Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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IHK SUMTES WATCHMAN, Established April,.1850. "'Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends then Aims': at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's." THE TKUE SOUTHRON, Established Jone, 1266 Consolidated Aug. 2,1881._SUMTER. S. C.. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1895. Sew Series-Yol. XIV. So. 30. Ut Wl?thwx sub ?3?i?|roit Puolis?ed Every "Wednesday, -BT KT. C3r. Osteeiij SUMTER, S. C. . TERMS : Two Dollars per annum-in advance. ADVKRTISKMEKT: Ooe Square first insertion.Si CO Every subsequent insertion.* 50 Contracts for three months, or longer will be made at reduced rates. All communicatioDS which subserve private interests will becbarged foras advertisements. - Obituaries and tributes of respect will be charged for. The Negro Preachers Meet Organization for the Consti tntional Convention. The negro preachers met in Oolam , bia in convention yesterday and organ? ised the Ministers' Union. They spent morning, afternoon and night in speech-making, and after much discussion of no moment the following constitution and address were adopted : PREAMBLE AND CONSTITUTION. Whereas, there are patent canses vitich impel ministers, the leaders of the race, to organize themselves with such an organization aa will better pro? tect as as a race along civil and political lines; and whereas, we, the ministers of the State of South Carolina, have met in the Convention that we might secare to ourselves and our children that priceless legacy bequeathed to us by God and the united effort of a com? mon country : Be it Resolved, therefore, That to estab? lish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defence, pro? mote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to us and our pos? terity, we do organize ourselves into an organization known as the Ministers' Union of the State of South Carolina, from and by which a State executive committee shall be appointed, sot consisting of more than five oor less than three in each Congressional district, to work and through the county executive committee to organize in all the counties in the State. Article 1, Section 1. It shall be the duty of the State executive committee ta appoint in each county a county executive committee, whose duty it shall be to organize in every precinct in the county, and see that all of the members of each club are furnished with registration tickets. Section 2. It shaP be the duty of the State executive committee to can? vass or cause to be canvassed every county in the State, instructing the voters how and for whom to vote. Section 3. The executive committee shall have foil power to act in the ab sence of this Convection whenever and wherever emergency demands. Section 4 It shall be further the province of the executive committee to levy a tax, which shall be apportioned to the various districts, sufficient to em? ploy legal talent to test the legality of Acts by which the Saws governing us have been enacted and that shall be enacted agaiost the rights and privileges of franchise guaranteed to us by the Constitution of the United States. ADDRESS TO THE COLORED PEOPLE. To the Colored Citizens of the State cf South Carolina: We, the negro ministers of South Carolina, in convention as? sembled, for the purpose of organizing that we may more effectually assist our people io securing their rights and privileges guaranteed to them by the Constitutioo of the United States, de ciare these principles as the platform on which we stand. We assemble not for the purpose of furthering the interests or to be swayed by any faction or leaders, but as Chris? tian citizens, who view with apprehen? sion the attempt now beiug made to se cure in the coming Constitutional Con? vention the practical disfranchisement of our people in this State; we assemble for the puroose of counseling together upon the wisest and best course to be pursued by us in order to meet the emer? gency that confronts us and to issue advice to our people, which acted upon shall be potent in securing to them the fail enjoyment of guaranteed civil and political rights. We believe that the wide influence of the minister of the Gospel lays upon bim a corresponding responsibility, and that, therefore, be should use his knowl? edge and influeuce for the good of bis people in every way as a religious teacher and leader, appreciating also the fact that good citizenship is a re? ligious duty to be arged and inculated: 1. By encouraging the men of the race to put forth every effort to secure ..gistration certificates, that they may exercise the rights of freemen and citi? zens and in case cf d?niai ot the right to register to be prepared to furnish evi? dence as to the grounds for such denial. 2. By encouraging ward and pre cinct meetings, in which information may be given a9 to the political situa? tion and to arouse enthusiasm ?coking toward a broader and better citizenship j in the States ba-ed upon true patriot ; ism. 3 By showing to the people the ! special dangers that menace eveu those ' holding registration certificates, ?rho j have removed since receiving such i certificates from one place of residence J to another, even in the same ward j aud precinct, such certificates not I changed to correspond with the present piace of residence, being of no use in securing the right to vote. 4. By encouraging our people to se? cure information as to the purposes and policy of each rarty, and to be pre? pared to vote intelligently for those principles and candidates, that stand for right and justice to all men. To this end we recommend that every minister of the race use bis influence in the bornes and gatherings of his people to inculcate right principles, to spread information, to promote education and iopress upon the men of the race the importance of a true appreciation of rhe rights of citizenship ; that his rights he respected, his children educated and bis home and family he protected. And upon the work of this Convention of ministers we ask the favorable consid? eration of the citizens of this entire State and country and invoke the bless? ing of Him whose name we bear before the world. We also recommend that oar people sacrifice willingly their means to secure their guaranteed rights through the highest Court of the land. Cotton Cargo Burners. Uncovering a Conspiracy at New Orleans. NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 13.-Peter Oaks, alias Otes, who was arrested last evening on the levee at Southport and is charged with having, with the assist? ance of two or more confederates or conspirators, unknown, cut open the ends of two bales of cotton ready to be stored on the steamer Floridian, and secreting therein a quantity of com? bustible material for the purpose of blowing up the vessel or destroying the same by fire, was arraigned before Commissioner Wright this morning and entered a plea of not guilty to the oh ar g es preferred. The act for which Oaks is held to answer is in violation of section 5364 of the Revised Statutes of the United States. The prisoner was in cons?? quence placed under appearance bond in the sum of $5,000. Wheo the Judge pronounced the size of bond that would be required, the accused stated that it was unnecessary to make the bond so heavy, as he was a stranger in town and a bond of $100 would serve as well. Commissioner Wright replied that it was not his bnsiness to know what amont of bond the person wad? abie to supply, therefore the bond would remain as first fixed. Oaks bas the appearance of a bard loooking customer with a face on him that probably will not prove of great benefit in his behalf when he is called to look a jury in the face. He evi? dently is a man beyond the meridian of life and says he has not been in the city more than two months and came here from Savannah, Ga. He claims that he is not a member of any of thc var? ious labor organizations, but admits that be knows something about loading cotton on board of ships. The sticks taken from the two bales of cotton, wrapped up in wet cloth and which were first generally thought to be dynamite, proved to-day to have been composed of phosphorus and it was therefore probably the intention of the perpetrator not to blow up the ship or injure any of the workmen employed in loadiog the ship, but evidently to destroy the cotton in the vessel by fite. The combustible material was carefully laid up on the back of one of the larger record books in the marshal's office last night with a glass covering it, so that no one would become endangered by in? terference with it. This morning it was fount! that the stuff concealed in the wraps had caught fire during the i night and there was nothing left but the charred remains, j For some time past steamship buro j ing has beeu a frequent occurrence at j Savannah., ana the various steamship ? companies doing business at that port I have expended large sums in attempt i ing to ferret out, the guilty parties, but it seems that the conspiracy was so thoroughly organized that uutil uow it has proven impossible to even appre? hend any >f the burners. Dectectives from Saviiunah, it is said, have only re? cently visited New Orleans on such an errand, but as usual could not locate or (ffsct a capture. it is therefore the general ^apposi? tion that the man who is now under arrest here and who goes by the Dame of Oaks aud states that he came from Savannah, belongs to the conspiracy 1 which has so long made that port quite risky for vessels to receive cargues from. fluwef-er, the proof at present dors not sustain such a theory Thc fact thar there have been a number of tires on ship beard here, and that generally vessels after leaving here have been discovered un fire, taken in connection with tiAy'* discovery, would seem to beatf&Hhc theory that a ship burning be at work. Cotton Acreage in 1895. It Should bs Reduced Seven- ; ty-?ve Fer Cent. The question of acreage to be put into cotton this year is one that is now receiving a good deal of atteu- j tion, and accompanying it the suici- ; dal theory is being' advanced that, owing to the prevailing low prices, ! the amount of cotton planted will be | greater than heretofore in order to ? make up in quantity what is lost in j price. It is of course impossible to arrive at any acurate average cost of pro? ducing cotton' in view of the widely differing conditions prevailing in different parts of the South, never? theless it is hardly to be disputed, that the cost in the Atlantic States is over 6 cents- per pound, and in Texas, Arkansas, and the Mississippi j bottom lands, probably uot less than 4 1-2 cents, or, an average of probably not less than 5 14 to 5 1-2 cents at the plantations for the whole country. With the quotation for Middling in Liverpool 2 31-32?, or roughly converted into American money 5 15-16 cents, in New York for immediate delivery 5 3-8 cents, in New Orleans 5 cents, and in the interior towns from 4 1-2 to 4. 34 cents, it seems almost grotesque that arguments should be put forth that the South can afford to raise cotton at the present prices. Doubtless the theory that one's neighbor will plant less may lead some to conclude that by putting in more they will reap the advantage of their neighbors' contribution to the public good, but that any such policy should actuate any grower of the great staple, under present circum? stances, seems hardly capable of be? lief. lt is with great satisfaction to be observed that the President of the American Cotton Growers Associa? tion is making a tour of the Cotton States with a view of securing a re? duction in acreage of at least 25 per cent., which is a movement in the right direction, and it is to be hoped that his efforts will be cowned with success. If, however, a large reduction in acreage is to be made, the question arises, into what shall the farmers of the South put their land, and out of what are they to derive a livelihood ? Some of those who still retain the feeling of responsibility of those whom they employ, and who are de? pendent upon them, areapt to indulge the idea that work must be provided f'.'. '.he dependent class, and as there : othing else they can do but grow cotton, therefore they must plant all they can, irrespective of the price it brings If the figures given as to the probable cost of raising cotton are correct, and which, even under the most favorable circumstances of growth show no profit, while under less fortunate circumstances, 6how a positive loss, it would seem the part of prudence and good judgment if the whole cotton growing community should, with one- accord, reduce their acreage, not 25 per cent, but 75 pc cent., thereby joining in an action to their own best interest and so reducing the supplies of the world hat 10 to ll cents per pound in New York, for four years to come, would be assured. By so doing, the single season of fallow land, if need be, would be abundantly recompens? ed in the price for cotton to be subsequently obtained. The South can well afford to do this, even at the loss that might be entailed by the support, without labor, of those who are dependent upon them if such an alternative were necessary, as the loss entailed thereby would certainly bo no greater than that resulting from making cotton and selling it at the prices ruling in the world at the present day. Thc necessity for this severe contribution to thc: enhance? ment of the price ut' cotton in the future is not, however, altogether apparent ; for, while it is tine that cotton is tile great crop of the South, nevertheless, when prices have reach? ed a level such as the present, the adoption o?' a policy o? practically growing ?nih'' such crops as are necessary to sustain life is certainly a reasonable one and the doing of which does not necessarily argue that efforts in this direction must be confined to corn and meat. There are many other articles which con? tribute to support life that might be grown with a net return to the planter at the end cf the year fully ('(jual t<> the loss entailed by the support of those dependent upon him It is to be hoped that this j view of the case may be impressed j upon the agricultural community of I the south, and that the preparations I for the next crop will he on a very largely reduced scale ;*s corn pared ; with thal ?nade within thc past few years; for, unless something ap-1 proaching to this in its radical nature ; is done, there is no reason to expect i that even present prices will be j maintained. Already, Liverpool, which market after all is the maker of prices for cotton, being the largest consumer, is polling next crop de liveries at 3 3 32<2, or G ."MG cents which means not more than \ 1-2 cents at the plantai ions and which price is justified and will continuo, with possibly even still lower prices, un? less the outlook for future supplie gives promise of a very marked re? duction. Nor is the making of this price the work of gamblers and therefore of public execration. If we are to have another ten million bale crop, 3 S-o'2d. in Liverpool for October-November delivery is not unreasonable It is because of a growing feeling that cotton can be made and sold at 5 cents yielding a profit and that the South will plant as much or more tin's year than last, that such prices are made in Liver? pool. The remedy for the South is within its own keeping, let them plant but 25 per cent, as much cotton as last year, planting the other 75 per cent, in such things as they may, even to allowing the land to lie fallow, and their own salvation is at hand. Confession of Kuklux. Shocking Story of the Work of a Mob in Murray County. ATLANTA, GA., February 12.-Andy Black, one of the Murray County Kuklux, plead guilty in the Federal Court to-day to attempting to lynch Henry Worley, an informer on the moonshiners. He said he was one of sixty men who rode up to Worley's home one night last spring and called him out. All of the men were armed. Black's story was a thrilling one. It created a sensation among the witnesses and other defendants. Black said : "Several men took cot? ton balls saturated with kerosene, which burned brightly as they ap? proached the house. The leader of the crowd knocked at the door and asked for Worley. Worley's mother came to the door and asked what we wanted with Henry. We told her that we were going to hang him for reporting. Worley's little daughter came to the door and all three of them stood there. We told Worley that we had come to hang him, and that there wasn't any use of resisting ; that he would have to come aud that we intended to take him alive or dead. Worley was terribly scared and beg? ged for mercy ; said he wasn't guilty of reporting, and got down on his knees to us." The prisoner paused here a mo? ment to remark that he never was so sorry for a thing, and he would never forget Worley's pitiful looks as he crouched on the porch of his humble home. "Worley's mother was talked to by our men," continued the prisoner. <:They told her that her I son had been a traitor to her people and that she ought to be willing to have him put out of the way. Henry looked at his mother and asked her if she, too, was against him. She said 'yes,' she was going to let the men take him for all she cared. "Worley broke down then and cried like a baby, and told the men that if his mother had gooe back on him they could take him and do what they pleased. He never resisted us and when we told him to get on a horse he did it. Worley was tied with hands behind him, and rode in the middle of the crowd of men on horseback. He never spoke. We went up the Bloodtown road, through Bloodtown to Bloodtown Gorge. Worley was swung up to a tree and left hanging by the mob. Ile succeeded, however, in getting away, but was killed a few days later by members of the band " ?ill .?*>&-'~4mmMWm ''There are lots of dummy telephones i coming into use," saysR. C. Owens, an electrical expert, according to !he New York Tribune. "What are they? Well in the first place, they are a necessity ; to a busy mau who does nor keep a \ publie telephone, und in another place they present au excellent, means for get? ting rid of bores who don't know that they are bores, and who would re?enq any supposed discourtesy in a pretty emphatic way. Since the telephone came into general use and pay stations were established, a class has also come jato being composed of people who want to use a 'phone perpetually and eternally, but whose messages are not importaut enough to allow the expendi? ture of a dime These people always want to use a 'phone whenever they see one, aud as they are becoming more numerous every day, the dummy 'phone has been introduced. It looks exactly j like a telephone, but is made of papier j macho. When a man at?ks to use your i 'phone and you have a dummy you I just refer him to it, and then he rings j away tor "central, until lc wearie-? of! getting no reply. Of course be thinks! the instrument is out of order, lie ! may come iii at. some other time and j ;;>!.: i" usc it again, but ii" nevi r comes tho i!, i rn. Two whacks ai a dummy telephone will break the biggest tele- j phone beat in existence . ever trying | to use it again." The Guards Withdraw. An Historic Company Furls its Battle Scarred Flag. The State Feb. 13. That proud old military company of South Caroliua, with a war record that few organizations existing to-day can claim, having been suspended from duty in the service of the State just after the Darlington trouble, because the command refused to proceed to Darlington, being "given all manner of abuse in the grounds of the executive mansion by Governor Tillman, then the commander-in-chief, has declined to! enlist in accordance with the terms o? j the new militia law, and therefore withdraws from the service of the State. Many old veterans will sincere? ly regret to see the honored old organi? zation cease to exist. The Guards met in their armory last night, and what they did is fully told in the following letter that has been forwarded to the Adjutant General : "Brigadier General J. Gary Watts, Adjutant General of South Carolina, Columbia. "General: I have the honor to ten? der to you my resignation as captain of South Carolina volunteer troops. It is my duty also to inform you, general, that the Governor's Guards, of Colum? bia, hereby withdraws from the South Carolina volunteer troops. It is vltb deep regret that I make this announce? ment. The Governor's Guards have for a great many years taken pleasure in the service of the State. They have followed ber flag faithfully through two wars. It was the flag of the Palmetto regiment, then in command of Major A. H. Gladden, once captain of the Gover? nor's Guards, that was the first Ameri? can fiag victoriously unfurled within the walls of the City of Mexico. It was the flag of the Palmetto (Second) regi? ment, then in the custody of the Gov? ernor's Guards, that was annihilated by the storm of battle at Sharpsburg ; and since the re-organization of the old regiment after the war it has had two colonels and both of them were ex captains of the Governor's Guards. It is impossible that we should sever ties so close and of so long standing with? out extreme regret, and without what I we deem sufficient reason. I will endeavor to give these reasons briefly. I "At the last session of the General Assembly there wag passed an 'Act to revise and amend the militia laws of the State of South Carolina,' from which I quote a portion of section 4: 'The commander-in-chief and the Ad? jutant and Inspector General and one of the Major Generals of the State mi? litia are hereby authorized to make such rules and regulations from time to time as they may deem expedient, and when promulgated shall have force and effect as the militia laws of the State.' Yon will note that the passage of the act embracing this section gives to a board of three full power to change the law at will. Section 2 of the same act prescribes an oath to be taken by soldiers wishing to enter the service, in which the recruit swears tbat for two years he will obey the laws governing the militia forces. We submit, general, that we cannot conscientiously swear to obey laws that are subject to change at a moument's notice. It may be said that should objectionable laws be pro? mulgated we would then be at liberty to withdraw, but we have no assurance that we would be allowed to withdraw before the expiration of the term of enlistment. For the sake of illustra? tion, let us suppose au improbable, but possible, case. Suppose the board to promulgate a law requiring every com? mand in the State to go into a camp Jof instruction for a period of two weeks each month in the year. If enlisted, we would have 'he option of obeying or going to jail. For myself, I am not prepared to say, should changes in j the future le made in regard to points upon which I have touched, that I would not then enlist. "Let me say in conclusion that the Governor's Guards, though withdraw? ing from the South Carolina v.>iuut^er troops, will always he at the service of their State when she needs them. Thanking you, general, for the pleas? antness that has always characterized our official as weil as personal con? tact. 1 am your most obedient servant. J. M. BATEMAN, "Captain Governor's Guards." - ?. ? ? * - Prof. A. E Ycrrii!, of Vale College, one of the chief authorities in the United States Fish Commission, linds that there : are three general i^nes of life in the sea-shore, shallow water and deep sea j or ab"Sr<al, the latter including down to \ depths of from 0,000 to 12,000 feet. The Lightning Strikes. Dispenser Evans, of St. Mat? thews, The First Victim. Governor Evans has commenced to apply the law to those dispensers who have been found to b-? defaulters, as he expressed it a few days ago. And the first man among tbese officers cf the State to find himself in the hole is Mr. B. 0. Evans, the dispenser at St. Matthews, in Orangeburg County. The official inspector bas gone over this dispenser's books, and finds that tbsre is a shortage of between ?2,200 and $2,300. Governor Evans yesterday said that the matter of the existence of this shortage was only reported to him on Saturday last. He at once sent In? spector Scruggs to St. Matthews to take charge of the dispensary and make an investigation of the books and accounts. He reported yesterday that the amount of the defalcation was ts given above. Governor Evans says be cannot understand how the county board of control could have let i:he shortage occur without noticing it. The Governor says i there was nothing left for him to do but to act promptly in order to preserve the discipline of the entire management of the dispen? sary. Consequently he has sent the bond of the dispenser to Messrs. Bow? man & H. H. Brunson, attorneys at Orangeburg, and ordered them to pro? ceed at once to bring suit upon :he bond to recover the amount of :be shortage. He has also decided, he says, to have Dispenser Evans prosecuted to the full extent of the law for grand lar? ceny and breach of trust. On the dispenser's bonds are Mesprs. Philip Rich and Frederick J. Buy jk, both men of wealth, and the loss will be fully covered. Governor Evans says i the shortage, so far as he can ascer? tain, falls entirely on the county and does not aSFect the funds due the State, i The Governor has ordered Mr. Scruggs j to close the dispensary and turn it over I to some person whom the board of CDU trol shall select to act as dispenser. Governor Evans has not yet taken and legal steps against any of i.he other dispensers who have been found to be defaulters, but bis action yester j day indicates what course he will likely I pursue with all of them.-The State. The State Moves ; In the Agricultural Hall Caso j Going to Spend More Money, The State does n??t yet seem to have had enough of the Agricultural ; Hall case. After consulting for sev ; eral days' the Attorney General ?ind the attorneys concerned in the case ! yesterday decided to petition the j United States Supreme Court for a I writ of certorari. the objects being to j show that the Court of Appeals was ! without power to act in the case, i The writ, if granted, will require the I record in the Court of Appeals to be j certified up to the Supreme Court in j order to see that it was in all les ! pects regular, etc. The petition for the writ was drawn up yesterday by the Attorney General, aud he left for Washington with it last evening A ! copy of the document could not be secured.-Thc State. A New Discovery. In Cracker cabins in North Geor? gia, no matter how cold the weather, both doors, back and front, stand open from daylight till dark, the year through, savs the NewYork Tribune. This perhaps is accounted for by the fact that there are no windows in the houses, ami the doors are kept open for light. One bitter cold winter's cay while hunting fur a ivoikrnan, a northern superintendent of the Georgia Maible Company went into one of these tab ins and found the whole family, blue with cold, huddled over a lew pine sticks in the fireplace. Svery door was open and the icy wind was sweeping through the room unhinder? ed. Before proceeding to business the northerner banged to the do >rs, threw several logs on the coals, md soon had thing's steaming. As t tey grow comfortable, he remarded. "Now, don't you see how quickly you warm up when you keep the wind out ? See what a difference h makes to shut the doors." The lhawed-out ('racker turned to his wife quite energetically and said: "Wife danged :f hit ain't so! Don't forget it. When hits cold arter this. let's shot the do*. THE SUMTER WATCHMAN, Established April, ,i s 5o. "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's'' THE TRUE SO?TSROK, Established jaae. 136(5 Consolidated Aug. 2,1881. SUMTER, S. C.. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1895. New .Series-Yoi. XIV. Xo. 29.