Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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?t)e u)atcl)m<nt aw Sotityron. THK SUMTER WATCHMAN, Established April..1850. "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's." THE TKDE SOUTHRON. Established jane, 1366 Consolidated Aug. 2,1881. SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1895. Sew Series-Vol. XIV. No. 51. a (Lije ?t?ra w? jSoutjjroiL Published Srery Ve?nesday, -BY JM". G-, Osteen, SUMTER, S. C. TERMS : Two Dollars per annum-in advance. ADVIRTISSMBST: One Square first insertion.-.Si 00 Every subsequent insertion. 50 Contracts for three months, or longer will be made at reduced rates. AU communications which subserve private interests will becbareed for as advertisements. Obituaries and tributes of respect will be charged for. / The Negro in Politics. Organized to Fight the Con? stitutional Question. An Address Issued Appealing to the National Government and to the'Conservative Faction. The State conference of negroes, which was called by the Ministerial Union to consider the Constitutiocal convention outlook so far as the black race is concerned." assembled at noon yesterday in the State Senate chamber. There were about twenty five representative negroes from the various sections of the State present. Among them were many of the lead? ing negro preachers of the State. George Washington hurray, Bishop Salter and others. The conference wac called to order at noon by the Rev. E. H Coit. of this city, as president of the Minis? terial Union. The proceedings were opened with prayer by the Rev. ?. L. Miller, of Or?ngeburg. On motion of the Rev. R. E. Hart, of this city, the Rev. E. H. Coit, of this city, was elected temporary chairman, and Judge of Probate Green, of George? town county, was elected secretary The cal! of the roll by counties was then commenced. When Aiken county was reached it was seen that so much time would be consumed that Murray suggested that they have the chairman of each delegation hand in the names of those who tvere delegates, and that the roll be made up in that way. This was agreed to. He also suggested that inasmuch a? the "mighty Irby committee with all its powerful* engines of election*' and the Conservatives had met with closed doors, they, the weak and helpless, should meet with closed doors too. This was agreed to A session was then held lasting until 2.30 p. m. The conference reassem? bled at 4 p m and was in session until about 10.30 o'clock last night before any results were made known At that hour the following address was sent to the representatives of the press : THE ADDRESS. To the People of the United States: As a part of the constituent elements from which our National government draws its life blood in time of peace, and from whose life blood it exacts tribute in time of war, under the broad reciprocal relations that should exist among all the people of one common country, that should be elastic, offensive or defensive wea? pons for every American citizen, however humble at home or abroad, in order that the theory of govern? ment handed down by the fathers might be fully realized and enjoyed by every individual on every inch of national territory, we submit that a small, but desperate minority of the population has declared its purpose to perpetuate its power by unlawful? ly trampling under feet all the rights and franchises granted us by the Federal Constitution as a means of protecting life, liberty and property. We have used every means in de? fence of our constitutional rights and franchises known to law-abiding citi zens in this State, without effect, and as a last resort are forced to call upon the strong arm of the national government for a defense of rights granted and guaranteed by itself. As the array and navy are held as a reserve force to uphold local autho? rities in every State, the Federal government, in order not to be im? posed ipon and to support anarchy under the pretense of suppressing it, should see tu it that a republican form of government, which we understand to be a government insti? tuted by the sovereign will of a majority of the constitutionally quali? fied voters, actually exists in every State. We humbly crave your influence with the constituted authorities of the nation, in order that their con? sciences and arms might be strength? ened in efforts to have the Constitu? tion and laws of the nation upheld, so that each American citizen might have the equal protection of the law, ! without which constitutional guaran? tees are mere mockeries, and life itself a burden to the people of the State. We assure the fair-minded whi people of this State that we a willing to use every means with our power to aid in the overthrow the small but designing clique now possession of the government, whic has busied itself in the reorganiz tion of the courts and militia for tl purpose of perpetuating its powt and which has been so embolden* ! with success in former revolutionai steps as to dec?ate, under cover the unconstitutional registration law its determination to hold a conve tion of its own making and liking and disfranchise the vast majority the voring population regardless i constitutional prohibitions. It assigns as its reason for sue unnconstitutional and revolution?r steps that a Constitution must r. made to prevent what they are pieai ed to call "negro domination" and t establish "white supremacy,'' whic means, reduced to its essence, th supremacy of the faction now in coi trol. As the facts of history themselve prove, we deny that there has - eve been a desire or attempt on our pai to dominate the government. Wit the large body of us voting, most ( whom are illiterate and poor, there i not as much danger of our control ( government as there is of the laboi ing classes in Massacusetts. Xei York or Pennsylvania, who with ur limited suffrage, contrasted with Til manite following, do not control While we are entitled to partie pation in the government commet! surate with our wealth and intel i gence, representation is only a secom: ary consideration compared with ou right to retaitrVmr right of suffrage which cannot be annulled by any cor stitutional means. Under our theory of self-govern ment, in order that every man ma; possess the raeann within his perso to protect life, liberty and p?sse? 8?0118, the governing power is di vid ed into as many fractional parts a there are male adults, to each c whom is deeded an equal portion designed to be used in a representa tive capacity and the ballot made it instrument. As under our form of governmen all officers and administrators of th? law designed to be the creatures o the governed, and are therefore th servants of ail, to whom they mu6 look for return to all continuation ii office, which means protection fo all, the danger to the governed ii such a form of government does no exist half so much in poverty o illiteracy as the accumulations o vast fortunes by the few, the infln ence of which may be used ti swerve the servants of the peopli to administer the government or lav in the interests of a few to the detri ment of the many. Besides, if then is to be a privileged class govern ment, restricted to persons possess ing a certain amount of property o education, what reasons are there fo not further restricting the governing class to a few college professors o millionaires ? By making the officers of the law who shall be the servants of all, th< dependent creatures of a class only you make them the willing or nnwill ing tools of that class alone, and thej will be bound to construe and admin ister the law to please members there of only, in which system it is appa rent that the class shorn of power ii without even as much protection ai slaves whose masters' ballots protect them. Such a form of government we had in a limited degree before the late war, when the free negroes, the un? privileged class, had to have guar? dians by whom many were deprived of freedom and property. Any form of government (if we may dignify it by such a term) which forces a class of people to contribute to its exis? tence without a voice, whose con? tributions in the hands of the privi? leged class *are used as engines of oppression is worse than that among savages, where all men are at least equal. By nature's God and the con? stitution of tlie United States we have been made free men and guar? dians of our own rights, and our bal? lots given as peaceful weapons of de? fense, and no honest and loyal citi? zen is willing to deprive us of them, and we shail fight I he flesh, the devil and all his imps through every court and power in the nation before we shall be rubbed of our rights by an? archistic nullifiers. A privileged class government pro? duces on the one hand a class of cringing, suppliant cowards, glad even for the poor privilege of life for a short time, and on the other a class of arrogant, cruel and heartless ? murderers, because conscious of j wrongfully obtained power, whose members fear nothing from their creatures, the officers of the law who construe and administer it as suits the will of their masters Such a government we have in this State to day, and the ruling fac? tion ia in favor of handing it down in all its wickedness as a curse to generations unborn, but we are unwil? ling to entail such a legacy to fut^^ generations. Most of our murders and all 01 lynchings are immediately traceab to sucli a government, and under our State will continue to sink fro bad to worse, until it becomes sud? hell that no one can live in it Man naturally given to error, impelled to right action from o ni two causes : the hope of reward < fear of punishment ; and the law ant dating the Mosaic age, that he th; taketh man's life must forfeit his ow as a penalty, has been abrogate and the rule is that a white ma taking the life of a colored man doe not pay the penalty with his owi which has spread to others, and no longer confined to the oppresse class. Upon the slightest provocatio members of the privileged das! without fear of punishment, murd? or pla}' the part of prowling savage or cannibals, and dignify it by cal lng it a lynching, as the conscienc of the State has been so seared thi it is regarded as a virtue rather tha a crime to iynch a fellow-being Murders and lynchings are noxiou plants flourishing only under a priv leged class government, and wi surely die when the sheriff and coui are made to. depend for future favoi upon the suffrage of every man We believe in universal suffrage because we believe in that right c all, which, under our form o? gov ernment, cannot be secured withou making the political power of eac man equal in the creation of the ad mniistrator8 of the law. The most illiterate and humbles citizen, possessing nothing but hi life and muscles, has as much righ to the means of protecting his prop erty, though invisible, as the mi iionaire When deprived of our ballot, ou influence with the administrators c the law is gone and wc are absolute!; without protection While all members of the privi leged class do not take advantage c our helpless condition, many do, an< it is cruel and hope-destroying t deprive us of the power to aid ht] mane and liberal men in the electic of such honest men as will, in th dispensation of justice, hold th scales equally balanced, whether th subject weighed is blacfc or white The rule adopted by the Deroocrati Executive Committee, debarring a! colored men, regardless of past po litical affiliations, from participatici in the approaching primaries of sai( party, and allowing all white men, ie gardless of past political affiliation to participate in the same, with th declared purpose of counting in ii the general election the ones name* in the primaries, is violative of even principle of justice and honesty, re pugnant to the doctrines of civi!ize< government, and a practical repudi ation of the Federa! constitution. We view with alarm the action o Conservatives, whom weare incl:rie< to regard as broad and liberal men when they, to our exclusion and in re pudiation of our rights, accept ar equal division with the admin?6tratior faction and submit that it is most un reasonable to expect our suppor when failing to secure such conces sione We submit that the onlj honorable thing for them to do, i they mean justice, is to make a fail fight from principle in every count} in the State for the rights of all, ir whieh they would get the support o: every honest man in the State regardless of race or politics. We further submit that we stand ready to join with any number of th? liberal white men of the State, and tc aid them in making a constitution broad enough to cover the rights o! every man, however rich or poor, ami will only vote exclusively foi delegates of our own race and party, when such members fail or refuse to co operate To the men of our race, we an? nounce that no legal constitution can be made with our united opposition We must organize to continue to raise the means to prosecute the fight now pending in the Federal courts for the preservation of constitutional liberty to a final termination, and to make such a showing in the approach? ing election as will enable us to move Congress to action through petitions. Before a final determination of the litigation the proposed convention may be holden and all the wicked plans of our enemies incorporated into a new constitution, but ;l we shall prove to the satisfaction of the Federal Supreme Court that in its making all the rights and franchises granted us by the Sepreme Constitu? tion 'nave been ignored and trampled under feet, of which we have no doubt, through fraudulent and uncon? stitutional registration laws, the new constitution will amount to nothing, and our enemies will have their pains for their labors. We congratulate all lovers of hon? est government in this State for the ? possession of at least one judge, in j the person of Chief Justice Mciver, I whose judicial ermine remains un? sullied, and grieve to feel that the jfflfflfffilfr 80orj coraew^nour State will be deprived of the last of such tribunes. ORGANIZING FOR A FIGHT. After remaining in session 'till nearly midnight the conference final adjourned. They gave to the press only the cut and dried, specially pre? pared matter desired, and withheld ail information as to the proceedings. There was a good deal of talk during the conference, but how the members stood on the adoption of the address is not known. The following resolution was adopted : > Resolved, That the State executive committee be appointed by the chair? man of this conference, consisting of one member from each county to direct and manage the convention campaign for the State, each member j of the State committee to be author? ized to appoint one representative for each precinct to direct the cam? paign in his county. That we hold ourselves in readiness t<5 join with the liberal white men in every county who ask or may ask our support, but if none appear, we recommend that a ticket be nominated by our people f.nd be voted for by them at the elec * n for delegates to the Constitution i convention. Be it further Resolved, That the above men? tioned organization continue the work of organizing clubs and raising funds for the prosecution of the fight for honeBt elections now in progress in the Federal courts, and that, this organization work in harmony with the Ministerial Union. Under the above resolution D II. Richardson was appointed as the member of the committee from Sum? ter Countv. The Ministers Are Mad. Their Union Repudiate The Conference's Action. The following card from the Colored Ministerial Uoion shows that the negro politicians captured the State conf?r? ence of the negroes cc Wednesday, and got the upper haau of the ministers, issuing ao address of which they did oot approve : To the Editor of The State: You will please allow me to say that the Ministerial Union of South Carolina is not Tn accord with the tone and spirit of the address issued by the conference of the 10th inst We assume none of the responsibility, and take this method of telling the friend? of our cause that the work of yesterday is the sel6sh work of politicians and such pliant tools a? are void of common t?ense, and blinded to the negroes' best interest. The sensible ministers of this Stats can see clearly that the condition of af j fairs in this Stare must be settled by the citizens of this State and not by the Northern people, nor the Federal government. We are faily aware that we must rise in proportion to the sentiment made in our favor among the white people of the State in which we live We stand to the principles promulgated by the Ministers' Union aod ask to be meas? ured only by our intelligence and property and to this extent we ask for representation. We reiterate that we are not wedded to any political party. We want peace, prosperity and good government. Let the parties and politicians go to flin? ders. We are considering the advisability of calling the Uoion together that the voice of the people might be heard and nor. the will of those who are bidding for the loaves and fishes of '96. WM. D. CHAPPELL*:, Chairman Ministers' Union. H W. RAIFORD, Sec. ANOTHER PROTEST. Secretary Raiford. of the Uoion, hands in the following additional card : To fhe Editor of The State : Many of the ministes of thought and follow? ing were purposely denied the floor. They were not allowed opinion or word io the meeting ; hence they feel and declare themselves free from any part or responsibility in some of the wild and extravagant demands and declara? tions of the convention on the 10th inst. H. M. RAIFORD. ? ?TW- -- The Conservative Democrats of the county, in convention asetnbled OD Monday last, appointed a committee to treat with the Reformers and endeavor to obtain from them the concession that the delegation to the Constitutional Convention be equally divided between the factions. Their action is to be strongly commended. They have placed themselves on record as favoring any honorable compromise that would avoid the necessity of a bitter factional fight, and if all else fails, and that fight has to come, the responsibility for it will not rest with them. - Darlington Neir$. Kackten'* Arnica Snlve. Tbe Best Salve in the world for Cute, Bruise Sores. Ulcers. Salt Rheum. Fever Sores, Tetter Chapped Hands Ch?hlains, Corns and all Skin Kruptions. and positively cures Piles or no pay required. It is guaranteed to give per? fect satisfaction, or money refunded, "rice 25cents per box. For sale by Dr. J. F. W. De Lorine. How Johnson Escaped. The correspondent of the Ne ic s and Courier gives the following account of how Andrew Johnson, the life convict from Sumter made Iiis escape from the guards : HOCK HILL, July .10 -The good management of the force of convicts at work on the Winthrop College grounds has been more than once commented on ; not only has the cost of support been reduced to a minimum, bu t the convicts have been well guarded. Monday, however, one of them managed to escape by a piece of cunning unequalled here? about. Andrew Johnston, a mulatto life convict, from Sumter, was em? ployed in painting under Mr. H. A. Brown, who is in charge of this part of the work. Johnston asked and obtained permission to go out on the grounds. Instead of this he went into the main building and secured a hat and coat belonging to Mr. Brown, ^nd also an old pair cf "overalls" left there by Mr. Smith, the superin? tendent of the brickwork. Taking j these clothes he went back to the dormitory ,and ia one of the rooms on the lower floor put them on over his ? stripes There is a circle of guard stands around all the building, and the movements of convicts within these limits is not continually watch-1 ed, but none is allowed to j pass. Trusting to his disguise | Johnston marched out in full view ! of two of the guards, and ! as they were looking only for j stripes they took no notice of him. He passed the limits successfully, and was gone an hour before his es- j cape was discovered. Even then it was thought that he might be hiding about the grounds, but | a search showed thal the ar- ? '.ides of clothing above named j were gone, and then the method of his escape was made plain As yet there is no trace of him after leaving the grounds, though the guards are after him. --^mm-mm* A Terrible Disaster at the Gathering of Elks, ATLANTIC CITY, July 10.-A fright? ful accident terminated the Elk festivities at the Inlet Casino to-night in which "> large number of persons sustained terrible injuries from which j some will die. It was at 9:30 o'clock when Grand Exalted Ruler of the Buffalo body, Meade D. Detweiler, of Harrisburg, had finished his address at the opening of the social session of the Elks and was about to introduce James J Armstrong, of New York, when a cracking sound was heard. A moment later the floor upon which were almost a thousand people, slow? ly opened, and the mass of humanity was precipitated to the first floor, a j distance of twenty-five feet. Men, women and children were plunged into the hole upon one another. The cries, shrieks and groans were deafen? ing and the direst confusion reigned. An alarm was immediately sent out and all the physicians in town re? sponded. The work of extracting the injured proceeded rapidly and by 12 o'clock they have all been removed to the hospital or their hotels. When the first feeling of the panic had subsided the surviving Elks gal? lantly rushed to the rescue of their in? jured brothers and friends, indifferent to the danger that confronted them, as they did riot know tiie instant the remainder of the pavilion might bury them beneath its ruins. While the work of rescue was going on the ! ; lights on the first floor became extin guished and plunged the place into | darkness. Men ran to the car barn j of the trolley road near by and obtain- j ed a number of headlights from the j cars. These were 'most useful in ! assisting the work of the rescuers. ? In tiie meantime the people who were seated in the vicinity of the break found themselves in imminent dan? ger of falling through the hole. In? deed, some were obliged to clutch the i edge of the floor to keep themselves j from going through. Maurice A. Rogers, ex-president of the Senate of New Jersey and a member of the ' Camden lodge, was seated by the side of his wife in the section that fell. -mmm- .... ?? A hors*? kicked H. S Shuter, of" 't>e Fr> rayer Howie. Middleburg, X. V , on the knee. ' which lai'! him up in bei mid cnu-t-d ihe ! knee joint to become stiff. A friend recora- ? mended hun io use Chamberlain's Pain Balm, which he dui. and in two duvs was nbie to tte I around. Mi Sharer h is recommended it io ' mnti} f.ihers und says it is excellent tor any j kind of H bruise or sprain. This same Rem-j edy is also famous for ii.- cures of rheum*- | tism. For *n!e ny I>r. A. J Chirm. Highest of ail in Leavening Tow ABSOLUT President For Patriots. The Unique Election Held Yesterday by the; Faithful. NEW YORK, July 10.-A national Cuban presidential election is being beld all over the United States to-day and also in Mexico, Jamaica and South America. Last Dight the political clubs compos? ing the International party of Cuban revolutionists met in the various cities of these countries and every one elected a delegate to the electoral college, which will decide who is tc be presi? dent of the Provisional government of Cuba to fill the vacancy caused by the death of the late President Jose Marti. The election being special, for the of? fice of president only, the delegates of the electoral college will not meet to gether, but will send their attested bal? lots to the ofSce of the treasurer of the party in every one of the countries named. Then the International dele? gates will count the ballots and de? clare the electiou of the successful can? didate. The treasurer of the party in the United States is Mr. Becj. J. Guerra, whose headquarters are in this city. To-day Mr. Guerra is absorbed io the interesting occupation bf receiving election returns. There are, it is said over one hundred clubs controlling as many election districts in the United States. At 1 o'clock returns had been received from New York city, Chicago New Orleans, Jacksonville, Vera Cruz, 3Iexico and Philadelphia. The dele? gates from all these cities will cast their ballotta for Thomas Palma. "The indications are,*' said Mr. Guerra to? day, "that Mr. Palma will be elected unanimously, for ali the other candi? dates have witbdrawo, or are withdraw? ing " "When will the new president be in? augurated ?" "As soon as practicable. The con? vention of the Provisional government will meet in Cuba at a very early date, perhaps to-morrow, bat I cannot give the exact time, for cable communica? tion ie so much interrupted that delay is ofteD caused on most important mat? ters." "The new president is a lawyer by profession and has a good record as a wise statesman, aman of broad views and a brave soldier. He has been identified with the cause of Cuban in? dependence for many years "There is now n<? doubt that a good republican government will soon be firmly established in Cuba, and it will be a great country afrer that/' The Whole Family Drowned. BATH, N.Y., July 9.-A drowning accident occurred just off Bluff Point, on Lake Keuka, at about 1 o'clock to-day, by which five persons lost their livest Terry Tuflft, with his wife and three children, left Gibson's Landing in a sail boat to cross the lake. A strong wind was blowing and when opposite the point, the boat was capsized and the whole party drowned. No one saw the accident and the boat was not discovered -.intil 3 o'clock, when the bodies were recovered in about ten feet of water The Tuffts lived near Gibson, where they came last April. Rifled the Burglar Chest, Pittsfield., Ill , July 10 -The Ex? change Bank, of Miller, twelve miies from this city owned and run by C. E. Botin, was entered early yesterday morning by burglars, who successfully opened the safe. They entered the burglar chest without the use of powder or toois, and it is sup? posed took the entire contents Then the chest was closed and the combi? nation lock taken off to prevent it being opened. The telephone wire was cut to prevent communication with the authorities Mr Botin re? fuses to say how much money the safe contained. The Discovery Saved His Life. Mr. <i. Cailiouetre. Dnig^i-r. Beaversvilie lil., says : "To I'r King's New Discovery I . uve my life. Was taken *?ith ha Grippe : . i tried f?l 'bo physicians for mile? ?bout, hr.: of :u> avail an ? was jjivefi up ii ti ?3 : )?'. I <.. u??J ti'.'f live. Having l>r. King's New I>i.?Cfvery in my store I sent for a bottle ?<n. i began its use and trcm 'he f:r>t dose began err 1-et:er. and a'ter n<ir.g thrt-o hec * les was up :<r-d about again. It is worth its weight in g< We won't keep ?t"fe "r Ii use without i:.' ??et a tree triai botvle at .'. F. W. DeL rme's Drug >t?ire - cr.- Latest U.S. Gov': Report Baking Powder ELY PURE