The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, January 10, 1917, Image 1
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