Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Wu at? Jbitilinm. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 30, 1896. The Sumter Watchman was founded in 185? aud the True Southron io 1866. The Watchman and Southron cow hag the combined circulation and influence of both of the old papers, and is mani? festly the best advertising medium io Sumter. The reports sent the New York Journal from Spain by James Creel man, the noted correspondent, indi? cate that the war in Coba must in? evitably come to an end within the next few months, as Spain is bank? rupt and has no means of raising funds for the farther prosecution of the war. The continued aod iocreasiog depres- j sion of trade io all lines, the numerous business failures aod the closing of banks, believed to be as sound as a dol? lar, gives the lie to the Republican promises of business revival aod unpre? cedented prosperity to follow as a sequence to McKinley's election. The cry of Bryan or bust has been followed by that of KcKicley and bast. We look for worse thiogs to follow, for a contraction of the currency, as the natural and inevitable result of the main te na t ice of the gold stand ard, meaos a contraction of the business, and all save those who are fortified to withstand the squeeze will be crushed. The great capitalists will grow richer by the acquirement of property at de? precated values, while the poor aod moderately well off will lose what they have been eoabled to accumulate by years of industry. Mr. H. C. Patton one of Rich land's representatives in the House of Representatives will introduce a bill at the approaching session of the General Assembly providing for re? districting the state. He- proposes that the congressional districts shall follow natural geographical lines and that the irregular shaped districts shall be abolished. Counties will not be divided between two or more districts and counties lying within the same section of the state will be incorporated into the same district. Mr. Patton's bill is an excellent one and it should be enacted without serious opposition. It bas every? thing to commend it to the favorable consideration of the law makers of the state, and nothing of wegiht can be urged against it. The Venezuelan controversy has been finally settled, and the United States has no further connection with the matter. The treaty will be sign? ed by the representatives of England and Venezuela aud diplomactic re lations between the two countries will be resumed. This very satisfac tory solution of a controversy that at one time threatened to precipitate an unequal straggle between England and Venezuela, is due in the largest measure to the emphatic and decided stand taken by President Cleveland, and if for no other reason, be is en? titled to a place in the list of great Americans who boldly aspptled the rights of all Americans to fair treat ment at the hands of European gov? ernments. But for Cleveland's fa? mous Venezuelan message England would have persisted in bullying Venezuela without regard to right or justice We do not approve of the dispensary ooostabolarly at all and will be glad^to see it eliminated by the oezt session of the Legislatur?, bat we think it is evi? dent to a.iy unprejudiced reader of the newspapers of the State that the con? stables have often received harsh sod unjust censure for kiiliog law breakers whom they have attempted to arrest. We know as well as any one that the constables have committed numerous unprovoked and inexcusable outrages and a good many bloody murders are justly charged to their account, but every man who met his death at the bands of dispensary constables was not murdered. It is the doty of the con? stables to enforce the law and arrest j those who violate it, and if it comes to the point when a constable moa either kill or be killed it stands to reason that he should kill the law breaker who not only sets the law at defiance bot would kill those who would restrain him. The constables are black enough as they are and the system is sufficient? ly infamous without makiog it more so, and we believe that the constables should have a fair 6how and should be given at least the credit that they are justly entitled to. The Coming Session. What is Before the New General Assembly. DISPENSARY PROBLEM. It is now only a very few days be? fore the convening of the general as? sembly in annual session, January 12 being" the date of meeting. Inas? much as the body is a new one, com posed very largely of new timber, the coming session and its possibili ties are being more largely discussed afc present than anything else in South Carolina. The possible action of the body in regard to the dispen? sary law is the feature of the session that is receiving the greatest atten? tion from the people as a whole. On every side the law is being discussed exhaustively, and all kinds of sug? gestions are being offered for its bet? terment Many think that the general as? sembly will abandon the system al? together at this session, taking the State out of the business and going to the licensed dispensary system permitted by the State Constitution. Bot it is hardly probable that the body will go so far at this session. At present it looks as if the law is going to be patched up and con? tinued, a fair trial of the system be ing asked for one year at least There eau be no doubt of the fact that a great proportion of the people of the State are now thoroughly dis? gusted with the dispensary system of managing the traffic in liquor and are anxious to be rid of the white ele? phant. It is very likely that the fight will be made by the prohibition? ists on the lines laid down some time ago-the elimination of the beverage and profit features, and the advocates of this amendment seem to be very hopeful of accomplishing what they propose, but there is very little chance for them, judging from pres ent , indications Governor Evans has annouced that he will make no recommendations as to the enforce? ment of the law or as to changes therein, taking the position that at the close of bis term this would be going otatside his province. And Goveruor elect Ellerbe takes the po? sition, as already fully explained in the State, that it is not his province to make recommendations, but rather to address the people in his inaugu? ral Thus the general assembly is going to be left to handle the law without suggestions, it is uuder Btood, however, that the State board of control, at its coming meeting, will prepare a series of recommenda? tions looking to the impiovement of the law, which will be submitted to the legislature willi the request that they be given careful consideration As to what will be done with the investigation of the dispensary re bate scandals which have been left for the general assembly to handle, the State board having gone as far as it could, of course, no one can tell just yet. It is possible that the in? vestigation wit! be pushed and made a thorough one. Some action may be taken looking to the prevention of the numerous shortages among coun ty dispensers. The first days of the session will be busy ones. The two houses will have to effect their organizations and elect officers. The house will have to elect a speaker- Speaker Gary ?6 standing for reelection Mr Jesse T Gant, of Spartauburg, is opposing General Gr?y for the clerk ship. There are numerous candi j dates for ail the other positions As soon as the houses have been organ? ized arrangements will be made for the inauguration of Governor elect Ellerbe and the other State officials, and General Ellerbe will deliver his iuaugural address, which is now in course of preparation. It is expect? ed to be a paper pitched on a pa triotic key and based upon broad principles. There are a good many elections scheduled to take place during the session Among these will be the election of a United States senator, which will be a mere matter of form ; then there is the election of a super? intendent of the State penitentiary Colonel Neal, it is said, will have op? position, but it is generally thought that he will be re eleted. The new county business is going to consume much of the time of the general assembly Salem's contest will come up before to body, and every effort will be made in behalf of the proposed new county Of course, Cherokee, Greenwood and Dorchester will have to be formed, the elections having been carried in favor of those counties. Some im provements are contemplated in the new county law. The pension law is among those existing laws which are scheduled to undergo changes in the hope of im? proving them very much As this law now stands, many of its princi? pal obje',4s are defeated. It stands sadly in .ieed of some impnvement. It is being suggested that the law be so changed that the camps of Con? federate veterans will be permitted to supervise the distribution of the funds appropriated by the State for pensions. This suggestion is meet? ing with much favor. The election and registration laws will be slightly changed in some re? spects, certain provisions considered dangerous in case of a constitutional ! test being eliminated. The idea is to make the law such that it will stand any amount of constitutional dissection. One of the most important meas ures to receive atttention will be the matter of the redistricting of the State into congressional districts Mr. Patton's bill will be among the first to go in Several others will be iutroduced also. These bills provide for a much better arrangement of the districts then the State has at present without anything being endangered. At this stage it looks as if factional lines are going to be practically ob? literated at the coming session and that all the members are going to work in perfect harmony for what is for the best interests of the State at large. As to the duration of the session nothing eau be said with any degree of certainty It is very certain, however, that the general desire of the people of the State is for as brief a session as possible, and the short? er the session the more pleased the masses will be with the work of their representatives. A Sterin g commit? tee for the last ten days of the ses sion would help things along wonder? fully without injury to any interest. -The State -?^-?-?.-41^ The Treaty Accepted. Venezuelan Boundary Dis? pute Closed. WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 -The inter national incident of the Venezuelan boundary dispute is regarded as closed so far as the United States is concerned, and all further negotia lions for its adjudication lie wholly with the two parties to the contro? versy, Venezuela and Great Britain Th i s explanation comes from the state department, where it is further stated that with the acceptance by the Venezuelan government three weeks ago of the heads for the pro? posed treaty of arbitration, as signed by Sir Julian Pauncefote and Mr Olney, on November 12, the friendly intervention of the United States had been completed, and the* only addi? tional acts of the United States in the matter will be the publication of the evidence and reports collected by the Venezuelan high commission, and the eventual reference to the United States supreme court of the concur rent request of the two countries for the appointment of two jurists as members of the tribunal as provided by the treaty. AR the Venezuelan congress, which must pass upon this treaty, ha8 been called in extra session on February 2 instead of waling until its constitu? tional meeting day, February 20, it is presumed that .Mr Andrade and the British ambassador will complete the details of the convention directly in order that it may r*-ach Caracas within a month ***uch negotiation is thought to be devoid any import? ance, as the heads of the treaty have already been disposed of, and only certan well defined formulas of in? troduction are wanting. Trie Boston Herald says: "We referred some time since to the ex traordinary size of the vote of the State of Ohio. That of Indjana is now attracting notice, and an inspec tion of it brings still more amazing results Moreton Frewen has been lately calling attention to it in Eng land lt appears that there were, according to the census of Indiana io 1890, 505,066 males over the age of 21 in that State Of these 5,187 were aliens who had not the right to vote, which left 499,379 possible legal voters. ? The vote cast at the late election amounted to 637,284 The State has increased in popula tion 6?nce that time, but, assuming that every man in it eligible to the suffrage voted, it seems almost in credible that the vote could reach this amount. Yet, if we place the voting in the States of Illinois and Ohio in comparison with the census of 1890, the result seems less strange, unless we assume fradulent voting in all these States The excess of the vote of Illinois over the census of those of voting age and other quali fication in 1890 was 97,163 ; that in Ohio, 33,664 Take the case of Mas? sachusetts now, where, of course, the contest was nothing like so hot, but in which most of us remember pretty lively voting Here the number of voters who voted, compared with those who were apparently authorized to vote by the census of 1890. was less to the amount of 100,567. There are curious features in the late elec? tion, indeed." Ne/er let a cough rai on from day to day. It indicates either inflammation or irriatiop, wb'rh, if allowed to con? tinue, may result in eerious ttjurv. to the lungs. A few doses of Ayer'a Ctierry Pectoral cures any pulmonary com? plaint not entirely beyond the reach of med? icine. The verdict of the best informed and most observant busine?8 men in thia city is tbat the trade in holiday goods was excellent and a great deal more tb*n usual WHS disposed of, but that, ?s a whole, the holiday trade was. j not as large as in average years. The trude io staple goods was small and the greawr numoer ot shoppers made small bills. The trade yesierda] was, however, very satiofac tury. Lamp shades whoo artistically aiaae of ! crape tissue are things of beauty. It you ? w?ct to make shades to beautify your homes, ! H. G. Odteen & Co. can suppiy the materials, i A large stock of crepe tissue in ten foot rolls ust received. THE NEXT POSTMASTER Who Will be Appointed by McKinley ? Notwithstanding ?ba! Capt. P P. Gaillard has a full year to se:7p as postmaster, the j scramble for the position hy Republicans who i think that the job exactly suits them, has j already begun with a vii and energy that j promises lively times in tbe g o. p. circles ? during the coming year Just at present there are said to be not less than four Re? publicans who ?re ranking eyes at the Post Office, and there may *>e others. The two mopt prominent candidate* amonfc the Re? publicans are ex postmaster G?o W Rear? don und Mr. Jone M. Tindal, but as they happen to belong to different and antago? nistic factions of the party there is but the re > otest prospect that they will compromise j and one retire from the contest in favor of ! his opponent There is another solution of the difficulty that appears not to have occurred to a major? ity of the people of Sumter That is the re? appointment of'CH pt Gaillard This may j seem wholly i:j probable at the first glance, ' but a little consideration will convince every j one that there, is something more th?n a hare possibility of his heing continued in office. It is the desire of ?be Republicans to concili? ate the people of the South, fir thev wish to build up a white Republican party in the South, and will make use of every opportu? nity and means that will conduce to the ac? complishment ol' this purpose. If the Presi dent and tbe political advisers ?re convinced, it is said, that a cot raunity desires the ap? pointment of a Democrat and will endorse bim the exclusion of other applicants be will be appointed. Therefore, there-appointment of Capt. Gaillard is not impossible If ibe people of Sumter desire that he ne retained in office they can, at lea9t, have'a say so-in the matter by endorsing him and insisting on bis re-8ppointme:<t. Having heard it reported that Capt Gail lard would *>e an applicant for re-appoint? ment, he was asked whether the report was founded on fact or not Be replied that he would be an applicant for the position, and that while he cc^ld not say very, much in referenre to the matter, he wa9 satisfied that he 9tood a v**ry good chance of retaining the position. Tbe first essential, however, is the ednosementof thc patrons of the office aud a strong petition that he be retained. A pe? tition to be of fore should be signed by the patrons of the office, who should sign no other petition. Eating is a necessity. To the healthy, it isa pleasure; to the dyspeptic, a torture. Bj the 119e of Ayer's Sarsaparilla, , the Weak? est and mo9t disordered stomach is restored to its natural condition, and food is once more partakeo of with youthful relish aud satisfaction. Holiday goods, and Christmas presents now on fall display at The Sumter Chioa Hall Dec 9-lm Tuft's Pills Cure All Liver Ills. A CLEAR1 HEAD; good digestion; sound sleep; a fine appetite and a ripe old age, are some of the results of the use of Tutt's Liver Pills. A single dose will convince you of their wonderful effects and virtue. A Known Fact. An absolute cure for sick head? ache, dyspepsia, malaria, sour stomach, dizziness, constipation bilious fever, piles, torpid liver and all kindred diseases, Tutt's Liver Pills IxEE MAH IN TSE ?B0HT KOW ic the one wuw 1 in thc business wo.M ? UvanUg* realizes d?^?*ive from any pur; | rbase or i?ve*V?emv?" 1. points 1? regard to any buiimn. t daor Uv* Loss, SASH, Binn?. * . -.c and ornamental lumb,r, *5^?S are the mos woodwork ot au sw b uding, and as important "*m* you wi? have 5? Sffr?m first hands j the benefit oi buyms ? guaran; AUEU3TA LUMBER CO..GA ,.B" cf and ,,. .Buy Sterling Brand. Estate of Aaron D. Kicker, Dec'd. ALL PERSONS holding claims against said Estate will present same duly at? tested, and all persons tn any way indebted to 8*id Estate will make immediate payment to either, EDGAR P RICHER, GEO L. RICKER, LUCIUS B DURANT, Qualified Exors. Dec. 23-31 PATRICK BURNS Informs hi-" friends and the public that he ba9 opened business in the Tuomey Block, at the late stand of Frank O'Donnell, with a stock of GENERAL MERCHANDISE, and solicits patronage. Prices as Low as Anywhere. Dec 23-4t. Cbreiit Loane 1641F. M. AN EXTRA COMMUNICATION will be held on Thursday night, January 7th. By order, L. S. CARSON, W. M. H. C. MOSES, Secretary. Dec 23-o LEGAL HOLIDAY NOTICE. rpHE FIRST NATIONAL BANK, of JL Sumter, will be clcs<d on Friday, Jau uary lat, 1897, that dav being a legal holi? day. L. S. CARSON, Dec 30 Cashier. list A Few. We have a few Ladies' Jackets in Black, Tai and Browne A few Capes in Tan only. A few Children's Jackets in Nary, Brown and Tan. A few Tar Heel Blankets. A few Men's and Boy's Overcoats. ? few Rolls of Carpet in body Brussels and Ingrain. And as we will be engaged in stock taking for the next few days These Goods can be had re? gardless of cost. Sept 23 FOR THE JANUARY TRADE. ^^^^ I Will be Well Prepared to Meet the Demands of the January Trade. Just Received* One car load of fine Mules. One car load of 1-horse Wagons To Arrive This Week# Two car loads extra choice work horses. Barby Sumter, S. C , Dec 28, 1896.