The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, July 08, 1896, Image 1
utatcljman uno Southon.
- ? ?--^-? - - - ? - ? ----mmmmmmmmm--- ? -'- " " " '
MB SUMTER WATCHMAN, Established April, 1S50. "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 SOUTHRON, Established Jane,1366
Consolidated Aug. 2,1881.
SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 1896.
New Series-Vol. XV. No 4i>
Published Evsry Wednesday,
INT. C3-. Osteen,
SUMTER, S. C.
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? Disgraceful Meeting.
Colieton Mob Howls Down
Solicitor Bellinger.
BEAUFORT, Julv 1.-There was one
overshadowing feature at the Colle
ton campaign meeting iii Walterboro
to-day. A State officer, for fearless
discharge of duty in the face of
known popular opposition and veiled
and open threats; for a courageous
course in the interest of peace, order
and the-good name of his State ; for
devoting energy, talent and time to
prosecuting a case that his obliga- j
tions to himself and his State re?
quired, as well as the demands of
civilization made imperative, was
howled down in the most disgraceful
manner. The only counterpart of
this meeting to-day that I have ever
witnessed was when General Earle
spoke in Sumter in 1890, only in that
case the Conservative candidate for
governor had a strong following.
Mr. Duncan Bellinger, solicitor of
the Second circuit, appeared as a
candidate for re-election, and faced a
crowd of 300 men, who at first biush
seemed to be unanimously opposed
to him, but which contained perhaps
40 friends, some of whom were pre
pared for any emergency.
When the campaign party arrived
at Walterboro at 11.30 o'clock, the
newspaper men who were with the
party and who had also been there to
report the trial of the "Colieton
lynchers" last February, were told
that there would likely be trouble and
that one of them had been promised
a horsewhipping on the streets of
Walterboro because of reports of that
trial sent to bis paper. This wa?
considered in the light of a bluff.
It was such and the bluffers did not,
call. They would have found a full
house.
The speaking took place in a pret?
ty oak grove in the heart of the
town. A colored string band fur?
nished music when it was permitted
but the time being limited, the fid?
dlers were not given opportunity to
calm the savage breast.
The meeting was called to order at
12.20 o'clock by County Cnairman
Cooper, without the preliminary
prayer
Mr. Duncan, who after outlining
his policy on national affairs, proceed?
ed to give the facts and suspicious he
had as to the bond deal, ile was
giving a quiet hearing.
Governor Everns said he did not
believe the people ot South Carolina
would send Duncan to the senate if
there was no one running against him.
Mention of Tillman's name always
elicited cheer?, and Evans was
cheered at the end of his speech
"How about your wife, governor ?"
asked a faithful
Governor Evans-I've nearly got
her, brother.
He was sent a bouqet.
In Mt. Duncan's reply he was
asked if he believed John Gary
Evans, Dr. Bates and Senator Till?
man to be scoundrels.
"I do i,ot," said Mr. Duncan. "The
. mistake is in putting Dr. B^tes and
Senator Tillman in the same boat
with Governor Evans.
General Watts was the next speaker
and was cheered.
General Richbourg was indisposed
and did not speak.
When Mr. Carroll Simms of Barn?
well, candidate for solicitor against
Mr. Bellinger, was introduced, he
was received with cheers. He asKed
for their suffrage, not en the weak?
ness of any opponent, but on his
own strength as a lawyer.
A Voice-Are you a Conservative
or a Reformer ?
Another Voice-That's all dead
now.
Mr. Simms understood the Constitu?
tional convention had settled that
question and it was now wiped out
They were all Democrats. (Cheers.)
Ii he bad to go into politics to get
office of solicitor, he would not have
it.
A Voice-Do you believe no 12
men of Colieton county can give any
man in South Carolina a fair trial ?
Mr. Simmons-1 would not dis?
grace myself by asking the suffrage
of Colieton if i thought so ; but if
there is a man in the crowd who ex?
pects tb vote for me to get favors, I
advise him not to do to. I will ac
minister the law strictly and fairly.
Mr. Ciarlos C Tracy of Waltei
boro was introduced and proceede
to say he had determined not to b
a candidate for solicitor
The next speaker introduced wa
Solicitor Bellinger Imm?diate),
there was confusion in the crowd
men moving to and fro and the mu?
muring of many voices
"Tell us something about Hanna
? Walker," called one man
"Tell us about Aiken, where yo;
can find 12 honest men," was th
taunt of another This was followe
by howls that drawned and othe
sounds.
Chairman Cooper appealed in
mild way to tho gentlemen of Col
Ieton to listen to what their sol?cito
had to say.
"Msn, will you refuse to hei
me?" asked Mr Bellinger. "I ara i
South Carolinan, a white man'
man."
A Voice-"What, you ?"
Bellinger-Yes. (Hoots ant
howls.)
Bellinge jr-came here to speak
and so help me God, I will stand hen
until my time is exhausted whethe
you hear me or not. If he was lis
tened to in his own behalf he woulc
show them that he was an enthusias
on the subject of law and order, anc
who believed the power to make anc
execute human laws the highes!
attributes of man. Interruptions
which had been constant, here broke
out afresh Some one shouted thai
the man who said Colleton people
were not honest was a liar. Sud
declarations as ''We do not want tc
hear you. God knows we don't "
"We don't care a d-n what you
have to say" ; "Yon are a d-n
scoundrel" were frequent.
About this time Chairman Coopei
appealed to the meeting to be quiet.
If they felt that Mr. Bellinger had
treated them badly they should lis?
ten to what he had to say, and then
vote for the man they wanted.
Mr. Bellinger said if they would
listen he would tell them something
that would make them mad sure
enough. (Confusion continued.) "The
man who accepts office," said the
solicitor, ,land fails to carry out
the law is a mora! coward and pol?
tron"
A voice-Why did you say our
county could not get a jury of twelve
men to give a fair trial ?
Mr. Bellinger-What I said was
that I did not believe the btate
could get a fair trial in Colleton.
Are you going, to vote against me
^because of the Broxton bridge pro?
secution?
A voice-Persecution, you mean
Mr Bellinger-All who are going
to vote against rae on account of
the Broxton bridge prosecution hold
up their hands.
Confusion and voices-No that's
not it ; don't try Ben Tillman's
plan.
Mr. Bellinger-You know that a
citizen of your county wrote to a
candidate for solicitor in another
county, saying the Broxton bridge
case would get him 2,000 votes
here ?
Voice-No : he'll get 'em all
J. H, Dodd, a cousin of W. B.
Ackerman-You are a nigger's
man.
Mr Bellinger-You oppose me
because I am a nigger's man, do
you ?
Dodd-Yes.
Here the chairman called time.
Mr. Bellinger-I want to answer
that man
Dodd-You can answer me out
in the crowd or anywhere else.
(Here Dodd made a demonstratiou
and was held by two men, Mr
Bellinger standing fast unflinch?
ing )
Dodd : "Pitch him out here to
me,"
The crowd seemed to be closing
in on the stand, and the prospect
was decidedly squally
Dodd-You have been paid by
northern Republicans to prosecute
this case.
Bellinger-Put it in writing or
print, and so help me God, I will put
you in the penitentiary for perjury
and libel. (Shouts of "Write it,"
"write it!"
Bellinger declared that he would be
re-elected despite all the howling.
He said the lawyers for the defense
owed it to themselves and the State
to come before the people and ex?
plain why they had a delay in the
trial. It was because they appealed.
The crowd boweled and yelled,
! some one crying, "Pull him off the
stand " A movement was made with
j seeming such intention, but it did
! not materialize.
Then Chairman Cooper stated .to
Mr.. Bellinger that the people of
Colleton refused to hear him speak. 3
Mr. Bellinger then, with the decla?
ration that they had stolen his time
, but could not run him off the platform,
stepped from the front.
A messenger presented him with
a bouquet bearing the cards of several
bf Colleton's fairest daughters He
remarked that he would thank the
donors in public if it were not that
the flowers, by his doing so, might
be considerably bruised.
There were a number of ladies in
the outskirts of the crowd to-day.
.The other speakers were giving at?
tention, the crowd being amused by
the gubernatorial candidates as well
as those for superintendent of educa?
tion
At 2:30 the campaign party left
for Beaufort.
Candidates for congress spoke in
Walterboro to-night.-W. E. Gonza
ales, in The State.
J. Skelton Williams.
What he Says About the
Bond Transaction.
Special to The State.
RICHMOND, June 30 -Several times
since the bond scandal bas become so
prominent the name of Mr. John
Skelton Williams, the energetic and
prosperous young banker of this city,
has been mentioned in connection
with the question, "Who got those
commissions ?" This afternoon I
called on Mr Williams and had a
talk with him in regard to the matter.
ile gives an interesting chapter to
the bond*bu8?ness as a member of
the syndicate. He says that he took
the matter up. after Mr Lancaster's
failure and the agreement to pay Mr.
Rhind a commission, which has been
mentioned, was stated to them by
Mr- Rhind. The people composing
the syndicate then thought the invest?
ment a good one with the commis?
sion allowed, and took tho bonds,
ile confirms to the letter Col. Has
kali's statement, recently published,
and says Mr. Rhind stated that he
could nc ive them (the amount they
expecteo as commissions, because
"A large portion of it had to be paid
I to parties whose services and influ?
ences were necessary in the general
assembly. He says he did not know
to whom Mr. Rhind referred. They
had no right to ask him, yet they had
no idea that it would be used for any
improper purpose." Mr. Rhind gave
them to understand alli the way that
this commission was to be so disposed
of. So far as he knows the drafts
were divided in order that the amount
should be given to "his associates."
He never b~ard anything said con?
necting any State officers with the
transaction. In reply to a question
he said: "No I have never heard one
word to sonnect any State officer
with the matter, beyond Mr. Rhind's
statement, which any one can con?
strue. Mr. Rhind or Mr Lancaster
can tell you about the whole matter,
though I suppose.
He said he knew that Mr. Evans
was Rhind's attorney in the matter
Mr. Lancaster is at present at his
summer home in this State and could
not be seen to-day. E. J. Watson.
A Big insurance Company.
!
It Will Begin Business With
8200,000 Capita^.
The secretary of state granted a
charter yesterday to the Citizens' Fire
insurance company of Columbia, of
which Messrs. M. N. Johnson of Ma
I rion, and E L. Wioant of Brooklyn,
N. V., are the iocorporators. The
?capital stock ia ?200,000, divided
1 oto 2,000 shares at ?100 per
share.
Already ?60,000 of this has been
paid io, and the other will be in a
short time.
Both Mr. Johnson and Mr \\ ?nant
were in the city yesterday looking
after the interests of their com?
pany.
Mr Winant was called on by a re?
porter at the hotel Jerome and asked
about the company which he pro?
posed to establish.
'.Yes" be said, "we intend to estab?
lish a first-class fire insurance com?
pany in this city that will carry on
business in all parts of the State.
The charter bas already been granted
and arrangements are being made with
Dr. Kendall to get an office in his
building. Already ?6*0,000 of the
capital stock has been paid and is in?
vested in gilt edge railroad bonds.
In about a week's time, or perhaps a
little longer, we hope to be eettled
in our office and at work."
Mr. Winant said that he would re?
turn to Brooklyn, and after winding
np his affairs there, would come to
Columbia, which he intended to make
his future home.
Mr. Johnnson will be president of
the company and Mr. Winant, Secre?
tary and treasurer.-The State.
Gen. Sorano arrived at Tampa, Fla.,
yesterday from Cuba and narrowly es?
caped arrest at the instance of tho
Spanish Consul. A mistake was made
and the wrong man was arrested, which
gave Gen. Sora.no an opportunity of
escaping.
U. C. Y. Reunion.
South Carolina's Place in the
Reunion Picture.
RICHMOD, Va\-South Carolioa
still plays an important part io the pic?
ture here, the delegates occupy seats io
the cooveotioD hall at the front, on the
right of the presiding officer. Tomor?
row she will have 1,500 men io Hoc,
laud the Palmetto "boys" have been
given the second place io the parade.
General Hampton will be mounted,
as will also Genera) Walker aod staff.
Robert E. Lee, soo of tbe lamented
chieftain, will ride with General Hamp?
ton. All the veterans in the South
Carolioa divisions will bear branches of
native palmetto, and the mounted offi
will wear sashes made of palmetto.
Geoeral Hampton was not at the con?
vention to-day; bis leg bas been wor?
rying him, aod he kept to his room
most of the day gathering bis strength
for to-morrow, The South Corolioa
delegation's choice for the next place of
meeting was Nashville, but the thing
was made unanimous before they could
cast their ballots.
Next to Virginia, South Carolina has
the handsomest room in the mus?
eum, in Mrs. Davis' old bedroom.
Camp Hampton leaves for home Fri?
day morning at 9 00 o'clock. The
South Carolina veterans were among
the most demonstrative in the
hall to-day when Mrs. Davis was pre?
sented by General Gordon and when he
kissed her brow in the name of the
Confederacy.
To-night Miss Capers, our fair
sponsor, was at her prettiest io the
grand tableau of the auditorium. She
was clad in spotless white and wore the
Confederate colors, holding aloft in a
queenly manner the palmetto flag. Her.
maids of-honor, as were all the others,
were seated in the rostrum gallery just
above. To-morrow evening Miss Ca?
pers will assist, with one of her maids
of-honor, in the reception at the exe?
cutive mansion.
To-night Mrs. Harby, of New York,
a native of the Palmetto State, tender?
ed General Walker and staffa reception
at the Jefferson.
South Carolina's member of the
board of trustees oo the Battle Abbey
matter is Dr. B. H. Teague. Mr.
Carwiie and Mr. Teague are both can?
didates for brigadier general in the
South Carolina division to fill the va
vancy occasioned by General McKis
sick's death.
South Carolina's sponsor and maids
are in charge of a special detail, con?
sisting of Major Carwiie. Capt. R S.
DesPortes and Gen. W. E. James,
until the festivities are over.
Special to the State.
RICHMOND, July 2.-This has been
the greatest day the south has ever
known. The patriotic scenes presented
here ro day are the greatest in her his?
tory, and beggar description The
Lee celebration six years ago has been
far outdone.
In the grand parade there were vet?
erans from all the southern states, and
even from far away California. South
Carolina's palmetto boughs were the
feature of the parade.
Before the procession, which took five
hours to pass a given point, bad gone
far, nearly all the veterans, the gener?
als and everybody else, wore a sprig of
the historic tree.
At the bead of the precession were
little girls carrying banners of the va?
rious States. South Carolina's little
representative was at the head of them
all. Although there were so many
States fully represented, and old Vir
gioinia was at her best, South Carolina,
made a splendid show The palmetto
boys were there 1,500 strong, and Col.
Tom Woodward created great merri?
ment by breaking out of ranks and
kissing a beautiful young Virginian of
22 summers, when she dared "that
pretty, jovial old vet" to "dare to do,"
and her father approved. He was a
vet, too.
General Hampton was once more giv?
en a royal reception. He sat splendid a
charger like a youth, standing where
the procession entered Franklin street,
and was cheered to the echo time and
time again. It wa<* a cootinous and
stirring ovation to the grand old hero.
General Hampton later rode at the
bead of thc cavalry vets, and all along
the line he was loudly cheered. Dr.
Taylor and Col. Thomas Taylor rode
by his side. General Butler ran down
from Washington and was in the pro?
cession.
Carolina's sponsor and ber maids,
with the Louisiana sponsor, occupied the
first thcae of the sponsors carriages. Our
three girls were cheered dramatically
by the old vets as they passed.
Many South Carolinians were in the
Washington, D. C , delegation.
This evening after the laying of the
corner stone the Charleston camps lefe
for home io their private esr. Camp
Hampton and others leave to-morrow
morning. The South Carolinians have
certainly enjoyed themselves, and the
reception accorded them by the people
of Richmond.
The flags borne io the parade to-day
by the South Carolina troops were
amoug the most valuable and attractive
carried in the procession.
This evening South Carolina's spon?
sor and maids will assist ar, the executive
mansion at the'governor's receptioo.
Generals Hampton and Butler leave
here this eveoiog for Washington.
E. J. Watson.
PLAIN QUESTIONS.
The Editor of the News would like
to ask Judge Earle a few questions.
Why did you, Joseph H Earle, with?
draw .rom the democratic Legisla?
tive ticket in Sumter, in 1876 at the
! darkest hour of? the Hampton cam?
paign ?
? Bid you not, in the gallery of the
House of Representatives, when the
Sumter Earle delegation was turned
out of the convention, advocate, in a
speech to those around, you a bolt
and a ticket in opposition to Tillman?
Did you believe then as now in
what you call the rule of the major?
ity?
Why did you consent to run against
j Richardson in 1888 as Tillman's man,
after you had denounced Tillman in
Sumter for false charges against the
Richardson administration of which
you were a part ?
Who brought you out in 1890 after
the 21 conference had brought out
Bratton as a candidate against Till?
man?
Will you be kind enough to tell the
people how Geu. Bratton was treated
in your own county, Sumter, when
he was running with you making com?
mon cause against Tillman, and your
committee was in charge of 3?1 ar?
rangements for the campaign meet?
ing?
Are you willing to say now, as you
so often said in 1890 on the stump,
that the Shell Manifesto, " which Till?
man himself wrote, begins and ends
with a lie and is a lie from beginning
to end ? If you have changed your
mind about, this manifesto will you
kindly tell tbe people upon what
ground and what newly discovered
facts have brought such a wonder?
ful change of view io so short a
time.
The columns of The News are at
your service, and, by answering these
simple questions, you will confer a
great favor upon a roucb per?
plexed public Darlington News
Railroad Assessments.
A Very Slight Change in the
Total of Last Year.
The comptroller general has been at
work getting out/his report of the as?
sessed value of Che railroad property io
the different counties in the State. A
comoarison of the assscsment of 1895
with that cf 1896 shows the total has
not been materially changed. The as?
sessment on some of the roads has b&cn
increased and on others decreased. It
will be seen that the railroads own
about oos-eigbt of the assessed taxable
property io the State.
The following shows the changes io
the assessments :
Counties 1895
Abbeville, 1,393,970
Aiken, 1.043,760
Anderson, 559,289
Barnwell, 1.300,995
Beaufort, 447,350
Berkeley, 1.301,480
Charleston, 558,730
Chester, 678,090
Chesterfield, 44,625
Clarendon, 379.050
Colieton, 1,124,770
Darlington, 237,707
Eigefield, 645,400
Fai'rfield, 690,475
Florence, 664,445
Georgetown, 45,450
Greenville, 572,475
Hampton, r?89,550
Horry, 155,530
Kershaw, 255,650
Lancaster, 242,775
Laurens, 740,075
Lexington, 759,235
Marion, 662.600
Marlboro, 244,210
Newberry, 643,530
Oeonee, 511,120
Ortogeburg, 1,310,487
Pickens, 435,080
Richland, 1,292,147
Spartanburg, 1,115,725
Sumter, 1,071,680
Union, 358,590
Williamsburg. 726,310
York, 896,310
1896
1,393,970
1.022,760
532,850
1,300,995
447,359
1,173,930
678,130
659.000
53.725
336,000
1,141,215
241,667
630,250
710,155
664,445
45,450
573.025
693,S50
155,530
255,650
237,975
746,175
759,235
676,910
267,930
605,330
486,520
1,461,785
435,080
1,291,147
1,128,725
1,188,335
393.918
726,310
889,497
Totals $23,797,652, ?23,797,512
Minnesota Silver Repubicans
Will not Support him.
ST. PAUL, Minn., July 2.-The
most sensational manifesto in Min?
nesota's history was that issued this
afternoon by the Silver Republicans,
who refuse to support McKinley for
President, Clough for governor, or
any of the Republican candidates
for congress. The prominence of the
naenfsigning it attracts to it wide?
spread attention. Among the number
are Lieutenant Governor Frank A.
Day, Congressman Charles A. Towne,
ex-Congressman John Lind and sev?
eral State senators The address is
issued to the Republicans of Min?
nesota and says :
"The greatest issue which has
arisen in this country since the
abolition of African slavery now con?
fronts the American people. The
common people have viewed with in?
creasing alarm the attempts of a
foreign money aristocracy to fasten
upon this nation the single gold stan?
dard of value In the past they
turned with the inspiration of faith
to the Republican party for protec?
tion against that power which seeks
to strike down one-half the redemp?
tion power of the world that the
other half may purchase double the
amount of the products of toil. They
had a right to expect such protection.
The Republican party was born of
the common people. Its mission has
been to dignify labor, to secure to
him who toils in the field or mine the
just fruits of honest labor. From the
day of the party's birth until the
present time no article of Republi?
can faith has been more pronounced
than the belief in bimetalism It has
been written in its platforms and
taught by all its great leaders. In
its national convention in 1SS8 it
.condemned "the policy of the Demo?
cratic administration in its efforts to
demonetize silver."
"In 1892, in its platform adopted
in Minneapolis, it declared in favor
of gold and silver as standard money
In 1894 the Republican party of
Minnesota reaffirmed its belief in
bimetallism, and that the restoration
of silver as ultimate money to thc
currency of the world is absolutely
necessary for the prosperity, proper
rate of wages and the walfare of the
people.
"Nearly every Republican State
convention in 1894 condemned,
either in express terms or by impli?
cation, the single gold standard.
James G. Blaine will expressed the
belief of the Rep?blica.) party when
he declared : 'I belive the struggle
now going on in this country and in
other countries for a single ?old stan?
dard would, if successful, produce
widespread disaster in and through?
out the commercial world.'
"The action of the national Repub?
lican convention at St Louis has
repudiated this fundamental doctrine
of our party. The single gold stan?
dard has been endorsed. The Re?
publican party no longer stands for
both gold and sliver as primary mon
ey, but for gold only. We can not
accept the new faith, and we will
hold steadfastly to the old. The pol?
icy of gold monometallism means
prolonged and intensified l?pres
sion ; an endless and popelvss era
of falling prices for our farmers and
other pioduccrs ; continued uncer?
tainty of employment for our
workingmen, with lessening wages
following the fall in prices of the
products of labor; discouragement of
ail enterprises, and in the end univer?
sal bankruptcy and gravitation of all
money into thc hands of money bro
bers. It means the obliteration of
the great middle class, the yeomanry
of the nation, the division of the
people into the very rich and the
very poor. These Republicans who
believe in the use of both gold and
silver as the money of ultimate pay?
ment and their free coinage in our
min's must either submit in silence
or speak out boldly in condemnation
of this policy so disastrous to the
people. On matters of vital princi?
ple no man can be asked to submit to
party dictation. Every man who
places country above party, and
whose sympathies are with the
producers as against the money
brokers and bondholders, owes a dutyT
to his conscience and to his country
which can only be discharged by put?
ting forth every effort in his power
that the blight of the single gold
standard may not be fastened upon
this people."
Consolidated Aug. 2,1881.
SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1896.
New Series-Yol. XV. No 27