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A-xi Plum? Beady and Ripe for the Spring Picking? entire new and well-selected ?took throughout. Bress ?Ghoods. Every season the Looms :m, to tum out more beauti patterns and designs than previous years. It will be a pleasure to the teramine heart to see and ad? mire the new styles we are bowing. The designs^ for afcirta are specially attractive. Dress G-oods. * Wash Fabrics. Never befor* have we bad auch \ beau? tiful linc of these goods. All the newest and choicest products of the mii?a will be found in this de? partment. Oar assortment of Organdies can not be surpassed. Always on display, acd always a pleasure te show and make you prices Wash Fabrics. Ladies Shirt Waists. We have exclusive control of the celebrated Stanley Waists, the acknowledged leaders in this line. All new and desirable styles. All well made and good fitting. An entire new line of Ladies' Ready Made Skirts. Shirt Waists. Laces and Embroid? eries. This season we have sr issed all previous at? tempts in giving our trade a choice selection. We have some? thing new to show the ladies in a Fancy Novelty Scarf. J. RYTTEi\BER? In Springtime a young mau's fancy turns to thoughts of dress We are now prepared to satisfy that fancy to suit the most fastidious taste. STROUSE & BROTHERS' CLOTH? ING, As always, is in the lead New ideas embodied with good ? workmanship place this line of goods j beyond the reach of competitors, yet within the reach of every pocketbook. See the line of all wool Spring Suits ) we are showing from $b np Note-We have a fine assortment j of imported and domestic cloths in Pants Patterns-only oue of a kind Made to your measure and fit guar? anteed. Shoes and Slippers. Juat in i he rear of our Dry Good3 Department joa will Sud car Shoe D?? partmert whercio is done the largest sboe buMoees of this city. Lack of ppaoe permits of very little disp'ay. But we have thc goods, and can show to those interested, the choicest and daintiest line of Ladlee', Misses and Childrens Shoes, Oxfords and Slippers ever seen South. Our Men7* Shoes cao not be beat. Shoes and Slippers. ESDA Y, MASCH 30,1S?8. Tba Sumter Watchman was founded ?B 1850 and the 2V?e Southron in 1866. 6 Wofc???a? oa? Southron BOW a as Aa oombined circulation and influence ?f both of the old papen, and is man i? festly the best advertising m?dium in The proposed appropriation by Con? gress or $250,000 to furaisb supplies for the destitute people of Coba is .going a step too far with governmental charity ' What right has the government of the Uaited States ta appropriate mosey to " feed toa people of another country. If the United States proposes to feed the Cubans possession should be takes of Tho re-eleotioo of Lieutcnani Gov i j eracr McS weeney is a foregone con clnsioD. and there is no opposing can? d?oste whose ohances of election seed be taken into consideration when mak- ) Wpngtbe above e?aim. As Lieutenant ^vernor Mr. McSweeny has pleased all mho have observed bis course, and ba bas dise?arged every duty not ea ly faithfully but with ability and difcerimi batios. W: ? " r The prohibitionists appear; to be in earnest thia year, and pronase to take a band io polities. J?he show of j strength that they have made is said to v be attracting the professional politician, ?u3_ ns any "prominent leadera" of the rio and Censer vat ive factions are p-r*^looTto^&*.?eat OD the Prohibition band wagon. Jgst so! The politico prohibitionists mawt the offices, bat good bye to prohibition ^ be given a Aaoce io ear for service against Span if war is declared, bot what di* posit un will ba ?ade of the severs^rnousaod ' generale, colonels, ex-coioaels and ma? jora who infest tbe?f*&? If ibey could ba can oled tw^or three fail regiments might hi formed and not a mao would i*> of lower rank than Major. To equalise thiogs they sight adopt the plan of the State Board of Control and take terms io commanding. The taxpayers of Sumter seed give themselves no worry over the ra tn o red combines, deals and trades tc unload the plant of the Sumter Elee rie Light Company on the atty At the expiration i of tba pr?sent contrast for lighting the i city. Tba existence of a scheme to un . load oo tba cy is mest emphatically denied by those who are repoted to be parties to it, bat even sboald such a ?cheme develop io the future, it could not be carried into effect without the coueent cf thc property owners of the eity. The city council might agree to .purchase the Electric Light Plant or any other plant, but the deal could not bc consummated without the issue of bonds to pay for the plant, and no hoods aaa ba issued without submitting tbe question to a vote of tba people. We hope there is not a man in Som? ier, sot to say a snffioieo't nam ber to control the City Council, wbo would seek office for the purpose of carrying oat the scheme reported to be on foot. Such a scheme would be aa outrageous imposition and would not ba borne by the people. We are glad that the candidates who have been cred? ited with knowledge of the s?beme have denied the reports for we are satis? fied the voters cf Sumter would cast their ballots against any man whom they believed a party to a scheme to pat ap a job on the city. Two Virginia iron works have been awarded contracte for supplying cast ti il I iron projectiles for the big gum seacoast fortifications. This first contract any Southern c bas received oat of the many ed by the government since preparations for war comm There is no discrimination t the Sooth, bat this sec ion is n pared to famish the material n< and is not expected to do so ty per cent, of the millions to pended for all sorts of muniti< war will go to concern*: in the 3 and consequently what benefit ia to be derived from a war wot to the North The Sooth wouh fer the greatest loss in the eve war by reason of the depreciad the price of cotton and the appi tion in the pri?e of all kinds of visions The product that the ? bas for sale would be unsalable cept at a loss, and nearly every) that we boy would be dearer war with Spain/or any other c try, would a calamity of the gre magnitude, and the South would he evil effects more serie than any other section Tba that war would b ? a g thing and a desirable thing is as < neons as an idea could possibly War is to be resorted to only w there is no other honorable mean? settling the differences between tions and is not thea desirable ; i justifiable and nothing more If situation warrants war with Sj the people of the United Sta would not desire peace, and it ia entirely to a generral and widespr belief that cause for war exists I there is a demand for warlike me ores THE SUMTER A&D WATBB! BAILKOAD. We are gratified to hear th it C Blandiog was i&.con&renee two di last week with two railroad engine 'from New York representing the p tiea with whom he entered into a a tract to build the railroad from Sn ter to Middleton Junctiou. They ( amined Thursday the approaches ir. the city for the purpose of a dep site Of coarse, this is s matter j personal importance to ali of our c izens, but more to our merchant and most to the farmers of the cou ty who ship from Sunter and ha' ultimately to pay the freights, competitive line will certainly he al! of the above, and we believe, w give a new stimulus to the business the City of Sumter, which every or must admit, has for several years r quired some stimulant Col. Bianding, with Dr. Mi Laurin, on Friday and Satarda carried the New Yoik eng neera over the whole line of rout from Sumter to the Wateree Juni tion, that they could inspect the t< pography of the country and m ak estimates of the cost of building an equipping the road. Upon their est mates will, of ccurse, depend whett er foreign capitalists, whom the6 gentlemen represent, will build th road ; and without foreign capital al will admit that the scheme will agaii be a failure. We cannot but admire Col. Blanc ing's faith and energy in making it ? success But we must add that wc cannot see how he can succeed, i the owners of land along the route do not give the rights of way. I; each one is locking ofter his own pe? cuniary interests aDd demands rnouey for what is useless to him, and has not public spirit enough to look to the general good of tho whole com? muaity, then it must be a failure, and yet no fault of bis. Look to Florida ! Ia tbe evens of war with Spain the S?a?e of Florida raastf?nevitably become j the military outpost of either offensive i or defensive aetioc on the part of the j United States. Florida would be the j Virgina of the campaign, should strife j ensuii Key West is already tbe storm .eenter. and the strategic value of the Florida east coast ss a ta3e of supply i and for the movement of troops assumes an importance which should at once en? gage the attention cf the government. Fd'tunate is it for the government that by the liberality and far-sighted genius of one of our oitizens, Mr. Hen? ry M.. Flagler, not o?iy bave the sand dunes and hammocks of East Florida been made to blossom ss tbe rose, bar by bia unaided enterprise a railroad has been built to a point 160 miles from Key West, and a harbor created io Bis cayoe Bay, where no adequate harbor formerly existed. The extension of the Florida East Coast Railway to Miami last year not only created the tbrtviig city Miami, bat necessitated the cu;ticg of a channel from the rail way terminus to the ocean for the development of American commerce st that port and the facilitation of travel. A million dollars have been . speeded by Mr Flagler in his eoor mcus enterprise, with the result that within another week a twelve-foot channel will be open through Biscayne Bay, and the new Steamship now ply in 2 between Mi*mt and Nassau will be abie to oe me to her pier at iVliami Should it become oeoesaary to move troops and eopplies rapidly ta the South, Mr. Fiagier'a railway and open harbor in the Biscayne would be imme? diately available. At the same time the go merriment should without delay assume the task of carrying forward the work which Mr. Flagler bas PO well began The channel is deep enough for the Miami and for vessels of equal draugb , but for government uses it should be at least twenty-six feet This great natural harbor io the Bis? cayne ie the only one between Key West and Jacksonville capable of improve ment for nse by war v?asela and of de fecse from attaok. No better use could be made of the President's emergency fuod : I an to devote a portion of it to the prompt development and defense of a harbor which is bound to play tu im pert 5 o-- part io aoy cot flict which may be cocettaken io Cuban sad Floridean waters -Thc New York Mail and Ex press. The Extermination of a Race. Senator Galiinger adds to the calm and bonifying testimony of Senttor Proctor his own somber and sadden? ing testimony as to the shocking spectacles that affronted his eyes and grieved his soul dating his brief visit to Havana and Matanzas There needed no corroboration of the de j 8criptso:i drawn in the reserved and carefully chosen words of the Senator from Vermont ; but added horror is given to his picture by some of the dreadful details which the New Hampshire Senator does not shrink from sketching. It is to be remern bered Lhat Senator Gallinger is a physician as well as a keen observer and thal; to his statements of visible death from starvation and the dis essf-8 sequent to famine there at taches the value of expert medical testimony. Th?* most impressive statement made by Senator Gallinger is that the number of reconcentrados who have been sent to their death through the barbarous edict of Weyler has reach ed the appalling total of 425,000 Out of aticient and medieval history, in the hind to hand conflicts incident to the migrations of races, or to the exploits of great pagan conquerors like Alexander or Caesar, there have come statistics of wholesale 6laugh ter that have been accepted as more traditional than accurate. But here, al the close of nineteen cen? turies ot' Christianity, in a land wheio Columbus raised the cross simultaneously with the standard of Ferdinand and Isabella, at the very doors of "the land of tho free and the home of the brave," nearly a half a million cf people have been ruthlessly killed by a campaign of extermina lion it has been assumed thu/v^^L that ihe total of 200,000 deatWl H ported by Consol-General Lee and based upon Spanish official figures was approximately correct That to tal was assuredly terrible enough to shock'the sensibilities of a civilized people. But it now appears that Gen. Lee regarded the truth as in? credible and he cut the frightful fig mes in half This is an incident against Spain that arraigns that nation before the bar of civilization. Whatever the finding of the Board of Inquiry as to the mystery of the Maine may be, this indictment makes it possible to believe that a government guilty of the massacre of a race is capable of a deed of treachery equally without parallel in history The disclosures made to day by Senator Thurston, coming as a climax to the horros narrated by Senators Proctor and Gallinger, only emphasize the neces sity for action that shall put immediate end to this racial tragedy Humanity is the warrant for instant interference. Just what form that interference may take is for the President to decide. Its direct pur pose will be the relief of the starking Cubans. It may be that ship loads of food and medicines, carried in vessels of war, will be sent to Cuba If Spain opposes such relief she will array herself on the side of atrocity against humanity, and if a conflict follows it will be a war of civilization against barbarity.-Mail and Ex press SPANISH COURT'S ; RE? PORT "CONFUSED." Madrid, March 25 -The Spanish government has received the Spanish report on the lots of the Maine, which, however, is said to be "con? fused" and explanations are said to have been requested. In any case, it is added, it will not be published until after the report of the United States naval conrt of inquiry bas been made public The Spanish report says it "scieu ! tifically and practically demonstrated that the explosion was internal " The United States minister, Gen. Stewart L Woodford, had a long con? ference this evening with the minis? ter for foreign affairs, Senor Gollon. Absolute reticence is observed as to what transpired The Correspondencia says the Spanish government will despatch a note to Washington, requesting that the report on the loss of the Maine be not sent to congress until both re? ports are presented and considered by both governments General Lee on The Day of His Surrender. 1 took my first and last look at tbe great Confederate chieftain. This is what I saw : A finely formed man apparently about 60 years of age, well above the average height, with a clear ruddy complexion-just suffused 03- a de^.p crimson flash thai; rising from bis neck overspread bis face and even slightly tinged his broad forehead, which, bronzed where it bad been ex? posed to the weather, was olear and beautifully white where it Ind beco shielded by his bat-d*ep brown eyes, a firm but well shaped Roman nose, abuodaot gray hair, silky gray beard and mustache, neatly trimmed and not overlong, but which uevertbelers almost completely concealed bis mouth. A splendid uniform of Confederate gray cloth, that bad evidently seen but little service, which was closely buttoned about bim, and fisted bim to perfection An exquisitely mounted sword, attach ed to a gold embroidered Russia-leather belt, trailed loofoly on tbe floor at hi? side, and in his right hand he carried a broadbrimmr-d soft gray felt hat, encir? cled by a golden cord, while in his left he held a pair of buckskin gauntlets Booted aod spurred, still vigorous and erect, he stood bareheaded looking out of the open doorway, sad faced aod weary ; a soldier and a gentleman, bearii.g himself in defet with an all unconscious dignity (hat sat well upon him.-From "The Closing Scene at Appomattox Court House," by Gen? eral George A. Forsyth. I J. S. A., in Warper's Magazine for April. Washington Letter. Washington, March 28 -War ! War!! War!!! That has been the cry on every side in tones higher aod higher, sioce the official report of the Navil Court of inquiry, confirmed the opinion that bad been general from the day the Maine was blown up, by say? ing that the explosion was on the out sid9 of the vessel, and showing, by evidence presented, the impossibility of private parties being able to get or to put io to position explosives powerful enough to do what was done in Havana harbor without the assistance or conniv ance of Spanish officiais Mr. McK;n ley knows that war is the only outcome of the situation, notwithstanding that he persists io talking peace while the whole administration is acting war, but be has an overwhelming anxiety to have Spain make the first open hostile move, just as though the blowiog op of tbe Maine was no: a hostile act, and as if the flotilla of torpedo boats and tor? pedo boat destroyers now making its way towards American waters, alleged to bi bcuod for Porto Rico, was not another hostile act His reasons for not wishing to brgin is a fear that Europe may think that be bad forced the war upoo Spain Mr. McKinley bas a policy which he thinks will force Spain to ger out of Cuba peaceably, to declare war against the Uniter] States, or to begio fighting us without a declaration of war. He told leading Senators and Represeota fives enough of this policy before send? ing the Maine report to Congress to secare their promises to aid in keeping Congress from aotiog on the Maine re port until tbis policy can be put ieto effeet, or at least be tried. This policy is to be intervention in Cuba, in the name of humanity, and under it, the loss of the Maine is to be a side issue, treated as the result of incompetence rather tb au criminal intention on tbe part of the Spanish government, and no specific reparation therefor is to be asked, although, it is said, that Mr McKinley indulges the hope that Spain will voluntarily make some offer in that line-a.hope not shared by anybody else, so far as known. The first offi? cial move in ?hi* policy will be a mes sage from Mr. McKinley to Congress, asking for an appropriation to be used for the relief of ail Cubans who are io need. It will not be an easy matter to hold Congress down until McKinley's inter? vention policy caa be carried out, al? though there is very little doubt that it will eventually bring on war with Spain just as certainly as would a declaration cf war. Bat there is sn opinion in the minds of many men io Congress that it would be more in keeping with Ameri? can character to openly declare war upon Spain, regardless of European opinion, than to virtually force Spain to take the initiative io the war, by aeriog under thc cloak of humanity Representative Lewis, of the State of Washington, voiced the opinion of this element in Congress when he said : "War is already upon us. We are fools to disguise it It is not patriotic to delude ourselves further A .Spanish flotilla is sailing toward.** our shores It is the duty of tbe government to intercept that flotilla and blow it from the seas/' And the enthusiastic cheers which greeted bis quotation from a speech made by John Randolph, io the House, in 1822. were nignifioaot "A3 we would not be bullied by the British lion, so we refuse ro be frightened by the Spanish jackall " The Secretary of the Interior has asked Congress for an appropiiation of more than $8,000,000 to meet a defi cienoy in the pension funds for the cur? rent fiscal year. The republican lead? ers in Congress probably knew that this deficiency would exist, and that wa9 why they insisted upon making the pen? sion appropriation for tbe next fiscal year about $10,000,000 lees than they know will be required. It is ail a part of the scheme to Leep down the total of appropriations at this session of Con? gress. The democratic filibustsr while the Na^al Appropriation bill was being cocsidercd by the House, sitting as a committee of the whole, was not made :o delay the Naval bili, but as a rebuke to Representative Payne, of New York, who was presiding ted who tried to out Czar thu Czar himself, by refus? ing to allow Representative Hartman, of MOD tana, to com Dicte a speech be begat:, because Mr. Hartman, woo is a silver republican, oared to satirize tbe republicao party, aod as such it was fully deserved Representative Bailey, wbo led the filibustering, correctly stated the democratic position whoa be said, in protesting against tbe refusal of Little Czar Payne to enterrain a de? mand for tellers on a vote upon an ap peal from his decision : ' If you do not permit U3 to verify the count, you destroy the last safeguard of the mi? nority A dishonest roan in the chair and lhere have been dishonest men in the chair-could defeat the will of this House. T am free to say that my par pose in inaugurating this filibuster was tn consume twice as much time as you Denied the gent {em au from Montana, and I intend to do it every time you deny a reasonable derated." Power for the President To Protect the Country's Hon or and Prestige. Washington, March 25.-General Wheeler, of Alabama, to day intro? duced in the House a bili providing "that in the event of an act of war being committed by Spain or any other foreign nation prior to the meeting of the next session of Con? gress, the Preeident of the United States is hereby authorized to accept tenders of volunteer troops, to pur? chase arms and munitions cf war to equip such troops for active service, organize such troops into brigades, divisions and armies for active ser? vice, appoint necessary general, staff and other officers, except such field and company officers as may have already been selected or may hereaf? ter be selected by .proper authority, and do any other act necessary to the safety of the country, or any part thereof, ?nd to protect its honor and prestige " The second section appropriates the necessary money to carry out the provisions of the act. IT IS UNLAWFUL. Public Schools Cannot Charge Pupils Incidental Fe68. it appears to have been customary for some time for the public sehools of the State to charge a small inci? dental fee of 10 cents a week, or $1 a year Frequently the patrooscom? plain that this a perversion of the public school law and that the trus? tees have no right to impose this fee, as a public school should be free in fact as well as in name. The State superintendent of educa? tion recently received a letter from the superintendent of the Laurens graded school, in which it was* stated that some of the patrons of the school have refused to pay this in cidental fee. Mr. Mayfield forthwith submitted the matter to Attorney General Bar? ber, who has expressed himself as of the opinion that public schools have no right to impose such incidental fees The letter from Mr Barber reads as follows : Dear Sir : Your reference to this office of the letter of Prof J B. Watkins, superintendent of the Lau? rens Graded schools, has my atten? tion. I note his statement that the trus? tees of his school charge ?1 per session for incidental expenses and that a few of the patrons refuse to pay this fee His inquiry is, "Wheth? er or not the trustees have a right to stop children from school if their parents refuse to pay the fee ?" In the school law of the State there is no authority for the trustees of any public school charging such incidental fee, and the charge is therefore illegal. I am, therefore, of the opinion that the trustees cannot discharge from the school children whose parents refuse payment. Vciy truly yours, WILLIAM A. BARBER. Attorney General. The oleciioo for members of the Spanish Cortes passed off quietly and resulted in a sweeping victory for the government