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? ,_ _._-^----?----? Ms SUMTER WATCHMAN, Eetablished April, 1850. "Be Just and Fear n >t-Let ail the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's.-' THE TRUE SOUTSKO:*, Established Juac.1266 Consolidated Aiig. 2,1881. SUMTER. S. C., WEDNESDAY. JUNE 17, 1896. New Scries-Yoi. XV. No 46 ? cv i ? i Englished Sray Wednesday, j IST. CS-. Osteen, - SUMTER, S. C. TERMS : $1.50 per annum-in advance. ADVBRTISSMSKT: One-Square first insertion....SI 00 Every subs?quent insertion... 50 Contracts for three months, or longer will be made at reduced rates. AH communications which subserve private interests will be charged for as advertisements. Obituaries and tributes of respect will be charged for. Bates on Bond Issues. The State Treasurer Blakes His Statement. From The State. ? Yesterday was the day on which Governor Evans said he^and State Treasurer Bates would make a state? ment in regard to the bond matter. When Dr. Bates was asked abont the bond matter yesterday he gave the statement below referring strictly to his own connection with and account* ing for the disposition of a little over $2,000 of the commissions about which there is so much talk. Dr. Bates' statement is as follows : "Yes, it is true that I received from the syndicate the sum ?>f $2, 031.25. This was for acting as their representative in making settlements with their subscribers, collecting and remitting their premiums and attend ing to their expense account. "For instance, there wers subscrib ers in Charleston for $2,000,000 of the new issue which the syndicate had contracted to deliver in Charleston These were to be paid for mostly in ^ Brown consols, but the holders of the consols naturally would require the syndicate to deliver to them the new issue of bonds before they would part with the possession of their consols. "Two courses were therefore open to the syndicate. One was to pay the Sute treasurer $2,000,000 in v cash, receive tLe new. .bonds, and then exchange them with the Charles " ton subscribers The other was to v secure some representative here in Columbia whom the Charleston bond -^holders Were willing to entrust with their bonds and exchange them fot bonds of the new issue. I suggested to the syndicate the employment of a Columbia banker as their represent? ative, but they preferred that I should do the work, and at the urgent re? quest of the Baltimore Trust and Guarantee company, the agent of the syndicate, on or about the 21st of] March, 1893, I consented to act for them, as the bondholders in Charles? ton and elsewhere were willing to place their bonds in my hands for * exchange. "The public will understand that there is a vast difference between : First, myaccepting money as a con? sideration for making a contract ?>r ? the sale of State bonds ; and secondly, my accepting compensation tendered by the syndicate for extra services as their representative long after the contract had been made. The first would have been offered, of course, and accepted prior to the contract, and would have deserved severe -? criticism The second was tendered long after the contract bad been made, and was for extra services that I could not have been expected or required to render as State treasurer. The work necessitated the keeping of a special, .difficult and extensive ac ^ count, and involved much respon? sibility and trouble. A good portion of the amount received went to pay for extra and special clerical work. "I am sure a reasonable public ^ will agree that the work I did was unofficial, and did not conflict with my duties as State treasurer. Nor will I be expected to render respon? sible and valuable services for a syn? dicate of wealthy capitalists without some reasonable compensation, r especially as the compensation was not paid by the State. Outside of the ?2,031.25 I did not receive ono cent from the syndicate or any one else on account of ray connection with the refunding of the bonds. "W. T. 0 Bates. State Treas " After Dr. Bates had given to the press the above statement, he receiv? ed the following letter from the presi dent of the Baltimore Trust and Guarantee company, the former may? or of Ballimore, which he also gave for publication : % Baltimore, J une 9, 1896. Hon. IV. T. C. Bates, State Treasurer Columbia, S. C. Dear Sir : I understand that some question has arisen as to the propri - ety of your having accepted com? pensation from the syndicate which purchased South Carolina bonds in 1893, and we think it not more than fair to state that under the rigorous terms imposed by your then governor, the ?on Benj R Tillman, it would have been exceedingly difficult for a syndicate to have carried out the terms of purchase without the con? stant presence, in Columbia, of ?orne competent and trustworthy person charged with the duty of performing the various acts of necessary clerical labor which were incessantly re? quired. It was not convenient for this company, as the agent of the syndicate, to have 6uch a representa? tive continually on the spot, and you were asked so to act, and the com pensation paid you was only fair, and said payment came from the syndicate alone, and in no wise, even remotely, affected the interests of your State nor the interests of the most insignificant of your taxpayers. The payment for your services was made upon the volition and by the sanction of. the executive committee of the syndicate. It was entirely proper, and the engagement of your? self in such capacity really proved to be a safeguard to yoar people, because in the execution of the clericial duties which the syndicate required, you invariably manifested an unalterable zeal for the protection of the interests of your State, and in the exercise this quality, we think, you often imposed upon the syndi cate conditions which would have been quite unnecessary in the con? duct of any matters pertaining to private business. These conditions, however, were accepted in a cordial spirit, because we thought we recog? nized in you an officer whose crown? ing ambition appeared to be directed only in the channel of exercising every scruple of prudence in the conservation of the duties involved by his official capacity. Yours respectfully. Robert C, Davidson, President A GALLANT CAPTAIN. The owners of the* little steamer Commodore might, presumably, have saved several days' ioterest on the ?4, 500 they had to deposit to secure the release of their vessel from the custody of the (Joited States marshal had they beeo so mioded. The curious looking little Newfound? land banks Sshiog boat is still moored at the Consumer's Coal Company's wharf. Two days ago there were un? mistakable signs of a preparation for de? parture,but she has not yet left this port. Wheo she will leave 'is a question which no ope save her captain cao ans? wer, and he has stated that the vessel would leave when the time for her de? parture arrived, and also that he did now know what her destination is. AmoDg all the men who go down to the sea in ships there is none on the' Atlantic coast who is a more able and skillful navigator than Capt. Morton, who has assumed command of the Com? modore. He is a mau with a sea re? cord, and one not confined to the mer? chant marine, as he was a captain ia the United States navy for many year3, and resigned that position for tbs pur? pose of engaging io commercial ven? tures Ever since whenever there has been a piece cf nautical work requiring especial skill, the projectors have sought tj obtain his services In additions this Capt Morton is an unuually hand? some man, of distinguished bearing and polished manner. With all of these things in his favor, however, he bas the bad taste to dislike newspapers-at any rate Charleston newspaper reports and it is very evident that he intends to furnish them with no news of what he has done, or of what he intends to do -News and Courier Filing the Pledges. The new constitution of the Demo? cratic party in this State requires that any man, in order to run for an office in the Democratic primary election, must file the required pledge with the chairman of thc State committee on rr before thc first meeting of the State campaign in order to have his votes counted. Yesterday Chairman Torarj kins was asked if any pledges had been filed so far. Restated that G- Walt Whitman bad filed his pledge as a can? didate for governor ; that Dr. Timajor mao bad filed hts as a candidate for State treasurer, and Mr. Cole L Kle&se had filed his as ? candidate for solicitor in his district against Solicitor Sohum pert No ethers have yet come it). The State. A Roundabout Line. PHILADELPHIA, June 3 -Th? steam? er Bcrciud??., which ~a.s recall? de? prived of her registry by the British consul at this port because, ir is said, of her aiifged 5Hbu9teriog expedition, and which has siuce been lying at Cam den, N J., was to-day seized by United States Marshall Pfeffer of New Jersey cn a libel filed by three seamen for un- ! paid wages The amount claimed by the seamen is $27.75. it U said thai the filing of the libel is part of a plan j to eeeure a registry for the steamer ! ucder the Ame/ican flag. Cotton Crop Conditions. They are Generally Pavcrr ble Except in Texas. WASHINGTON, Jane 10 -Thc con? solidated reports to the statistical di vi sion of the department of agriculture for the mooth of June shows the State percentage cf cottoo* acreage as com pared with last year to be a9 follows : Virgioia 107, North Carolina 117, South Carolina 111, Georgia 113, Ala? bama 112, Mississippi 114, Louisiana 109, Texas 116, Arkansas 130, Ten? nessee 128, Indian Territory 161, Mis? souri 163, Oklahoma 194. The gene? ral average is i. 16 2 beiog 1 3 per cent, increase over the May statement. The average conditions of the crop for June 1 was : Virginia 91, North Carolina 99, South Carolina 97, Georgia 9(5, Florida 85, Alabama 103, Mississippi 104, Louisiana 94, Texas 92, Arkan? sas 102, Tennessee 118, Missouri 92. The general average i* 97 2. Io the Atlantic States, io spite of dry weather in early spring, the crop ia a little earlier tbao usual. Poor stands, on account of drought, are reported from two counties io North Carolina aod South Carolina aod from seven counties io Georgia ; but the plaots are io fioe condition as respect both culti? vation aod growth throughout this region. Io Florida the crop is late and stands are poor oo account of the excessive drought. From Alabama, Mississippi, Louieiaoa, Arkansas, Tennessee and In? dian Territojy. the reports are unusual? ly encouraging. The crop is not only early but stands are good, the plaots free from grass, and the outlook prom? ising for a full crop. Io a few local? i ios, however, there are complaints of damage by cut worms and lice. , In Texas the conditions have been less favorable than in the Atlantic and Gulf States. The cold and damp weather at seeding time not only makes the crop .late, but has resulted in in? festing maoy fields ic a large area io the southern part of the State with all maooer of ioeeots that damage the plaot. Considerable improvement, however, has been made withio the past mooth. First planting seems to be doing much better than later OD, aod in ncaoy of the heavy produoiog couo tie* the laods are good aod ^indicate close proximatioo to a foll cir op. Duly Commissioned. PHILADELPHIA, June 10.-The bat? tleship Massachusetts wa9 pu?*ioto com mission today. Since the successful official ti ia! trip in April, the vessel has been at Cramp's ship yard, receiving the final touches that were to make ber completely in trim for acceptance by the government- This morning the ship was taken to the League Island navy yard in charge of Captain Sargent, the Cramp's shipmaster, who theo made bis "formal abdication in favor of the navy yard's commandaot, Captain Far? quhar. The crew and the officers as seinblsd on deck, Commandant Farqu? har turned the ship over te Capt. Fred? erick Rodgers, and Captain Rodgers read aloud the orders from the Davy de partmeot, iu which be was instructed to assume charge % The colors of the na? tion went up gloriously and the ship wa9 in duly commission, legally eoti tied to join the Atlantic squadron, to which she bas been detailed. Pusu?dbya Gunboat. KINGSTON, Ja , Jane 9.-The al? leged filibustering steamer Laurada, from New York, arrived from Port AB tooio Saturday last A Spanish war ship was in pusuit of her, but of course did not enter the port io her effort to cap? ture the Laurada. The war ship is still off the port awaitiog for the Laurada to leave. It is believed that the latter landed a large quantity of munitions of war in Cuba. If she should be pur? sued after she leaves Port Antonio, she will ruo along the coast, within the ma? rine league limit until her superior speed enabies her to stand out to sea in advance of the Spanish warship. Lee Looking Around. NEW YORK, June lO.-^-Amocg the pa^seogera on the steamer City of Washington, which arrivvd this morning tn rn Habana, were Judge Delgado and his g."-n, J. Gr. Delgado. Both gentle? men Lave suffered rnaoy indignities at the bauds of the Spaoisb officials io Cuba, and are on their way to Wash? ington, whey they will lay their griev-* anees before the President and Secre? tary Olney. Mr. Delgado had an interview with Conbul Gcrjcr.il Lee previous io icaving Habana. Thc City of Washington pai-sreoge;-", io conversation this morl? ing af quarantine,"stated that Fitzhugh Lee war. rapidly familiarizing himself with the routine du'i?\s of his cilice. American residents in Ulbana are much pleased with the aggressive spirit sijown by thc consul general. There was also on board the City of Washing? ton Fe?s Cabello, an officer in the Spanish service, who is said to bc on an important ^-rand to this country. Pledges of Politicians. a Candidates Haven't Much Time to File Them. From Tue t?rate. The Stare campaign is now about to open. On Monday week the opening meeting is to be held at Manning, and then up to the time for the recess allow? ing the candidates who are delegates to the Chicago convention to attend that gathering, the campaigning will be fast. Eleven points will be covered by the candidates. After the convention the campaign will be resumed and there will be practically no intermission until the closiog meeting is held almost upon the eve of the primary election io Au? gust. State Chairman Tompkins calls atten? tion to the fact that no mea can be coo* sidered a candidate before the primary under the constitution of the party who does not file hb pledge with the com? mittee by midnight on the 22nd inst. Up to date only four pledges have been filed. In addition to these already mentioned. Solicitor Ansel has filed his pledge. There seems to be some dis? satisfaction with this requirement, many boldiog that candidates should be allowed to come out at any time. The committee put in the provision, how? ever, in order to prevent a perfect flood of caodida.es oomiog in towards the last and thus avoiding the expensive campaign of the State. The bond matter, t J all appearances, is likely to play a very important part io the coming campaign, probably be? ing brought up at the opening meeting. State Treasurer Bates, who will not be a candidate for re-election, has made his statement, and declined yesterday to have anything farther to say in re? gard to the matter. Everybody is talk? ing about bond matter, and Governor Evan's has declared his intention to take up any charges made against bim by a "responsible party'7 upon the stump. At present predictions as to the result of the campaign-indeed, even as to its character-are hard to make. A week or so ago it was easy to make predictions. The senatorial fight promises to be the feature of the whole campaign.^ There is now. con? siderable talk about Judge Earle enter? ing the race for senator. The rumor cannot be traced to any source, but at the same time it is heard. Up to date no farther candidates have cropped out for the other offices. Dr. Timmerman and Mr. McSweeney will scarcely have any opposition at all for the State treasurership and lieuten? ant governorship respectively. For governor, Mr. Eile'rbe, Walt Whitman and Mr. Harrison are likkely to be the only candidates. ATTENTION CANDIDATES It is safe to say that nine out often Democrats in South Carolina are not aware that candidates for any office be? fore the primary are required to file their pledges, by the 22d inst. We confess that it had escaped our notice, although we had read the Constitution. This requirement is onerous and ty? rannical, and we cannot help thinking that it was inserted by King influences to choke off opposition to the "ins." It is nobody else's business if a man comes out late in the campaign. If he is willing to take the chances of defeat by announcing his candidacy at the eleventh hour, that is his lookout. We can see some sense in requiring candidates for senator and governor to come ont early, for they have to make a canvass of the State, beginning this month ; but candidates for the legisla? ture and county offices have to cover but a small area and a short canvas suffices them. So it is outrageous to bar out those who do not announce themselves for such positions a month before they are called upon to take the Seid. We have attained to a cast-iron sys? tem which is destroying liberty of ac? tion and unnecessary depriving even the members of the majority of their rights. If we did not have an election scheme which enables the administra? tion, through its appointees, to count out anybeby who defies it, we would re commend prospective candidates to pay no attention to this unfair require? ment-, enter the race when it suits them, ana, if nominated and coi awarded the nomination by thc county executive committees, to go ro the general elec? tion v?irh the backing si a majority be? hind them. Bur, as ii stands, they aro all at the mercy of Gary Evans and the machine. At any rate, v;e advise this: If there are any fair-minded Reformers who are opposed to a ccu tin un nco cf br?,$ rulo and want to try their chances in tho primarle?, let them announce themselves and (ile their pied^ at once Provi? ded there is anything practical to be gained by i', a great many liActia" will vote ir: the primarle?, and '.viii oust their ballots against the Ring. ''He formers" who oppose the Ringneed not longer fear to present, themselves I; they want to make a manly tight a^aint the excesses aod abuses and of 1-Ivans & Co. they can get support io plenty. There arej:Jr-t reo day? io which to ; determine whether the next legis!: ture ; will be composed ut self-respecting and broadminded ac en or mere cost-tail swingers. Don't let thejnnebugs have a walk-over!-The State. A-Texas Calculating Freak. Wolf Bluestine, who died at Hot Springs and W3S buried atHoustOD, came to Orange a very poor man in 1876. He began merchandising, and while here acquired a capital estimated at between ?60,000 and $75,000. He conld neither read nor write, yet he was a marvel in mental arithmetic. Fractions nor interest bad any hard places in them for him. He offered the principal of the city schools at this place $100 if be would teach him to write his own came within a year. The professor undertook the job and worked with great energy, but discovered that on each Monday morning every trace o? the previous week's work had entirely faded from the mind of bis pupil, and after five months of close attention to his undertaking abandoned it as a hope? less case. Apeculiar constructed "?XX" was the nearest approach he ever made to penmanship, but that sig? nature is attached to many valuable doo uments now of record in this county, and bas for several years passed current at the banks in New York, Galveston and Orange, often for large sums of money. It was quite as difficult to counterfeit the characters as affixed by him as it would be to successfully imi? tate the signature-Dallas News. mm -?.."?.- mm The First Session of the 54th Congress Ended. Washington, June ll.-The first session of the fifty-fourth congress gently and quietly, almost without incident, glided into history to-day at 4 o'clock, the shortest "long" session of congress, with two exceptions, in the history of the government. There was a marked difference be? tween the close to-day and that of the fifty-first congress, the last pre? vious Republican congress. Then a bitter conflict raged between Speaker Reed and the minority, and no one of the latter was found to introduce the usual resolution of thanks to the presiding officer. To day Mr. Turner, the second Democratic member of the committee on ways and means, acting for the minority in the absence of ex-Speakr Crisp, offered a resolution thanking Speaker Reed for the "ability, faith? fulness and strict impartiality" with which he had discharged the duties of his difficult position ; and at the suggestion of Mr. Dockery and other D?mocrates there was a raising; vote, that the expression of heartiness back of the resolution might thereby be emphasized. in hie closing remares bpeaket Reed offered his grateful recognition for the honor, saying "the thanks of the house of representatives is always a high honor, but is especially so at the end of a session where thc speaker has been forced to say 'no' more times perhaps than in the his? tory of any other congress. In the course of the session a num? ber of private pension and relief bills were passed, and Representative Pitey (Rep ) of New Jersey, Blue (Rep.) of Kansas and Dockery (Dem ) of Missouri were appainted members on the part of the house on the com mission to sit during the summer and investigate the charities of the Dis? trict of Columbia. - i? a- mm Skirmishing in Cuba. HABANA, June VJ, -Several unimport? ant skirmishes were reported today. Rebels attacked and succeeded in enter? ing the towns of Ceiba del Agua and San Antonio de Rio Bianco in the pro? vince of Habana. They burned sever? al houses. The gunboat Hern?n Cor tez landed at Cuevas, near Neuvas Grades, and found an American built boat that had evidently been abandoned by a filibuster- j ioff ezedition. The marines later saw j another boat. cfT shore in which WOH? a j number of meo. They fired upon the j boat, whereupon the n??n in it jumped overboard, swan ashore and made their escape. Thc Americoo coesul general. Ramco | O. Williams, sailed today for New York j cn the steamer Vigilancia. it is raid tbs "cbc! leader Wilson, an j American rh as died from the effects ora ! wound received in a recent engagement j near Guantanamo, in tho province cf: Santiago de Cuba. ; Highest cf all in Leavening Pow Silver (he Great Issue. Committeeman Kerene Pre? serves Significant Silence. ST. LOUIS, June ll -McKinley is not to be nominated without a strug* gie. Twenty-four hours have so changed the positions on the political chess board that there is a fighting chance for the field against McKinley. The stumbling block in the road of the letter is the divergent views of the delegates on the financial plank of the platform. These differences are as wide as the continent, and at present seem irreconcilable The western delegates maintain their adherence to silver with a frankness that in former gatherings of the party would have been punished as politi? cal heresy. The other half of the country is represented by sound money advocates who will listen to no suggestion of other platform de? clarations. This issue, even in these ante-convention days, has ranged the delegates into two camps. The men = from Maine and the far east still up? hold the banner, for Reed, while those from Iowa, supported by scat? tering delegates from the middle west, declare themselves for Allison. Quay will, of course, receive nearly the foll support of Pennsylvania, and Morton is assured of arl but four of the Mew York votes. Bradley has not been side-tracked by the allure? ment of the Vice Presidency. So many tables have been complied showing both that McKinley will or not be nominated on the first ballot that they are valueless. The mone? tary plank of the platform will, un? less a miracle supervenes, determine the nomination for or against the leaders The arrival of Thos. C. Platt to night gave encourageme.it and impetus to the opposition. While he is not iu sympathy with the silver wing of the party, it is thought he will be the rallying point for a com? bined opposition. There is no hint* that other than an honorable fight will be made against McKinley, but political exigencies, as presented here, demand the alliance of opposi? tion for a, successful struggle against the McKinley avalanche Sentiment among the delegates al? ready upon the ground appears to be strongly crytalizing in favor of the financial plank promulgated by National Committeeman R: C. Kerene of this city and which was given in the dispatches of Wednesday. Mr Kerene admits that he is not the author cf the proposed plank, and that it is the handiwork of "a promi? nent Republican." Taken in con? nection with his recent visit to Can? ton, (Ohio) there have been sugges? tions that the draft has been submit? ted to and received the approval of Major McKinley. Upon this point, however, Mr. Kerene will not satisfy his enquirers, while, in line with their previous position, that the convention rather than the candidate should make the platform, Mark Hanna and his lieutenants continue to regard the topic as tabooed and will not touch it even in generalities. Cotton Futures^ NEW YORK, June 12 -The Sun says : Cotton advanced 5 to 6 points on this crop and 3 to 4 on the next, lost the improvement and declined 4 to 6 points, recovered the loss and advanced 2 to 4 points, closing steady, with sales of 138,900 bales. To-day's features : Rains fell in Southwestern Texas and for a time they had a '.imewhat depressing efiect. So also, no doubt, did unexpectedly large gold exports, the depression in the spot markets at the South and the stagna? tion in the dry goods trade Still the news on the whole was such tba' the bulls took courage, and prices ultimate? ly advanced The West Southwest and Northwest sections of Tezas ?till need a good deal of rain. At one time there was considerable selling to-day by locsl and Western operators, but August recovered very rapidly, owing to thc belief thar the leading cjtton merchants here are b'.iil interested in August and will put prices op '.vith a rush if circumstances are favorable. t?acSi?en'.-? .?.mica Salvo. Tb; 2 :?; S tire io tire world for Ccia, J.': a iso s SOTCS. i leers, 3 UEbeun. Fe per Sores," Tetter Chapped Chilblains, Corns and all r. irruptions, sad positively caros Files or p.c Tixy required. Ir is guaranteed to ?ive per? fect satisfaction, or sonoy refunded. Price 52 coate pe? boz. For sale cy Dr. J. F. VV.De Lorcno. ^, ex.-Latest U. S. Gov't Report