The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, February 24, 1897, Image 6

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The General Assembly. Columbia, Febuary 19 -Tbe attend? ance upon the Boase to-day was not as large as usual. Some of tbe members had not quite recovered from tbe fa * ligues pf tbe Charleston trip, others had not managed to get their la od legs on, and a few wanted to catch up on sleep Bat alt who did come to the State House, and it was a large majority, as those who postponed their appearance until the night session, were unanimous tn singing the piaises of Charleston and their treatment by the committee Every one is delighted with the trip, and a good deal of time was spent tell? ing jokes and reminiscences about the memorable invasioo of the "City by the Sea." ' The most important action of the House to-day was the adoption of a resolution fixing the 27th of the month, at 10.30 o'clock, as the day for final adjournment. There was some slight opposition to the adoption of tbe reso? lution, but the desire to get home was so very manifest that nothing could have stopped the adoption of tbe reso ia ti on. The important announcement was made by Mr. Yeldell, of the ways and means committee, that the committee bills to raise revenue by an income tax, a graduated license bill and a tax on insurance would be presented in a few hoars, and he wished to have these measures considered in the matter of fixing a final day. He also announced that the committee had about finished tbe work on them, and further, that unless such bills were passed there would-have to be a considerable increase in the ?evy for next year. The House - subsequently passed without debate the five mills" levy for State purposes-this money will be distributed by the next General Assembly, and it is stated that it will not be sufficient without dis? pensary funds to pull the State through Those who are interested in the fight on the graduated income and license bills had as well look into the matter, although it may not pass at this ses V sion. The House to-day passsed to its third y reading the appropriation bill and after some little fight the bili consolidating > the A. C. L properties io this State. A resolution of thanks to the city of Charleston for the hospitality extended to the members of the Legislature on the occasion of their visit to the city on the 18th was adopted. The special committee appointed to make an examination of the books " of the State Treasurer and the siok iog food reported. The bill providing for the payment of the claims of Judge Mackey was postponed until the nrzt session. The supply bill was taken up and partially oousidered. Gov. Eilerbe has approved the bill - requiring railroads to check bicycles as g baggage. THE SENATE The Senate was not in working trim lo day and no great amount of debate was iodoiged io. By consent all second reading bills were passed to a third reading without debate or amendment. A House bill to provide punishment for laborers who violate either verbal or written contracts after having received supplies, was ammended to provide that the law should apply to verbal con ' tracts only when there were two disin? terested witnesses present and the bill passed. Mr Connor's fertilizer tax bill was - the special order, and was debated at length by Mr. Archer aod others, lt was finally continued to next session. The Seventh Week. Unless Minds Are Changed It Will be the Last. If the senate does not hang UP thc | bouse concurrent resolution to aojoun. ? sine die at 10 30 a. m to-day week the I "long session" of the South Carolina i general assembly wit! terminate at that 1 time aod the taxpayers can draw a sigh ! . of relief And speaking of the tax payers, a great many of th?m herc abouts, already heavily taxed, are con ! sumed with anxiety to know what the ! legislature is going to do with the three ! very radical reveoue measures that ! have just b<*en introduced almost as the ; session is about to come to an end ! The members of the administration who | prepared them have made them so far reaching, in many instances providing for double taxation, that the general be? lief is that the legislature wili not. pass ! them this session ia the face of tho 5 : mill levy already provided for io the | supply bill. AU three of the meas- i ores have been plaoed on tbe special order calendar on a footing with the ; legislativa appropriation bill They so revolutionize the system of taxation to ; which the people in this State have been accustomed to for years and years j that they will necessarily be exhaus tively debated. Hence it is thought that the legislature will be more than likely to continue them to the next session. The advocates of these meas- ! ares declare that without them the 5 mills levy will be insufficient to raise ; the necessary amount for the running expenses of the government and that ; there will be a deficiency of many thou sands of dollars under the levy fixed. They state farther that without these acts the levy next year will have to be ! at least 6 mills. In view of all the talk in the last six years about reducing the taxes of the j people, tbe present crisis, which none I can deny is a serious oce, is of more than ordinary interest to the public How it will be settled of conree no ooe can tell. Judging from all tbat can be beard, however, the taxpayers will wail if all the taxes and licenses pro? posed are imposed. The situation is one that all realize will require most careful and judicious handling. With these measures going oyer to the next session there is no reason why the general assembly cannot adjourn on the day fixed. Nearly all the bills of consequence are on the special order calendar and with the new five-minute role as to speeches being enforced the debate should not consume very much time. The house on Saturday night showed how it could work when it took a notion to do so. The dispensary question has been practically gotten out of the way. Legislation io^ regard to that matter will end with the passage of the Garr?s "administration" bill The hou3e has already considered that bill pretty fui ly. It bas been amended so as to do away with ..tasters" on the board of control aod Mr. Winklers amendmeot that the profits on liquors offered for sale shall not be more than 33 1-3 per cent, of the original oost thereof is pending. It is understood that nooe of the other dispensary bills will be pressed at this session. Neither Senator Mayfield or Mr. Barns are io the* humor to press I their bills, and Mr. Mauldin has al? ready had his continued to the next ses? sion. What Mr. Childs will do about bis prohibition measure remains to be seen ; he is not here now, having been called away by sickness If the body adjourns by the time contemplated he wi.4 be unabb to get the bill consider- ? ed at this session. The appropriation and supply bills have been disposed ot by the bouse The bouse cut the South Carolina col? lege appropriation dowo, but i,n the fight over it practically settled the ques? tion of chargiog tuition fees in the edu? cational institutions cf the State so far as this general assembly is concerned. Mr. E D. Smith has had his bill on the subject continued until the next session. The senate finance committee bas recommended that all these appro? priations but those for the salarie? of state house clerks be restored to the fig? ures presented by tbe committee on ways and means. Ir: some instances additional sums overlooked have been provided by this committee During the past week a radical meas? ure was introduced through the com? mittee on affairs-one that is demoed to drive whiskey distillers out of busi? ness in this State. It is a biif to pro hibit the distilling of liquors containing alcohol in this State and providing fines from $500 to ?1,000 or imprisonment from two to five year?. The senate did not have very much to doduriDg the week jusfrended. It con? tinued until next session Mr Connor's bill to reduce the privilege tax en fer tilizers, thereby settling the fate of sev erat such bills now pending. Then it passed the bicycle baggage bill and ir became a law to the joy of the wheel men It killed the anti-cigarette b'll and the bill to repeal tbe anti-frf?e pass act. It has passed fhe bill rejuiriog all railroad passenger* trains except through ve8tibu'ed flyers, to stop at all stations, after putting a proviso so as to provide for at least one mixed train a day. This week the bouse promises to give the senate all it can do day and night The most important measures aside from the appropriatioo and supply bills to pass the bouse last week was the Kibbler bill providing for a banking aod insurance commission. The print ing bill weni over to the next; session and the Atlantic Coast Line bill was passed ; so was the general bill relating to boards of health. In the senate Senator Archer's at? tack on Clemson college was one of tue features of tbe week. Tbe bouse has passed tbe anti Greek letter fraternity b:ll, concerning which o*"haps the least said the better. J?dge Macke y's claim has beeu dis? posed of for this session, though it has gone through io a sbapa that its advo? cates little desired. Mr Gage's supplementary school tax joint resolution is siil! or? j he calendar A great many bills are up as unfinished business. To-day there will be no session of either house, ir being Washington's birthday and, therefore, a legal holi? day. Tomorrow the two houses will fcegin the seventh week's work. They have a large amount of work before them, but with hard work and less talk, with night as well as day session, there is no reason why the fioal adjournment cannot be had in time for members to depart for their homes by Monday's outgoing trains.-The State Feb. 22. A Precious Negro. Atlanta, Feb. 18.-A special from Hogansviile, Ga,, to The Constitution says that Anthony Hill, a uegro want? ed in Alabama for murder, was killed in Meriwether county, Georgia, yester? day. Hill Ind killed the sou of the Sheriff of Randolph county, Ala , and fled to Georgia. Three men named Johnson, Clark and Brazell went to arrest bim. Clark ordered him to sur render. Kill advanced with an axe and Clark walked backward, but stum? bled and fell. Hill kept on toward him with the ase. Clark fearing Hill would strike him fired from the grouod and emptied a load of shot into the negro. Hill threw the axe at Clark, but missed him Johnson and Brazell fired as he threw the axe and Hill fell dead. There was a reward of $500 for bim. \ The Greeks Aroused. Fierce Resentment at the Ac? tion of tbe Powers. Athens, Feb 19.-The proposals of some of the European powers to take coercive measures against Greece to enforce their prohibition of Greek action in Crete have aroused fierce public resentment throughout the kingdom, and popular demands that the government resist the action of the powers at any cost are being made in all quarters The govern ment, backed by the unanimous senti? ment of the people, still insists that the Greek flotilla in certain waters shall be allowed to act in accordance with the purposes for which the ves sels were sent. If the European squadrons should prevent Greece from acting against the Turks by sea, a revolution in Macedonia and Epirns is certain to follow. The attitude assumed by the Libe? rals in the British parliament in regard to Crete is hailed with great enthusiasm here. Greece has relied and still relies upon an appeal of the people everywhere in her behalf, and this feeling of confidence in the sympathy of Europe generally goes far towards explaining the defiant course she has taken. The Greek cruiser Spizia, with full steam up, is lying in the Piraeus awaiting orders to proceed to Cretan waters, and advices from Macedonia say that ali of the principal bridges and roads in that territory are mined ? in readiness to destroy them in order to prevent the advance of the Turks A dispatch from Canea states that three of the great powers are in favor of a union between Crete and Greece It is reported that King George will appeal to the Hellenic race for a great loan to meet the expene.es of the military and naval preparations. A British ironclad has prevented the steamer Junon from embarking pro? visions intended for the use of the Greek troops in Crete. The miii tary operations on the part of Greece continue. Two more classes of the reserves have been called out The king openly favors resitance to the demands of the powers , In the course of a debate in the chamber of deputies last evening, Premier Delyannis slated that the government was seeking to discover the reason for the operation of Greece in Crete As a result of their in? vestigations, he eaid the cabinet had arrived at certain conclusions, which, however, he was not yet able to com municate to the chamber further than to declare that Greece would persist in her policy and course of action in Cr^te The Greek steamer Han Hellenic, conveying munitions of war to the insurgents in Crete, has been stopped and turned back by a British cruiser The action of the British vessel has created the fiercest indignation here Warrhipsof the Powers Fire on the Fighting Patriots Orders of the Admirais of Foreign Fleets Alleged to Have Been Disobeyed. Canea, Feb 21 -The admirals commanding the foreign fleets here J yesterday visited Colonel VnK.-os, the I commander of the Greek army of occupation at his camp at Aghia What transpired there has not been ? made public, but upon the return of j the admirals they invited the com- { mander of the Greek warship Na - j varchos Miaoulis to visit them The j invitation was accepted and when i the commander met the admirals he j was informed that an attack would I be made upon the Greek troops and the Greek warship if Colonel Vassos j advanced into the interior. Subsequent to the interview the j commander, accompanied by Rear j Admiral Harris, commanding the British fleet, proceeded to the camp ! of Colonel Vassos, who was informed as to the decision that had been ar? rived at by the commanding officers i of the foreign fleets This morning the insurgents in tue vicinity of Canea began firing on the town, de ! spite the warnings that had been given. The firing was continued for some time, whereupon the admirals of the foreign fleets ordered their vessels cleared for action and soon the guns of the fleet were throwing shells into the insurgent camp A British cruiser was the first of the warships to open fire, vessels of the other nations following in succession. Forty shells wet!- fired The forts fired blank cartridges at the Greek dispatch boat Penielos. which had exchanged shots with a Turkish frigate After shots had been fired by both vessels, the frigate with- i drew. The German warship Kaiserin Augusta has arrived here and landed marines who will share iii the foreign occupation of the town. It has been learned that the ulti? matum of the admirals to Col Vassos was against his attacking ('anea . Ir j apparently did not forbid him frfepi ? ' \ marching into the interior of the island where Col. Vassos' purpose was to occupy several strategic points. One report states that the ultima? tum declared that if the Greek troops ! or the insurgents approached any nearer to Canea than they were the fleets would 6hell them, but if they were quiet they would be permitted to land food. Col Vassos replied that he did not j intend to attack Canea or the fhgs of the powers He would remain on j the defensive unless he was attacked, j Notwithstanding this assurance, fight j ing took place to day on the h?ls to j the east of the town The combat- j ants, who were Ctetan Christians; and Mussulmans only, were in plain view from the ships in the harbor , The reply of tthe Mussulmans to the ! fire of the Christian*) was very feeble, and it could be easily seen that they would be com pelled to abandon their posi? tions if the Christians passed them Their gun practice was so very poor that it excited ridicule on board the ships. The main position of the Christians was in a hamlet on the ridge of the hills, where they had hoisted the flag of Greece This po? sition was about 4,000 yards from the j warships. At half past 4 o'clock the flagship j displayed signals for the Dryad, Har Her and Revenge, and one vessel I each of the Italian. German and Rus? sian squadrons to open fire upon the Cretan position. The order was quickly competed with The Brit? ish vessels fired 40 shelis and the i other vessels about 30 The aim of j the gunners was very good, and it was soon seen that the position of the insurgents was becoming untenable In about 10 minutes the Greek flair was hauled down and as soon as it dissappeared the order "'cease firing" was given and the guns of the fleet immediately became silent. Thereupon the flag* was ag-ain hoisted on its staff The hills in the vicinity were crowded with Cretans. The Mussulmans, encouraged and emboldened by the assistance that been given to them b> the fleets of Christain Europe, now began a lively fusilade on the Cretans who were f ? gaged in removing their wounded The Christians were evidently dis? pirited by the action of the fleets and made no attempt to return the fire The action of the foreign warships has caused the deepest indignation here and the supporters of the sultan are bitterly denounced on all side?. It is declared that the powers in upholding Moslem rule by force of arms have made a melancholy and degrading spectacle that Greece will never forget KNOWING HER DUTY Greece Will Dare Do It De? spite Obstacles. Athens, Feb. 22.-The indignation caused by the bombardment yester? day of the insurgent position near Canea by the foreign warships has increased and the action of the pow ers is denounced on every hand as a gross outrage and a wanton disre gard of the rights of Greece A very largely attended indignation meeting was held to-day at which strong protests were made against the interference of the powers, who, it was declared, were pitting their might against Greek right The speakers vehemently asserted that the country was now more firmly re? solved than ever to spend its blood and treasure for Crete. Prime Min ister Delyannis addressed the meet ing. He declared that the cabinet was in Derfect accord with the na? tion The government knew Us duty fully and would perform it in the face of every obstacle The audience was carried away by j the warlike words of the speakers, j who were frequently interrupted by; the cries for war. There is no de ; riving the fact that the whole Ilel- ! lenin nicole are in a temper which , would make war welcome even j against overwhelming odds They ? are determined to uphold Greek rights and honor, and will persisr in I helping the Christians in Crete not- j withstanding the attitude of tue j powers in supporting the Turks It is reported that Col Smolentz, j minister of war, has resigned M. Skouses. foreign minister, vis- j ited the foreigh ministers to day und I protested against a bombardment and i tlie consequent encouragement of the Turks It is stated that several Christians were killed or wounded by the shells fired by the foreign war? ships, and that great havoc was done to property One hundred Turkish pi isoners, in? cluding several officers, are in the 1 i camp of Vassas. the commander of, the Greek army of occupation ? Korakas, a Greek, at the head of 5,000 Cretans, has invested the town j | of Heraklion He has cut the water I supply and has summoned the place j I to surrender, promising protection to : those who do Ki?rl.t hundred Turk j ish troops will leave for Heraklion and Canea to-morrow. Tho trans I ' port conveying them will be eon voyed by the British and Italian ; cruisets to prevent interference with them by the Greek warships. FIRED ON THE CONSULS. Canea, Feb -j Italian and Russian! cently went to Selinl i the situatuS m returned tu day, bringing wirHBj ITO Mussulmans, who feared to remain in the town. The consuls state that they were unable to negotiate with the com b?tants who were resolved to fight to the end Both sides, Moslems and Christians, refused to be hampered with prisoners and therefore massa? cred all their enemies who fell into their hands. Two thousand Chilians and 25.) Turkish troops, with three guns. rare still holding Selino against the Chris? tians, but the position is critical When attempting to approach Canea, the consuls were fired upon by the Christians, despite the fact that they were bearing a white flag. The Christians had been advised of their an i val and this made their firing on them all the more inexcusable, as they could not plead that they thought their carrying of the white flag was a trick on the part of the Moslems. As they returned to Se iino, the Christians there fired on their boats. Nobody is reported to have been injured! Greek troops have saved the lives of a number of Mussulmans who were captured by the insurgents at Kisamo Kastele. The Island of Crete. The island of Crete is situated in the Mediterranean sea, to the south of Greece, and is the most southerly portion of Europe. It is about 160 miles in length, while its breadth does not anywhere exceed 35 miles, and in some places is only 10 or 12 miles The greater part of the island is occupied by mountains, some of which reach to a considera- > ble height The intervals between the mountain groups are filled up for ! the most part by undulating tracts. ; consisting of hills of comparatively low elevation. There are to rivers of any importance That part of the island which is not mountainous is. of great fertility. Granges and lemons : and other tropical fruits abound The island also produces cotton, tobacco, olive oil. wine and silk. Under a better form of government the island would, no doubt, be most prosperous. The population of the island has, been very much diminished At one ; time it numbered 1.000,000, In 1885 j the last census reported that it has dwindled down to 300,000 and about 50,000 are Mohammedans nearly all the others being Christians belong ing to the Greek church, which has eight bishops in the island. The lan? guage spoken by both Christians and Mohammedans is Greek. Its chief city in Candia, which was formerly the capital The present capital is Canea, which is the seat of a Greek bishop, and the officiai resi? dence of the European consuls In 1469 the island was besieged and conquered by the Turks, and it con? tinued subject to the Ottoman rule until the outbreak of the Greek revo? lution in 1821 At that time the natives made themselves masters of the country, and drove the Turks or Mohamedan population, to take re? fuge in fortifications. This contest was prolonged without any decisive result until ?n 1831 the allied pow? ers of Eurpe transferred the island to the government of Mehemet Ali, viceroy of Egypt It thus remained until 1840, when it was taken from Mehemet Ali and replaced under the dominion of the Turks. St. Paul visited the island Crete and planted a church there. Ilence, a large number of Christians in the island lo this day. In 1866 the Christians revolted against theTutks, anc demanded annexation to the kingdom of Greece. The war ex? cited much sympathy among Chris tians but the Cretans were subdued in 1869. The Cretans have declared their j independence and appealed to I Greece for aid The Christians have long desired an union with Greece, j for thev are of Greek blood, not ! Turkish Permanency is the Thing. The York ville Iv,cpu e- i? trying to stir ?be people on the Mil jest" of better public road- it has muna io rhe eon- : elusion that the best way t?? do any- \ thing is to do ir, and hence ilie bett | way to get better r<> ns is rn get them. It gives as ar. illustration ni tins, that : a t.umber of years ago a cofctrreganon desired to build a stoDe wall around a cemetery, and an old member surest- | ed that a day be appointed, and ali the j members of the church come wi'h their I wagons, tonis, etc., and go to work and build it Thev soon had the wall com? pleted The Enquirer suggests that very much the same plao be fried with the roads. It is not a bad idea, and what will make better roads in York j county will make better toads in Fair- ! field, if tried here. Suppose that all those liviDg ou a j section of four or five miles call a moor? ing of ail the neighbors, and enter into aa agreement that next summer wheo the crops are laid by they will all work a section of five miles. Not ?imply ? throw a little dirt in the ruts to be washed away by the first big rain, but macadamize it A few weeks wotk all through the county would accomplish a grear deal of good, and the taxpayers ! would be fully compensated for their labor by having bi tter roads -Wioos- j boro News and Herald. .? .???. -?JU I A Nevada legislator has introduced ? bil! providing for lbs suppression of e Sunday newspaper. t CALLING TIME ON SPAN? IARDS. Gen. Fitz Lee Demands the Active Support of the U. S. Government. Key West, Feb. 21.-Rumors have prevailed all day here that something stirring occurred in Habana yester? day, though it cannot be confirmed as yet in anyway The story is that Gen Lee is weary cf his work and the insolence and inattention shown him there and is ready and anxious to resign if the administration will not back him up in his latest case that of freeing, all American politicaj suspects now m geons, or at least securing them speedy civil trial such as they an entitled to The case of Dr. Ruiz, it ii claimed, brought this up. Gen. Lee] investigated the so called suicide re? port and thought it fishy He cabled his suspicions to Olney and was told to* investigate. Then he demanded of the Spaniards that the body be disinterred and a post mortem bc had. This they refused. Olney upheld Lee and finally it was conceded by the Spaniards The post mortem was held yesterday While it revealed no actual trace? of foul play, yet Lee decided that his information was such as to almost prove it. It is reported that be and Spanish officials had 6harp words on the subject. Lee than cabled Olney that the adminis? tration must uphold him in his de? mand for the instant release of all Americans unjustly imprisoned as political suspects or given a speedy civil trial, this demand to be enforced with the presence of American war? ships. If not, then he would resign. It is stated that the demand made a sensation in Washington Lower Tobacco Rates. Some time ago the Railroad Commis? sion took up with the diff?rent railroads traversing the State the matter of the equalization of the rates on tobacco, or, in other words, the placing of rates on the same basis with those accorded the tobacco raising States South Carolina having of late come into some prominence through its efforts io cultivation of tobacco, the cern mis? sion suggested to the raiiroads that the rate equalization could be effected with? out recourse to arbitary measures beiDg taken, and all the roads assented to this proposition with demur. The Atlantic Coast Line is the first toad, however, to send in a revised tariff of rat(8 of freight on leaf tobacco prized (released) io hogsheads and tierces. This tariff was received by the commission yesterday, and the re? duction made may be readily seen wheo it is stated that the rate on a five mile or under haul, which was for mely 12 cents per hundred pouods, is now placed at 7 C20ts, with rates io the same ratio of reduction for longer hauls. A-sensation bas been created in Vi? enna by a young Bohemian physician, Dr. Cukula. who cures short-sighted? ness by means of a simple operation. The university authorities approve of his . method, but refused his application for a professorship, on the ground that be is not properly qualified theoretically. Deafness Cannot be Cured bj local Hpplications, as they cannot reach the diseased portion of the ear. There is only one way to cure Deafness, ard (hat is by constitutional remedies. Deafness, is Ciused by an ..nflaraed condition of the mu? cous lining of the Eustachian Tube. When this tube gets ?'.flamed vou have a rurxbliog sound or imperfect hearing :>n? when it is entirely closed Deafness is the result, and un? less the inflimmation can be taken out and this tube restored to its normal condition, heiring will ne d-stroyed forever; nine cases out of :en Hre caused by catarrh, which is nothing but an irfiimed condition of tbe mucous surfaces. We will give Une Hundred DoiUrs for any case of Deafness (caused by oitarrh) that can? not be cured by flail's Citirrh Cure. S-rcd tor Circulars, free. F. J Cheney & Co., Toledo, 0. .Z<?!~$o]? by Druggists, 75c. Over Thirty ""Inuit Sickness. \f i-rrrsTEix. a well-known, citizen of Byron, III., writes. "Before 1 paid much atten? tion to regulating the bowels, I hardly knew a weil day; hut since I ^aS^V learned tll(> t>vil re* snits of constipation, and the efficacy of AYER'S Pills, I have not had ii^?fefcv ov,e day's sickness for over thirty years _ not one attack that did not readily yield to this remedy. My wife had been, previ? ous to our marriage, an invalid !'<>r years, she had a prejudice against cathartics, but as soon as she birran to use Ayer*s Pills her health wai" restored." m 1 if m ? ? Medal and Diploma at World's Fair. Tn Res?ora Strength. ?a!;e Ayer's Sarsaparilla