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VL VOLUME XXXII. LAURENS, SOUTH CAROLINA, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1917. NUMBER~ 25 G[N[RAL ASS[MBLY CQNY[[NO Y[ST[RDAY More Legislation Expected on Whiskey. TAX QUESTION A SERIOUS ONE Many New Members Appear in Both iiouses--Preponderance of Farners In Legislature-LIquor, insurance and Taxation Indicated Major Proh leiiis for Consideratilon. (Ily WV.. Cormack.) The regular session of the general assemb ly for 1917 will convene here Tuesday at noon. ItI is believed that. an effort to tightent upII the prohibition law, the passage of an equitable hill on lire ini surancC that will be ac'c'eptable to both the state and the insurance c'on panics, bringing the latter back into South Carolina, and probable amend ments to the tax laws of the state, making for mores equitable assess mients and putting property not now taxed on the books, will be the prin eipal items of legislation attempted. lowever, as there are 77 new mem bers of the house of representatives and 12 in the senate, whose ideas of legislation are not known, other major problems may spring up galore. The political complexion of both houses of the general assembly Is known to be anti-Blease by large ma jorities--the estimated neinbership of the minority faction being 33 in the house and the senate. However, It is believed that the central committee nominated in the Blease convention hero last fall will attempt- to put through a legislative patformIf. tilis should happen, a spirited fight IA -pres aged with little chance of the Blease lies accomplishing their object. Governor IManning has lcompleted his message and it Is in the hands of the printer. It will contain about 5,000 words. What administration recon mendations he will make is not known, but it Is understood that he will pre sent for passage some far-reaching measures for economic reform and social betterment. His message will be read in both houses after their or ganization Tuesday afternoon. The agricultural interests of the state have the largest representation in the general assembly, while the legal fraternity comes ne't. In the house there aro 44 "Simon-pure" faners and in the senate only three The senate has six planters, three combination bankers and planters, one real estate dealer and planter, one merchant and farmer and one dealer and fartmer. The house has six plant ers, seven combination merchants and farmers, one minister whose side line is fkrming, one lawyer whnose' avoca tion is farminag, one merchant and planter, and one stock raiser'. The house "'siorts" 38 lawyers, whlrile thle senate "'inlts with uride'' to 22 mem beris of thle legal fraternity. Thre houitse inc1ldes in its miemnbershi p onie la w student. Thei miedical piressioni is represen ted biy one Iii phiian in thie ienate aimY two 2hysickin ail one dentlist, In lthe house. Tihe senate ha s th "i''edge"' on the house withI three full-fleudgedl hankers to Iwo ini tire hat ter bodly, but1 tie house possesses thle lone (capit alist. of (lie general assemi lily. I towev'er, thle senate has a comi Ination banker rand mier'chant, which Is offset by thle house with a dual imerch'ant and broker.' One editor' sits in soliturde ini thIe senate, biut t hree cdi ters and1( one publisher will associate the house, The senate will hear' of the high cost of living from one mner chant and the house from a qrrar'tet. One clerk grnces (lie halls of hegisia tion, and lie is In the senate. The houise will listen to solos on rme chianicn froin a r'ailroad locomotive en gineer, piedegogy frorm a 'tehoir, scientifiec salesmanship and the "mile age book nuisance" from a traveling salesman, "exposure" and "develop J ment" from a photogr'aphier, the S"sooting effect of (lie woed" from a mi~laagr of a tobacco warehouse, "longevity" and "protection" from a life insurance agent, "conservation of the leathua4 industry and the effect of the tangd on the 81h00" from a shoe m'aicdr and the "texture of textiles" from a cotton mill weaver. An important election to come up during the forepart of the session will be that of a successor to Col. 1). J. Griflith, of Columbia, as s:pjerintend eit of the state penitentiary. Col. Griflith will not offer ftr re-election. Among those who havo announced their candidacy for the position are P. 1-1. Lesesne of Columbia, book keeper at the state prison; A. K. Saunders of Sumter county, director of the penitentiary, and J. H1. Gosnell of Spartanburg. The resignation of .lohn L. Mchaurin as state warehouse commissioner, which will re transmitted to the gen eral assembly in his annual report to take effect on the election of his sue cessor, pt obably will cause a hot race for the position. it is understood that. among those that will run for warme house coininissioner will be .J. G. '. Whluite of Chester, deput y state ware liotse commissioner, and W. W. Itrad ley of Abbeville, assktant state bauk examiner. llowever, tlero is a 1ossi. bility of there bering. a crowded field, for when ('oulmissioncr .Melau'in an noneed shortly after .tle second pri mary itn September that he intended to resign, Governor .Manning received at least. 25 applleations for the posi tion. Home of the applicants con ducted a systematic campaign; the governors olie was besieged with hundreds of letters from every sec tion of the state and mniy personal appeals were made in the applicants' behalf. One of the real fights expected dur ing the present session of the general assembly, one that may be .prolonged, is a probabl effort to tighten 'up the prohibition law. Should a bill be pre sented to prohibit the shipment of any intoxicants into the state it will mean a long and bitter fight, says those con versant with the legislative and politi cal condition of the state. However, it seems that all are agreed on the necessity of perfecting the present law allowing the shitnnelt to any one Il dividual of one gallon of Intoxicants during each calendar month. Com plaints are being made all over the state about the illicit uses to which this liqtuo is being put, particularly that received by negro women. It. seems more than likely that a bill will be introduced reducing the amount of whiskey received to one-half a gallon for each calendar month, or, in lieu thereof, one gallon of light wines or three, four or five quarts of beer. A bill was passed by the last legislature limiting the shipment of whiskey to one-half galon or 60 pint bottles of beer for each month, but Governor Manning has never signed it because of the dangerous provisions it con tains, which. it is contended, would pit the wholesale drug establishments of the state out of business were the statute to become a law: It is not known what disposition Governor Manning will make of the hill, butl it is believed that. ho will veto it. It is being talked as probable that, the see lion in the Virginia piohbiio law m tirohIilIting femah1les,'5 excepil those that are h eads (If fam n ilies, from order'ing iintoxi'cants will bec grafted into the %nti lbCanroilin la iw. At a iecen t meet inmg oft lrohiition1(1 leade(rs in (Columil bla thle Virgiia slatuite, It is known, was given ('areful study3. One thintg t hat Is tr'oubling thle prio hiitioni( st s aiilnd~ may ('ausie thelir lead - er1s to at temlIp1 driast ic legislation is the bel'ieof held( by s(ome of' thle best ltegal m11indis of' SthII C'aiol inia Ithat the referendumi eleetioni on tile (Itestlonl of 11roh ibiion wuas un mconstitut ionlal ad t hat th le sltite for that reason is illegally prohibitloll. The 1bil1 re-en [eIn'Ilg thle lprohl Idbit i aw, passed at lhe last, session (of thle genleral assem11 lhy, has niever been signedi by Gov ei'nor Maning and her has not hnt i amated wh'lat d~iposition h le will make of it. The secoind great qiuestioni which will agitate the minds of' tile legisla tors is the amending of the present fire insurance laws of the state. In an effort to arrive at a logical basis in the whole matter, Governor Man ning some time agd appointed a com1 minsionm to thoroughly consider the sil iation brought about by the passage of the Lancy-Odoml act at the last ses sion of tile legislature whlich resulted in the majority of tile fir'e insurance companies withdrawing fr'om the state. Tile commission has held( sevei'al meetings and a tentative bill hlas bueen mrafted. Whether or not this will be * ('onvnned on Pnare Ii'num'.) SHiATTElis COACI[ TO KILL lilMSELi'' Fatal Explosion on ('ar Ascribed to Suicide. 3ian Ieieved to late 'T'ak en Own Life One of Three hilled. Birmingham, Ala., Jan. 6.--Three mlien were killed and three others injured early tonight by an explosion in the smoking compartment of the rear (lay coach of the Southern rail way's lilrmingham Special from New York. The explosion occurred while the train was between Fiftieth and Fifty-tirst streets in oodlawn, it Ilirninghat suburb. The dead are: \. .J. Olive, 822 Princeton avenue, West ilnd, Ililrm Ingham; I etwis 1). Walton, 809 South 'T'wentieth street, 13irmingham; .1. Shelby Shelton. The iujured include: .1. C. L5ev, 24::1 College street, Ilirmingham: .1. 1). Ittuflin, Potton av~enue, \\'est ignd, Ili rrning;hamn: 11. P'erk~ner, 2_:llI Pryor streel-, Atlanta. The authorities are invest igaing a theory tlat the explosion wa due to nitroglycerine set oft by I ewis i). \\'al ton, at prominent Ilirmtinghamr mpln. With suicidal intent. W\alton was in the lavatory and had been there about ::n minutes when the explosion occutr red. It blew the steel partition be tween the lavatory an:d smtokiug com partmitent entirely away. .Just outside the door was a tablet on whih was written: "See my stit case for important. papers. Lewis I). Walton". Ills suitcase was found in the front seat of the coach, but it contained nothing but some letters and examination of them has so far yielded no explanation.. There was practically nothing left of Walton ex cept his head, his backbone and his shoes. Walton was formerly a grocer in Birmingham and was charged with killing his partner, M. O. Barton, April 9, 1915. Hlis trial on the charge resulted in i. mistrial several months ago and ho was still under. bond. - It was charged that Barton carried large life insurance policies in Walton's favor for the protection of their busi ness. ('ongressman -eleet W!llam 11. hank head of .aspetr, Ala., was in the oh servation car with .lMrs. Hankhead. lie said the explosion was of such force that it. could be heard and felt all ov er Woodlawn. The train made only a lri f stop at Woodlawn, then hurried to the termi nal In Birmingham, where ambu lances carried the injured to hospi tals. The coach was badly damaged. While relatives of Walton tonight expressed contidence that the mnitgled body found in the lavatory of the smoking compartment was that of Walton the pollee indilcated that they were not. entirely satisfied as to the identiflcation. The flieers who in vestigated the explosion said that it appeared to be the work of yeggnen as the shoes were of a rough sort hardly worn by a business tian of Waultont's type. AlIthIough Walt on's relatlives iden iI tied thle hand writ Iiig ott tie t abllet found in the wreckae aitd his bag gage was found on the tria in the iio 11cc iinferred he may have'' eseape'.I itn juried. Gamte Waurden lla Act hi. a chleck( hist weetk for'~ l.4 2a.7e by A. A\. ltitlhardsont, state me wat deni, as receipts ovei' extpenditur'es tor the past to thle counity school fun td. Th'le lot al amtioiun t rece ivedl by all lhe coounities of the state w~as $110,51'2.511, thei amioutt iur eie ini each 001untiy depe'nin g in lar'ge mieasur e upon01 lhe a( tivity of thle gamen wariden in coll ec'in tg licenses andtL fies. It will lie seen thaiit Laourents countty, thrtouigh the( activity of (Game Ward'ten Little, r'eceived nealyi~ lt on tenthI of theO aimouin d isbu rsed in thle state. - Mrs. S. A. PIt ts who, withI her fain 11ly, has beent livling ineari the western boundary of the cIty for' several years, on thle r'etquest of her iparentts, has dt' tidled to leave Laur ens and live withi themt at Summinerton, in Cla rendon counity. T'hey will leave the city somte timet ntext week, sendinig thteiir furn'ii tur'e on the traIn and ti'avellng them selves Iin their automobile. Mirs. Pitta has takent a great deal of Interest In churiich and school affairs while here antd site will be greatly issedi in those ,an; well na in onie circes.n BEFORE ('ON(IES Lots of Work That 31t ust lIe Done. Ire. puliceans Expected to 3lake as ituel Trouble as Lies in Their Power. Vashington, .an. G.-There is ap. parently but the remotest possibilit1 of congress, with its extraordinar3 legislafthe slate now spread before the public, finishing its work inside o1 the next five or six months, accordin. to the informal ion coming today fron the best posted men in and arount congress. While there is a general disposition here to close ip tilie wor, if it. ('an be properly dole, by .larcl -1, the date when the short sessior mlst coel' to a close, there is s< miuch ahead that. it. Is extrteI' doubtftl if Itis enn be accotmplishe even %witt the most. herculean efforts As pioint ed out here today, shiut 1 Loth hottes -f congress bcg in ih 'ii daily ses.iion at. III o'ciOn k instead t| Iii 11oon1. ;ild hold night itieet ings i :avint:. of time mui:ht he accompllish-. ed bt it mlist he rtetmbered thal inhre :s a reat deal of ilptlnti 1 ('01iit11 tee work to b(- done, and ihn pt'actically talf' Ilie lime for the nex 60 (lays lumst, he devoted to Ihis fea ture of the congressiona I work. Witt the international situation tat from satisfactory, with the trouble it Mexleo still unsetfled, and with the railroad problem and the big Iinancla deficit. detnanding not only immedia < but effectual attention, consideratiol must, be given them. Putting aside for fite time being the routine work of congress, that is pass. Ing the big apliropriation bills, thc main features with which the Ameri can people are interested at this tin when the national lawmakers beghi the second lap of the session's work are the jockeying of the Republican with the half dozen "independents' so that the former may swing thing: next December, the railroad situatior and the deficit. Reliublicau .nembers may so jug gle things that they can throw con. gross into an extra session by a little filibustering and undoubtedly Ih1. would be glad to do it were it not fot the fact. that. they are anxious for tilt De[mocrats to get rid of the several perplexing tmatters now pending. They want some plan devised fot meeting the deficit, of $300,000,000. It it is a good plan, the Republican: will claim the credit for having had a share in it. If it is a bad plan and Is unsatisfactory with the people gen erally, as most taxation is, they will insist that the Democrats be thrown out as unworthy of being entrusted with legislation for more than a hun (red million peolle. Thero are some smart men in the Reimblican lineup and it may be tak en for granted that if' men like Sena tors Lodge of Massachusetts, Penrose of Pennsylvania and others in the up - per house, and Congressman .lann and ia dozen mnore oin he house side car figrtre any Way to embarrass the Dett. oetIs it will lie done. "Tey see 11hal this t utestlon of1 miee' ting it defieit 01 thle Itriopor'tin of)5 0 $::00 ,titt0,00t0 is to smtall tintg. 'T'he peole will niatural ly~ not ('asily% siihit to furttthet' huri dlens of' this kindt aitd thbough this (detl cit. has not ('ome) ablot i t'outgh anti derelielio loll ty1 on the 'part of tht D emioirats int conigress, iHeulticamc wvil titake it icapea so if' thei legisla live sittiation enni lit jiuggled. 'IlTe wvithi the Demio('rats Ito put1 this monetlt legislatttion throughal if' by doinlg so the' tnn help) theimst lve's. On thte ofthei Anythinig tmay hiappnct. A humsiniess mtinjg of' thle otlieri' andl memblers of the I .aurens Count3 S. R. Associationi will lie held ini th< 'ourt' hiotuse on IFriday a ftcernoon, .Ian i19, 1916t ait 3t o'loi'k. All who are' in I crestedi are ur mgcd to lie liresent1 . TPhi object. of' the meetinug is to ilain fot a Suntday schotol rally caimpa Ign 1 cover L~aurmens county. W. 0. W. .ME E'ThN (. ('ail Meetitig of Mtyrtle ('ampih No. uitN Next Friday. There will lie a call meeting of .lyr' tie ('amp No. 206 Woodmen or the World next Friday night thle 12th.. itl '7:30. Itiplortanlt business will bc~ -tr'ansaetedl and all membiers areO urgeK( to be prlesent. IL. M. Wasson. C'lerk. In l"orin, General .tssembly, in A nu Je'port, That lie %ill Uiv'e I'y Posi lion on Electiotl of Snecessor-- Give leiesons for Step. Colunihia. .an. 7.- -"in Coninusion helrewi'W i t ietnier mlly resiguliatoll. it take effect upon Ile election of m113 successor," States .John LowNdes ie. 1,aurin31, stalt(e warehouse conmmission, er, in his anual report. to the genera assembly, which is to be tid or it desks of the ieIbers of both h1ouse) dur'ing the opening days of fthe Session .John 1.. Aielbaiirin, former n'cite< States senator from S'outhi Carolina was eleeIed heal of the warl Weihu( Systemi when Ile bill of which he wa ilh( athortt!1, p~(ased the( geneal('1 0 -on1: ily at4d eleatIed the mehodfor sIi 81: I wari'e'hIousing of (itton. I t (a:)1 paii of 11111; he was th1 ' t.t ;am . , ter (f l hfaio ai po!ie'es. ( p , i' } fau ' of i ra -' (;( lr1e1 far I i(' Foillowin::- the+ norninlationt or (;O'"( ieo tn i t:Ii i11 ih -e -lt'on id p ' i '} tx : ''u nbIeiao r 1.?. 191;, i 11 la '::nitl it -1. A. I l oh ' fit. Mlatthe ws, pr e' n of the S(atam \\' arehou. :1 AA,1( j:1; iIn Ills intention of 0'sigianing, hit I t t 'thhdrew his tentative priOOSilitin a the r4"':st of the as: Ot intlion. Sim., that time hi.: coarse was problenatij(' "The spirit of intolerance in the lit. te' factional ('ontesls in South Caro. lina nake the furtheri' development o the system by me filipractical,'' stalte the section of the report trantsmlittin;. the resignation. "I have no personal or political axe to grind. I followed the course whiel it seemed to em would nest Insure th< development. of the warehouse systen upon broad lines of service to the farmrs of the state. I have no poll. tical apologies to make, and the inch fact of being in a minority is no proo that I wats wrong. The governor an this legislature were elected pledge( to the development, of the warehous system, an daithough my term doe: not expire until -Noveniber- , 1918, af ter (lie positive stand I took in 1h< campaign, I feel that. I owe it to I majority of this legislature and Gov. ernor .lanning to give them a fret hand. "I believe that all of its wish to d our best for Siouth Carolina, and I stand ready to aid ily sl'ccessor free of1 all cos t wienever c'lled 1111on. "I wish you to inderstand. gentle m1en of the general assembly, and the people of the state to believe, that I have never desired an oflice for sell aggrandizement, hut only as a mean: of being a real service to my state. "I do not prolpose to permit fa('. tional pre.lulice against me to per vert the usefulness of tils ofice. feel that the best service I en rendei is to leave the way open for (hose it control to fr11'ther' develol) a systlen which was it'e salvatioln of the smiial faiier without personal eerdit it 1911, and wiich will be greatly needed uniless I iuisreadil lbe signs, (,ext fall The otee has been thorolpily eheck I lierewith subitii~, as an appenC~di.: I orion of4( th Ilis rep;oil. whIieb! is no and far1 14) mh." Thei4 l.:hulans Illrware Iomaani. ha, opened't a phn;'ihint,: and liii 81ho1 tor(s of t4 1he Grhay Ibuili~n;g and is ''i:,irge of .\ r. \ilI 1''. M\a Vt in, ai n I'4i44e 11nd lionellIs~ 3 Inst r'l s. 1'tia4 and1 lIonellis Gr eater' .\lin stre1s wit! he4 thie alttraeltion at th< Operai louw Sal irda y nightl. \lanag'1 Swvitz('eri (ta'e that1 th1e sho(w is at goo4 one14 and1 thaut 114 Is expletinig a largi attendance1141. heserv'ed( 54eats 1are 4)1 sae 1al the 114l1'eoles D ruig St or. *ie.li ,nte. II. 3lnelhen lesins fi list. Patsto~rates. York, .Ian. 3.-Th''le 1ev. .Iamnes 11 .\1lachten has te'nderedl hiIs resignatio4) as ll asto r of the First 3n 1)11st clhiiei and14 the (Cha rlotto 'Streuet lHapt is ('hu1rchi of Y'ork . Mlr. .\aclien ha; been piator of thiese chutrehes for fou y'earsI and1 has done) splendid work i1 that capacity. The two congregation| hauve not1 yet. accepled. the resignat lot and efforts are being made to havx M\r. .31aCheni rec4onsider .the ma~ttei lie has not mad~e alny anlnou1nc4een of hIs fuituri p~ir~ns. il[[TING IS CALL[D ON [ARM LOAN ACT 1 To Be Held Saturday, Jan; uary 29th. SIMILAR MEETINGS IN ALL COUNTIES Aterlii ar Iinance' leagne Asks filah. I(ectings h;e Hield inl I"ery) C'ounni In thelt'nion. Speakers tip 'inke Addresses ou S:ubj0ect. I men)\ rivan l;in 4II Finan e I. ' ,' w'ah heatunart.r-: in Springitf'Il, htgs., halt is..um(1it a (all for ;t a -.-s I.4) lin t be4il i-l a t < I 4(m' .i w i: 1 ''l' ' li ( thI 1a1 1 Sa) t'uriL . 1, hi l r heti1 ', I t ; :de1I I jt i' *I'1{ I'" b11 . .''. .1' t , 'I . \\'e i tit \u. A 114 'era ol I 1.aI' 1 a!: I L1; . Iy 'rus for tlhe at :n iln :di IitI is 1ich In pic'oti I5 h ' ;1 111. ..gi "-( . ealie es the metadrhesta toi ac al fure s tak in the lnd. !1n 1ad l't e ot to 111p1l1Ct r ii, stea The 'dv rti has ren ited th fol lowting circubllIr fromIl tte leag'e: - The hotIl' has sitrct fr I. the't mei eii people to raanir( their ntewi oppor tuit y. A ntew era of ihrift anll I ro:0. perity is at hand. It is rich n promise of progreics economic, social, siritual. It. enables the poorest and richest to acquire a "stake in the land." it helps the farnmer to own his own arm-to beconme propietor instead of tenant, independent instead of de pendent. It safely and profitably employs the people's savings, no matter how small or large, in building up the g Iicult ure and idnttt,yi. Jans1fac. tuIring and commerce, of their own community, It is the ripe fruition of America's century of co-operative thrift, and of 200 yr:ars of associated1 finance In IEurope. 'T hese irhl ilant. possibil it'i are within the reach of every Person and of each community'. These pssibili ties are afforded by the federal l'arin: loan act of 19I . As a. eins of hell, to self-help, it is the .reater Char ter of Mural redits, Popular Savings and Thrift. Investinent. The ncwv sys Iem is now lboit to eL into ef et. Therefore, by Virtue of the univer sal iterest itin and benetis 1ossiblo from ithe federal farm ian calf; upo the people to ather in mass meeting at the county seat Or sire town of their respective counties at I1i A. -\. on .January 27, I i, being the last tIuI ill n<1w1 an .ina l. iiI1r ( II II1, t rose of considierine, :1t i, dralF 1 ,'ut.s Ioatt .\t sich aim. and lace -s. th Iwo (elfJ arf msted toilityh.ctona ii t wo l--e i, .\ .a . o l he in ~as(' 141 eoh' et enjo1y in lat' advals- d ri hi nex, -itle orac t o ing :u . >~t -aitIns ii foru1 t F e'w aviet thamp No. ta mt '', 3 \\w t \illh! linslalle o1 0the :an a l .' olnt riay ngher Jatn st as flews: Max! A. wI la roet, Ad t) 4. Ia tha. I l. W.lleaton .1anl1-r