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THE 8UMTEB WATCHMAN, Established April, 1850. "Be Just and Fear not-Let al?the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's." THE TKDE SOUTHKON? Established Jane, 1366 Consolidated Aug. 2,1881. SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1894. New Series-Vol. XIII. So. 31. Published Bray Wednesday, -BY Ptf. Gr. Osteen, SUMTER, S. C. TERMS : Two Dollars per annum-in advance. ADVERTISBMEKT: One Square first insertion....?....,?..$1 00 Every subsequent insertion..... 50 Contracts for three months, or longer will be made at reduced rates. All communications which subserve private interests will be charged for as advertisements. Obituaries and tributes of respect will be charged for. Opinion for a Despot The Attorney Genera?s ?ecent Effort May Lead to Untold Mischief. To the Editor of The State : Io your issue of last Saturday, the 17th inst.. I read an opinion famished by the Attorney General io response to a call from Governor Tillman, wish? ing, as it appears some legal light as to tbe right nf bis constabulary force to make arrests and seizures without any written warrant for doing so. I was a little astonished at such a call from the Chief Executive at this late period of bis reign. After taking the judges of the Uoited States Court to task for their blundering io their decisions and pointing out their legal errors in their interpretation of lue law. I thought we bad a Governor who could evolve from bis inner consciousness all the light . required in tackling the most intricate questions of law. Besides, I had sup? posed that the right of the constabulary force-high-minded gentlemen as they are-to search houses, make seizures and shoot down poor devils in the hum? bler walks of life, was already a res adjudicata io Governor Tillman's mind. It never occurred to me that oar Gov? ernor would care a drop cf dispensary X for the opinion of any man or set of xoeo. He has opinions of his own, on all matters, most notably on matters of law, perfectly staisfaotory to him? self, however much at variance they may be with those of men who have . made Boob subjects a lifetime study. The opinion evoked by the Governor, is such as should delight bis heart. It not only sanctions al] that be has done bot all that be may yet do. It is true that, as it nears its close, the "opinion" seems to throw a somersault ' and present an attitude in which it may be pleased to appear in the days yet to come, when the present period of un? reason is past, but in all else bat that one paragraph it sustains the executive io defying the Constitution and treat? ing with contempt the birthright so dear to every man with British blood coursing in his veins. The opinion rendered admits that "Section 22 of the Constitution, our Bill of Rights, de? clares that all persons have a right ti be secare from unreasonable searches or seizures of their persons, houses, papers or possessions," but it is strange and startling that, in the same breath, the .'opinion" declares that 4'it is uni? formly held that whatever powers au? thorized by the Legislature in further? ance of these provisions are not con? sidered unreasonable or unlawful bat is upheld as valid, reasonable and law? ful." It is refreshing to learn from this official "opinion" that the Legislature is so omnipotent and infalible, but it is a sad thing that any lawyer in the once law and liberty loving State of Sooth Carolina should hold and teach the doctrine, so de? structive of the freedom of her citi? zens, that our Bill of Rights is so feeble and slender that it vanishes into smoke before the breath of so august a body as assembled in our State House in December last. The "opinion" admits that the Con? stitution of the United States requires that "all warrants shall be supported by oath or affirmation and be accom? panied with a special designation of the persons or objects of arrest or seiz? ure, and no warrants shall be issued bnt in the cases and with the formal? ities prescribed by the laws." . But right here, the "opinion." see? ing the Governor perturbed and about to pour out a flood of characteristic anathemas, soothes him with the kindly assurance that these soecific designa tions of persons and property are only to be resorted to when written war? rants are issued ; bat tb; t the govern? ment does not require warrants in all cases. Dispense with warrants is the logical conclusion of the opinion, theo ali these specifications can be dis? pensed with and raids on private and public houses can go on without let or hindrance, except, much as the manly spirit of a people born free will certain? ly offer. The people of this mis? governed State are submissive to law, but they will not submit to a satellite of power who comes to arrest them or seize their property, without a lawful warrant for bis work. Let bim approach with that; their bands are folded. Let him come without it ; he! is an intruder and an enemy. We all know there are times when I arrests and seizures can be made with- ! oat a written warrant,- but these are ; exceptions to the spirit of our laws, and limited to great and unforeseen emergencies, as the commission of fel? onies when the perpeirator might oth? erwise escape, or when men are found openly and defiantly breaking the laws of the land. Mere suspicion that one is breaking a police regulation furnish? es no cause or justification for an ar? rest without a duly issued warrant. Blood has already been unwarrant? ably shed and if further action shall take place, based on this .'opinion," worthy only to have been written for the guide of a despotic government, the mischief already accomplished will be as nothing to that yet to come. A PLAIN MAN. Darlington, S. C. February 20. April is the Time. The Alliance-Reform Convention a Certainty Now. It was last Monday that The State said that the political pot of reform in this State was boiling merrily, that some surprising things were going on and that probably before the end of the present week some af them, showing a remarkable condition of affairs would be made public. It was impossible then to teil anything definite, although the representatives of The State were well informed and are better informed now of the moves and counter-moves that have been made and are being made. There has been a row going on in the Reform ranks for some time between the two factions kaown as the hoy faction and the Aliiance Reform faction. A good many have been looking for it to be settled and nothing come of it, but it doesn't look now as if any such settlement is ever to be. At any rate, the latter faction, bead^J by Mr. Bowden, came out ?i*ong?y demanding a March or April convention. Irby and his men, after a conference in Washington, declared jost as strongly against the holding of such a convention, and Governor Tillman did the same. Bot he soon saw his error, glanced around, noticed which way the wind was blowing and clambered up on the fence. Well, now, it can be stated as a fact that this convention, which the Alliance faction demanded, is going to be held during the first or second week of April-not later. And the call is going to be issued in a few days. It may be that it will -be made public tomorrow or Monday. And it may surprise the public to Know that Governor Tillman has at last decided which faction he will affiliate with, for he will either directly or indirectly issue this call. It will appear that some kind of a compromise has been made up. So it has, but the Alliance, Reform people are the undoubted masters of the situation. Just why this statement is made, the public cannot yet know through the columns of this paper. The public is simply asked to wait and see. Although the fact that the Gov? ernor was to issue the call has been known for some days here, the representatives of The State were so situated that they would uo? make it public, and yesterday a correspondent sent out the fact from Washington. When Governor Tillman was asked about it, he characterized it as "that lie. from Washington," and said he "knew nothing about the calling of a convention'' by himself. This ap? pears as a d?niai on the part of the Gov? ernor that he <vill call the convention, but The State regards this as merely a ruse on the part of the Governor, and if he does not call the convention directly he will indirectly do so, and his name will appear affixed to the call. . It can be further stated, asa pretty well settled fact, that the convention when it assembles will make nomina? tions for a State ticket, which will be directly against the expressed desire of the Irby faction. Just now it ap? pears that Ellerbe is the man who will head the ticket. He certainly seems to have the strongest showing of any of those meutioned. John Gary Evans will hardly be in it, if the situatiou is understood correctly. What effect that will have remains to be seen. The situation is interesting to say the least, and there will doubtless be further developments of a still more interestingjnaturein the next few days* And as to Irby and his men. Irby carne from Washington a few days ago. He must have received informa? tion of the way affairs were going. It is stated that he has been in Columbia, but such is not thought to be the case by those who are in a position to know. He is doubtless at home watching things with a jealous eye. But if the writing on the wall is read aright he might as well have stayed in Washington for the good he will do to his side. Some of the things told above would not have been mentioned, but for the fact that several who saw the dispatch from Washington were j auxious to know what it meant. In j consequence of this enough is 6aid j to indicate which way the wind is blowing, and the rest is left for the | future to disclose.-The State,Feb. 23. j He Slandered Southern Men. A Young Virginian Proves a Form? idable Roland. New York, Feb. 22. What was intended to be a celebration tonight of Washington's birthday on an elaborate scale had been planned by the New York Southern Society. Owing to a strange mischance, how? ever, many of the guests of honor expected did not put in their appear? ance at the annual banquet given at Sherry. She speakers invited includ? ed such prominent persons as Secre? tary John G. Carlisle, Speaker Crisp, Congressman John Allen, of Mis rissippi, and Isador Raynor, of Mary? land. At the last moment the officers be? gan to hustle for speakers to take the places of the absentees. Congress? man Isadore Strauss consented to take the place of Raynor, and Post? master Drayton, of this city, that of Col. McClelland. The other speakers were President Charles Deshon, M. J. Yerdery, and James and L. Gor? don. Among the guests were John A. McCall, John C. Calhoun, Augustus Healy, Eilis H. iloberts, Elihu Root, Gustav Schwab, and Charles S. Whit? ley. While President Deshon was speak? ing ex-Mayor Abram S. Hewitt en? tered the banqueting hall. He was asked to fill the place of Secretary Carlisle, and responded to the toast of "Our National Credit." After pre? facing his remarks with a tribute to Secretary Carlisle he proceeded to lay out the Southern statesman. "But the character of Southern statesmanship has decreased from the time before the war and her Senators and Congressmen of today are as pigmies compared with the intellec? tual giants of that time. The states? men of today show little .signs of hav? ing studied the great economical questions affecting the interests of our country. The silver question was at ihe very foundation of the public credit. It was due to the adaption of a currrency not based upon the intrinsic value of coin that brought about the silver crisis. The differ? ence between the true and false value of the silver dollar is called the seign? iorage. The South wanted to coin this seigniorage. They might as well try to coin a vacuum. It was even worse than that. It was trying to coin a negative quautity on the other side There is one thing the South wants to learn; it is that public credit can not be maintained until all concerned realize that there is no royal road to value and the Southern Representatives must rise to the heights of the men who represented the South in Con? gress proviou8 to the war. ''There are other statesmen from the South who have succumbed to the fallacy that positions in. the Supreme Court of the United States are local questions to be settled on* demand of local politicians It might be sup? posed that the Supreme Court bench represented the whole United States and that everybody had a right to demand that it be filled without regard to politics or locality. It is ! uot a matter for ward politicans to kick about, from one end of the United States to the other. Such men as Calhoun, Benton, Reeves and Crawford would have resigned their high positions in the Senate and gone home in sack cloth and ashes, rather than obey, on a principle such as this, a man without character or worth and who had no right to' speak for the great State of New York." At this point there was quite a sen? sation among the guests. Of this Mr. Hewitt took not the slightest notice, but proceeded to ask : "Are you less brave now than your fathers were thirty years ago when they sacrificed everything they pos? sessed to their convictions, that you will allow your congressmen and sen? ators to misrepresent both their coun? try and the South ?" Proceeding, Mr Hewitt went on to praise the Wilson tariff bill, particu? larly thc provisions which place iron and coal on the free list. But it was in dealing with the tariff question, he said, that Southern rep? resentatives had displayed a lack of intelligence away below the standard of the men who preceded them. It was hard to explain this, he said. After the war many Southern men came North. Those who remained behind with brains devoted them? selves to business with a view of re? gaining their shattered fortunes, j Possibly the remainder devoted them selves to politics. The course of the representatives in Congress fron the South could not be explained simply by devotion to section or lo? cality. It was the result of gross ig? norance. The present staguant con? dition cf trade was brought about by the silver bill, and the South, in solid phalanx, voted for that bill, thus mak? ing themselves responsible for this stagnation and demonstrating that there was no greater enemy of the public interests than the fool who stepped in where angels feared to tread. HEWITT'S CRITICISMS ANSWERED. The conclusion of Hewitt's speech was received in silence. The gaunt? let thus thrown down was immediate? ly taken up by James Lyndsay Gor? don, a young New York lawyer of Virginian birth. He said: "With all due deference to the opinion of Mr. Hewitt, ? will venture to say that the men who stand in Congress to-day from the South are as true, pure, upright and sincere in their convictions and as well equip? ped both mentally and intellectually, aa any man there from the North, East or West. It is possible-nay, even probable, that the people of the North may be unable to comprehend the influences that mould the senti? ments of Southern people. Those of them who have roted for the silver bill have done so with an eye to the advancement of their constituents and the honor of the country at large. Nor must it be understood that Southern statesmanship is at a discount today. The treasury is guarded by a Southern mau, the great navy of Uncle Sam is under the direction of a Southern states? man : A Southern man is in charge of the Interior Department, and a Southern man presides, with dignity and ability, over the deliberations of the House of Representatives ; a Southern mau, great pure and spot? less, has been raised to the Supreme Court bench, and a Southern man is responsible for the new tariff bill This is the record of the men of the South to-day. They are Southerners; they are statesmen, but above all they are American citizens. An Infamous Act. A Spy Seizes and Opens a Lady's Trunk. DARLINGTON. Feb. 23.-Special to The State.-One of the local spies, King, seized and broke open a trunk at the Coast Line station this morn I ing. It belonged to a lady, Mrs. Young, the wife of one of the ! employes of the C , S. & N. Rail? road, and contained only clothing and some household utensils. The trunk was checked, and he seized it from a backman. The seizure was infam? ous and inexcusable in the highest degree. The lady will try and secure redress. Planting Peanuts. The Berry First Brought to North Carolina by a Slace Ship. There is much doubt as to the original home of the peanut. Some claim that it is indigenous to Africa, others that it was a native of South America and was carried by the ! earlier explorers of that country to Spain and thence to Africa The earliest authentic tradition tells of its appearance in eastern North Caro? lina, probably brought there by some of the slave ships landiog cargoes along the coast. The native Africans recognized and used them. Peanuts grow upon a trailing vine, with leaves much resembling a small four-Ieavad clover. The small yellow flower it bears is shaped like the blossom of all the pea family ; indeed, the agricultural bureau in Washing does not recognize the peanut as a j nut at all, but class it among beans. The soil in which it is cultivated j must be light and sandy ; after the flower falls away the flower stalk elongates r.nd becomes rigid, curv? ing in such a way as to push the forming pod well below the surface of the earth ; if by any accident this is not done the nut never matures. They are planted in rows about three feet apart, and the vines spread until the ground is covered by them. Harvesting is done after the first frost, and the yield is often 100 bushels to the acre, making this a more profitable crop than wheat or cotton. The vines, with the nuts clinging to them, are torn up with pronged hoes and allowed to dry in the sun for a day or two, and then stacked to cure. In about a fort- j night the nuts are picked off, the empty ones, which are technically called "pops," being rejected. This is done by hand, and is slow work, as an expert laborer can pick only three bushels a day. They come into market in a rough, dirty state, unas? sorted and with vine tendrils cling? ing to the pods. Eastern Virginia and North Caro? lina produce all the peanuts con? sumed in the United States and Canada.-From the Blue and Gray. A youDg man advertised for a wife, aod his sister answered the advertise? ment; aod the young mao tbioks tbere is no balm io advertisements, aod the old people think it is pretty hard to have two fools in one family. There will be DO more postal notes. Mooey orders are substituted. .For or? ders oot exceeding ?2 50 the charge is three cents, and the fee increases until it is fifty ceots for sums over ?75 and under ?100. The new sys? tem is to take effect July 1st. Rev. J. C. Galloway on Lynch ing. From the New York Indepeodent. Lynchings io the Sooth are inflicted for two classes of crimes-for murder and house-burning aod for atrocities on females. A large majority of those lyoched are for the last-named crime. These lynchings aie the gravest question now confronting the people of the Southern States. It is superfluous to discuss the enormity of this evil. Tho only question is, how can it be prevented, or can it be prevented at all. Let us divide the question, and look first at those cases where lynching is inflicted for murder and house-burning. These constitute a decided minority of those lynched. If these were the only instances of lynching the problem would not be so difficult, or require a very great amount of time or effort to solve it. I think it is not difficult for one io this section to see that there is a tide of public sentiment coming in against lynching for murder and house buring ; an increasing disposition to let the law take its course in disposing of such offenders. If it were not for another disturbing circumstance, lynch? ing for these offenses would likely well-nigh disappear in the next ten years. What is this disturbing element? It is that class of lynching which is visit? ed on miscreants who assault helpless women. Here is the core of the mat? ter. Most of these crime's, both of the first and second class, are committed by persons of color; and as the wrongs inflicted against white females are so much more numerous, and engender such fierce hate and race antagonism, it constantly keeps alive and intensifies the disposition to wreak vengeance on colored persons for any grave offense whatever, when done to a white per? son. The? frequent occurrence of these offenses never allows the caldron of pas? sion to cool. The result ts the frequent lynching of colored persons for any grave offense. When a State is thrown into excitement evory few days by crime against helpless women, it is not very surprising that naturally hot blood soon boils over. It is the beat and passion engendered by this beastly offense that leads on to lynching for murder and house-burning. Eliminate it and it would not be difficult to deal with other forms of lynching. There are several things which act as an ever-probing thorn to keep open this ever running sore. One is the presence in almost every county throughout the South of some lady who has been the victim, living year after year as bue in a tomb, ever under the shadow of that great horror, shut in, hopeless and helpless. They have friends and relatives who cannot forget their deep humiliation, and who are aroused to fury on the recurrence of similar wrongs to others. Another is the apprehension, terror and nameless horror which has resulted from the frequency of these outrages. There are wide tracts of country where there are a dozen blacks to one white, where white families are miles apart. The apprehension and fear created by these outrages in the minds of this sparse white population, and especially among the females, is both pitiable and terri? ble. If a neighbor is visited it is done with "fear and trembling," peering behind and before, scanning every thicket, aud starting at the rustling of every leaf. Many a girl is kept home from school, and allowed to grow up in ignorance, rather than expose her to this risk. Most of the protests which are being made against lynching come from those who are living io cities and towns, where this apprehension is little felt. In the country districts there is an om? inous silence. Another thing which has operated very efficiently in taking the punish? ment of this crime out of the hands of the court, is the invincible repugnance of the people to bringing the victim of the crime before a crowded court room and to be subjected to cross examina? tion, to be a gazing stock to a curious public-an ordeal more dreadful to a refined woman, under the circumstan? ces, that even death. It is hard to see how a man can permit a wife or daugh? ter to undergo such an ordeal. Hence it is the settled purpose of the people to make such a disposition of cases, as not to require a public exposure of the victim. It is useless to deny that race prejudice also has much to do with this swift and terrible infliction of mob vengeance. Still it is only true to say that any white man in the South, how? ever high his position, who inflicts a similar wrong, will die at the hands Highest of all in Leavening Pov, ABSOLU! of a mob or that of husband or brother. That mob vengeance bas bad a de? terrent effect in regard to this crime is unquestioned. Every mau who is guilty, and who is discovered, knows he will die at the end of a rope, or the muzzle of a pistol. If the punishment of this crime was left to the slow pro? cess and uncertain penalties of consti? tuted law, the crime would be far more prevalent, how much more so, it is ap? palling to coo templete. Of course, this is not offered in justification of mob law. These are facts, and the present enormous proportions of the evil. Can it be prevented ? For twenty-seven years the friends of Jaw and order have striven to combat evil by appeals and denunciations through the newspapers -secular and religious-the magazine, the platform and the pulpit. Yet the end is no nearer in sight. I have no hesitation in saying that this will not eradicate the evil. Not one in a thousand of those for whom these articles are intended see them. Hence they have been as futile as battering a stone wall with paper pellets. A quarter of a century has demonstrated this. This has. been realized, and recently another plan has been proposed. The appointment of a special court, to con* vene immediately on the scene, in case of an outrage, and hold speedy trial. The practicability of such a plan may well be questioned; but it is liable to another objection which is insuper? able in law. The constitution guaran? tees to every man a fair and impartial trial by jury. The trial of ono, charged with such a crime by a court convening within twenty-four hours after the deed, would be a farce hardly second to the mock trial held by a mob, and would be promptly pronounced uucon stitiooal by any competent court of appeal. A study of this question from every available standpoint bas only strength? ened me in the belief that the remedy must (and will eventually) come from the side of the colored people them? selves. One may dam up a stream and make the banks and dikes thick and high ; but if the stream continues to flow, somewhere and somehow the pent up waters will eat through and leave an ugly rent. Dry up the springs of that stream and you will need no bar? riers. Untii the torrent of lust is in some way dried up, these terrible out? breaks of mob fury will not cease any? where in the near future. How can the remedy come on the side of the Negro? It can come through the efforts of those who are the leaders and teacher* of the colored people. The solution of this problem lies in the hands of the Christian ministry of the Negro race, for they are not the preachers only, but to a large extent the teachers in their sehorls. They are the leaders of their people in every particular-in church, State and school. No ont* has a tithe of the influence they wield. They can, if they will, impress on the leaders of their peo? ple in every community the heinousness of the crime of outrage, and these leaders in turn can reach every indivi? dual in the community. If, in their expressive lanuage, "the word" should "go out" from these leaders that these crimes must cease, and impress this on them year after year, it would avail more than all other agencies. Aud there are not wanting cheering indications that the colored ministers of the South are beginniug to realize that this is true, and putting forth their power and influence to compass this end. If this view be correct, what an argument for the education of the colored ministry. A Revelation. HE. "At last we are alone, and I have an opportunity to speak. I have been, seeking this moment for ? days and days, for i have something to say to you.'' SHE. "GO on, Mr. Harkins." HE. "I will. Miss Jones, you perhaps have not noticed that at times I have been constrained, uneasy, even awkward, in your pres ; ence, that I have had something on ! my mind that I felt I must say to ! you." ! SHE (softly). "Yes." HE, "That constraint, that awk ? wardness, Miss Jones, was due to due to- " SHE "GO on, Mr. Harkins." HE. "-was due to the fact that I feared you were not aware that I am engaged to your mother."-From the "Editor's Drawer," in Harper's Magazine for March. fer.-Latest U. S. Gov't Report fELY PURE