Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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m n n on con THK SUMTES WATCHMAN, E*taMi&hed April, 1850. "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thon Aims't^at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's." THK TRUE SOUTHRON, Established Jane. 1366 Consolidated Aug. 2,1881 SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2S 1897. New Series-YoL X L So. 43 ?>\)i Mat$HOT at jionfjjrmt PaUisi d E78T7 We&nesday, ~-BY jxr. ca-, o^tieozij SUMTER, S. C. TCRM3 * t 50 per annum-io advance. ISTIRTISSUEKT: One Square first insertion.,......!.Si 00 livery subsequent iosertioo....... 50 Contracts for three months, or longer yr iii be mada at reduced rates. Alt communications which subserve private interests will be charged for as advertisements. Obituaries and tributes of respect will be charged for. ..-~ McLaarin Accepts. _._:_:_s_:_ T e New Senator's Letter to the Goyrnor. -2 The State Maj 2Sth Of course tbe senatorial appointment and tbe coming primary, now regarded as a certains?, are still subjec-s of very mach discussion. As forecasted io Tbe State. Mr. Mclaurin yesterday Sled with the go ve roar his letter of ac ceptance of tbe position. The letter is considered timely and very mach to the poiat Mr. MoLanriu. as was expect ed takes occasion to urge tbe State ex eeo ti ve committee to call a primary election for the parp se of naming a mao for the geoeral assembly to elect for tbe fall unexpired term. Here is bis letter, however, to speak for itself : To Hw Excellency, tbe Hon W. H Ellerbe. Governor of Sooth Caro ri) Jina, Colombia, S C. : Dear Sir : Yoor notification of my appointment to tbe senate of tbe Uoi ted States to fill tbe vacancy aueed by tbe sad death of Senator Earle bas been received. Tbe pride and pleasure at the receipt of snob a distinguished honor is saddened by tbe thought that oor State bas lost one who, to my nciod, was the ideal representative of t ) altare, intelligence aod refinement o)F southern oiviliiatioa WKh a profound consciousness of tbe responsibilities involved and ao holiest determination to represent as far as t am able tbe interest of tbe entire people of oar beloved State. I accept yoor appointment. I desire, however, to say that T believe that United States senators should be elect - by a vote of the people; aod as the Constitution debars us that privilege, I sincerely trust that tbe Democratic executive committee will, at tts conven ience, order a primary, aod give every Democrat tbe chance of having a voice in the selection of ooe to fill this, the nighest office io tbe gift of tbe people. If I am sot selected, I will humbly ac quiesce in the wishes of a majority of roy fellow citizens If I am elect ed, wilt have (be proud consciousness of knowing that I am io fact, truly tue representative of tbe people-the whole peop e of tbe State of South Carolina. It is peculiarly gratifying to me to re oeive this appointment at yoor bands ; but h ad.not the exigencies of the situa io tbe senate demanded appointment of ose somewhat familiar with tbe situa tion, I would have requested to bold tbe matter of appointment io abeyance until a primary election is ordered, which, I hope, tbe executive committee wiU see proper to do, and other candi dates see lit to enter. I shall at every meeting insist upon no one voting for me merely because I have bean ap pointed to tbe position I resign an office bot little inferior in dignity and booor If I am to be continued in the seoate, 1 want it to be given me in an election where every citizen, however bumble be may be, cao have ao oppor tunity to say so at tbe ballot box Nothing would give me more plea sure than to represent South Carolina to the seoate chamber of the United S:ates after a free expression from the peopie themselves Respectfully, JOHN L MCLACRIN. A Short Sketch of McLaurin's Life. John Lowndes McLaorio was boru in Marlboro county, May 9f.h. 1860. j His father 3 name was Philip B. Mc- i Lao ri n. His father died from illness con j tracted from exposare in tbe army in 1864. In 1867 his mother married Mr William S. Mowry of Charleston, S. C. Io those early days the school sys tem of South Carolina was so defect ive that "Johnnie and Tommie" were sent up to the Bethel Military academy near Warrenton, Va. Tom mie died while attending the school and Jobo, the new senator of to day, was then taken on to Englewood and sent to school there until he was 15 years of age. He was Iben sent to Swarthmore college near Philadel phia. A Quaker school didn't suit ardent Sooth Carolina temperament, and after two years, Colonel Weath erly, John's grandfather, concluded that a military school and a discipli narian lik Col. John P ifiomas were oeeded to properly train and hold in check the promising young Caroli nian. He remained under Colonel Thomas in bis school at Charlotte, N C., amil he giaduated in 1880. Jobi was noted more as a basebalhV anc boxer than as a student, though hu natural quickness and aptness ena bled him to stand well in his classes ! He then went to the University o ! Virginia and took the law course, anc j in 1882 wen to Bennettsvi ie anc began the practice of law. He ung ont his shingle. Soon ac opportunity catne aloog ia the shape ol cases brought against 32 road hands known shebas the Hebron road casts It-was a kind cf a fued io the county, Tee prosecution employed all leading attorneys io the county, ir.oluding thc present assista t attorney general ol South Carolina, ex-Judge Townsend Mr. Mclaurin was alone for the de fens and tuany bad advised the ac cused to plead guilty. After 6ve days of legal fighting, M * McLaurin woo in every ca*e by appeal* to the jury, the Jaw and evidence and prejudice of the people being against bim. On tbe 19th of Febuarv, 1883, Mr McLaurin married Miss Nora Breeden of Bennettsvi ie, S. C , the daughter of Mr. T. J. Breeden, and a niece of his law partner. Judge Townsend They have six children, four girls and two boys. In 1890 he was elected to the legis lature The general assembly was cootoosed almost entirely of new men asd Mootai o *d Senator Irby. ex-Govern or Evans, Justice Gary. Judge^ Gary and many other men who have since become prominent in State and national affairs. Jo a very few days Mr. Mc Laurie made a speech tba! developed the fact that be was one of the coming factors in South Carolina politics. At the second term of the legislature At torney General Pope was elected asso ciate justice of the State supreme court and Ernest Gary, Congressman Wilson, D A Townsend and Mr McLaurin were candidates for attorney general to succeed Justice Pope. McLaurin bad an easy victory, being elected on the third ballot. , Durin the campaign of 1892 Gov ernor Ti!Imao was opposed by ex-Gov ernor John C. Sheppard. The main fight upon Tilmao was. made by Col. Youmaos, who was a candidate for secretary of state. He was a very eio quent, fluent and forcible speaker There w*re personal differences be* tween Youmaos and Tillman, and Till mao refused to . debate or recognize bim io the cam paign at all, which threw the fight, so far as Youmans was concerned, upsn McLaurin. Rarely has such a debate ever takeo place in any campaign in this State. It was of such a character as to excite the keenest publio interest, yet the two men came out of it the best of friends personally. The result ere ated such a wave of public favor for Mr. McLaurin that wheo Mr. Stack house died io Juoe 1892. nothing could prevent the people of Mr. McLaurie's district from electing him to congress to November following. Mr. M cL au rio's first utterances upan the floor drew great attention to bim all over the country.. It waa bis remark able eulogy oo hts dec ased predeces sor. It vrae unusual and,drew ufa ny comments from the press. He came to congress about the time that Bailey, Bryan, Sibley and others, of equal note made their entrance upoo the congressional stage aod immediate ly began to attract attention to himself as a debater. His first fight was oo the repeal of the purchasing clause of the S her mas act. His speech was one of the very first attacks upon Grover Cleve land's policy. It was sarcastic and pungent .and claimed widespread attention both at home aaod in the country at large. Then during the panic of 1893, wheo because of the scarcity of money the banks had to form a clearing house association and issue certificates io order to move the cotton crop, Mr. McLaurin was the very first man in either branch of coo I gress to see the point and propose a remedy. He got some of the certi ficates and went before the banking and currency committee with a propositios to issue $125,000,000 of United States notes, which were to be.deposited with the banks to take the place of these certificates. Mr McLaurin also took a prominent Dart in thc debates to repeal the 10 per cent, tax on State banks. He made a nun ber of other speeches on the finan cial question, all of which have attract ed attention. In tbe organization of the Fifty-fourth congress, Speaker Reed placed Mr McLaurin upon the ways and means committee. Since that time he bas devoted himself to tbe stddy of the tariff question. Io a speech delivered oo March 23, last, he attracted the attention of the whoie country with bis speech upon the Diog j ley bill. He boldly proclaimed the doctrine that if a p'olicy of protection was to obtain that the south should have ber share ; that all or nothing j should be protected. He offered an amendment ia the committee room ask ing for a duty of 2h cents upon all cot ton imported into the Uoited States He was vigorously attacked on the flocr from ali quarters, hut met every assault with that tact aod coolness and fully sustained his reputation as a debater. HAVE MEYER ON TRIAL Chapman as Witness. Washington, May 25 -Tho trial of H. O Haveurieyer, president of the American Sugar Refining Company, for refusing to answer a question pro pounded by the Senate sugar investiga ting committee in the spring of 1894. began before Judge Bradley to day. There was a large crowd in attendance. No trouble was experienced in securing a jury, only three peremptory chal lenges being made by the defense and none by the prosecution Di tric- At torney Davis conducted the case for the government and Nathaniel Wilson, John G Johostoo of Philadelphia and John E. Parsons of New York appear ed for the defense. Elverton R. Chapman, the Nsw York sugar broker who is serving a thirty days sentence in the district jail for the offense for which Havemeyer is being tried, was present as a witness, but did not testify to day The witnesses to-day were the file clerk of the Senate, the comittee's ste nographer, and Senators Gray, Lodge, Davis and Lindsay, who were oo the investigating committee. The line of defense, as disclosed to-day, is that the question asked, which looked to the production of data as to the political contributions of the sugar company to State aod locate elections, was not per tinent to the inquiry This was shown by the repeated development of the fact that Mr. Havemeyer answered the question as lo the national campaign and of to the elec tion of Uoited States Senators before tbe Lsgislafures. This line of defense was anticipated somewhat by the Dis trict Attorney. Considerable stress was also placed on the attempt of the defense to show that Senator Allen's question (which Mr. Havemeyer de clit d to answer) was an individual and no: a committee questioo, but the testi mony today went to prove .hat the query was propounded by tbe direction of the committee. NOW HAVE MEYER'S TURN. Half of the Case Over. Washington, May 25 -The govern ment rested its cases against H. O Havemeyer. tbe president of the .American Sugar Refinery company, shortly after the noon recess to-day. Thereupon Mr. Johnson of Philadel phia, the leading counsel for the de fense, moved that the judges instruct the jury to find the defendant not guilty on six grounds First, that the question as to local and State contributions of the sugar company was beyond the jurisdiction of the State committee and imperti nent. Second, that it was not part of Mr. Havemeyer's duty to examine rec ords for the purpose of answering questions be could not answer from memory. Third, that when data from books and records are demanded such books or records are the best evi dence. Fourth, that the question put to the witness was too broad, covering irrelevant matters. Fifth, that if the witness was to be held recusant it was the duty of the committee to warn him that the ques tion was a committee, not an indivi dual question, and Sixth, that the indictment did not disclose cause of action. Mr Johnson made an argument of an hour and a half in support of his motion, and when he concluded Dis trict Attorney Davis asked for an adjournment, which was granted. Mr Davis will reply to the motion to morrow The concluding testi mony of the government offered at the morning session was not import ant save for the purpose of making up the record as to what occurred in the senate investigation committee Havemeyer is Happy. Washington, May 27 -"Certainly. I am satisfied with theverdict," said H. 0. Havemeyer, the 6ugar king, to an Associated Press reporter a few minutes after the jury had returned a verdict of not guilty this afternoon. "The verdict/' he continued, ought to be satisfactory to every de cent man in this and every other community.'7 That was the only expression the president of the American Sugar Re finery company would make on the result of his trial which had been in progress for three days before Judge Bradly. The verdict was the cul mination of a long legal battle which began three years ago when Mr. Havemeyer declined, as a witness be fore the senate sugar investigating committee, to furnish the committee with data as to the political contribu tions made by the company of which he is president, to the local and State compaigns of 1892 and 1894 Brok er Chapman, around whom he pre liminary battle waged, was found guilty aud is now serving- a thirty days sentence in the district jail The conclusion of the trial was abrupt The defense produced no wi nessess. When the government rested its case ; yesterday the defense moved that the court instruct the jury to order an acquittal on six grounds, the princi pal one of which was that the com mittee did not have jurisdiction and | that the question asked was not per- j tinent. This the district attorney | made an attempt to induce the presi ding judge to overule the motion. But the court after taking an hour and ahalf lo weigh the arguments sustained the motion In rendering his decision, which was very lengthy and consumed over an hour in its de livery, Judge Bradley declined to rule on the main question as to the jurisdiction of the se alo committee He said the questions involved in that proposition were of such grave importance that he would not rule on that point, without further and more careful examination. He held it was unnecessary to rule on the main con tention. Practically, he sustained the motion upon the single ground that the question calling for data to State and local contributions demand ed information not within the knowl edge of the witness, which he had testified he had no personal knowl edge and which, if given at all. must have been procured from books and of which the books themselves were the best testimony Although the verdict of "not guilty" was given by the jury it was 3 verdict re turned under the court's directions and amounted practically to the judge's throwing the case out of court. Mr Havemeyer's atttorneys were much elated over their victory. "This ends the case forever," said Mr Johnson of Philadelphia, Mr. Havemeyer's chief counsel. CONFERENCE ON CUBA. Important Gathering to be Held in Philadelphia. Philadelphia, May 27.-lt is de finitely settled that the most import ant conference yet held in America in connection with the Cuban canse will assemble in Philadelphia some time next week Gen. Palma will preside With him will be Quesada, the young charge d'affairs. They are comiog here, it is stated, to pre pare plans that may meet with thc entire approbation of the administra tion at Washington. It is said that as soon as Senator John Sherman be came secretary of state he sent for Quesada to have a long and careful talk with him That interview has had more to do with the coming con ference than any one thing that has occurred in Cuban affairs since the inauguration of the war two years ago. To some it seems to mean that the autonomy of Cuba will be demand ed Tc the extremists it appears that independence and then alliance with-the United States will be the re sult. The Cubans say iiiey have rea son to believe that the McKinley ad ministration is going to carry out the oolicy upon which McKinley be came President. NEW PLACES ON THE BODY. A gentleman in Sumter banded this to the editor ot the Item : In Orangebarg county some days ago, the local paper announced that "a man was assaulted io his own house and dangerously shot in the vestibule " That's a new way of shooting, and, physiologically speaking, must be a dangerous place for the ball to strike. The Sumter paper announces that a few days ago "a man was shot in the Providence section." Now just, where these two vulnerable parts of the hu man frame are located I am unable to tell ; but if we are to be shot at all, we prefer the old style aod places. It makes one sad and horriSed to think of 1 being shoe io his "vestibule" or '.Prov idence section "-S C. Correspondent to the Concord N. C. Standard. Athens, May 26.-An exciting scene teook place at the ministry of marioe to-day. SigDor Felice, the It alian Socialist leader, rudely accosted aod insulted M. Ralli, the Greek premier. The latter immediately sum moned the police and had Felice put on board an Italian ironclad lying off the Piraeus, with a request that he be not allowed to again set foot on Greek soil. Take JOHNSON'S CHILL & FEVER TONtC.^GS ^ Jacksonville, Fla., May 26 -The trial-of Edward Pitzer, charged with the murder of Miss Marie Louise Gato, in this city 00 April 20, began to-day. . WILL IT STAND? The Fate of the Dispensary! Law in the Hands of Judge j Simonton. Charleston, May 2 -The 10 clays which were given by Judge Simon ton to the attorney general and Mr. J. P K Bryan to file what addition al briefs they might desire relative to the Vandercock case, have now exDired. Both Attorney General Barber and Mr Bryan were content with the arguments already made to the court, and they did not take ad vantage of the offer made to them The question of the constitutional iiy of the dispensary law now rests in Judge Simonton's hands, and every one is on the qui vive for a decision, one way or the other. There is no limit to the time the court will take to render the opinion, and the anxious public may have to wait a week cr a month or more than a month before hearing from Judge Sim nton. The case is, as bas been stated, one of the most important suits that has ever yet been entered against the State, and the issues are of such a delicate nature that it will take* some time before the learned judge, with the mass of facts and law before him to reach a conclusion It is needless to say that Judge Si monton will render an opinion as soon as possible and the people of the otate will not have to bear the suspense longer than is absolutely necessary Whatever the decision of Judge Simonton may ba, it will not be final, for the case is bound to go before tbe supreme court the decision is favorable to the plaintiff, as is gen erally expected here, it will mean the discontinuance of the dispensary system in its present, conduct and its practical death until the decision is reversed, if it should be by the su preme court If the decision is with the State, the public may look for still greater vigilance in the seizing and confiscation of liquors by the constabulary.-The State, May 28. ON TO NASHVILLE. The President's Trip. Preparations were compl t e! to day for the visit of the Presiden 6 to the Nashville exposition on the li th of next month The start will he made from Washington oa the morning cf the 10th, aod the Pn?sident will be ac companied by Secretary Alger and at least ooe other member of his cabioet, and by Secretary and* Mrs. Porter. The trip to Nashville wilt be made over the Chesapeake and Ohio road., while the Southern railroad will bring the party back. A special train will be provided for the trip, with a private car for the President, one of the finest dio iog oars on the road and in fact every facility for the comfort and safety of the distinguished party. The run is expected to occupy about 24 hours, and an observation car will afford an opportunity for the party to see the beauties of the mountain region by daylight. An equally handsome train will be placed at the disposal of the presiden tial party by the Southern railway on the return journey. It is possible that a stop may be made this way at Ashe ville. Why take Johnson's Chiil & Fever Tonic? Because it cures the most stubborn case of Fever in ONE. DA Y. His Answer. When John Quincy Adams was 80 years old, narrates the Lynn Item, he met in the streets of Boston an old friend, who shook his trembling hand, aod said : "Good morning And how is John Quincy Adams to-day?" "Thank you," was the ex-Presi dent's answer, "John Quincy Adams, himself is well, sir ; quite well, I thank you. But the house in which he lives at present is becoming dilapidated. It is tottering upon its foundation. Time and the Feasons have nearly destroyed it. Its roof is pretty well worn out. Its walls are much shattered, and it trembles with every wind. The old tenement is becoming almost uninhabi table, and I think John Quincy Adams will have to move out of it ^oon, but he himself is quite weli, sir, quite ii " wen. With that the venerable sixth presi dent of toe United Stages moved on, with the haid of his staff. mm ~+-+-~-mm~ Hammocks all sizes and prices.-H. G. Osteea & Co. FROM THE WIRES. Mar 27. The vote oo the firs; feature of the tariff bill yesterday showed a substan tial Republican majority. Paris, May 28-President Faure, formally received the new United States ambassador, General Horace Porter to-day. The Gaoeral A sea>b!y of the Pres byterian Cnurch, North, bas adjourned. Philadelphia. May 26.-Advices from Cuba were received by the local junta to-day to the effect that General Gomez will temporarily resign as com mander of the insurgent forces and come to this country as "secretary of the war pro tem" of the Cuban repub lic to confer with Presidect McKinley oe the Cubao situation. During his absence General Garcia will command. Loudon, May 26.-The official cele bration of the Queen's birthday was ob served to day io Locdoo with the usoal closing of the courts and government offices, the ringing of the cburoh bells, a display of flags, artillery salutes and the ceremony of trooping the color, on the horse guards parade, in which the colonial troops now in London took part. Nashville, Tenn , May 27.-Qaite 200 delegates, representing the chief trade centres in the Sooth, are io at tendance upon the sixth annual session of the Southern Wholesale Grocers Association, which met in the State capitol this morning. . Richmond, Va., May 27.-The vote to day was light arr over the Stare. The elections were for county officers and on the question of calling a con stitutional convention. The iodica Lions are of a large majority against a convention. The county elections hardly amount to a political contest. Greenville, S. C , May 27.-Pro ceedmgs were instituted to-day against Walter L. Gassaway, cashier of the American Bank of this city, te recov er five thousand dollars damages alleeed to have been suffered by Mrs. Amelia Holtzclaw, wife of ex-Dispenser R. E. G- Holtzclaw. JOHNSON'S CHILL AND FEVER TONIC Cures Fever In One Day. - IM ? - m The Cadets of 1897. The Anderson Intelligencer of yes terday says: "Col. Coward aod C*pr. White of the South Carolina Citadel Charleston, spent twe days io the cry last week completing arrangements for the annual encampment of the ca dets of that institution. The cadets will come to Anderson on June 14 and spread their tents on the campus of the Patrick Millitary institute. They will remain here about two weeks, during which time the commencement ^x". Gises will be held. Ex-Jndge G F.* Hudson will deliver the annual address The cadets will march from ber* to Clemson college and spend a d ay. The cadets will be warmly welcomed to Anderson and royally entertained." The True Kemedv. W. M. Repine, editor Tiskilwa, IH "Chief/' says : "We won't keep boose wlthoir Dr King's New Discovery for Consumption, Coughs and Cold?. Experimented with nsa^y others but never got the trse remedy until we used Br. King's New Discovery No other remedy can take its place in cur home, as in it we have a certain and sure cure for Coughs, Colds, Whooping Cough, cc " It is iii! ' to experiment with other re:re<He . even if they are urged on you as just as good as Dr. King's New Discovery. Th \v are rot as good be cause this remedy bas a neon! of cures and besides is guaranteed. It never fails to satisfy. Trial bottles free at Dr. J. F. IV. DeLornVs Dru" Store. 4 Any one desiring to sp * the Colomnian Cyclopedia should call at the Item office for information concerning ir.* Excellent commercial not* paper 15 cents a pound at H. G.Osteeo & Go's--two pour.- s for 25 cents. . POWDER Absolutely. Pure. Celebrated for its great leavening strp- a n and healthfulness. Assures tbe food ag-i si alura and ali forms o: adulteration coo to the cheap brands. Roj J Ba ki og Po . 1 1 Co*, New York.