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THIS ANTI-TRUST L?GI8I/ATION The Rouse Bill to Prohibit the Formation oi Trusts and Mono polies. Tho bill iulruduced by Mr. W. J. Johnson lo prohibit tho formation of trusts and monopolies in this Slate, and which is a copy of the Hogg law in Texas, canio up for discussion iu tho House, and a motion was made to striko out the enacting words, which was afterwards withdrawn. In order to roach a test voto, tho motion to strike out tho enacting words was re nowed and tho previous question was called, which lorccd a vole to bu taken. Tho Houso refused to striko out the enacting words by a voto of 84 to 34, and tho hill was left for further con sideration. Tho diecuBsiou was re ported as follows: Mr. Johnson, who was tho first to speak upon the hill, said ihul ii had been shown by the special report of the attorney general that tho present anti trust laws oro practically ineffect ive a no wholly inadequate to remedy tho evils of trusts growing out of the constant combination and amalgama tion of rival interests for the solo pur pose of stilling competition. This ic port has been mado by the attorney general after a most thorough and ex haustive examination and investiga tion in pursuanco of tho joint resolu tions directing tbo samo. Thj bill, al though voluminous, has been prepared with the aid and advico of tho attor ney general, who by reason of his con nection with the matter is thoroughly familiar and conversant with tho evils and must necessarily bo regarded as an authority for a remedy. The bill has been prepared with great care, study and consideration, and every precaution bus been taken against coming in coutlict with tho State or Federal constitution, and it simply provides agaiust the formation of trusts and combines to defeat and prevent legitimate competition. No claim can bo mado that this bill will drive capital from tho Stato lor almost eery Stato in the Union now has anti-trust laws, and many of them very drastic and sweeping in I heir pro visions. It is very necessary that we should havo effective anti-trust legis lation and restrict tho heartless corpo rations wheu thoy attempt to extort money unjustly from tho great musses of the people. Corporations havo many privileges that individuals do not havo and this bill is only intended for the protection of the people against unjust extortion. Now if those who are op posed to tho passage of this bill are sincere and just, and only want legiti mate profits why are thoy uuwil ing to launch out into tho business and com mercial world upon their merits, and compete with other liko concerns for their just share of business? Morit most invariably wins its just rewardd but theso constant combiucs of rival concerns are labelled from head to foot with suspicion aud daugcr, and the whole object is to praclico unjust ex tortion . Tho formation of trusts during tlio last few years have reached such a magnitude as to arouse, an interest to the danger of trusts throughout tho whole civilized world. Huge corpora tion after corporation have consolidat ed and then all the power and intluonce of amalgamated wealth is utilized to weave a complcto net work around every similar ptoducing plant with the evident purposo of either absorbing the rival concern or driving them from the commercial field. The trusts have increased and nourished under the fostering caro of the Republican ad ministration until nearly all the ave nues of iudustry aro being fed and clothed by tho trusts. The trusts of this nation alono havo a capitalization that approaches the en tire volume of metallic money in the whole world; thoy havo a combined capital which almost if not quite equals all of the gold and silver used by tho people of the entire world, and thus armed with such a powerful concentra tion of wealth and capital they make war upon similar competing concerns and soon sweep them from tho commer cial Held by absorption or driving them into bankruptcy. And then with no competition to meet or law to restrict. It is theu that the dangerous feature of extortion is unbiidled to prey upon the honest gotten gains of a helpless people. If the numerous and constant com bines are not for tho sole purpose of extortion, why do they combiue? If they want to iucrease their capital or enlarge their plants, no one e mid ob ject to that; this country is quite large enough for all the increase or enlarge ment, they may desire, that is legiti mate and would increase the taxable property of the State and givo employ ment to others, but that is not the kind of increase thoy want. They want to water their stock and absorb and gobble up all competing and rival concerns that they may be free and untrammelcd in theit'dishonest ex tortion, upon the great consuming pub lic. To show you the complete power and control of monopoly and the highhand ed way iu which it is wielded, 1 will re fer you to the groat prints combine at Fall River, the manufacturing centre of America. Thoy bought our fleecy staple afow years ago at 8 conts before they joined in tho mar fuctuio of the cotton in to clothes and then sold the goods back to the Southern jobbers at 3 cents per yard in 1808 after going into the trust. Cotton decliued to 4 1-2 cents per pound and this same low price cotton was bought up- by the same trusts and manufactured into Iirint cloths and again sold back to the obbersat 6 cents por yard, an advanco of nearly 100 per cent., while the raw material had declined nearly 100; now if the mills were making money when they were buying our raw ma terial at 8 cents and soiling the cloths at 8 cents per ya**d imagine tho out rageous robbery when they bought the same raw material at 4 1-2 cents and sold the manufactured goods at ? cents. And beside the principle of mono* poly is vicious, dangerous and intoler able to say nothing of extortion. When an independent corporation or concern caunot ontor tho business or commercial world upon its merits and moet legitimate competition and take oven chances with other liKo concerns it should go to tho wall and should not bo given special privileges to practice thoir outrageous oxtortions upon the great cousuming public. Mr. Juo. r. Thomas, Jr., opposed tho bill. It is founded upon a pernicious and erroneous principle. He (.id not claim that trusts should not bo re gulated. Hut capital canuot bo pre veulud from making combinations. No Stale Legislature can prevent combi nation. Ho was doubtful if il is wiso to attempt to so preveut ihcui. Hut it is tho duty of every cili/.cn (o see that they are properly regulated. There is a correel principle of legislation for the State to regulato prices. Tho combi nation of railroads into systems has not in an evil senso affected tho peo ple, because the Stale has regulated the rates. Ho doubted the truth of the saying that14 C impotition is tho life of trade. ' Ho declared that tho cfll oieucy of the service is increased with the size of the coucoms. Whenover mercantile or manufacturing eslublisb mcnls become combined until they bo come monopolies, then they should be regulated. Ho agreed that thoro are evils iu tho oporatious of the trusts, but thoy canuot bo cured by grafting on our statute books laws taken bodily from the statuto books of Texas. Ho then attacked tho bill iu some of its provisions, particularly the section pre venting tho organization of companies to control tho sale of patents and patented articles. This would prevent 8 company from being organized to mauufactuao a patented cotton planter, etc. Ho did not believe that, when e\er "foreign capital" is referred to in legislation they should make the cry, " don't drive foreign capital away," but he believes that tho-foreign capital should be subject to regulations. Howevor, there should bo a bill to cor rect a 8pecillc ovil and not to generalize. Mr. M. L. Smith, of Kcrshaw, fol lowed Mr. Thomas. Tho people of the State had in 1894 elected then wisest men to frame a constitution for the State. That constitution makes it mandatory upon tho General Assem bly to pass laws to prevent tho forma tion of trusts, combinations of capital. Tho constitution says "shall." It is not iu tho organic law of tho law of tho Stale to ?? regulate," us Mr. Them as argued, but to "prevent." Mr. Smith 'then went on to say that the law now on tho statuto books is iu violation of tho inlcistato commerco law, and will somo day bo wiped off tho statute books. Tho anti-trust laws in 33 States are no moro radical than this proposed measure. There is need for proper anti-trust laws. He declared that if this kind of law would koop capital out of the State, why does Texas hold on to the Hogg law? The bill allows one firm or ono corporation to unito with another, providing tho combination is not for tho purpose of controlling prices and driving out competitor*. That is what tho bill seeks to prohibit. It is a question of fact to be passed up on by a jury. Tho constitution gives the right to the Legislature to take away the cor porate rights of companies violating the laws of the State. Ho was followed by Mr. Weston, who doclarod thut he is not tho repre sentative of any trust. The General Assembly cannot in being true to it self do anything which Will injure. Ihn interests of tho Slate. He told how L Q. 0. Lamar had gone contrary to tho wishes of the people of Mississippi, but had by them been vindicated, as ho had done what was right and what they afterwards saw was right. He attacked popular legislation which will not bo bentficial to the interests of tho State. Liko Addison'? Cato, he de plored the creature who would become great on his State's ruin. Mr. Weston wont on to say that if South Carolina should adopt such a law as this sho would bo blacklisted and capital would seek investments elsewhere. IIo stated that this bill had been killed two years ago. (Mr. Johnson stated that it had not been killed in this House.) Mr. Woston answered that tho House might have passed it hoping for tho Senate to kill it. Aa % stockholder in a fertilizer company which had sold to the Vir ginia Carolina Chenncal Company he declared that they found little, money in tho business and were glad to soli to tho larger corporation. This bill would keep a man from accepting the agency for a bicycle or a sowing ma chine, manufacturer. Mr. H?cker asked if the Virginia Carolina had built a single plant in the State for tho State's interests- Mr. Woston repliod that it had done what was equivalent, it had bought up bankrupt plants. Mr. DeHruhl in roply to Mr. Woston s.iid that if this bill is wrong in prin ciple, so is tho law now on the statuto hooks and so was the actiou of the Legislature authorizing the attorney goueral to investigate. Tho policy of tho State was settled by the constitu tion iu 1896. Ho declared that there Is nothing in the bid to keep foreign capital out of the Slate. If capital doosen't want to aquiesce in tho laws of a State, it should keep out of tho State. The farmers who have had the price of their cotton seed reduced arbitrarily know whether or not trusts are good things tor the people. Ho didn't think the Fed >ral Congross could reach the trusts as effectively as tho Stales can. Theso trusts iiavo never created, have never built, a plant in tho State and cannot bo contributing to the taxes. Mr. Ashley wanted to know if the bill would not keep the farmors from organizing to control tho price of cot. ton. Mr. Dellruhl explained that the farmers will be able to hold their cot ton. Mr. It. 11. A. Kobi'iRon opposed the bill. Wo hud hold out the olive branch to the people of tho North and now Kineo they have come hero if we so to oppressing them it will be violating a truat?and he would sooner steal. The bill hatched up hero lately b stained with persecution, not prosecution. Col. Hobiuson told a joke. A hard headed boy got kicked by a mule. When he recovered his consciousness ho asked his daddy, " Will it leave a scai?" Tho old man replied, " Yes, you will never look pretty attain, but you will havo a durned sight more senso." He said tho Legislature was fixing to learn a hard lesson. Mr. Wingo opposed tho trusts und favored the bill. Tho Virginia-Caro lina Chomieal company is buying up plants in tho .Static How? By run ning dowu tho prico of products, by forcing tho httlo companies to the wall aud thus buying them in. Tho far mers will see tho price of guano go up when tho Virginia-Carolina Chemical company gets control of the fertilizer manufacturing world. Mr. Webb opposed the bill for the reason that it prevents labor from being organized. The bill is too sweopiug. It would prevent carpenters or other woikmon from organizing to control tho prieo of thoir labor. Ho would voto for the bill if it could be so nnundedthat tho labor organization* could not bo intortcred with. Mr. Croft then spoke in lavor of the bill. In answer to Mr. Thomas ho said that competition is the lifo of trade. The Boston tea party incident showed what the peoplo thought of arbitrary methods of assessing commodities. Ho thou gave a ruuniug account of tho growth of corporato woalth in this country. No nation on tho earth can now be compared to America in wealth. She exceeded Britain in 1880. Now she has more wealth than Austria, Russia aud Italy eombiued. Tho questiou is to prevent riches from as suming arrogance. The evil of the trust is that so great a crop of cottou seed cannot bo con trolled by the farmers, but is directed at tbo stroke of a pen of the chairman of a board of directors. Ho had re cently had a caso against the trust which brought tho facts to light. His client had offered seed for sale in Aiken and had been offorcd 11) cents; tho client later went to Augusta and sold for 21 ceuts. He wont back to Aiken and told tho Aiken man of his sale. The Aiken mill claimed a forfeiture of 300 tons of seed from tho Augusta mill. Tho latter asked Mr. Croft's client for a release from the trade. As an honorable man his client agreed and then came to Mr. Croft to seek re dress iu the law agaiust trusts. Mt. Croft declared that his investigations had led him to see how thecotion seed crop of the State is controlled here in Columbia. Each mill is allowed a cer tain territory and a certain price. There are heavy forfeitures if they ex ceed the limits prescribed. As to Federal legislation, he wished to God that bomelhing could be done, but it seoms improbable. As to Mr. Ashley's argument that tho farmers would not be able to organizo a trust, ho eald that they would ucver organi/.o anyway. Mr. Croft made a splendid reply to the argument that the bill would keep put capital. Texas is not hampered by the Hogg law and in the oil wcIIb of Texas is the one hopo for success against tho Standard Oil company. There have bcon many such bills in the General Assembly and tho cry has al ways boon that it would kcop out capi tal, but no ?incorporation acts have evor kept out capital and the industries of the Stato have grown. Mr. Croft's was a splendid speech, and a synopsis does not do it full justice. Ho fpoko for an hour and kept tho atteution of the usually restless and inattentive House. At the night session, when the bill against trusts was again under discus sion, Mr. C. E. ltobinson, of Piokcns, stated that ho was one of those who had voted against striking out tho en acting words. He had done so hoping that tho measure could bo properly modified. He feared, however, that tho mattor could not bo properly dis. cussed at this session, so he moved to reconsider the vote whereby tho House had already refused to adjourn the de bate. This motion was not debatable, but there wero " points of order " raised. Tho voto was taken finally and the House by a vote of -17 to 40 decided to reconsider the voto of the morning. Mr. ltobinson thon moved to adjourn debate. This was carried by ono voto ?51 to 50, which killed tho bill for his* mi m. Gratitude Always seeks to find some expression for itself, and womanly gratitude will not keep alienee. Cynical people sometimes say Why do women write these testimo nials to the value of Dr. Plerce's Favorite ? , - Prescription? The answer can be ? j put in one word, ijfoff~3l rv\^S^Ci GwMtudtf When. |gy^j\L-*j v**^ tvj^fc after yeara of VT/ r~C/aKM1^\ |g agony a woman is nhn/ltlxBu Hillll wn"n tnu weak ,/! M//jU^H^^B|U| Woman is made ( uJf?^ Jk ^wHlr 8tro,,K n"d tin; Ilf^^^^i5>r^w//I IF s^c^ woman well, f>^Vj^^?^^l(((||) the natural im ? V 7 *l?VsyllVx* ll IUI Pu,se *8 to write a \? **Wrl[Ul * wl I word of grateful ^AiiA' * 1*an ks for the v ,1 /^vb^V^Aui medicine which V **ltl caused the cure. ,Vj^^ir^ I)r> plcrce'8 ?5225555555***? voiite Prescription S^y cures diseanca n&^//fl/f\\ lK\2 lO ^* establishes regu WfflWi\ ]] JAl\\ 1 I hirity, stops wenk i/lulm IrflhS IK en'ug drains, heala // l/ffi I //f/l\l\ //\ hiflammatlon and /Mini liw//li '/iv ulcerRtlon and ilf illll #/w7 fl I [At cure8 female 01 MiV/ 11 II [\ |M weakness. \ \ \) / A\ \V\\ ll " H*vi'!? t?**d Dr. d^Al I I IvMWvl \ plerc?'? PatpfitS Pr? ^***?d >?Ty.\S: scr|l>Hoti nnd 'Golden \ "'^j Medical Discovery' during the i-n t year,* write* Mr*. Mottle Tjonsf, of PfouY* Valley, Perry Co., Pa. "I can truthftaUy recommend the medi cine* for nil femitle weakneaae*. I have used several tiottle* of 1 Favorite Prescription 1 which I consider n great blessing to weak women, I wa? so nervous and dlsconrngcd that I hnrdly knew what to do. Your kind advlco foi home trciitmrnt hrl|>ed ma wonderAitly. Thank* to Dr. Pierce." Doctor Pierce'* Pleasant Pellets cure biliousness, and sick headache. They should be used in connection with "Favorite Prescription," whenever the um of a UucAtive is indicated. SALT RHEUM CURED BY Johnston's Sarsaparilla QUART BOTTLES. JUS* SEEN IN TIWI5. Sllclit Skin Krnpttona are a Warning of Something lTIore Serlona to Coma* 'I'llI? Only Sato Way In to Hoed the Warning* Johnston's Sarsaparilla la ilio Mum Powerful Mood Purifier Known. Nature, In her efforts to correot mistakes, which mistakes havo como from careless living, or it muy bo from ancestors, shoots out pimples, blotches and other imperfections on the skin, aa a warning that more sorious troubles (per hups tumors, cancers, erysipelas or pulmonary diseases) aro certain to follow if you neglect to heed tho warning ana correct the mistukes. Many a lingering, painful disease and many an early death bus been avoided simply becauso those notes of warning have "been heeded and tho blood kept pure by a right use of JOHNSTONTS SAUSAPAIULLA. Miss Abbie J. Rande, of Marshall, Mich., writes: " I was cured of a bad humor after Buffering with it for five years. Tho doctors and my friends said it was salt rhoum. It came out on my head, neck and ears, and then on my whole body. I was perfectly raw with it. What I Buffered during those flvo yoar'. is no uso telling. Nobody would believe mo if 1 did. I tried every medicine . at was advertised to cure it. I spent mouey enough to buy a house. I heard JOHNSTON'S SARSAPARILLA highly praised. I tried a bottle of it. I began to improve right away, and when 1 hud linisbed tho third bottlo I was completely oured. I have never had a touch of it since. I never got any thing to do mo tho least good till I tried JOHNSTON'S SARSAPARILLA. I would heartily advise all who are suffering from humora or skin diseaso of anv kind to try it at once. I had also a good deal of stomach trouble, and was run down and miaerablo, but JOHNSTON'S SARSAPARILLA mado mo all ri#ht." Tho blood is your lifo and If you keep it pure and 'ong you can positively ro sist disease or fucocon ta^ion fearlessly. JOHNSTO 9 SARSAPARILLA never fails. It is for sale by all druggists, in full quart bottles at only one dollar each. MIUUXOAN XJ3Lt.tr CA- OOUPAIffT, DBITIIOIT, BOXCTXa* For Salo by tho Laurtns Drug Company, Laurons, S. C. VIRGINIA-CAROLINA CHEMICAL COMPANY The Fertilizer Company Won the Fight in the Senate. Senator Gray<lon,8 bill to repeal tho charter of tho Virginia Carolina Chem ical company was taken up. Tho ju diciary had made two reports. The ma jority reported a substitute bill to tho effect that if tho company does not comply with all tho laws of tho State by May 1st, and also agree to abido by the State courts, then its permission to do bn-iiicss in the State should be withdrawn. Senator Manning moved to strike out the enacting words, aud Senator Graydon thon took tho floor to defend the uica8ure. He said he had intro duced it without consultation with any oue, and had done so becauso ho be lieved the Virginia-Carolina company is the most vicious trust that is op pressing tho people of the Mate. It is grinding the fanners, and unless ihn I arm is are prosperous and contented we have lost the balance wheel, noth ing will go right. We talk about our cotton mills aud other industries, but if the farmers do not prosper nothing will prosper. He considered this tho most vitally important measure that will come up at this session. We all know that since tho Virginia-Carolina company secured control of tho ferti. lizer business in the State the prico has gouo up $2 to ?}U per ton. In other words, tho trust ia wringing out of the pockets over half a million dollars per year. This has been going on for three years, and tho levy may be in creased at any time uuless we put a 8top to this robbery now. The attorney general, at the direc tion of the Legislature, has made an investigation of tho workings of tho concern, and in a special report to the General Assembly ho recommended that tho privilege bo withdrawn from tho company to do business in tho State. And 30t before the committee he said he would not advise the pas sage of the 1 ( ??lntums, aud intimated that he felt slighted because ho had not been consulted before their introduc tion. Ho would not impugn tho mo tives of tho attorney general in his sud den change of front, but it certainly does look strauge. "As for myself," explained Senator Graydon emphati cally, " I am not in the habit of con sulting the attorney general or any body else when I got ready to intro duce a bill." As to the cry that if this thing is done it will drive capital from tho State, ho would say that if capital is to como hero and oppress and rob our people it should bo driven away. Ho cited instances showing that as soon as this company gjt control of the cot ton oil mills the price of Bead and hulls was increased without a corresponding increase in tho prico of scud. This continued until after the meeting of the Legislature this year, when tho prico was run up from 18 or 11) conts to 27 cents a bushel. Some havo ar gued that none of tho fertilizer com panies had been making money and that tho Virginia-Carolina company had paid moro for them than they were worth; Im said that was too thin. No New Jersey corporation is going to come down hero aud pay moro for a thing than it is worth. The fact that the company paid such a prico for the plants it now controls shows that it did not come horo to do a legitimate busi ness, and its history will show that by extoitionato prices it has gotten back many times over the monoy it invested. This company did not bring any new taxable propoity into tho State, for all the different plants were in ex istence and pacing taxes before the company came hore. And if wo drive tho company out of the State tho State will not lose any property, because all thoso fertilizer plants and oil mills will remnin hero and will coutinuo to bo run by other parties, by separate concerns. Senator Graydou said that ho was not an enemy of any legitimate corporation, but ho was opposed to al lowing any concern, whether foreign or domes! ic, to come horo and violate tho laws of tho Stato as this company has done. Tho Stato has tho right to know tho conditions undor which any concern may do busiuo&s in this Stale, and lie thought it not unreasonable to ask that this concorn should agree to be bound by the decisions of tho Stato oourts. He thought it would bo an in sult to the State courts if tho Virginia Carolina should rofuse to accept this condition. All that he asked was that thocoucarn should con ply with the same laws that domestic corporations havo to conform to. Is this unreason able? Is this unfair? Is it unjust to make the Virginia-Carolina company conform to the samo laws that citizens of South Carolina have ts hvo under? Senator Maj field said that when it is 1 ecallod that in some sections of the .v t?te the farms have produced a lesser Lumber of bales of c01 ton" than tons of fertilizer consumed, ioine idea can be had of their desparalo straits. He then went iuto tho details of the hill and the plan proposed. Ho was strongly in favor of some legislation as any ono, but ho was opposed to this bill. He thought the State could not maintain its right to prescribe tho con. ditioii8 Bet foith in tho bill. Again, if the Virgiuia-Uarolina company is the unholy trust that has been alleged, it Bhould not be allowed to do business in tho Slato oven under the sanctity of tho Stale. No Stato permission can make right that wh'ch is wrong of itself. Ho read from decisions of of the courts showing that a State can not lay down as a condition to a cor poration entering the Stato its aggroe ment to bo bound by the Slate courts. If we pass this resolution it will come in coullict with tho Federal courts and will defeat its very object. Further more, tho attorney gcnoral has stated that ho docs not want this bill to pass; that it will bo inimical to the interests of tho Slato and will defeat tho suils now being carried on by the attorney general against the company. Tho at torney general is prosecuting the Vir ginia-Carolina as a trust and trying to drive it out of tho State altogether, whereas if this bill passes the company can come into tho Stato and do busi ness. Tho hour for adjournment haviug arrived while Senator May Held was speaking, the Senate took a recess un til 4 o'clock. At the afternoon session Senator Maylleld resumed his argument in op position to the bill against the Virgiuia Carolina Chemical company. He said that the company has boon declared a trust and tho attorney general is light ing it in the courts as such, yet this bill undertakes to allow this very trust lo como into tho State and do business. If this is passed it will set at naught tho suit that has already been com menced. It would let the trust go un whipped of justice. Ho said ho fought every measure that would glvo our Stato courts jurisdiction in preference to the Federal courts, for ho knew of no wav by which tho constitution of tho United States can bo circumvented. Whore a State law comes in conflict with the Federul law the Stato law will go down. And this Stato cannot mako this or any other company pledge it self to be bound by the State courts. Wo need some legislation, but this is not tho measure wo need. It is a special law and as such will not stand the test of our own courts. Ho again assorted that the attorney geuoral did not want this bill to pass. Senator Henderson then defended tho substitute bill oliored by tho com mittee. Ho said that all of us re cognize that some legislation is uuedod, yot it is urged that wo kill the hill and no substitute is offered. If this bill is a bad one, why havon't they offered ono that will suit? Ho said ho had no word to say against the attorney gen eral, for that otlicor has performed his duties well, and will continuo to do so, but ho calkd attention to tho fact that in his report tho attorney goncral had stated that the Virginia-Carolina com pany had done business in tho Stato prior to going boforo tho proper author ities and obtaining permission to do so. This of itsolf, ho thought, was Bufli cicnt to warrant this bill. Howover, he was not committed to tho bill in its entirety, and was willing to allow an amendment, striking out the roferenco to tho Stato courts, but ho did not think the hill in that shapo should pass. It is admitted that tho concoru had violated tho Uw; lot us mako them con form to tho law. If this bill is objoc l inn at ile ho WOUld join hau da with an y - body in perfecting it. Sonator Walker disapproved the bill. It seems, he said, that the Virginia Carolina company has been selected of all other corporations to appear boforo the Sonate practically under a bill of indictment. Ho was not tho defend ant's attorney, and had no personal in lorest in tho matter whatever. There aro four charges, tho llrst is that it is a trust, tho sccoud that it has violated tho laws of the Stato, tho third that it has carried a suit against it into the United States court, and the fourth is that it is oppressing tho pooplo. Ho quoted tho position taken by Judge Hudson, tho assistant to tho attorney genoral, who said that tho hill should not pass as it would bo taking snap judgmont. Tho issuo should bo tried lairly on its merits in tho courts, whore the case has already been commenced. As to the charge that the company had defied the State by fading to take oui papers boforo commencing business, ho as'<ed has it beon shown that thin is wilful? lias anybody suffered, has the State lost money? The attorneys of the company frankly say that it was through an "oversight thai it was not done, and that there was no intention to defy the Stato or vh lato the laws. OABTORIA. BeArttna y^lha Kind You Hive Always There is a penalty for this technical violation of the law; lot this penalty ho enforced, but not this measure. As to the ch&rgo that tho company had carried a suit against it into the Federal courts, ho said that is a con stitutional right that no man or cor poration should bo made to suffer for exercising. Would not any Senator have done the panic thing if ho had thought that ho had cause to do so? Shall tho right of change of venue be denied? You all know that when a case is brought in the Stato courts against a corporation the jury is nearly always prejudiced agaiost the corpora lion. You all know how familiar in tho argument, ?* Oh, well, the plaintilT is a poor man and needs the money, and the corporation is rich and wouldn't miss it." Wo must admit this, and, looking at it fairly, you can't blame any corporation for seeking to have its case transferred to the Federal court where this sentiment is minimized. As to the charge that tho company is oppressing the farmers of the Slate, he asked seriously, is this true ? Are prices extortionate ? Ho said ho was no farmer and knew nothing about fer tilizers, but he had some well defined iueas. Hy Ihe act passed 1893 the '?Uate invited outside or foreign corpo rations to come into the Stato and do bu8lne88. This company came into the Stato and bought up seven fertilizer plants ilmt were nearly bankrupt, and started to <lo business. They do nol monopolize the fertilizer business in tho State ; they do not control tho out put. There are independent conipauies in tIds and other States. It Is asserted that tho Virginia-Carolina company has a capital of ?50,000,000. If this ih true, and tho company wanted to monopolize the fertilizer business, why didn't it buy all tho plauts ? Tho fact is that tho company simply bought up a lot of run-down enterprises, put them on their foet and commeuccd to do business. That's all. If this is a mon opoly why hasn't it frozen out all the concorus ? Recently a new fertilizer company with a capital stock of ?000,000 was formed at Anderson, and a new plant costing 8100,000 has just been built in Columbia. Both of these are indepen dent companies. Ho quoted figures to show that the Virginia-Carolina com pauy has not depressed tho prico of seed and increased the prico of hulls aud meals as has been charged, it may be true that the price of some kinds cf fertilizers ho ve been increased within the past lew years, but hasn't the prico of the ingredients increased too ? Doesn't it cost moro to produce these foitilizcrs now than it did a few years ago ? There is no big profit in fertili zers at the present pi ices. Ask anj of tho independent companies this. Sup peso wo drive cut tho VirgiuiaCaroltua company, what assurance, have we that the independent companies wilt n t form a combination and form a trust in fact as wi 11 as in up tue ? In conclusion he asked if it is going to be tho policy of tho State to drive out capital ? Do we want to advertise to tho win ile world that South Carolina does not want iuvestors ? lie said this bill involved not only the fate of the Virginia-Carolina company, but many others, of great and varied interests. Tho fate of the bill will have far-reach ing effects, and he hoped it woul.l be killed in the interests of the whole Stato. A large syndicate is being formed to control the rice plantations around Georgetown, which would be as great a God-send to that section as was the big lumber company, and he tcared that if this bill passed the company wou'd not be formed. He opposed both the bill aud the substitute. Let tho Virginia-Carolina company be tried in tho courts and if it be convicted there is a law to punish it. Senator i'arnwcll said that tho Vir ginia-Carolina is not the only one that has violated the law in the same respect as is charged against it. There are seven or eight others, all of them larger than tho Virginia-Carolina company. There was certainly no intentional wroug, merely an inadvertence through ignorance, yet thi* is taken as the ex cuse for a bill which would, as Judge Hudson said, " be snap judgment," to use no less harsh expression. Upsides, any atlen.pt- to prevent tho transfer of cases to the. Fideral curls will always be futile. Again, the Suilo should havo no reason to fear tho Federal oourts if tho Stato has right on its side. This bill that is beforo im cau do no good ; it will do a groat deal of harm. It will hurl n great many sections of the Stato aud it will holp nobody. Ho hoped that the idea which seoincd to provail that " something ought to bo done "would not cause tho Senate to do that which would always be re gretted. Because this company may havo a bad name, do not let injustice bo done. Senator Talbird said that the ques tion of whether the Virginia-Carolina corapnuy is a truat really has nothing to do with tho bill. He had talked with tho attorney general and fully understood his reasons for taking tho position that he did. However, he had secured from him an amendment to the bill which would meet tho issue and would stand the test of the courts. That amendment simply said tho Vir ginia-Carolina should bo debarred from doing business in this Stato on May 1, 1002, unloss before that time the com pany shall domesticato itself in this Stato as is now provided by law. lie offered this as an amendmont to the substitute bill. Mr. Graydon then took the floor and ' made sorao further arguments in sup port of tho measure. Ilo quotod from many court decisions showing tho power of States to control corporations. Ho contended that the liCgislaluio hus the right to prescribe tho conditions upon which a foreign corporation may do business in tho Stato, and ho held that the courts hove said that tho State may prescribe as ono of theso condi tions that tho corporation shall agroe to bo bound by the State courts. And CASTOR IA The Sinti You Have Always Bought For Infants And Children. Ti Bears tho ho argued that this condition would he uphold by tho United States su promc court. Senator Aairich said wo aio culled upon 10 do that which hns never been douo in South Carolina, to debar a legit imate business corporation from doing business in tho State. Naturally the question wih bo asked, what arc the reasons Tor this? These reasons should have been set forth by tho advocates i>( the measure, but so far no valid rea sons have been advanced. As to the argument that tho price of fertilizers ha* been raised, hasn't the price of every other commodity been increased? is this enough to justify this legisla tion ? There is no reason for this bill except unfounded public clamor. Arc we to drive this company out of the Slate because il did business here be fore liling its papers?its naturalization papers, so to speak. The law already provides a penalty for this crime?if crime it can be callad. The Legislature of South Car Una cannot alTord to en act post facto laws. The vole ou the question of striking out tho enacting words of the bill re sulted as follows : Yeas?Aid rich, Appclt, Barnwell, Blakeney, Bowen, Caughman, Dennis, Gaines, Glenn, Goodwin, Hough, Man ning, Maylield, Moore, Sheppard, Siackhonse, Stanland, Sullivan Wal ker, Williams?20. Nays?Brico, Douglass, Graydon, Henderson, Hcrudon, Hydrick, Mower, Sanalt, Sharpe, Talbird?10. The enacting words were stricken out and the bill was killed. Anot?kr Dispensary Fiout,? The Floronco correspondent of the n0w8 and Courier says that it seems as if there is to be another hot fight in the .Stale courts over the disp nsary law. Some time ago elections were held in SurantOQ and hake City, two thriving towns in Williauisburir Couu ty, as lo 44 Dispensary'' or 44 No i)is pensary." The election in both places resulted, by a very close vote, in favor of the dispeusary. Those who voted 44 No dispensary " have secured Mr. S. \V, G. Shipp, of this city, as couscl. Yesterday Mr. Shipp went to Chcraw and secured a temporary injunction from Chief Justice Mclver. The in junction writ is made returnable at the next meeting of the supreme court, which will, of course, stop the estab lishment of dispensaries at Lake City and Scranton for a time at least. In his argument before Chief Justice Mc lver, Mr. Shipp made a strong point, against the dispensary law, claiming that it is unconstitutional in that it ex ompted certain counties from tho pro visi ,ns of the dispensary l iw, which is undoubtedly Bpeeial legislation. It appears that in the lirst act on this subject, in counties which had pro hibitory liquor provisions ami in towns which had adopted i% local option" laws, special provision was made as follows: 41 Provided, that dispensa ries may he established in tho counties of Williamsburg, 1'ickens and Marion and at Seneca and other towns now incorporated in Oeonee County, with out such election 4 on ' compliance with tho other requirements of this act." By some means or other in the pro vision the 44 on " was changed, proba bly by error in the engrossing depart ment, in the act of 1800 to 44 or," which materially changes tho whole business and removes I he section en tirely from under the operation of the law. .lust what will be the outcome will be anxiously awaited by a large number of South Carolinians. The RonnrNS Tragedy.?An in teresting case came boforo Justice Pope, of tho supreme court, when a motion was made last week lo grant bail to (Jeorgo Kirkland, indicted for murder. Simply stated the facts seem lo be about as follows: At a party at the residence of Mr. J. C. GriOln, of Bobbins, in Barn well County, on the evening of the .'list of December last, while the dancing was in progress, Mr. (leorgo Cohb unintentinally gave of fence to Mr. Arthur Dunbar, who left tho room and in a few moments re turned with his father, Mr. George Dunbar, and his brother, Mr. Harry Dunbar, all of whom approached Mr. Cohb in a threatening manner. Mr. Alfred Sonnett interposed to prevent a dilllculty, when Mr. George Dunbar drew out his pistol. Mr. F. P. Son nett also Interposed lo keep the peace, when he was shot. lie then shot George Dunbar dead and a general shooting ensued, tho result of which was tho killing of Harry Dunbar and tho mortally wounding of Arthur Dun bar, who died a few days later of his wounds. Aficr tho general >hooting was over Geoigo Kirkland appeared on tho 8CCHO and shot F. Pi Sonnett, who was lying wounded on the floor; it is for this that ho is now under in I diottuent for murder. Tho testimony is said to bo conflict lug, it being contended by him that Sonnett was attempting lo shoot him at the lime, while ou tho other hand it is testified to by several witnesses that Kirkland disarmed Sonnett before shooting him. Justice I 'ope "ranied bail in the sum of $:i,000 wl'h not less than two nor more tlur.i five securities. During u school tcp. the other day a kindly old doctor was regarding one of the young guests with evident alarm. Undismayed by the doctor's gl ?neos, tho young scholar rapidly demolished plate after pi du of bread and butler and cako. Ai last the doctor could stand it no longer. Going up to the young ra?0fti, he said: '? My boy, havo, you ever read any book which would tell you what to eat, what to drink and what to avoid?" ?? Lor' bless yor, sir," replied the young gentleman, with his mouth hall full of plum cako, " I don't want no book. Why, I eats all I can, drink-, all I c m and I avoids burstiu'."?Tit BiU. Gilbert l'arkor, the famous Engl if h novoliM, who has just been visiting this country, said bofi ro leading foi England that tho American working man Is moro enterprising than the Knglish in that he welcomes machin ery, whilo the English working man does not. P? Baking Powder! Makes the bread more healthful. Safeguards the food against alum* Alum baking powders arc the greatest menacers to health of the p<- sent day. ROYAL HA Kl NO rOWOER CO., NtW YORK, IN A HUMOROUS "VEIN. " tic's a grandfather and yet he's going to many that young Miss Kiltie skittish." 41 Yes. He's old enough not to know any better." The Teacher?When the 1 >gs get caught in the fast-moving stream, what would you call that? The Boy?Why, I'd call that a cur rent jam.?Yokeis States!)] in. Mrs. Neighbors?Do you and your husband live happily together? Mrs. Enpeck?Sure. I'd just like to eee my husband try not to live happily with me.?Chicago News. Mamma: "Teacher tells mc you were very naughty in school yesterday. Why did you not tell mo yourself?" Tommy: " Why?er?you always told me not to t< 11 tales out of school." ?* You say you are not sure it waa suicide?" a?ked the newspaWtr man. " No, stranger," responded Amber Pete; "lie was playing solitaire, caught himself cheating, and, of course, he had to shoot.?Uhtcago News. " What is the difference between a statesman and a politician?" ** A statesman is a man who can bamboozle the public without being found out; a politician is a man who doesn't care whether he is found out or not so long as he gains his ends." "If I had an engagement with you," said the clerk, "it would be this." And he gently placed a date with a peach. " No," answered the prettj cashier, " it would bo like this." And she laid the date beside the canned lobsters. Teacher?" What zone is in which we live?" Johnny?? 1 in peralo." Teacher?"Correct. N ? what is meant by a'temperate zone Johnny?" It's a place where !' froezin' cold in winter au' red-hot in summer."?Philadelphia Prose. " I suppose," said the physician smiling and trying to appear witty, while feeling the pulse of a lady patient, " 1 suppose you consider me an ( Id humbug?" " Why, doctor,'' replied the lady, "1 had no idea you could ascertain a wo man's thoughts by merely feeling her pulse." " How's Mandy g'ltin' along at that fashionable boardiu' school?" "She's learniu' things hand over list. She can write a four-page letter now 8o's you have to turn it upside down and sideway six or eight timos 'fore you git to the end of it."? Chicago Record-Herald. " Yes," said the Fairy Piince, " you may have whatever you want for a Christmas present." " I will choose," said the Fortunate Person, " cither a wife or au automo bile." "How foolish!" exclaimed the Fairy Prince. "Why do you not select some thing that you can manage?" 44 There is another application for you lo .?-dve something to a very worthy enterprise," said tho Congressman's wife. 44 Well, it's a hard mal r to decide," ho answered. 44 If I don't give, my constituents will consider me ungra cious. And if 1 do, they will thiuk 1 am luxuriating hero in Washington, with nothing lo do but waste money." 44 As to my mcril," said tho young man who was asking the lady's father for her hand, 44 you will have to take me at my face value." 44 Well," answered the fond lather, you'll have to drop in later m Ihe da}*. Tho market quotations on brass aro not out yet."?Baltimore American. Some years ago at a Mardi Gras ball at the Hopkins institute of Art, a man masked, approached a woman masked and asked her for a dance, u? is con sidered right and proper at Mardi Gras 44 liui 1 don't know you, sir," said tho lady in her most :cy tone. ?' W 1, I'm taking as big a risk as you are," retorted the man.?San Fruncisco Ar gonaut. Jacob A. Kite t. In of an Jriali tcain stcr who went to the priest in a fright; he had seen a ghost on the church wall as ho passed it in the night. 44 And what was it like?" asked the priest. " It was like nothing so much as a big ass," said Patrick wild ov->d. 44 Go home, Pat, and bo easy r .plied the ptiost, soothingly; "you've on'v soon your own shadow." "During my absonco," says a plvyiBl" clan quoted by The Kochester P *?t Express, " my twe boys got iut.< consulting room, whore- they b to play at boing'doctors.* i'rosc. tly one of them unlocked the door and dis- - closed a skeleton. 4Pooh. What arc you 'fraid of?' ho asked. 4 It's noth ing but an old skollington.' 4W-wh whoro did it come from?' asked the other with chattering teeth. 4Oh, J|r don't know, Papa's had it a long ti <. I expect it was his (lrst patient,' " OABTOaiA. Beam the Ito Kind Vou Have Alwaya (towjjit