$0 Facts as Yet
Disaster to Mame is Still
Shrouded in Mystery.
Washington, Feb. 18.-Tbe feature
of tbe day at the oavy department
v?s tbe large number of rumor* of a
warlike tendency that came to tbe at?
tention of the officials as requiring ci?
t?e lion, and io every oas* contrai lo?
tion So formidable bad grown the
list that at tbe close of office bouts
Secretary Long was ioduoed to make
tbe following statement as tbe easiest
manner of disposing at one time of ail
these stories :
"Really so information bas been re?
ceived since Captain Sigsbee'a first
dispatch adding anything to our
knowledge of tbe disaster. All we
knew is that tbe Maine blew up. There
is aband ant room for speculation of al!
sorts, but no conclusion cao be arrived
at until an examination has bee o made
by the divers sod more facts obtained
It is a simple fact tossy that such a
thing might happen by design or it
might happen bj accident. As yet
there is no indication of desigo. There
fore my impression has been all aloog
and I rather think tho general opinion
preponderates io the same direction,
that it must have been accidental.
.'At the cabinet meeting to-day the
?satter wat not discussed except as soy
body of me? talk about ao eveot of
tb at ki ad, sod most of the ulk related
to tho terrible loss of life and to ex?
pressions of sympathy for the sufferers
"It certainly was a very kind thought
in the president to send flowers 'to the
family of Captain Sigsbee, of the exec?
utive officer Wainwright ?od of the lost
seamen whose residences are in Wash
"You may say absolutely that there
has bees co secret cabinet meeting,
that Doth tog uss taken place in the
cabinet that the public have ont beeo
ioformed about, that roe whole policy
ef this departaaet has beeo to give the
public all the dispatches,.'that the
department has co more knowledge
.o the subject of the cause of the dis?
aster, or eveo of the circumstances
attending, it, into the public, sod that
the report which was to.the effect that
Captain Sigsbee had wanted the depart?
ment that the Maine was io danger
from submarine mises or torpedoes is
utterly without foundation, no such re?
port ever having beeo received from
him. or from anybody else."
The secretary also dented brit Sj
and comprehensively wild rumors that
he had requested the chief of. police of
Nev York to guard the Spanish emb?
er Vizcaya, sod that he bad selected
Constructor Bowles to go to Havana
and raise the Maine The last werk o?
the. day for him was to consult the rep
- resentatives of the wrecking companies
who probably ?ill have oh arge of this
work and endeavor to arrange for both
of them to work together so as to secure
Che use of each peculiar plant and to
save time.
The secretory when asked what was
the department's estimate of the con?
tact of Captain Sigsbee ia the terri?
ble situation in which be had been
placed,, replied:
''-I think I express the feeling of the
president as well as my owe wheo I say
that Captain Sigsbee has conducted
himself as an officer of our navy should
He was last to leave his ship when she
went down. His dispatch to me
that night was so complete that,
? have thought of no question of
fast to ask him which is essen?
tial to the situation and which bs
could aus wer which is not covered by
that dispatch, its tone, too, is that of
a discreet and levelheaded man who
realised the impression any word from
him ai thai time wculd have on tbe
public mind Nothing is harder than
for a naval officer to lose his ship,' so
that I have great sympathy for him. X
await with con fideo ce further reports
During the day the department was
in receipt of a number of telegrams
from different parts of the country ask?
ing in behalf of reiatires of the dead
sailors that their remains be brought
back to the United States for interment.
Among them were queries, from friends
of the two officers. Merritt and Jen?
kins. The departme&t forwarded these
to Captain Sigsbee. whose answer was
that the officers' bodies have not been
fouad, that ss te many of tbe others,
identification is not possible and throw?
ing great doubt upon tbe practicability of
taking any of tbe remains away from
Havana.
While no decision has yet boen
reached formally upon the application
of the Spanish government for author?
ization to examine thc wreck of the
Maine to ascertain the cause of the ex?
plosion, tho officials 6eem inclined to
regard her request as one that could not
properly be refused, and it is likely that
eaoh government will make ao investi?
gation of this character concurrently
The Explosion Was the Re?
sult of a Fire.
Washington, Feb. 18 -Tbe opin
ion of one of the leading naval ex?
perts io the United States of high
explosives, Prof Alger, of the ord?
nance bureau, as to the cause of the
explosion is as follows :
"Aa to the question of the cause of
the Maine7? explosion we know that
no torpedo such as is known to mod
em warfare can of itself cause an ex
plosion of the character of that on
board the Maire. We kcow of DO in?
stance where tbe explosion of a tor
pedo or dynamite under a ship's bot?
tom has exploded the magazine with?
in. It hes simply torn a great hole in
the side or bottom, through which
water entered and in consequence of
which the ship sunk Magazine ex?
plosiona, on the contrary, produce
effects exactly similar to the effects
of the explosion on board the Maine's
magazine . We should naturally look,
not for ira probable or unusual causes,
but those against which we have had
to guard in the past. The most com
mon of these is through fire in the
bunkers. Many of our ships hi..e
been in danger at various times from
this cause, and not long ago a fire in
the Cincinnati's bunkers actually set
fire to fittings, wooden boxes, etc ,
within the magazine, and had it not
been discovered at the time it was, it
i would doubtless have resulted in a
I catastrophe on board that ship similar
j to the one on the Maine.
**I shall again emphasize the fact
that no torpedo exploded without a
ship bas ever produced, or according
to our knowledge, can it produce an
explosion pf a magazine within."
Dupuy de Lome on Tbe
Maine Disaster.
New York, Feb 16- "The Span?
ish ministry and the Spanish people
bave been greatly misunderstood in
this country," said Senor de Lome,
the former Spanish minister this
morning. "They all desire peace ;
they ali want peace with America
and Americans, net only from mo?
tives of policy, but because they love
America.
"I am forced to say now by this
terrible affair what I should have
been precluded from saying before
There Is no country in the world that
I love as I do America. I love the
country and the people ; it is with
the keenest regret that I take my
leave aa the result of this unfortunate
letter incident. Nearly all promi
nent Spaniards and men of influence
in my country share my views in re?
gard to America.
'.Spain cannot afford to have war
with the United States. If only
from motives of policy they are de
termined not to have ?ny war
There can be no war between this
country and Spain. Such a thing is
ont of the question.
"if the Maine has blown up in
Havana harbor it is the result of an
accident That is absolutely cer?
tain. There will be no war "
Americans Who Saw
The Maine Blown Up.
Several of Them Interviewed
on Arrival in New York.
New York, Feb. 21- The Ward
Hoe steamer Seg?ranos arrived at
quarantine to-day from Tampioo and
Habana. The Seguran ca arrived at
Habana at 10 o'clock on the morning
after the disaster to the Maine and pass?
ed o'ose by the wreck. Tbe Segur
anea''s passengers said that great excite
ruent prevailed in Habana and at the
time of sailing the foreign population
waa generally of the opinion that the
Maine waa destroyed by design
They cited among other things in sup?
port of this theory the fact that the
Spanish man-of-war Alfonso Xii. which
tras anchored oear tbe Maine, changed
her moorings juit previous to tbe disas?
ter.
One of the passengers, William Car
ben, went so far as to say he saw a
boat go near the Maine a short time
previous to the explosioo. He said be
would go to Washington to make a
statement before the proper authorities
soon.
C. P. Holcomb of Newcastle. Del.,
one of the passengers on board the Se?
guranca, was outspoken in .bis belief
that the investigation would reveal
some startling circumstances.
**I went to Habana," said Mr. ?iel
comb, .*oot ac all in sympathy with the
insurgents; but on Wednesday, when
we got to Habana, ? believ? any of the
Americans on board wes in a mood to
commit murder The flags of the
Spanish warships were not at half mass.
Tbe vessels of all ether nationalities
bad paid this slight tribute to the dead.
.'Tbe contrast between the bearing
of the Spaniards and Cubans is strong.
At the funeral of the Maine's seamen
the Cuban women in the streets were
almost all dressed tn mourning, while
the Spanish women were colors. The
only American flags I saw in tbe whole
procession were two small ones abeu* j
three by eix inches.
.'I went aboard the Alphonso XII.
?
acd was received politely. The- only
expression of regret I beard there was
from an officer who complained that
tba force of tbe Maine's ezpjosioo bad
broken his toilet bottles There can
be no mistaking the indifference of rho
Spaniards in Habana over the loss of
tbe warship and those on beard On
Thursday, while driviag to the ceme?
tery with two American friends, I waj
assailed with jeers and some ore threw
a largo stone at our carriage "
F, W B'ibbett of this city, wh<> was
wi;h Mr Hoiccrab in the esrriagf,
added : "'That is perfectly true. Io
fact, one or two children yelled after
us that they had blown up ihe 'Amer?
icano' and that they were glad of it.
I did not hear a single expression of
regret for ihe ter.-ibie 1 oe-s of life from
any Spaniard during tho time I was in
Habana."
Frank Weinbeimer of this city, an
! eye-witnsss of the explosion and a fel?
low passenger of Mr. Holcomb, cold
the-following story : *>
* On Tuesday evening ? strolled down
to, the river front for a breath of fresh
air. I was about 300 yards from the
Maine. The first intimation I bad of
an explorion was a crunching sound
j Then there came a terrible roar. Itu
meooe pieces of debris flew steward
from the Maine Some of them must
have been thrown at least 300 feet. It
looked as though the whole inside of
the ship bad been blown ont Many
persons cn the pier were nearly thrown
from their feet by the forco of the ex
plosion Tho air became stifling with
smoke ,f
Mr. Weicbeimer said he heard an ex?
cited Spaniard declare shortly after
the explosion that if the "Americanos"
sent another warship it alec would be
blown up.
William M. Carbin, the passenger
who professed to have important infor?
mation about the explosion, refuses to
make any further statements than he
made at quarantine The other pas?
sengers of the Seguracca did not take
Mr. Carbin as seriously as he took
himself.
Tliere ?s Joy at the Maine's
Wreck.
New York, Feb. 21 -A dispatch
to the Tribune from Havana says r
The Maine is actually in ribbons,
but enocigb of the vessel remains to
make possible a determination of
whether the explosion came from
without or within. The officers of the
Maine do not publicy discuss the
theory of a sub marine mine, which
may ba vs been set off by explosion,
bot it evidently, has weight with
them. They are particularly anxious
for points to be gathered from the ex*
am i nat?o a of the plates of the hull.
Their belief is that these will have
to establish whether the explosive
force came from without or not. The
nature of the damage to the port side
has not been fully settled, but the
weight of opinion seems to be that
the hole was made by an external ex
plosion
Captain Sigsbee thinks that the in?
vestigation to be made by him, will
be completed in three days and the
result laid before the court of in
quiry.
Captain General Blanco and the
palace officials show every official
courtesy. Their sincerity is undoubt
ed ; so is their anxiety. A special ef?
fort is being made to discourage talk
of the explosion being otherwise than
accidental.
The newspapers give prominence
to dispatches saying that it is recog?
nized in the TJuited States that the
casualty was purely an accident.
Prominence is also given to Madrid
dispatches quoting Sagasta and other
Spanish statesmen to the effect that
the sympathy in sorrow has caused
friendly feeling between Spain and the
United States
Notwithstanding these assurances
from abroad, a painful impression is
caused m Cuba by the knowledge
that a considerable element among the
Spanish classes rejoice with little
secrecy e ver the disaster If instances
were isolated, it would not ba im?
portant Unfortunately, the verified
cases are too many to support this
charitable view. In several places
Spanish army officers have drunk
toasts that other vessels of the Amer?
ican navy may follow the Maine.
Washington, Feb. 20.-The naval
Court of inquiry appointed to investi?
gate the Maine disaster will begin its
work at Havana to-morrow. Th's
news eame to the navy department th's
morning from Admiral Sicard at Key
West. He simply telegraphed as fol?
lows : "Tho Court of loquiry set sail
for Havana, 20, by light house steam?
er Mangrove. Maris arrived to day.
This prompt action is undoubtedly ?
due to tho express direction from Sec?
retary Loog sent yesterday to have the
investigation begun at the earliest pos?
sible moment. The telegram
dated ysctsrday, so the board should
have arrived there before nightfall and
be ready (o bogia its work io-mororw
morning. By an error incident to the
haste with whiob the orders were got?
ten out the first accounts placed Liu
tenant Commauder Seaton Schroder on
the board as the third member, while
ss a matter cf fact Lieutenant Com?
mander Potter, the executive offioer of
the flag ship New York, holds that
' place j
The board undoubtedly would have I
started previously, hut for the necessity j
of awaiting the arrival at Key West j
from Wfishington .of Lieutenant C^-rn-j
mander Marix, a naval officer weil j
skilled in matters of marine, who ?9 to j
be judge &dvooate of the Court. Capt. j
Sigsbee was beard from late last uight, j
but the telegram was not delivered at j
tha navy department until this raesssgc j
gofs to confirm the press reports of tue
events of yesterday in Havana harhor !
so far as they relate ?o tbe exploration ?
of Lbe ?reek I: reads a?, follows : j
"Harans, February 19-Only most!
experienced wrecking divers cao <j-> ef '
? fective work on the Maine fn tho up- :
j per works i cari n*e service divers.
i Did ponto work io day. bot with little !
j ?noces?. Wili co better to-morro?.
! Parts of thi* Maire, especially thc; sc- .
i pcrstructure and conn?o<ion?, arc one
! confused masa of metal "
j Another brief telegram rn Capt
Sigsbpp. rends: .'Havana, Febuarv ;
19.-'The Btchc,' which njcans thc :
coa*t turvey steamer, ba? arrived at j
Havana, brioging on board all wreck- !
ing apparatus sent from squadron/7 ?
Ratified Acts.
List of the Important New
Laws Enacted by the
Legislature.
The followiog are the acts of general
importance enacted ?;t the recent >ea
aioo of the general assembly :
Ways and means committee : An
Act to raise supplies and maka appro?
priations for the fiscal ysar commencing
January lr 1898.
Ways and means committee : An
Act to make appropriations for the pay?
ment of the per dism, mileage and sta?
tionery certificates of the members of
thc General Assembly, the salaries of
subordinate officers and employes
thereof, and for other purposes herein
named
Mr. Baist, for committee. An Act
to fix the salaries of the county super
?3tendects of ?ducation cf the several
counties of this State.
Dr. O'Dell : An Act to amend an
Act entitled "An Act requiring the
sinking food commission to lend fuods
to the several county boards of commis?
sioners of the State for the use of their
counties in preference to lending same
to other applicants for said funds,'* ap?
proved 25th February, 1897.
Mr. Moses : A joint resolution to
repeal a joint resolution entitled "A
joint resolution to require tbe Comp?
troller Genera! to issue hit warrant for
tbe cost of advertising the appoint?
ments of tbe eounty boards of registra?
tion and tbe State Treasurer to pay tbe
same,1' approved March 2, 1897.
I Mr. McCullough : An Act relating
to the collection of taxis in towns and
eitles
Mr Stevenson. An Aet to define
the rights of tbe sinking fund commis?
sion as to unpaid tax claims, and for?
feited and other lands in tho control of
said commission aod for the manage?
ment of the ease.
Way? and means committee : An
Act to make appropriations to meet the
ordinary expenses of the State Govern?
ment for the fiscal year commencing
January 1, 1898.
Mr. Norris : Act in relation to the
collection cod disbursement by the com?
missioners of the sinking fuod of the
unpaid tax claim due upon or by the
Blue Ridge Railroad in tbe counties of
Anderson and Oconee.
Judiciary committee : An Act to
regulate the rate of interest upon any
contract arising in this State for the
hiring, lending or usc of money or
other commodity.
Mr. Ashley : A joint resolution to
extend the time for the payment of
the commutation road tax until 30th
April, 1898
Mr. Gasque : An Aai to repeal Sec?
tion 229 of the Revised Statutes of
1893, being Section 177 of tbe Geoeral
Statutes, as to special return* by mer?
chants for taxation.
Mr LesesDe : An aet to authorize
town authorities to exchange labor of
town convicts with county authorities.
Mr Moses : An Act to amend Sec?
tions 4, 5. 10, ll, 12 and 13 of an
Act entitled "An Act to provide for
tho registration of alli electors io tb ii
State qualified to vote io State, county,
municipal. Congressional and Presiden?
tial elections."
Mr. T E. Johnson : An Act to de?
clare the hw a3 to fees of clerks of
Courts r.ud registers of mesue oonvcy
anse for certifying to tho recordiog cer?
tain written instruments.
Mr Winkler: An Act to amend an
Act entitled "An Act to declare tbe
law io relation to li?na on real estate,"
approved Deoember 24, 1879.
Mr Pottigrew : An Act to confer
on tbe councils of the cities and towns
of this S:ate. power to make and e?tab
iish csrtam rales, by-laws and ordinan?
ces, including general police power.
Mr. Garr?s : An Act relating to
the records in the office of county ?audi?
tor?.
Mr. Aldrich : An Act to require all
magistrates to submit their dockets to
the county, board of commisioners
quarterly, and gaiu bo;ird to report on
name to Court.
Mr Mayfield : An Act to amend
Title 4, Section T46, of the Code of
Civil Procedure of 1882, being known
a?j Section 146 of the Code of Civil
Procedure of 1S93. relating to the place
of trial of civil action.
Mr. Mayfield : An Act to amtod an
Aet entitled "An Aot to prohibit trusts
and combinations and to provide penal
ties." approved 25:h of Februarv,
1897
Mr Sullivan : An Act to authorize
sherill* aod deputy ahe?iffs of tho State
to arrest criminals without warrants ia
certain oesew
Mr. DeBrob' .' An Act to establish
and declaro the law na to distress for
reot.
Mr. Dennis : An Aot to require
the magistrates to hold preliminary in
vest???rions in orisDto&l cases beyond
their juri*dicr.ios unless waived io wr?
i r. o
Mr. T. E Johnson : An Acr. to
regulare the fees for filing, indexing
acd certifying chattel mortgages where
ihe amounts secured if not mote than
one hundred dollars
M.r William': An Act to empower
the c*erfc of Circuit Courts to appoint
guardians ad li'em.
Mr Hendcuon : An Act to empower
roagistrates tn or-icr services by publica?
tion iipon absent d?fendants
Mr. Heniier'-oti : Ar. Act to make
;he drawing of jurera public.
Mr. Patton : An Aot to construe
mortgages of real estate within this
Stare!
Mr. Winkler: An Act to amend
I Section 1, of the Revised Statutes
South Carolina, Volume Ii of the R
I vised Statute* of 1893. relating to tl
j arrest of a ff lon
Mr. Henderson: An Aot to mal
l'ne embezzlement of public funds
felony and to fix the ponishmei
thereof.
Mr Moses : An Act to presoril
J and provide for the salaries of sher
! and coroner of the county of Somier.
Mr. Wiokler : A joint resolution
authorize and direct- the Comptrollt
General to draw warrants oo the Sta
Treasurer io favor of the coanty trea
ursrs for the amouat due each couni
in tho apportionment of the suppl
menterj school fund derived from tl
net income from the saie of spirituot
liquors.
Mr. Sloan: An Act to amend a
Act entitled "An Aot to require oe
tain officers to keep an itemized accout
of their income by virtue of their offic
and to require them to make an annu
report of the same to the county supe:
visor," approved March 2. 1897
Mr. McDaniel : An Aet to amend s
Act entitled "Aa Act to dispense wit
publication annually cf the itemize
statements of their departments b
county treasurers of Fairfield and othe
counties.
Mr. ? D Smith : An Aet to amen
an Act entitled "An Act to amend a
Act entitled 'An Act io provide a sy*
tem of county government for th
several coan ties of this State, so far 8
it relates to the working of the road
and highways in this State,'" approve
23d March. 1896. excepting Sumte
County.
Mr Toole : An Act to require th
county superintendent to raak
monthly apportionment of all money
collected by county treasurers fo
the preceding month and to requir
the county treasurer to pay out th
same.
Mr. O'Dell : Ao Act to amend a
Act entitled "An Act to amend Sec
tion 27 of an Act entitled 4An Ac
to provide a system of county gov
erument for the. several counties c
this State, so far as it relates to tb
working and maintaining the road
and highways in this State/ " ap
proved 2d March, 1897
Mr Hydrick : An Act to emem
an Act entitled "An Act to ament
Section 662 of the Revised Statute
of 1893, Volume 1, being Section 21
of an Act entitled 'An Act to pro
vide a system of coonty governmen
for the several counties of tb'
State,' " approved January 4, A D
1894
Mr. Henderson : An Act to pro
vide for the coonty government o
the varions counties of the State.
An Act to exempt students of col
leges from road duty and the pay
ment of commutation tax in thi
towns and cities of this State
Mr. T. E. Johnston : An Act tc
amend an Act approved February 17
1S98, entitled "An Act to provide
the pupils attending the free public
schools with school text books at ac
tuai cost."
Mr. Kibler : An Act to require th<
free public schools, of this State t(
observe the third Friday in Novem
ber cf each year as Arbor Day.
Mr Norris : An Act to regulate
the electian of the trustees of the
Clemson Agricultural College of Soutt
Carolina.
Mr. Brown : An Act to authorize
universities and colleges of this State
to provide s course of study and con
fer the degree of licentiate of in?
struction, which shall authorize theil
graduates to teach in the free pub?
lic schools of the State without ex
amination.
Mr. Wilson : An Act lo create the
county of Lee from portions of Ker
shaw, Darligton and Sumter counties,
with boundaries as hereinafter de
scribed, and to provide for the erec
tion of court house and jail, for the
folding of courts and for the election
of county officers.
Mr. / her : An Act to prohibit
unreasonable discrimination by tele
phone companies doing business in
this State in the rates at which they
furnish telephones and telephone ser?
vice to their patrons in different io
calities
Mr. Graham : An Act to amend
Section 1 of an Act entitled "An Act
to prohibit emigrant agents from ply?
ing their vocation in this State, with?
out first obtaining a license therefor
and for other purposes," approved
24 December, 1891, amendatory
thereof
Mr. Moses : A joint resolution to
procure information with a view to
the establishment of a reformatory
for youthful criminals
Mr DeBruhl : An Act to protect
boarding houses and inti keepers.
An Act to require all railroads and
railroad companies operating ?rairiB
and doing business in this State to
provide and operate separate coaches
or separate apartments in coaches for
the accommodation and transporta?
tion of white and colored passengers
in the State.
Mr DeLoach : An Act to regu?
late express and telegraph companies
and to extend tne powers of the
railroad commissioners, so aa to give
them power and authority to regulate
Chargen by express companies for
transportation, to regulate tho char
gea of telegraph companies for the
transmission of messages by tele
grap, or charges by persons engaged
in the several businesses herein
named, to apply the powers given to
said commissioners, by law, over
railroad companies to all companies
or persons owning, controlling or
operating a line or lines of express
and telegraph, and make the penalties
pi escribed against railroads for violat?
ing commissioner's rules apply to
the companies and persons herein
named, whose line or line? is or are
wholly or in part in this State.
Mr. E. D. Smith : A? Act to amend
certain sections of the General Ra' I
way Law, Chapter 2, Article 10.
relating to certain offences and pen?
alties, and to insert a new* section to
be known as 1,734a.
Mr. DeLoach : An Act provid?
ing for a lien on railroads for labor
and material furnished in construction
Mr Moses : An Act to incorpo?
rate the Sumter and Wateree River
Railroad Compauy
Mr. Lofton : An Act to amend an
Act entitled "An Act to amend the
Act entitled 'An At to regulate the
traffic in 6eed cotton in the counties
of Abbeville. Aiken, Sumter, York,
Edgefield, Berkeley, Kershaw. Rich?
land Orangebnrg. Charleston, Chester
and Union,'7 approved December 19,
1889.
Mr. Winkler : An Act to amend
Sections 1 and 2 of an Act entitled
"An Act to require any insurance
company or association to be pos?
sessed of $100,000 surplus or capital
on deposit with some State for the
benefit of all policy holders, or in
lieu thereof to deposit with the Treas?
urer of this State valid securities
aggregating $10,000 ; said securities
to be subject to any judgment against
said companies, and such, judgments
shall operate as a lien on such secur?
ities, and providing a penalty for the
violation of the provfcions of this
Act."
Mr. McCullough : An Act to
amend an Act entitled ''An Act to
amend Section 15 of an Act entitled
'An Act to provide for the election
of the State board of control and to
further regulate the sale, use and
consumption, transportation, disposi?
tion, of intoxicating and alcoholic
liquors," etc, approved March 5,
1897, to prevent the manufacturing
and distilling of such liquors within
two miles of any church or public
8 ch 00*1.
?ai ?.?-??? m*
Fusion for the Rescue of the
Republic.
The forces hostile to the gold trust
are getting themselves in solid line
for the coming and final conflict with
that monetary monopoly. Last week
a caucus at which every silver Re?
publican and Populist in Congress
including Senators and Representa?
tives, was present, took formal action
on a silver fosion The sentiment
was unanimously in favor of fusing
with the Democrats in local elections
this year, looking to a general fusion
in the presidential election of 1900.
There was not a siogle dissent to this
programme and the sense of every
silver Republican and Populist pres?
ent was that William J. Bryan was the
logical presidential candidate.
In this early movement for a united
action of all the elements opposed to
the monetary despotism of the gold
standard is afforded the most en?
couraging hope that the Republic
will be rescued from the plutocratic
oligarchy that has gained control of
it. In this great druggie involving
the very life of oar free institutions,
Democrats, free silver Republicans
aud Populists will be fouud united,
a mass composed of millions of free,
intelligent and patriotic citizens
whom the minions cf the money
power will have the effrontery to
stigmatize as anarchists, repudiators
and enemies of social order.
I this crucial contest the kind of
money we shall have is not eo much
the issue cs the kind of government
we shall leave to those who shall
come after us. The struggle is not
merely agaiust an unjust and oppres
sive standard of value, but its gen?
eral and higher object is for the ?cor?
rection and suppression of the mani?
fold abuses, corruptions and usurpa?
tions in public affairs which Mc
Kinleyiera and Ilannaism stand forr
and which, if not arresed, will change
a free government into a money des?
potism.-Bellefonte, Pa , Democratic
Watchman.
A Timely movement.
A roost important congress will be
held tn Washiogton, D C , on March
2d, next. The object for wbiob it is call?
ed together is to discuss adulterations io
food and drug preparations.
The scupe of rh?9 proposed congress
will bo natiot-al to character, and ever?
State and Territory in tbs Union will
be asked to seid delfgito--. In order
to .secure proper reprrseoiations fha
Governors of t-?ch Stare and Territory
will appoint to:> delegares to the con?
gress, divided up ia ?he following man
i ner: Four agriculturists, two pharma
! cist*, one wholesale grocer, one retail
procer, o:je fo.vl man u?&c'm er and o??e
chiniical or drug maeuTactarcr. As
the object which toe proposed congress
seeks to accomplish i* of paramount aod
wiacj'prer.d interest it is earnestly de?
sired by originators of the project that
every State and Territory in the Unioa
should he represented hy complete dele
nations.-Atlanta Constitution.
A Charleston mao has given out tbs
important information that the world
wii! cerne to an end on July 6. 1899, at
precisely G p. m. It is at least con?
siderate of this gentleman to make tb*?
hour such that most of the stores wit)
be closed, tb us giving the employes
an opportunity to enjoy the spectacle.
Columbia Register.
/'