Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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HI The Pensioners Must Wait for Their Money. KL The new pension law has had the j K^comptroiler general scratching his ; head aod wondering where the State ? Hp board of pensions is at. There are ? ?. ? some, provisions in it that wonld puz j v zle anyone. Asa result, even con- j Btrning the act as it was evidently intended it should pass, the pension ? era of the State will of necessity be h compelled to wait, possibly till ' August, before they can get their f ; money, and it is no fault of tbe au tborities charged with tbe execution |x of the law. In the first place, in the section providing for the time for the pay ment of the pensions the figures fix KHog ^ year were teft reading "1896" instead of "1897." Of ";; course the ..intention is clear, but unless tbe law is construed in that light nothing at all can be paid until . the general assembly meets again Then township boards have been provided for and other complex ma cbinery as to the form of applications. There are something over 1,000 townships in the State It would be % -. a physical impossibility to get the ; - boards organized in every township m the State and have the applica? tions go through ali the machinery provided in time for the payment of the pensions by the 15th of Jone, as A is provided Comptroller General - Norton, who has had mach experi? ence with this pension matter, de? clares that leaviug every Ari ng else aside it would be impossible to get the warrants out to the pensioners in h the several counties before the mid die of Joly or August He is going to prepare a set of ia . struct ion a and rules governing the ' organization of the township and ?- .county boards and simplifying the -yHw so that they can work in a uni? form manner, bat does not .think that B'tbis will facilitate matters very much. K:He will endeavor to remodel the _ former blanks in such a way that they can be used In addition to these troubles, there 38 the matter of the formation of new counties. Scarcely one of them will be in working order in time for the towuship boards eveu to be formed There is but one way left open for the pensioners in these counties to get their money along with' the otb . .ers, and the otheis cannot g3t theirs nntil it is known how many there are in the several new counties, inas? much as the amounts have to be pro & rated This is by a loose construc? tion of the law, requiring the boards in the^ several old counties to act ? apon the applications of those resid? ing in the new counties or leaviug the pensioners in the new counties out altogether, letting the legislature help them when it reconvenes -rThe State The SpeciarSchool Tax. , There are several puzzles just now that are dangling aro.and the office of ll. the Comptroller General One of them is the pension law, which has rabeen complicated by the creation of new counties, and ? f?ase new coun? ties not now being able to take \ charge of the machinery that the law provides. Another matter of serious consequence, and which will be de? cided in *a few days, is the assess? ment of the special school tax. It will be remembered that at the re? cent session of the General Assem? bly Mr. Gage proposed a resolution to direct the Comptroller General to levy a special tax so that the $3 per capita for each school child in tlir State was raised There is a maud* ; tory constitutional provision on the ! question, requiring the Comptroller j eneral to assess a special levy to j raise the $3 per capita, and Mr. Nor? ton proposes to pay doe regaid to this provision of the Constitution. The Constitution does not specifically say that the $3 per capita should be by counties cr for the State at large. If the basis be for the State at large the number of children enrolled multi? plied by $3 will run over the amount of school taxes raised, bul the inten? tion of the Constitution and the inter pr?t ?rion Mr Norton is now ready to accept is that $3 per capita is to be provided for each county Under this construction there are about thirteen counties that do not show $3 per capita, and, accoidiug to the figures given by the Superintendent of Education, about $81,000 will have to be raised - The special point involved is how much will have to be raised by spe cial levy to be fixed by the Comptrol? ler General ? The Treasurer report ed as available for the school fond $21,000 from the dispensary. The question is, whether this money can be actually realized this year, as the dispensary must first pay into the general fund about $81,000 before any payments can be made to the j credit of the school fund. There is considerable profit on the books of the dispensary to the credit of the j school fund, but it is as yet on the books, or, as bankers would express it, "on paper." The Comptroller General will have to decide whether to conni in this $21,000 of dispensary money and what other money again is the $81,000 which will be neces? sary to give the $8 per capita to the thirteen counties that have not them selves raided $3 per capita for their school children. Whatever tax is decided upon will be reported to the auditois in time for them to pot it on their reports and sheets in time for the collection cf taxes beginning October, 1897-this is the next tax to be collected.-Columbia Corres? pondent News and Courier. Senator Earle Talks. The New York World has been curious to know some of the facts connected with the newly elected United States Senators, and asked them the following question : "Dow did you make your way to the Sen? ate ?" To this inquiry Senator Jo seph H. Earle, of South Carolina, re? sponded : "I attribute my success to my friends. I have been true to them, Und they have been true to me. I am a Democrat of the Calhoun and Jefferson stamp. "I believe in arbitration as a prin? ciple I fully endorse the position taken by the President in his inaugu? ral add res s He stated the case ad? mirably. It would be a great thing to have arbitration treaties with ali the nations of the world "I sympathize with thc Cubans in their straggle for liberty, but am not ready yet to say whether we should recognize the belligerency or inde? pendence of the island. "1 am for free silver, but do not favor fiat rooney. We must remone? tize silver. Free coinage will be the dominant issue in 1900. '.I am not a high protectionist, but believe in a tariff for revenue only "I am against all kinds of trusts and monopolies " FLOOD GROWS WORSE. Heavy Rains Further Swell the Mississippi River. Memphis, Tenn., March 17.-Hun? dreds of people, mostly negroes, were iaoded oo the Memphis levee this after? noon by the relief steamers that are daily visiting the flooded districts ad jacent to Memphis Vague report* reach this city to-night of the drowoiog of several people io Arkansas to-d-s^, but these cannot be verified. For toe first time ic many days the river to? night is stationary, marking 36 6, ba? the rise at Cairo and the heavy rains io Missouri and other States will ooly serve to increase the broad expanse )f water in this vicioi>y. There has been a steady downpour of r?iu io Ar? kansas aod West Tenoessee all day. The gauge at Memphis this morning iu iioated 26.6 feet, tois beicg a ti^e of i foot io the twenty four hours ending it 7 o'clock this morning. At C*iro it the same time the gauge indicted ! ?9 6 feet, a rise of two tenths of a foot a the same period. At Helena, a ri*e )f fourteoths of a foot occurred Mi the aat twenty-four hourn, the i!*uge ? ihowiug 45 9 feet Heavy rains oroughout the district paevent ?ny promise of speedy relief. At Gwea rille, the height is 39 2 feet, an?? at Vicksburg 41 9 feet. At tbe latter place be ri*e baa been two stxteeotbs of a toot 0 the last tweoty-four hours The water at this point U oow ome-te?ths >f a foot above tbe d\og?r line At Shreveport and points below the rise sootinues. The situation ia the fiood ;d districts remains practically un ?haoged Steamboats arriving from he South report all levees io fioe coa 1 ir ion. A Heavy Seizure. inspector Crossland Catches Thirty Tons of Cotton Seed Mea). U ?der the law relating to tax tags for lertilizirs, State Fertilize lospeo tore Crossland yesterday made a notable seizure at Bennettsviiie The seized stuff consists of 30 tous of cotton seed meal shipped by a New York concero, whose oame is not yet koowa here, to business mea io aod around Bennetts? viiie. The stuff did oot have the State tax tags attached to it. Governor l?llerbe was notified of the seizure aod asked to release the meal upon the tag tax of 25 ceots per ton This he refused to do and iostruored the attorney general to immediately coter suit agaiost the shippers to recov er the tax aod the value of the goods ?18.25 per too. Under the act when e?uob stuff is foood without tags attach? ed the State is entitled to the value of the goods It is thus seen that Iospec tor Crossland^ catch will amouot to considerable -The State To the terrors of famine and peni lenee in India has been added the dirttress of financial stringency and widespread business depression Trade and industry are prostrated, labor is idle, the people are unspeaka? bly poor, and the prospects are gloomy' and discouraging Condi lions are such that nothing short of prompt and lavish expenditures by Great Britain can 6ave the country from absolute desperation and ruin, and relief from that quarter is unfor? tunately not forthcoming in any ade? quate voiurne. George Murray, Samps Pope, Law? son Melton and other Republicans from this State are in Washington seeking offices. UVE QUESTIONS. A Series of Articles Contributed ty Advanced Thinkers. THE SINGLE TAX. Rev. John Grc~ >c:? Calls Attention to Ita j Practicability-Levy ou Land Values tlte ' Key to Free Land anti Free Labor. Thc single tax is a proposition to raise all revenne for national, state and town purposes by a levy upon land raines only. Most men who hear cf it for the first time think it- impracticable, and, in the second place, think it a tax cn land. As to the first objection, the an swer is that the single tax is already in operation as far as its collection goes. It is raised every year and paid over every year by land users io landowners. Be? ing in practice already, it is not imprac? ticable, for it is not a tax on land, but on land values. An acre of land on a city street has a value of $1,000,000. All the land of a country town, more than 20,000 acres, is not worth as much. There is nothing arbitrary in this. The land on the city street will actually yield annually a greater net return than all the laud in the country town does to all the larm? iers there. In both cases, however, the men who use the land pay its annual value to the men who own it. The single tax would simply be a change in practice. Under the single tax the men who usc the land would pay its annual value into thc public treasury and pay no other taxes. The men who own the land would get what they carn as landowners or landlords. That is Nothing, with a big N. Land is ene thing, but land value is another thing. The man who does not understand this will never make money as a landlord. Being already in practice, the single tax is not impracticable. And if it is said that the land values of the country are not sufficient to provide a revenue for all expenses of government the an? swer is that from the best information attainable this is not so. The land values of the country arti ample for the purpose. But the revenue derived from them would be distributed differently. Roads, schools and the care of the poor would be provided for from the national, state and county levy, and not from the town levy. Then we would have the best cf roads and schools and no paupers. There is an old book, so old that mest people have forgotten what it says, which tells us that where there is no vision the people perish. Thc man who wrote these words was a ruler and com? mander cf the people, a king in an oriental monarchy. Kc did net knew cr understand a nicdern republic. But he knew well that prevision is as essential to thc good cf men as sight itself. Plo therefore did not despise visionary men. And, then he ^thought it worth his while to understand what the visionaries saw before he dismissed them. The vision cf Henry George, then- i that nevcriy might be abolished-linds I its response in every human heart, for j no man desires tc Le poor. Henry George j went to California when land liad no j value and no one knew or cared very j much who owned it. He saw a laud I wheic all had enongh, for thc gold dig- ? gings were open TO all, and thc least a j man eculd make in thc diggings iixed j the wages cf labor. But he saw these j natural opportun i ties gradually close j as the Mexican land grants were dei er- ! mined and settled in American courts ! and thc diggings gave out, and before ? he left California thc man who could not find worlrthcre was just as poer and just as hopeless as the tramo is every? where-net because there was nothing to be done "Lc re, but land was monopo? lized and held out of usc. And now, in this magni?cent country, well called God:s country hy these who dwell there, there is a farming community no bcttei off as a general thing than our New England farmers-no roads to speak of and schools no better than they should be. Henry George asked the reason ?01 this, and, being an honest seeker, fouud au honest answer, according to the | promise, "Seek and ye shall find. " He | did not invent the single tax. Bu*-- he j discovered it just as truly as Columbus j discovered America and as Newton dem? onstrated thc law of gravitation. He proposed the single tax as a rem? edy for the existence of poverty in the presence of the greatest natural abun? dance, not to concentrate all taxes cn real estate, for to tax real estate means to tax improvements, and to tax im? provements, the product of labor, is only another way to tax labor, to fine men fer working. A tax on improvements wiU rest upon the user of land, not upon its owner. Mr. George's idea is to tax land values only, for land values arise in the natural difference in returns which one piece of land will yield ova another to the same application of labor and capital. Such difference in returns docs not come out of labor or capital, but from thc land itself. It is a site val? ue, it exists in the nature of tilings, | and it is paid annually to thc owner of | the land. The operation of this law is j no more to be escaped than the opera? tion of the law of gravitation, and to take this annual site value for all pub? lic purposes will make land free and la? bor free, a thing the poor old world ha.l not seen so far in its history; a practi? cable thing, working wrong to no man; a vision destined tc taire shape in j-??i laws. SOME INTERESTING TOPICS FOR i FARMERS. Thc following suggestions by a prue- j tical man arc valuable as calling atten- : tion toa very vital issac among farmers. : To make fanning generally profitable is to solve the labor quesicn: Would it not be possible for some in telligcnt cultivator of the hind to make ; a little handbook <'f popuhrr instruction j which should Tell a strong man o? 3?, who has good health, has muscle and pluck, how he may start in thc world, which is nearly a virgin world, how lui j may bleak up thc soil to Cod's sun and rain, how he may put eera and wheat into thc ground and hov-.-lie may "nial:'' j a living', for bjm?cif ,and. fc~ f?jfem ily? T?is Thing has Leen ???e'Uy' ri?ii liens of people since William Bradford and Willam Brewster learned hew to do it in the spring cf 1G21 by instructions which they received from a man of cop? per color, by name Squanto. At this Ele? ment Mr. Atkinson tolls ns '.hat, where capital and science ana enterprise com? bine, one man can in ene day produce wheat enough to keep him alive fer a year. It would seem as if there must bc some way in which, in a country sc? harren of population that an eagle flying over it hardly sec? the cultivated suets, a good fellow, willing to work .'305 days in thc year, might be able to produce bread enough to keep him in the world. In southern Florida I have seen the com? fortable home which one man, with a hole in his lungs, having the assistance of three or four children, none cf whom was 15 years old, had created. Buf I never saw anything; of thc sort any? where else, and no ene laid down for me thc process by vrhich he had wrought this miracle. THE FAMINE IN INDIA THE RESULT OF i GREED. Probably most famines in the world are caused by greed. We have all been mourning ever the large less cf life in India, and mest cf us imagining that it was altogether due to short crops. But there is another and juster view of the matter. The British government de? monetized silver 'in India. This reduced the circulating medium, increased thc value of money and decreased the value of commodities. The British govern? ment is expensive. They rule India and charge as much as they can for the serv? ice. They collect annually $100,000, 000 in taxes. In a country where a man earns from 3 to 8 cents per day this is a grievous burden. At 5 cents a dav it takes 2,0C0,0CC, COO days'toil to cam this tax, cr thc entire time cf 0G6,GGG men. Any nation who must part with the labor of this large number of men annually cannot but be peer. What is returned for this waste? A little educa? tion and some military pomp and dis? play. In 1770, just after thc terrible famine in Bengal, thc tax cn salt was raised 40 per cent; in 1896, while the Hindoos live cn almcst aa exclusive vegetable diet, a tax ol' nearly 1,200 per cent is collected on salt. Interest is paid cn money that is in? vested in public works. These works scarcely pay 5 per cent, yet the interest on the money is ircm 12 io GO per cent. In thc recent famine ever G,000,0C0 pecple perished in southern India, not because there was'a famine, but because they have been systema*really robbed. The war against taxation is an old one. All men object to paying taxes because they feel tha- th're is never a full return in service fer: he money thus taken. We clamor for: mere law, and every jew law enacted means mere- taxes. Our cwn tax sys?( ra is unjust. Ir is claimed by competent persons thai in St. Lcuis many valuable pieces cf prop? erty are assessed very low; that there is a prevailing favoritism. What 5.; true of this city is quite probably true of others. The gradual increase of the salaries of officers is an evil,, as it tends toward extravagance in government, and extravagance is tyranny on the one hand and poverty cn the other; for it is not money, but hard toil that finally pays all the bills. The sending of a few poor mission? aries will hardly suffice for this great waste of life. Cinco Cigars are made by a firm with 47 years' experience and a reputation for first class goods only. Sold ia Sumter exclusive* ly bv li. G. O'ern & Co. . _^_ mim? M?st io Spring Cured by Hood's Sarsaparilla the Great Spring Medicine Scrofu'o^o Sore Leg for 25 Years. All Spring Humors, sores, erup? tions, boils, pimples, etc.. are cured by Hood's Sarsaparilla, the -? king of medicines/' Head these letters: " C. I. Hood & Co., Lowell, Mass.: " Dear Sirs :-A'ter suffering from a sore leg for 25 years, four bottles Letter vi Hood'.* Sarsaparilla have made- a complete cure. My No. 1. wou^ inflame as soon as dog days would come and continue to be sore until spring. Then the sores would heal a little and break out again. I tried doctors and every remedy I could hear of, but all failed. I then heard of Hood's Sarsaparilla and bought one bottle, and it helped me so much that I kept on until I took four bottles ; am cured, in good health and weigh 160 lbs." MES. M. J. HARTLEY, Lovett, Georgia. No Sore, No Erysipelas. " C. I. Hood & Co., Lowell, Mass.: " Dear Sirs : - I want to say once more, Hood's Sarsaparilla is all you Letter claim for it. I haven't had any sore oi erysipelas since No. 2, * used Hood's Sarsaparilla several yeais ago and was cured by it. I trust many may be benefited by Hood's Sarsaparilla as I have been. I recommend it highly as a blood medicine." MES. M. J. HAETLEY, Lovett, Ga. Hood's p'ferf Ila Is sold by all druggists. Price Si, six for $5. u j5 r*?si cure Liver r?&-ea?y to flOOd S FlllS take,easy to operate. 35c Notice! THE co-partnership existing tetueen Peterson k Cuthbert hu? Oten dissolved ; by mutual consent. Ned Peterson wit] coo- ; t inue ? he business at the same sinr:d. With ar? experience of twenty-eight yenra in thc- i C>?bi"et Shop of Mr. J. D. CrAig, he i? well i qualified to conduct a business of this Kind. | Cleaning and repairing: furniture a specialty, j The preparing and dressing of dead bodies ? for burial will be promptly and carefully at- j tended to. Shop opposite tbe Episcopal Church. NED PETERSON. Mch 17. I Fil? M DIRECT. AU of the latest Spring styles and Novelties that tire Northern market affords, with European Importations are now in stock, with new additions'arriving every day. Our buyers have been in the market for several weeks, and everything possible has been done to make our selections this ^ season surpass our always well assorted stock. We have secured for our leader this season in Black Goods, the celebrated "GOLD MEDAL77 brand. A line never sold before in the South. We do not hesitate to say that this is the BEST line of Black Hen? riettas, Mohairs, Brilliantines, (fancy and plain) Serges, Jack nards, etc. ranging in price from 25c to $1*50. Our Novelty Dress Patterns are things of beauty and joy for ever. A special feature about thein, there are NO TWO ALIKE. Ladies take notice of this. NOVELTY SUITINGS-1 case of Novelty Suitings, 30 inches wide at Hie, regular 15c goods-an elegant thing for Shirt Waists and Suits for this season. A LEADER-25 pieces of Wool Challie, nice patterns very stylish, a leader, She. Have you a little time to spare? lt will be a mutual pleasure to have you look at our assortment ot' Organdies, Lawns, Ducks, Linens and Summer goods. They are pos? itively beautiful. You will agree with us when you see them. Have vou seen the new Gilt and Silver Tinsel effect Organ? dies. We have them. They are great. LIN!N GS-Every season ? brings forth new things in the way of Linings, but the spring of r97 has surpasses them all. There is not a shade of goods for w7hich we cannot supply a suitable lining. The latest in foundation skirt linings are the Moire Antique and Gros Grain Rust leine, Satin Stripe Taffeta Lin? ing, Silkaline Linings from oe. to 15c. per yard. Cambrics at the usual price. Every shade of Percalines and Fancy Waist Linings 10c to 25c per yard. We have a special founda? tion lining, 40 inches wide f i Organdies in all light shades. STANLEY SHIRT WAISTS - rl his is going to be a great shirt waist season. You have heard of the Stanley Waist lt is well known with its Flarette Waist Adjuster and Skirt Hanger. Our line is well se? lected to please the Southern trade. Look at the line in our window at 50c, thev are 75c and 100c goods that we bought at a price. Our regular line from Toe to ?1.75. Brown's Skirt Fas? tener-The first and only appliance perfectly closing the placket and absolutely securing the Skirt Band about the Waist. Price, 25 cents. LACES-A Feature of the stock this season is the Lace Department. It comprises all the novelties in imported and domestic Laces, i? white, cream and black, in all widths and qualities, prices ranging from 2c to ?1.25 per yard. It will be worth your time to look at them. SHOES AND SLIPPERS -We are always improving our line of Ladies7 and Menrs Shoes, . and have not almost reached the climax with our present display, of Shoes, Ox? fords, Sandals, Strap Sandals. Prices are lower than' the lowest. CLOTHING-We have as always Strouse & Brothers cel? ebrated line of High Art Cloth? ing. It needs no comments to Sumter buyers. For our Sum? mer goods we have the choice of Alfred Benjamin & Co's line, the acknowledged leaders in their line of business. Max Brummers fine Trousers still hold the lead in our estimation and also our customers. OUR CUSTOM DEPART? MENT.-When we have noth? ing in stock to suit you we will make you a suit guaranteed to fit you. Two of the largest and finest line of woolens in the LT. S. for you to select from. SHIRTS-Just wait until you have seen our line of Shirts. Our buyers spent some time before deciding which was the best line. When you see them you will be convinced that their efforts were not in vain. Prices, oh, the price is the smallest part about them the shirts are full siz^. NECKWEAR-We have al? ways held our good reputation for nice Neckwear and always will. Ties for everybody. Ties for 10c per doz. Wash Ties at 5c, 10c and 15c a piece. Bows at 10c, 15c, 20c and 25c. Silk Ties at 25c and 50c. SPECIAL-10 boxes 50c. Silk Band Bows, as a leader. 25c a piece. We ask that before purchasing you will give us a call, we will make it very interesting to you, and save you a good per? centage of your money. Everything can be found in our Stores. YOURS FOR BUSINESS, Sumter, 8. C., COLUMBIAS ANO VICTORS SECOND HAND Columbias and .Victors. ?893 morl(-?s" S30 / i834 moi!*-ls ]>'^ j IS95 moo* !?S40 tc SSO I SatUfaciton guarao ierd on everv WDetd sold bv tue. NEW WHEELS Colmbias ara Eartfcr?s. 1690 Col nit i ns S Sf 1SP7 Banfcrd, S ?.( ^'rtt S?.SCl J< f?I CUHthC tctd CH t\fTV* TV Lt?-i frc;!d t ? n e. D. JAS. WINN.