The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, January 23, 1895, Image 1
?t)e lU ti tc l)m nn ant &mffyttm.
w -----?^--------------^---^--- - - - - -
THE SUMTER WATCHMAN, Established April,,! S50. "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's." THE TKUE SOUTHRON, Established June 126r>
Consolidated Aug. 2,1881. SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23,1895. New Series-Vol. XIV. No. 26.
CJjc ffl?fam aub Sonftron
PaUis_ed S very TC edaesday,
-BY
KT. Gr. Osteen,
SUMTER, S. C.
TERMS :
Two Dollars per anona-ir. advance.
ADTSSTISIHEST:
Ooe Square first insertion.$1 00
Every subsequent insertion?.. 50
Contracts for three montbst cr 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.
Johnnie Draws His Gun.
And Scores a "Balls Eye" in
The "Ring* of Bings.
WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 13,1895.
To the Editor of the Register :
Dear Sir : As there seems to be a
lull in State politics, and without a
positive knowledge of what is doing
or going to be done, I submit here?
with my own peculiar opinions of the
situation.
The time for action, it seems to me,
has arrived, and thus believing, I
shall not longer stifle my convictions,
but shall speak frankly and unreserv?
edly as I think the necessities of the
situation 'require, and abide the con?
sequences, whatever they may be :
The general poverty and depres?
sion in the country at large is inten?
sified by local conditions.
Ko one expected the "movement"
of 1890 to divide our people into two
absolutely hostile camps. And the
whole thing can be largely traced to
the abandonment of the primary elec?
tion principle last summer to promote
the interest of certain individuals.
The Constitutional Convention is
upon us, and, with it and our inter?
necine strife, the "nigger in the
wood pile" is reviving.
"Not dead, but sleepcth" is writ?
ten over the attenuated corpse of the
Democratic party north of Mason and
Dixon's line, and even in our own
section and among our own people
signs of decay are visible. Our old
allies will not help us and can no
longer be relied upon.
Let us help ourselves. The inter?
ests of ninety-nine oat of every one
hundred of our citizens are identical.
A convention of a faction, no mat?
ter how able its membership or good
its work, will be disastrous and drive
us further apart. Everyone admits
that, but unfortunately we have be?
come such astute politicians that each
of us is afraid to move for fear of
. injuring his chances of securing some
office, from that of county coroner to
Presideut of the United States. We
are breeding tyrants and political
cowards in South Carolina. Too.
much policy and not enough of
patriotism. Why, my dear sir, I
came within an ace of ruining my
flattering political prospects last
summer by a few innocent and kind
observations made to "My Dear
Appell." But whatever the result,
I have the satisfaction of knowing
* that I coined at least one or two apt
words and phrases, which, if they did
not enrich the English language, will
live fer some time descriptio
personae.
Ever since I wrote that letter (in
which, God knows, I was honest), I
have been maligued, misrepresented
and misquoted. Every time I open?
ed my mouth I was charged with
being in league witb "Butler/' but
that can be done no longer, as Gen.
Butler is out of politics and will soon
be a private citizen ; while we differ
on some things politically, he will
carry with him my undying friend?
ship and respect. Had it not been !
for the misconstruction which true
friends, whose opinion I value, would
have placed upon my conduct, I
would have died a thousand political
deaths before submitting to what I
did. The people have honored me,
I love them, and have studied hard
and tried to give them value receiv?
ed.
I have come to the conclusion that
I do not care whether I ever hold an?
other office or not, if it involves the
least sacrifice of dignity, honor or
principle, and I do not propose to
occupy any equivocal or uncertain
position. 1 am in favor of harmoniz?
ing the factions, if such a thing be
possible, but in order to do that we
must destroy a "Ring" more despe?
rate, more autocratic, more tyranni?
cal, more unscrupulous than ever
dominated the State or controlled the
destinies of a free people-I defy
them ? Let them take the office I
hold, if they can. They cannot
muzzle ray tongue nor stifle
my manhood or independence.
They nie now making prepa a
tiqn to control the Constitutional
convention and thereby perpetuate
themselves io power, and if neces?
sary to accomplish this, white men,
as well as the negro, will be ruth
! iessly disfranchised. The "Antis"
! one part are cowed and whipped, the
other part too mad to have any sense,
! and while a part of the "Reformers"
who want fair play have been silent,
an arrogant minority, held together
by the cohesive power of spoils, runs
rough-shod over all. Offices are
multiplied by the thousand to prevent
"kicking," while the hands of the
executive are strengthened by un?
limited patronage and the towns
intimidated by the threat of depriv?
ing them of the precious heritage of
local self-government. The Alliance
has been destroyed or simply convert?
ed into an adjunct of the political
machine by methods that would
make the stripes of the Tammany
tiger pale with. envy. Men are
afraid to speak, or speak with bated
breath. Pretended salary reduc?
tions on the principle of cutting
everybody else's salary except their
own. While the patient, toiling
masses are in debt and straining
every nerve to keep the "wolf from
the door," their attention is led away
and centered upon personal and local
issues, that no matter which way
they are decided will benefit no one
except a few individuals. What in
;he name of heaven can the people
expect from such purblind statesman?
ship ? Where do they come in ?
Every man, woman and child in
South Carolina knows that I am tell?
ing the truth and many good Reform?
ers see in the ugly picture the finale
to the beautiful dream of 1890.
Our only hope is to get together
in this convention and if possible,
prevent the "Ring" from controlling
it, and frame a Constitution which
will command the respect and con?
fidence of the whole people, thereby
uniting and placing us in a position
in 1876 where we can avail ourselves
of the most favorable opportunity
that National politics may then offer.
It is useless to temporize ; if we be
men, let us act, and, at leats purchase
an honorable defeat.
For what I have already said and
! done along this line I have been the
subject of vituperation, slander and
abuse and I shrink (no one knows
! how much) from offering myself as a
! further target to the foul pen of hire
i lings and slaves.
If doing my duty manfully and
conscientiously relegates me to pri?
vate life, I welcome it. Let the
phalanx put all of its spears into my
body, if thereby the cause of liberty
is conserved.
It was the expressed hope of many
that the "Forty" ere this would have
taken such action as would have
made their influence felt on the line
indicated by them, which met with
such general approval throughout the
State.
I hope and believe the matter will
soon consummate in definite action,
and thereby unite all those who sin?
cerely want "peace aud unity."
Men who posses the courage of
their convictions must confer in the
near future and adopt such a line of
action as will subserve the best in?
terests of the State. It is a fight
against "bossism and ring rule,"
which seeks to prostitute every prin?
ciple of popular rights to selfish pur?
poses.
Let those who believe peace can be
obtained without an effort deceive
themselves no longer. Peace has
never been purchased without a stern
battle to secure its blessings.
Yours respectfully,
JNO. L. MCLAURIX.
Bock Hill's Good Roads.
ROCK HILL, ?lanuary 15.-Special :
The bad weather and consequent com?
plaints of mud have directed attention
to the work that ha* been done by
Rock Hill io the line of securing good
roads. About two years since it was
decided to build highways goiog from
the town in all directions. Private
subscriptions were secured from towo
and from the country adjacent along
the lino of the proposed routes. The
county authorities agreed to furnish a
rock crusher and a steam engine and to
pay one hundred dollars, Rock Hill
gave one-fourth the cost and built the
roads up to the town limits.
The roads were located carefully by
a civil engineer. A road bed thirty
feet wide was raised above the surround
iog soil by large ploughs. This was
packed hard by the use of heavy rollers.
A track ten feet wide io the centre was
then macadamized, a track ten feet wide
being left on each side for use in the
summer. The rock in the macadamiz?
ed portion is from six to eight inches
deep. The whole road is well drained
by side ditches, and io the worst of
weather is hard and affords every facili?
ty for travelling. Two road* extend?
ing one three, the other three and one
half miles beyond the city limits, have
been completed Subscriptions were
made for an amount hufiicient to com?
plete as m uch more, but more pressing
matters have stopped the work for a
short time These roads have made j
plain the great value of money aud
work expended in rbis way. They have
proved almost like arms reaching out
from town !o country with mutual bene?
fit.-Kef;s and Courier.
A Story of A. T. Stewart.
S That was a nice little story Mr.
I George Jewet told me yesterday
afternoon and as it has a good moral
attached to it ? give it here, although
it might be odd to some people, says
Macon Telegraph. "I beard jhe sto?
ry when I was a boy", said Mr Jew?
et, "but I have often thought of it since
when reminded of careless extravag?
ance of we southern people. A promin?
ent Georgian was delegated by his
church to go to New York and re?
quest of A. T. Stewart, tbe dry
j goods prince, a contribution to the
church. The Georgian went to New
York and on entering Mr. Stewart's
mammoth store was shown back to the
private office of the millionaire. On
entering the office he heard the mil
\ lionaire quarreling with a young
! man, and not wishing to interrupt
them, he stood at the door for a mom?
ent. While standing at the door he
heard Mr. Stewart teil the young
i man to never again seal a letter with
? a whole wafer, but to divide them
j and make each wafer do for two let
! ters. Mind yo i this was long ago,
j when wafers cf sealing wax were
used in sealing letters, aud as a waf?
er was not worth anything to 6qeak
of, the Georgian was about to turn
back, thinking Mr. Stewart too stin?
gy and too mean to give anything,
when Mr. Stewart noticed him and
asked him his business. The Geor?
gian was considerably embarassed,
but was frank enough to tell Mr.
Stewart that he came there for the
purpose of asking him to contribute
to a certain church, but as he had
heard him quarreling with one of his
young men about using one whole
wafer in sealing an envelope he
thought it would be ?seles for him to
ask for a contribution. 'Why, my
dear sir' said Mr. Stewart, 'it is by
looking after these little things that I
am enabled to give you $1,000 for
the church you represent7, and turn?
ing aside to his bookkeeper he told
him to write out a check for $1,000
for the church the Georgian repre?
sented. The G rgian was greatly
astonished, bu when Mr. Stewart
told him that b had accumulated his
wealth by sav; g pins and scraps, he
leit for home with different views
from those he had entertained before.
A Successful Harvard Dis?
sertation.
A bright young Harvard mau, who
is at home in Rochester for the holi?
days, tells this very characteristic
story, which shows that the spirit of
at least one university is not confined
to the undergraduates, says the Roch?
ester Democrat and Chronicle.
The members of his class are re?
quired at regular intervals to hand in
to one of their instructors dissertations
upon themes of their own choosing.
There is no set rule as to the length
of the papers, and, in fact, nothing is
insisted upon except the one point
that the work shall be completed and
presented at a given time. It hap
pened that dissertation day fell at a
time when most of the class had just
returned from witnessing a game of
football between the Yale and the
Harvard elevens, a game which did
not turn out exactly as the devotees
of the crimson would have wished.
One of the members of the class in
question, having no heart to attempt
a more elaborate effort, wrote upon a
sheet of paper the epigrammatic ex?
pression, "To h-1 with Yale,"
properly signed it, and handed it in
to the instructor as his thesis. Then
he was taken with a panic. He saw
all kinds of dire possibilities compass?
ing him about, and regarded suspen?
sion from a term as the least penalty
that would be apt to follow his au?
dacity. At last the day came when
the papers were returned, indorsed
with the criticisms of the instructor,
il is was handed to him, and he
scarcely dared look at it, but at last
he summoned up courage and read
this inscription: "Precise, accurate,
and to the point."
- - --
A Cincinnati bootblack has fallen
heir to $65,000. This indicates that
fortune, like death, occasionally loves a
shiniug mark.-Borton Globe.
Hereafter, coroners, and trial justices
acting as coroners, can no longer hold
inquests on their own discretion. At
the recent session of the legblaturc, it
was provided that inquests must only
be held upon the written approval of
two or more reputable citizens ci the
neighborhood in which the body ot the
deceased is found. This applies to all
coroners who are paid io fees.
It is greatly to be regretted that con?
gressmen cannot gtop playing politics
loos; enough to enable them to do a lit?
tle legislating for tue beneBt of the
country. There ought to be among
them enough capaMe and patriotic mon
who arc willing to sink politics for thc
present for thc common good. '?"herc
is no doubt that if all the c-ngro.-mcn
win, are in favor of a sound currency
Micuhl get together they could fra<jic a
banking and currency bill that would
give thc couotry the financial relief that
is so ur^ent1^ demanded.
IT PAYS LIKE A GOLD MINE I
BUT
- ?
From The Daily Item.
The Sumter Item reports that, from
data before it, it ie satisfied that the
tobacco crop in Sumter County has
been a profitable one, though seme
fanners have lost money on it ;
"there is no doubt about tobacco
having become an established crop"
in the county: that "fine tobacco"
can be raised there ; that when the
soil is adopted to the plant "it can
be made the most profitable crop
grown in that section ;" and that
some planters report having "made
from $25 to $80 net per acre, and
others estimate that they made more
than that."
Our contemporary adds, however,
that "the outlook for an increase in
the tobacco acreage is not bright, as
far as can be learned," and "the
culture of tobacco may not be ex?
tended this year." We must confess
that we do not understand what this
conclusion signifies or implies. If
the new crop has proved generally
profitable, and has become generally
established in consequence ; if fine
tobacco can be grown there and can
be made the most profitable crop
grown in one of the best agricultural
sections of the State ; and if some
farmers have cleared $25 to $80 an
acre, "and more than that," growing
tobacco, we beg to be permitted to
ask why the acreage of the crop
should not and will not be extended 1
It beats cotton at 5 cents a pound,
and corn and wheat at 50 to 70 cents
a bushel. No new crop could well
show better returns for its first year,
and the reported returns ought to
suffice to cause all the counties
around Sumter to go into tobacco
raising on a large scale. Even at
$25 an acre profit-to say nothing of
the $80 and more-it should drive
cotton out of the field without
ceremony. There are some farmers
in the State who, if current stories
are to be believed, did not make $25
last year on forty or fifty acres of
cotton.
Yet the Sumter farmers turn away
from this tempting and paying crop
and will not go extensively into the
business of growing it, while their
neighbors in Darlington and Florence
propose to quadruple their acreage
in the same crop this year. It is
strange and unaccountable behavior
on their part. Perhaps, however,
they have lound something that pays
better than tobacco. The Item
should let the farmers of other
counties into the scret.-News and
Courier
We can give, in part, the expla?
nation asked and will do so. Tobacco
has been planted in this county to
some extent for four years. The
first year one or two parties planted
experimentally ; but as is often the
case, the experiment was made on
too large a scale. One man planted
tw.enty-five or thirty acres and the
others scarcely less. The expense
was heaiy, as a matter of course.
Barns and packing houses had to be
built, planters and other impliments
purchased, and overseers, who un?
derstood cultivating and curing
tobacco, employed. The first year
the crop was not a success financial?
ly, and one of those who had invest?
ed a large amount of money in
barns abandoned tobacco after the
first crop.
The next year, however, the acre?
age was increased six or eight fold,
and quite a number undertook the
experiment on a small scale-plant?
ing fi om three to five acres"; al?
though others planted twenty-five to
forty acres and invested $800 to
?1/200 in barns, etc. On this crop
several made a fair profit above the
gross expense, while others, those
who had planted extensively, in par?
ticular, fast money.
The third year, 1893, there was a
slight increase in the tobacco acre?
age, more farmers planting tobacco,
although those who had planted so
extensively the previous year re?
duced their acreage. Owing to
mishaps, drouths at critical times
and hailstorms-the crops of seveal
planters were total failures.
Others, however, were successful
and grew fine tobacco, for which
they received fair prices.
Last year. 1894, the acreage was
reduced in some sections of thc
county, but increased in others. As
we have said, the crop was generally
profitable.
Now for the reasons why the
acreage of the crop wi li not be
increased The usual experience
has been that tobacco culture is an
expensive experiment the first year.
That it is an exacting crop-requir?
ing intelligent treatment from the
time the plant beds are prepared.,
until it is graded, packed and sold.
Few persons have the money to
build barns, packing houses, and
hire a tobacco expert, and it is out of
the question to think of obtaining
advances to plant an experimental j j
crop ; for when tobacco is a failure j j
it is the most complete failure im?
aginable. For instance, there is a
farmer in this county whose crop
of eight or teu acres was affected
with a disease known as "frog-eye/
and none of the tobacco was sale?
able, except as trash, which was
quoted at two to three cents per
pound.
Another detering cause is the to?
bacco expert. It not infrequently
happens that the men who are em?
ployed as experts know little or
nothing about the crop, and succeed
only in loosing money for ther em?
ployers. Another is the trouble
experienced in marketing the crop
after it is made, cured and graded.
We are distant from the markets and
when the planters ship their tobacco
to the warehou8ep they are at the
mercey of the tobacco buyers, who
often, by collusion, bid in the tobacco
at a fraction of its value. To avoid
this a number of farmers have hauled
there tobacco to Darlington and
Florence, a distance of 30 to 45 miles,
and even then, though present them
selve, there were complaints that the
tobacco did not sell for what it was
worth.
The men who made money plant?
ing tobacco have done so only after
several years of experience. Those
who have been most successful are
those who have planted small crops
and given then close attention. Those
who have made the most money per
acre are the small planters who run
one or two plows and do the greater
part of their work themselves.
In one section of the county a num?
ber of these small farmers clubbed
together and employed a man to cul?
tivate and cure their tobacco the first
year ; and we are informed that these
men have been uniformly success?
ful in the growing of tobacco. We
are satisfied that there will be a
gradual extension of the crop in 1 :is
coun'^ but not this year for the rea?
sons given above.
The ability to build barns would
insure a considerable increase in
acreage ; and the erection of a ware?
house in Sumter, insuring a conven?
ient market, would be a great stimu?
lus to tobacco culture in Sumter
County. Until there is a warehouse
here, tobacco will remain a side issue
among the products of the County.
But even with these disadvantages
against tobacco culture, we have
never been abie to understand why
many more planters, who are well
able to incur the expense of building
barns and employing an overser, do
not plant tobacco. There is money
in it, and we shall be prepared at an
early day to prove the assertion by
figures.
The highest death rate of any town
in the civilized world is tbat of the
City of Mexico-forty per thousand.
The city is 7,003 feet about sea level,
but in spite of this fact its defective
draioage makes the mortality very
great. Mr. Romero, the Mexican
minister at Washington explains in a
recent article that wheo the water in
Lake Texcoco is high it backs up into
the sewers until the soil under the ,
houses asd in the streets is saturated | ^
with sewage. j ^
A genius of a chemist io Xew York j g
calculates to work upon the fad of ? i,
having dogs for pits for some dollars. v
He judges from the way society women ? f?
and stage favorites bury their noses in , <j
the hair of shaggy little dogs that they j j
must really like the odor of the dog. j
He has, therefore, made a soap which ! ^
he advertises will impart "that doggy i g
smell.'" It is presumed that the young | sf
men who desire io supplant the dogs ci
will wash their hands aod euri their ! jj
mustaches with the chemist's new- r<
fangled soap. ! b
Highest of all in Leavening Powe:
ITEMS.
There is one of two things about this
\rmenian business ; either the Turks
ire the most inhuman monsters that in
?abit this globe, or the accomplished
iar from Wichita has gone over to
Armenia.-Lawrence Kansas Journal.
"Say, Tuffnutte, how did this story
;et started about you being a trimmer
n politics?' Oh, that was just a little
eke. It was founded on my cutting off
lld man Jackson's ear at the primary
ast month."-Cincinnati Tribune.
''What won't these city women do
?est,'Smanthy ? What's all this talk
ibont umbrella skirts V "I never did
ee a man yet, Silas, that didu't make
. fool of hisself when he took to talkin'
bvut women's fixiu's. Common sense
ught to have told you they raised them
kirts when it raios."-Pittsburg
Dispatch.
The Augusta Herald notes that ac
?ordiog to statistics just completed with
egard to new textile manufactories, the
southern States hold their own in great
tyle. Out of a total of 263 new plants,
forth Carolina furnishes 26, South
karolina 23, Georgia 19, Virginia 8
nd Texas 7. The time is not far dis?
ant when 90 per cent, of the money in
ested in new cotton industries will
ind its way to the south.
Manifestations of the New woman are
aultiplyi?g. Ooe of them stopped a
aan on the streets of Detroit, pulled a
dgar and asked for a light Up io
alaine a muscular woman is working up
, paying busiuess spanking her neigh
tor's bad boys at 50 cents a spank.
Berlin has now a ladies' club,
ounded under the patronage of the
impress Frederick, and named for
ier "The Victoria.'7 It possesses a
ine library, a grand piano and com
ortably furnished rooms, but no
uisine, meale, however, being supplied
rom a restaurant next door. Early
losing is tbe rule, lights being turned
ut at 10 p. m.
When Jacob's sons brought feacd
om from Egypt, the patriarch was so
leeply impressed by the fertility of
hat country that he readily accepted
lis soc Joseph's iuvit?tion to make it
iif home. Wheo Nebraskans behold
Jeorgia's grand contribution to her
lecessities, her people, with glad and
jratefui hearts, will be all the more
iclined to come to this land of plenty,
vhich opens its doors wide to immi?
grants and bids ther enter and enjoy
iet harvest.-LaGrange Reporter.
Says the Chicago Times: "Colonel
AT. C. P. Breckinndge is failing to
;arn a livelihood as a public lecturer,
vliss Madeline Poilard has been turned
mt of every position she has secured
is soon as her identify was discovered.
Che press of the country seems in
diced to hail these facts as most
rlorious illustrations of the virtue of
he people. There is no memory of
be iojunctirn that he that is without sin
hould throw the firsi stone, no thought
hat the merciful are blessed, no desire
o temper justice with mercy. We
bink it would redound mightily to the
redit of the American press if this
jounding of two weak people, who
larmed none save themselves, might
low be stopped."
It was io France that the first serious
{fort was made to establish the manu
actare of carpets in the fashion of the
)rient, says Good Words. This was
n the reign of Louis XIV, and under
he direction of his minister Colbert,
[*he royal manufactories were designed
o furnish all manner of furniture, and
n the Gobelins and Bavauvais factories
!50 master weavers wove rich tapestries.
)uriog the revolution of 1789, these
actories were almost suppressed, but
Sapoleon I. revived the manufactories
.nd furnished his palaces with their
oom work. The national workshops of
france still continue, and the woven
tuffs of Gobelins, Beauvais, and the
Savonnerie are accounted among the
mest in Europe. The knowledge of
arpet weaving wa* presumably iutro
.uced into P]nglaud from France during
he persecution of the Huguenots, the
arpet weavers, with other artistic
raftsmen, fled for refuge to England,
nd established themselves ia various
owns. Axminster, in Devonshire,
?as one of these, and also the town of
Viltou. These places retained their
upremacy for a long time, but. with the
atroduction of the Jacquard loom and
arious improved processes of maou
icture, the industry was successfully
eveloped in Kidderminster, Durham,
[ilraanock and Glasgow.
-m - ? ? ?? -
There is good reason for the popularity of
harnberlain's Cough Remedy. Davis <fc
uzird, of West Monterey, Clarion Co , Pa.,
ly : "It has cured people that our physi?
cs could do nothing for. We persuaded
iem to try a bottle of Chnmberiain's Cough
emedy and they now recommend it with the
tst of us." 'lb and 50 cent bottles for sale
y Dr. A J. China.
SLY PURE