiciary be reconstructed so as to secure tho will of the people; that the trial justice system be abolished, and that the offices of Adjutant General and Superintendent of Education be abolished. TlIiLMAN'S 8UFFRAOE PLAN. A Fall Hypl-unit ion of His Scheme for the Regulation of the Suffrage. Senator Tillman has frequently inti mated that ho had a plan for the regulation of the auff rage, which would not disfranchise white men, and at the same time would restrict the voting on the part of the negroes so as to give assurance of white supremacy". At a campaign meeting held a few days ago at Hunter's Chapel, In Barn well county, Senator Tillman made an addresB to the crowd of six hundred people, In which he disclosed the scheme devised by him, and which Is reported as follows by a correspondent of the State: The meeting was one of the Barn well County campaign meetings, and during the forenoon speeches were mad / the candidates in the county for diegatos to the constitutional convention. There were about 000 gersona present, nearly all of them eing Reformers and about seventy-five being ladles. An exoellent dinner was served, after which Governor Evans spoke, and then Senator Tillman faced the crowd. He came out squarely and gave the scheme for the regulation of the suf frage, making reference to his remark at Ridgeway when advocating the calling of tbe constitutional convention in which ho asked the people to trust him and vote for the convention. He stated too that in the spring after the Forty conference he hud served notice on all opposed to the Mississippi plan to got ready for'the near future. Then he fully disclosed the scheme as fol lows : "I have given a great dea' of thougnt to this matter. The 15th amendment is an Insuperable bar to a pormanont and lasting arrangement. Any so ho mo that may be adopted can only be temporary and will be largely dependent on white unity, as it is upon the administration of the law rather than in its language wo must rely. This has been the case w th tho regis tration law und tho eight box law. As long us ' no discrimination on ac count or color' can be mado, evon an educatiouul qualification pure and simple would only serve its purpose of disfranchising tho negro while he re mains ignorant. How can we dis franchise illiterate negroes without at the same timo taking the right of suf frage from the same class of white men ? It is easy enough and cannot be culled a fraudulent system. Tho Mississippi constitution provldos that every voter must bo registered and that tho applicant for registration must bo able to read a clause in the constitution or bo able to understand and explain it whon road to him. The right to judgo of the latter res?s with the supervisor of registration. if the applicant can read he must bo registered aud therefore be allowed to vote. " If he cannot, it is easy to see that tho nogro could not understand, while the whito mau would. This is natural us the whites are the more intelligent race. Couplo a provision forbidding registration after conviction for crime, and require tho applicant to bo also possessed of a good moral character and you ean soo how many thousands of negroes will bo disfranchised with out fraud or without infringing on the 15th amendment to the United States Constitution. Should we ever have a government that would appoint regis tration otlicors who wanted1 to onroll tho negroes as voters this scheme would not work. But thero Is a differ ence between having it in the constitu tion and doponding un the eight box and registration laws. A defeated minority of whito mon could never obtain control of tho government by obtaining a whito majority first aud it would then have no need of the negro. *' Another safeguard would be to provide that no illiterate person fail ing of the necessary requirements for registration would bo eligible after tho first, oloction, and that after live years tho requirements for registration bo tho ability to read and write pure and simple. This would aot as a spur to mon of both racos to tit themselves for tho suffrago and would not per petuate the confossodly obnoxious but necessary provision of trusting to the judgment of tho supervisor. Tho charge that such a system would per petuate dishonest olec^ionsis false. ' Continuing Senator Tillman said : " If this scheme is not adopted, then, so far as I can soe, thero is nothing else to do but have qualified woman's suffrage and hide behind petticoats. I am perfeotly willing to give the women of South Carolina tho right to vote whon thoy ask for it, but I don't believe thoy want It, and until thoy do ask for it, I prefer tho other plan." Tho above are Senator Tillmau's ex act words, und thoy protty fully cover tho all Important matter. It may be added that this being the scheme the inaugurator of tho Reform movement advocates, it will bo almost certain to be adopted. NO STATE FAIR THIS YEAR. i lie Railroads Blamed For tho Mis fortune?Atlanta's Ureaier Attrac tion Will bo In Full Blaut Fair Week. Special to the News and Courier. Tho prospects arc that thoro will bo no State Fair hold this fall, and tho railroads are to blame for it. For the pr st two years efforts have boon made to get them to give the rate formorly in force, that is one cent a mile for passengers and haul exhibits free. Under that arrangement they usod to haul about forty oars of freight, but at the samo time thoy brought to Colum bia between 15,000 and 20,000 visitors. The roads now charge one full first class fare for the round trip on both freight and passengers, and undor this arrangement business has steadily fallen off. Instead of hauling long trains full of passongors for the paut two years thoy havo hauled trains with nobody in tbem. On the face of it this looks like a short-sighted policy, and the railroad officials have never given a satisfactory explanation of it. Last year when tho affairs of tho Agricultural aad Mechanical Associa tion were shown to bo in a bad condi tion a committee, consisting of tbo bank presidents of the city, was ap pointed to get up some sohemo " to raise, the wind." That committee ap plied to the city council for aid, but none has been forthcoming. Council appropriated $2,000 last year to aid the Fair, and. it is evidently the opinion of the majority that it is no use to be for ever helping it out when the railroads practically knock the whole thing in the head. The commlttoo of bankers have privately announced that they will not try to obtain aubsoriptlons any further as it would be useless to at tempt to have a Fair under theoireura stances. Col. D'Archy P, Bunoan has written to Mr. Culp, of the Southern Railway, about tho matter of rates, but he states that tho outlook for obtaining hotter terms is not bright. The At lanta Exposition will be In full blast during the timo tho Fair would be held, and as that enterprise has a rate of one cent a mile it would be oheaper for a irun in some parts of South Caro lina to go to Atlanta rather than to Co lumbia, although this olty would be nearer hla home. The official announcement of the dis solution of the Fair has not been mado, but It will be very soon. The discon tinuance of it wlU be a great loss to the society in more ways than one. The buildings and grounds now used by tho society wore given it by the olty of Columbia, with the provision that should a Fair not be held the property would revert to the olty. Everybody in Columbia, as well as in the State, will hopo that some way may be found out of the wilderness, but the road is a long, rocky and stumpy one from all appearances. still fighting for the fair. The Columbia State gives the fol lowing information as to the State Fair: There hau recently been much talk in regard to the matter of holding the State Fair this year, and it has been stated by several that no fair would be held. This does not, however, seem to be the case. There is very* little doubt that the fair will be held, but tbe indi cations are that for once tho oxhibitors will have to make their exhibits from a patrlotlo rather than a financial standpoint, and tho people of South Carolina may bo i;eliod On to do that for once. Secretary Holloway has arrived in the city to look after tho interests of tho coming fair. When Col. Holloway was seen, he had this to eay, giving also an explanatory lettor wnicti will bo found below : *' It was hoped that the city of Co lumbia would have come to the aid of the society to enable it to hold a successful fair next November, but tho informs tlon contained in tho lottor from Dr. Talley sots at rest tho possibility of holding a fair, offering the usual prem iums." The letter referred to by Col. Hol loway reads as follows: Columbia, S. C, July 0, 1895. Col Tnos. J. Moore : Dear Sir : As ohairman of the com mittee appointed by tbe Slate Agri cultural and Mechanical Society to solicit aid from the citizens of Co lumbia to defray the expenses of the next fair, I am instructed to report tbat tho matt or was submitted to a meeting of the citizens special ly called for that purpose, and that a committoo consisting of Messrs. Clark, Haskoll and Desi'ort.es, were appointed to present the subject to the city council. The committee so appointed appeared before council and mado applications for tho sum of $2,500. The question of tho right of council to make the appro priation was submitted to tho city at torney and upon an advorse opinion by that officer, tho council declined to tako action lu the matter. With groat regrot your committoo aro constrained to report that, not withstanding their most stronuous ef forts to further tho wishes und inter ests of the socioty, their endeavors to procure tho necessary contribution havo not boon successful, and tboy asked to be discharged. A. N. Tally, Chairman Committee. Col. Holloway In spoaking further about the fair said: "Tho summer mooting of the society will bo held in the city of Columbia on Wednesday, August 7, at 10 a. m., at which time tbe matter of holding the next fair will be duly considered, and until then nothiug definite cau bo known. "The refusal of tho railroads to al low the rates of passage charged prior to 1893, is tho case of tho present, em barrassment of tho socioty. For sev eral years prior to 1893, tho average of the coupons for that period amounted to $5,015. After tbe increase of ratos for the two years of 1893 and '95, the railroad receipts amounted to $1,400 only. _ _ _ POLITICAL GOSSIP. Senatoi- Irby Slated for Chief Justice ?Governor Evans for the Senate and Jotin Gary Watts for Governor. The Laurens correspondent of tho Atlanta Constitution indulges in tho following speculations to future politi cal events in South Carolina : The political slate In South Carolina, as is very natural, has two sides to it. On one has boon written in a plain, bold hand the alleged issues before tho con stitutional convontion and the people at large, while on tho other there is u faint, illegible tracing in cipher, known only by thoso who aro in charge of tho machinery of tho government. Tho cipher side has so far fallen under the eyes of thoso who are sup posed to be loyal to the Reform move ment, but oven Senator lrby, who is regarded as the vigilant custodian, has failed to keep tho myster'ous side u complete secret. A man who is well known in tho up por part of tho State and is every where respected for his integrity, in formed tho writer as to tho chiof ob ject of the constitutional convontion. Tho supposed main issuos which havo boon thrown out as food for thought for the p oplo now appear as mero colla teral incidents. In the first place, the king motive back of the constitutional convention movement is said to bo tbe speedy abolition of tho present Supreme Court and the adoption of tho appellate court In its stead. As long us Chief Justice Mol ver rules against tho constitution ality of tho Reform laws thero oan be no hopo on tho part of the Irby faction for absolute peace. Tho Reformers recognize tho necessity for tho organi zation of a judiciary which is in per fect accord with the legislative branch. Molvor must go, and then tho camp will bo cleared of non-sy m path Izers, In addition to the restoration of tho old appellate court, which was in ex istence in this Stato before tho war, there is to be an inoreaso on the cir cuit bench of six judgoa, all of whom shall bo olected for life or good be havior Instead of for a term of years. Senator Irby, according t > this infor mation, will preside over the entire, judiciary of South Carolina as chief justice. Governor John Gary Evans will fall heir to the place now occuplod by Sen ator Irby, and John Gary Watts will hold tho Govornor's ohair until a hot ter man comes and takes it. ? The Charleston Nows and Courlor says that Maj. J. L. Coker. of Harts viilo,* Darlington County, is thinking of eatahlishlng a wholesale papor house In Charleston. He has a pulp mill in Darlingtou and has long manu factured an excellent quality of manllla paper. Mr. Coker has many friends In Charleston who would warmly welcome him and his proposed enter prise to the city. His proposition to establish a wholesale paper house in the olty is favorably considered by the loading moi chants and business men, ail of whom hope that he will oarry his , design into effect. ?A oherry tree In Guilford, Mo , has acquit od considerable notoriety hy ! h.-uring ripe fruit on one side and blossoming on the other at the same time. ?"Did you go to ohuroh yesterday?" No, "but I did the same thing. I took a nap. TUR WEATHER AN? CROPS. Good Rains Needed Over the State Hut Weather and Light Showsers? Great Improvement tn Ck>ttun. The following is the report of the weather bureau fur .the week ending July 23d instant. Correspondents, as a rule, report that the condition of all the orups con tinues satisfactory, but there are many exceptions from all parts of tbe State. Good rain is the inchoated need for a great portion of the State as it was the case last week, only* the need for rain has become more urgent, for two reas ons, because in some portions of tho State very little or no rain fell during the past week, and because it was a very hot week with less than the usual amount of cloudiness to prevent the ground from drying quickly even where the rainfall was heaviest. The reports indicate that in Wllliamsburg and Union counties tho droughty con ditions are most severe and there oorn is firing badly. In portions of Aiken, Anderson. Piokens, Greenvillo and Barnwell thero has beon considerably loss than tbe usual amount of ruin since tho crop season began; in fact, with the possible exceptions of Nowborry, Rlehland and Fair field, whoro there has been plenty of rain, it appears that in evory county there aro largo tracts where the summer's rainfall has beon bolow> the usual amount, and in such sections the crops aro poorest, being slightly under an averago condition, othorwiso thoy are above an average. There was a hail storm in tho ex trome western portions of tho State and in ChesterQold on tho 15th, doing but llttlo damage ; it was accompanied by a high wind in piacos that blow down trees, stripped the groou fruit from tho trees, iovoled corn and cot ton, fences, etc. Tho wind did mate rial injury over limited ureas only. On tho samo date there woro heavy rains in Newborry, Kich land. Fair field and portions of Lexington coun ties that did more or loss injury by washing lands, ove'rllowiug creek bot toms, eto. Tue winds were generally fiom the south, southwest aud west?very hot and drying. There was more than tho usual amount of sunshine except on the immediate coast, where it was about normal. Tho temperature was very even dur ing tho entire wook, with maxima ranging from 88 to 1U2, and minima from (18 to 78 (exception noted). Tho lowost maxima and lowest minima occurred along tho coast, aid tho greatest range in the iutorior, so that tho daily mean temperature differed but little in tho different portions of tho Stato. Tho highest temperature reported was 102 on the 17th at GlUisonvllle J lowost was 02 on the 17th ut Butesburg. Tho moan temperature of tho week for tho Stato was about 82. and the normal for tho same period is approx imately 82. Tho rain of tho 15th was the heaviest and most gonoral for a week past. On the 20th (Saturday) and 21st (Sunday) there woro light local showers in vari ous parts of tho State, but they were for the most insufficient for the grow ing crops. Of tho 37 stutions reporting rain during tho past week, 31 report less than the usual amount aud 0 more. Tho average of the 37 stations, includ ing the rain of tbe 15th is 1.01 inches, and tho normal for the same period is approximately 1.30 inches. As indicated abovo the general con dition of the orops in this State is no longer as uniformly good as heretofore, oxcopt that cotton has made great im provement everywhere, tho weather having beon just right for it. In places it is turning slightly yeilow, and iu u few piacos growing too much to weed. In some, localities it continues small, und iu others has attained aseusonuble growth, but everywhere it is fruiting well with vory little shodding. Lice have entirely disappeared. Bust has formed on sandy land in a few places, othorwiso the crop is clean und free from posts. It is boing, or has born laid by gonorally. In the eastern portions of tho Stato and whoro rains woro sufficient tho oarly corn crop is safo and is a tine one ; westward and whore tho rains were wanting it is in a critical stago, but its yet looks promising. Bottom land corn is looking line everywhere and is being laid by gonorally. The present prospect is that tho entire corn crop will bo an extra lnrgo one this year, only a small portion of which is already mado. Tho pea crop has improved and a good stand has boon attained in most place.-. Some being sown even now. In places pods aro large enough for picking. Swoet potato slips aro doing well, but tho crop still promises to bo less than an avorago one owing to tho reduced acreage. Second crop of Irish potutocs is being plantod. Cutting and curing tobacco is the Order of work in Williamsburg. Flor ence, Darlington, and to a loss extent in a few other counties. Tho entire crop is said to bu a lino one of superior quality. Gonoral preparations are being made for planting fall vegetables. Some turuip? being sow u and a large ucr< age Indicated, Fruit continues plentiful generally, but in Florence county is said to he scarce. Apples appear gonorally to be inferior and unsound. Tho second crop of figs promises to be a lurge one in the eastern portion of tho Stute. Largo shipments of wutor und musk molons wore mado to Northern and Westorn markets, nevertheless the meal markets aro glutted aud prices very low. Gardons uro practically ruined over a largo part of tho Stato, as the weath er has been too hot and dry for them, yot lino okra and tomatoes are in abun dance. Gorman millet is growing well, and so uro sorghum cune, rico, peanuts and pastures. Tho prospects, In gonoral, aro very encouraging at this tho mid-summer season, when noarly all crops havo been laid by and aro entering tbolr third or last stage which omh with fructesconco. THE SOUTHERN RAILWAY. Tho President of the Company Out lines the Policy of this Great | System. A few days ago there wus made Subllc In Now York a letter from amuol Spencer, president of tho Southern Hallway Company, which was addressed to tho Chamber of Coin- j morco in Macon, Ga., in response to a letter from that body. The Chamber Of Commorco in its letter oxptost>od j apprehension at tho extensive comb I nations of tho Soutliorn Hallway Com pany, and 'sought to havo an intlma tlon of the company's policy especially I la regard to tho olty of Macon. Mr. Spencer's reply Includes tho fol lowing : " I see no legitimate ground for apprehension upon the part of tho people of Macon on account of what you term the combinations of our com pauy and its control of the traffio of the principe) linos entering and cen tering in Macon, and I assure you that you aro entirely right in assuming that tho Southern Railway recognizes j the importance of Macon as u distri buting centre. "Whatever may bo th^ result of the i reorganization of tbe Coc /ral Railroad Company there is no intention that I the property shall be operated as a portion of tho Southern Railway system. As regards the Georgia, Southern and Florida the Southern Railway Company and its frionds con trol not all, but a majority, of tho securities. Under these conditions the property should bo mauaged as a sep arate corporation iu order .that tho minority in this shall havo fair and equitable treatment and accounting, and thoro is no purpose on our part, even, if wo possessed the powor, to dopart from this, tho only proper policy. "It is not intended to make or even to endeavor to make either of thoso rouds an exclusive connection of tho Southern Railway system. It is tho policy of tho Southern Railway Com pany to strengthen all Its lines and in every reasonable way to foster tho growth of local interests within tho territory It serves rather than to try to force all traffic into particular channels. This does not moan that it proposes to assumo tho burdon and responsibility or guaruntoo the suc cess of ill conceived or badly managed enterprises. " We aro fully mindful of the impor taneo of tho location of the olllees and .-hops in your city. I assure you, how over, that, if in tiho course of business, tho necessity for any change arise thereshall boas little disturbance'as possible in Macon of such local organi zations as you refer to. "As regards consolidation permit mo to say a word. Consolidation if in part the legitimate and inovituble result of reckless and speculative con struction of needless railways through out the South, and hopoless struggle to maintain them when built. You and your fellow citizens are well aware of the widespread ruin aid bankruptcy which came Ut>on the railroad interests ? 'f 'i oruia. iu robpi et to tue oon*o i dation which followed it might bo > o i to uuu what else, if anything, was possible under tue oiroumstances V Experience shows, not only in Georgia hut elsuwbore, that as a rule there are but two alternatives fur railroad pro perties . under such conditions. It must either bo consolidated to be operated more cheaply, or they must oo left to starve separately. " As regards tho policy of the Southern Railway Company 1 call your attention to the fuel that it has not resulted in the increase of salaries at any point, hut has resulted in hotter road hod and equipment, improved sorvice ami greater uafoty to the public. The purpose is to secure, if possible, by a building up process an aggregate volume of traffic necessary to enable it to meet its obligations to its security holders, who have suffered enormous losses, aud to the public which is constantly demanding bettor sorvice at a constantly diminishing price. To do this it must keep its prop erties iu a constantly improved con dition, and all it asks as a means to this end is uniform and reasonable rates and the discontinuance of what much legislation seeks,, hut fails, to prevent, namely, secret rate cutting and discrimination." IT WORKED BOTH WAYS. Forged His Way into Prison and Then Out Again. Sent to the penitentiary for forgery ? pardoned through forgery. Such is the story that comes from Tennessee. It is no uncommon occurrence for men to he sent to the penitonlury for forgery. One can hardly glance over an issuO of any of the metropolitan newspapers without finding stich an instance, for a man to forgo his way into tho penitentiary and forgo it out again is no common case. Tho coin cidences of real >life are often more strange than those of (lotion. Such is tho story from the Volunteer State. It i-one in which the principal actOl could give Jim the Penman many val uable tips. About ten years ago a young man, by the name J. Clay Johnson, was con victed of forgery in West Tennessee and sentenced to a term of years In the Slate penitentiary at Nashville. B.: fore he had served out inure than a small portioc. of his time lie was a free man, free by pardon of the Governor, and that pardon was secured by for gery. Johnson had put himself in the peni tentiary by forgery, and by the same deft use of the pen had secured his pardon. He lived in one of the small towns of West Tennessee, was a book keeper by profession, and an able one. He forged the name of BOmo prominent citizen to a draft on the Hank of Car roll county, Tennessee, located at Huntingdon. The forgorv was dis covered, Johnson was arreijjbd, tried I and convicted, and senteiflod to the penitentiary at Nashville foi*a term of years. He escaped from the jail during tho preliminary trial at Hun tingdon, but was recaptured and finally landed in tho penitentiary. Nosooner had he been given a suit of stripes than he lH)gai] to deviseu moan-, to ' <? rid oi in. in. y Now, it SO Uappellud lout a Mr. I3u| tea was a persoualand political fri< ud of tho Governor, and hud presided over the Democratic convention wllldh placed Mr. Huchanan in nomination, lie was and is still one of the most I prominent Demoorata in West Tonnes soe. His letter, therefore, carried | great weight in the eyes of tho Gover nor. Accompanying the letter from ' Mr. Baptist was a lengthy petition, signed by many of the most prominent Citizens of the county in which John son lived. This, of course, added woight to tho letter of Mr. Baptist. After carefully considering the mat ter the Governor issued n pardon {pr John: on, and an hour later ho walked out of tho penitentiary a free man. It need not be added that bo did not liu gcro long around the capital. In the Nashville papers of tho day following the issue of the pardon 11?? - case of Johnson was mentioned. It was not long bofor the whole story cinie out, and the Governor us curtained that h? had pardoned a man on papers which were j forgeries. Not only the li tter of Mr. ' Baptist, but the petition accompany-] ing it were all forgeries, and been written aud signed in tho penitentiary by Johnson Mr. Baptist was telegraphed to come to Nashville. He was shown tho lottor purporting to havo linen written by himself anil p^ked if it was genuine. He replied that if he had not known tha the had not written any such letter he could not deny tho sigraturo, so good an imitation was It. Ho wrote his name, und It was Identical with that of tho lettot. Experts wore culled in, and none of them wore able to toll tho gonuino from tho forged name. Tho signatures to tho petition wero ; also forged, and many of thorn svLh which Johnson had become familiar 1 during his long rosldenco in the coun ty woro also hard to distinguish from tho gonuino. Johnson had dono clever work, but ho had not been quite so succossful as ho had hopod for. Ho was recapturod and sent back to the penitentiary. A MUHOKll MYSTKKY. Seven YottiH Of Misery on Account of II olden Crime The libel suit of Dr. Iloaruo, of Los Augolos, Cal., against Kditor De Youug, of ban Francisco, promises I > turn out badly for the doctor. Tho defoudant is taking depositions which go to show that he was not very far wrong when he published a story of the Stillwell murder* which implicated tho plaintiff. Tho story appeared somo time ago, and was brought out to throw light upou Mrs. lloarno's divorce from the doctor and her re marriage to him a few hours lator. ?Urs. liearno was tho wifo of Amos J. Stillwoll, of Hannibal, Mo. She was a very charming woiuuu and her husband w?? very wealthy. It was evident to tho people of Hannibal that the lady had married old Stillwell for Iiis money, but that did not afreet her social position. Shortly alter her marriage her nerves gavo her a great deal of trouble, aud she engaged Dn Ilearno, who was the fashionable physician of the place. After awhile peoplo began to talk, and they are now repeating that, talk under oath in their depositions in tho libel oate. One night in December, ISSS, the Stlhwolis and Dr. llearue were pres ent at a progressive euchre party. Mts. Stillwell (1 ill not appear at ail nervous. She won the prize, and left with her husband after the iranie, just before the dancing commenced, lie foro leaving, howerover, she held a whispered conference with Hoarno in tho cloakroom. That night Stlllwell was murdered. Mrs. Stlllwell slept, with two small children in tho same room with her husband, whp occupied another bed. Her statement is that she was aroused from her sleep by the noise mado by an ax as it went orashlna through Stlllwell's skull. The nnuWerer lied, and tho woman, clad in her night gown, rushed over to her neighbor's to summon help. Her conduct was thai of u person who had suddenly gone mad, butt, U . Uuaruooarao iu prosout'j and took ottarge <>t her. Tue coroner' jury could not lix the guilt upon any body anil a reward of $IO,OUU was of fered for thu murderer. In less than a year the 1 Mow Still well married Dr. Hoarno. rho Hanni bal people began to talk in .? quiet way aud tho Hearnes lost east socially. They moved away and lived in several places, and their fortune was gradually fritted away. Then came the divorce, the re-marriage, the publication in the San Francisco papei. and tho libel suit. Tho depositions taken at Hannibal show that Mrs. Stlllwell was in love with liearno before her husband's mur der, and that on the ni^ht of the tragedy Mrs. Still well changed her gown before going to the neighbor's. Another gown with blond on the sleeves was found on the premises It is also in evidence that Dr. Ucurno more than once spoke about killing Stillwell er causing him to be killed. The evidence collected by DoYoung has stirred up the ..ood people ol Hannibt), and ''...> say that lleurne will he ludicted when thegtund jury meets In August. Hut it docs not foliow that lie will be con?lctod. Mrs. Hoarno is now the wreck of her former self, and is very nervous. Hot" hus band is evlden ply worried, but lie detloe his accusers to bring any proof against him. The case created a great sousatlon iu the West seven years ago. and ptihiic interest in it is again at whit heat. A Hukkai; of Information. -Mr. Sam. VV. Wilkos, the resident com missioner for South Carolina, Intends to make it pleasant for ul! visitors from tliis State to tho Atlanta im position, and he has issued the lo!low ing circular lo the South Cui'Ollnaus now residing in Atlanta : "To the South Carolinians of At lanta: You are respectfully requested to send me your full name, business address, tho name of the .street, on which you live and the number of your house. It is my purpose to opon during the exposition a bureau of Informa tion for South Carolinians BO that any visitor may he able to lind tiny friend Of his who may do business or live in the city?this lias no reference to accom modations whatever, as the exposition company has made ample arrange ments for such information. It is simply for the convenience of visiting South Carolinians to obtain informa tion of ovory possible character about tho eity, the exposition, ami any friends whom they may desire to sis-. A record will be kept of all name-, sent and there will also be kept a register of all visitor.-, at South Caro lina headquarters, which will at all times he open to visitors ami residents. Trusting It will siiltyoui'C n'C-ni u to to comply with this rcqust, 1 bog to re main, sours truly, " Sam VV. Wii.kks, "Resident Commissioner, Stite of South Carolina.'1 ?' i'ni'i.k" Gkorok's Platform.? ?'Unc'o" <.;??'.Til. nan i- a curdi' I III oi ? H o : 'i I i ??? institu tloiiti convention. His plutf ? o. is contain ii in tiie following extract from bis u tter to the l?dgo?eld voters: ?? As many people seem v.-r., much alarmed about white supremacy, I Will remark that it is not in the slightest danger, bocauso every decent white man favors Lt. I will also observe that a larger homestead ex emption for the family, and a consti tutional school tax lo educate the chil dren of tin family ; as well a> smaller COUntle and much more township home rule, together with a county court to try misdemeanors, should be provided for in the Constitution. Hut as 1 cannot now enumerate all the im portant feature.-, which, in my juug inout, ought to bo embodied in the fnndaim ntal law, I will merely add t hat at various times during the last forty years the people of I'klgollold have intrusted mo with many high commissions and are familiar both with my record as a public servant, and my character as a man. I hope they have not lo^t confidence In my capacity or integrity t-0 represent the best interests of the State an I see it." A Moumbnt to Hancock.?Tho" initial steps were taken at one of the iiver resorts just below Washington last week looking to the erection In New Orleans of u > tatue to (ion. W. S. Hancock, the hereof Gottysburg. The subject was fully discussed at an excursion given by the Confederate veterans and attended by several hundred Grand Army men as invited guests. Tho arragoments for this work have been put in the hands of Gen. Heath, and the plan will soon he outlined for the raising of a fund among tho soldiers who served in the (?uifodorute army. It was thought to Ihi lifting that tho statute should bo n a representative city in tho ox tromity of tho South, the idea having boon suggested by tho recent erection in Chicago by Union veterans of a monumont to tho u,oou Confederate dead buriod thero. IMTltV POINTS AND SAYINGS. (?leanings IVom the Field oT Hmuer and Philosophy* ?Lord Acton has u private library of 00,000 volumes, which is believed to bo the largest iu Lnglund. ?Gladstone's health L said to be better than it has been :tt any time during the past live years.. "v ?Pros. Loydou, the famous lioruian ?physioiuu, received W?.oOO for attend ing tho late C/.ur in nis last illness. ?A petrified frog found in an Albany (N. V.) Stone quarry was '2 footS inches in length and weighed over a hundred pounds. ?Mr. .1. W. .McAllister, of Holling Springs, sold 117 do/.OU of eggs in three months from 15 guineas, which is equal to half u bale ot cotton. ?The largest sycamore tree in Ohio grows on the farm of Henry Peters, near Upper Sundusky. It is 100 feet in height and i$ feet in circumference at the base. ?Tho tru.-tees of a college iu ono of the Western States want a presi dent, and the conditions are that he must bo a Democrat and not a Pros by terlan. ?Miss Florlde Cunningham has been invited to make a speech before tho Woman's at the Atlanta Exposition. Hor subject will bu " ICqital Hlghls for Women." ? Experience Is the best teacher in regard to what WO out. If an article of consumption gives us no trouble afterward, couttnuo toOnt It: if it makes us sick, let it atone. Little Son -Mamma there's a tramp coining in the ffate. Mrs Suburb? Morey me! You go up stairs and stomp around so he ll think It's your father, and I'll put some tobacco on tho stove. ?Teacher?Well, Tommy, yon wore not present yesterday ; were you de tained at home in consequence of the inclemency ol the w at ior V Tommy ?N i thaVuii i cod m t? com j . ?. '?" i,o?. Kiln. ?General u. O. .i ...... who hua been a resident of Uurliugtoii Vt., since his retiromout from the Ciyi-Jain Stales Army, bus boon olooloil presi deut of tho Norwioh University at Northliold, Vt. t ? lie?I wish you were poor so that you would bu .viHing to marry mo. Site?I urn far more generous than you are, evidently. I wish that you were rich so that I might no willing to mar ry you --The heaviest man in tiic United States is .lohn II. Cruig, ol Danville, I i"ni. At birth ho weighed 11 pounds: at '1 years of tyje his weight was ?00 pounds; at the ug* of 117, two years ago he weighed 007 pounds. His height. IS (i feet ? inches. It takes 11 yards of cloth to make him a suit oi ulothos. ?A'spcciai from Washington, \. C, says George Hathaway, of ?!ones' Hay, took his wifeandchildrentisliing whon oue of the children fell int.) the river, the father jumped to rescue tho littlo one, but both were drowned. The last time thoy oauio up, the child was in the father'a arms. ?It has cost -W-,000,000 to enumer ate the people of the United Status. It was live years, lust .June, since tue eleventh census >\.ii taken, and yet Carroll D. Wright, who '.? in charge of the ceusus ..? pn -< nt, Jooa not expect to have his Work completed before the end of the year, when the twonty-lifth volume will he uo ipl bod. ?.V well-known broker, Ferdluund iL Birmingham, of New York, has beeu sent to tin asylum. Ho tuts siuok? cd eigarotts over since he was a little boy, of Into years ion .cuing forty or tifty per day. Specialists a.ty that these poisonous putYs l'jbbid him of nis iutclicct alter Urst destroying his nerves. ?A sugg istlou has boon made to the Kx-CoufOvicralu posts, of Arkansas and Texas to take sum.; action toward rais ing a fund for a Uli nab.cut to Davis Owen Dodd, v. ho, at thd ttgo of 17 years, was hanged at Littlo Hock, Ark., on January 8, 1801, us a Confederate-' spy. Uodu was u nutivo ol Toxas, and a youth ol remarkable promise and bravery. ? Four generations of one family were baptized together at Lincoln, Conn., la^t Sunday, There were u little boy, Leonard Merrill, his father and his inothor, urtindfuthor and grandmothe r, aud groat-g rund father and groal-graUdmothor, the gi;oUv grandfather being xo yea/., old. The group entered the v .ilor at tho same time. ?'? You have boOil a good while got* ting up stairs," said Mrs. Smarte, who with her lord und master w is stopping at OUO of one hotels. " Ye-." replied Smarte, " I stopped to tuko an eleva tor." " O, you need not havo taken the trouble to tell mo," SU tl Mrs. S. tossing he.- b. ad, " I smelt your breath the. moment you entered the room." ?In Louisiana It is proposed to in sert a clause in lliu i.e.. Constitution winch will disfranchise tho majority oi the negroes ol tu ? ??> ..' by ?? tu r* og mat all v t r- m i .t p j % up in . v . j I t 10 U . . II ? pay lax?, s ii. i.. evidi til >...i they wouul not have, muuh to say in tho govern meet of the State IfnllCll ail aim nd ment should prevail. ?Samuel D. Clift, a vet rau con luc tor of the Vandalia system, known all over the United States, dual a few days ago from a stroke ol paralysis winch attacked him in April ol hist year. The stroke sv.i-> Cue to tho ex citement created o , t !.. capture of his train by Fry'a army a few miles east of Torre Haute. Ind., iviicil the. army wiison its way to Washington. Cllft has not been oul of bod since that day. - f'. W. McFuddon, the chiliiMnan of tbcuxooutiVC committee of Hie Suiviv ir . Associat ion of the Otll regiments. C. V.t earnestly request tiuit Companies 1?' and I ouch to hold a mooting at an cany dale for the purposool collecting facts and incidents connected with the services as soldier in tho war b t.voon the States, in order that Urn same may ho incorporated in a history of t he lilb regiment, which is no ,v being written by (Jen. .loini ..... ?The HostOn Post -ays: ''Tea culture is a new Sotitborn Industry. The only plantation on this COntlnont is at Ulnohurst, noar Suinmorvlllo, South Carolina. It contain, thirty acres, From thoSO tho owner hopes to secure this year about one thousand pounds of black tea, which will retail at tl to 41.40 por pound. List yoar his orop was ah tut live hundred pounds from an era of Iifteen aoros. The gar dens contain shrubs raised from tea lood Imported from Japan, China? Ceylon, Formosa and Aisam, Asia: j also what are culled Assam hybrids, which uro considered tho moatpraflta ble, and Ceylon hybrids, wMoh aro obtained by mixing the seed of the pure Assam or Ceylon with s one other grade. Tho shrubs grow six foot apart, as they require, a large amount Of nourishment and ?oxrha.ist' a largo area of ground.'1