Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

r- ije Ufatcljman an j^outljro . . -' . HB SUMTER WATCHMAN, Established April I ssc ."Be Just arid Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and .Truth's." THE TRUE SOUTHRON. Established jone, 1366 Consolidated Aug. 2,1881 New Series-Yoi. XVIII. So. 45 fyt Mainmast at r Soa |rmt Pnblis ed Every ^TeSaes ay, SUMTER, S. C. TERMS : $1.50 per aQUOI--io advance. IDY RTIB I IST: ODO Square first insertion.;..-....-00 Krerj si^bog.uent insertion....... 50 * : Of>^S^ ^Tmontbs, or longer wil iced. i tiona which subserve private i versements. be na War and How it Agolnaido Alway gm m W aebington, May 31 -The seere taiy of war today made public the report of Gen Otis, transmitting the reports of bis subordinate officers on the operations around Manila up to April 6. Gen Otis begins with this state ment: "These military operations are fairly well represented in the re ports and I have little to add thereto, bot desire particularly to call atten tention to the rise and development of conditions and circumstances which resulted finally in war. This I deem to l)e "essential in "order to correct the somewhat prevailing im pression that the government of the United States is responsible through ec it ~*or wrongful action for the present existing hostilities/' To this end he gives a short sum mary of the Philippines insurrection against Spains laying stress on the that a small band of natives of Luzon, ieaiera of the rebellion of '96 against Spain, w,ere induced for a monetary consideration to leave the T ietie men returned to tbe vicinity of Manila after the destruc tion of toe Spanish fleet, they being as Gen. Otis says, ''encouraged w its ont authority to attempt the organiza tion of what they were pleased to denominate aa independent govern ment for the Philippine people." Independence, Gen Otis says, was proclaimed by Aguinaldo in August ' and early ss July he had warned the United States authorities against the landing of its military forces oo Phil ippine soil without first obtaining his consent, because, as he expressed it, '-tbs Philippine people might consider ihe occupation of Philippine territory by North American troops a violation of their rights." Gen Otis says : ** When the United States forces landed from their trans ports near and to the south of Manila for the purpose of attacking the city the fiction that tfeey were acting as allies of the insurgents and in fur therance ol" Philippine in defence ap pears to have been conveyed by in ?urgents leaders v Geo. Otis describes Aguinaldo's efforts to streogtheo his Hoes in prepa ration far hostilities with the United States daring thia time and explains the growth of the io surge ot indepen dent movement. Describing briefly tbe high tension that existed at the time. Geo. Otis includes io explanation of his coarse some highly important correspondence that passed bot ween himself and Aguinaldo. Early io January Gen. Otis was asked by conservive Filipinos io appoint a committee of army officers to meet an insurgent committee by which peace might he maintained. Gen. Otis refused to recognize an ' ineurgent govern moot hot waa willing to negotiate with Aguinaldo or a commission ap pointed hy him. Tba report sett ont io fall the correspondence oo this subject which passed between Gen. Otis and Agoioal do. The latter Barned a commission consisting of three of his leaders to confer with Geo. Otis, with a view to ao amicable understanding but express ed surprise that Otis would not receive the eoaitasssiooert aa oficial repreeenta tivea of tbs flNorgent government. Ia hts rep!j Geo. Otis explaioed that ho was acting Merely as the agent of the Doited States government Aa soon ho had oo aothority to recognize I tbs Filipino government and could not | receive, officially, representatives of that govern meet. He expressed earn est hope that the commissioners named by hia aod by Aguinaldo would be ablo through conference to dispel the misooderftandiog which existed. He was ooder strict orders from the president, ba said to avoid a conflict if possible, bot he admonished Aguinaldo that the American troops were aware of the Filipinos efforts to precipitate hostilities. He pointed out that a definite policy with refereooe to the Philippines would have to be declared by congress and for the action of congress be hoped Aguinaldo would wait. Geo. 0:is says the negotiations wet barren of practical resal s The insu gent members desired absolute indi pendene^, but were unauthorized t present any statement they could main tain, in the- latter part of Januar the insurgents became aggressiv interfering with the American troop; and finally led Gen. Otis to add res another Utter to Aguinaldo catlin j attention to the arrest of Filipinos c some American soldiers and a newi paper correspondent and requesting a explanation. Gen. Otis' letter added "I am doing everything possible t preserve the peace aod avoicf all fric tioo until tbe Philippine people eau b made folly acquainted with the sen ti men and intentions of tbe American govern mest, wheo 1 am confident that the will appreciate the' endeavors of th United States and will again look upo: that country as their friend an protector. I also fully believe that th prseeut unrest is the result of machina tion of evii-dispoeed persons.'7 To this letter Aguinaldo sent a sar castid reply, but ordered the release o tbe prisoners. Geo. Otis next tells how the Ameri can soldiers were openly insulted ao< how the insurgents had continually labored to strengthen their lines i threatening to drive the Americans ou of the island, and how finally on tb< I night of Feb. 4 the demonstration wa made, which resulted in the killing o a Filipino by an American sentry ant the firing on the Amerioaus by tbs -insurgent troops. Gen: Otis continue! as follows : "The insurgent army had thus sue ceeded in drawing tbs fire of a stn al outpost, which they had evidently la bored with all their ingenuity to ac oomplish in order to justify in som* way tbeir premeditated attack. It if not believed that the chief insurgeai leaders wished to open hostilities al this time as they were not completely prepared to assume the initiative I They desired two or three days more tc perfect tbeir arrangements, but thc seal of tbeir army brought on the crisie ! which anticipated their action. v They j could not have delayed long,Jhowever, j for it was tb sir object to foroe an issue i before American troops then en route i could arrive at Manila. "The movement of troops during the protracted engagement which fol lowed and their success at every point i are described io the accompanying re ! ports of the commanding generals o j division I cannot speak too highly ol j the efficiency displayed by the troops uoder th9 most trying ordeals, and where all organizations engaged con ducted themselves so courageously it would be difficult to undertake special 'mention. "During the night of Feb. 4 and the following day the insurgents of the city were greatly agitated, fearing for theil personal safety. A portion to the number of about 8,000, bad been en rolled in a secret society for the pur pose of attaoking our troops within tbe city and performing incendiary work while the insurgents pressed us from without. This purpose waa well knowo and an attack upon our forces both io front and rear was anticipated. So admirably, however, had Gen. Hughes, the provost marshal general, disposed of 3,000 troops of his oom mood that the risiog was suppressed wherever attempted." Io conclusion, Gen. Otis explains in detail bis movoment on Caloocan and says that it was attended with the accus tomed success of American arms Ten Thousand Volunteers is Likely the Number. Washington Jone 1.-Replying to the inquiries of the secretary of war, Gen Gtis telegraphs "that be is still of" the opinion that 30,000 troops will bo necessary for the effective control of the Philippines " Secretary Alger took Gen. Otis7 cable to the president, and after a conference with bim stated that the text of the dispatch would not be made public "It reaffirms Gen. Otis7 estimate made sometime ago,77 said tho secretary, of his ability to cope with tho situation. As I stated yesterday, the regulars now no the way or under orders to go to the Philippines will give Gen Otis about 24,000 or 25,000 men after the withdrawal of the volunteers.77 "Where will the additional 5,000 or 6,000 men for whom Gen Otis asks come from ?" the secretary was asked. "That bas not been definitely determined ss yet," he replied. "We may be able to take the addi tional troops asked for from the regu lars now located in this country, Cuba and Puerto Rico, or it may be found advisable to muster in volun teers '7 "In case it is decided to call for volunteers, will the call only be for the 5,000 or 6,000 men necessary to bring Gen Otis7 total up to 30,000 ?'7 "If volunteers are called for,'7 re plied the secretary, "the call will probably be for 10,000 men." Paper DC reis, sew paper novels at H. 6 Osteea & Co's. NO PEACE IN THE PHILIPPINE THE INSURGENTS RA\ AGAIN BECOME AG GRESSIVE. Manila, May 28, 8 p m -The i proach of the wet season finds 1 insurrection seemingly taking a n ! ease on life. All along tbe Amerk lines the rebels are showing m< aggressive activity, in their goerri style, than at any time since the 1 of Malalos. They keep the United States troc in the trenches, sleeping in th clothes and constantly on the ali against dashes upon our outposts a they make life warm for the Ame can garrisons in the towns. The bands pf Gen. Luna and Gi Mascardo, which retreated towa Tarlac when they feared they wot be caught between Gen. M ac Art h and Gen. Lawton, have returned force to thai/ old trenches aron San Fernando where there are dai collisions. Opposite our lines on the sou protecting Manila, all the way aroui San Pedro Macati, the Filipinos ha three rows of trenches most of t distance Reports from prisoners indica that the insurgents construe ti peace negotiations to mean that il Americans have had enough of figc tug The Filipinos are also encou aged by the belief that the America are prepairiog for an interval of ina tivity daring the wet season This period is eure to be followc by much suffering Thousands acres that were under cultivation la year have not been plowed this yea and the government will probably 1 obliged to feed thousands, jost as fed the Cubans. Friendly native ' amigos,'5 continue to pour into tl American lines by land and rivi routes, coming from the territory insurrection into the country whei the passage of the two armies ht left no food, and practically turowie themselves upon the charity of the conquerors. Such able bodied mc as are not in the Filipino ranks ha\ been kept by the insurgent leaders 1 dig trenches, and old men, worrie and children form the mass of tb refugees. These are- doing son: plowing, but they will be confronte with hunger before they can reali*2 any subsistence from their crops. The United States army has orgai ize a system of distributing rice i Malolos and some of the small* towns where Filipinos stores wei captured, but the latter will soon I exhausted. The United States transport Morga C y, which arrived here from Sa Fracoisoo with 600 recruits for th various regiments sailed today for Hoi: with the troops As it was impossible to take to Spai the remains of the Spanish Geo. Mot tero who was fatally * woo oded in recent engagement with the Filipino in the island of Mindanao and who die while being brought here from Zinc boaogo oo the transport Loon XIII, i was deoided that the interment ghoul take place io Manila.' The Toners ifero held today, hundreds of Spanis soldiers and civilians attending tb cortege to the grave with wreaths an flags. j Tbe Saoish papers deslare tbat Mon I tero was a victim of the Spanish gov emmenas neglect. i - Insurgents Occupy Zamboan ga-Otis Woad Enlist Mac cabebes. Manila, May 27, 10.15 a m.-Th Spanish steamer Leon XIII landed th 23d regiment of United States regu lars on the island of Jolo, and tool on board the Spanish garrison, th Americans paying the Spaniards th< usual honors The steamer then proceeded t< Zamboanga, island of Mindanao, ant the troops there embarked on th< Leon XIII, the Puerto Rico, th< I Uranie and iles Hermanos, the three [ last named vessels sailing for Spain. The insurgents agreed not to mo lest the Spaniards during the evacua tion The Leon XIII entered Maniii harbor last evening with flags flying at half mast in honor of Geo. Monte ro, who died on the passage from Zamboanga to Manila from wounds received in a recent engagement^th the Filipinos in Mindanao, and with the garrison, officers and their famil ies on board. The insurgents, it is reported, were in possession of Zamboanga when the Spaniards left, and it will be neces sary for the Americans to recapture that place. -----m*^mm> Japan Preparing for War. Victoria, Jone 1.-A Pekin corres pondent writes tbat Japan ie making war preparations as quietly as she did four years ago, and is takiog measures for strengtbeoiog ber coast defences, feeling that war with Russia in the near tature is unavoidable. PROGRESS OF CLAIMS. Volunteer Soldiers Certain of Getting Some Extra Money. Mr. W. Boyd Evans has received a letter from Judge C. P. Townsend which is of special interest to those having claims against the govern ment yet unadjusted as well as to volunteer soldiers of this State. Following is an extract from a letter dated at Benne tsville and directed to Mr Evana : "I returned from Washington last night. When I called on the auditor of the war department I found him examining the claims of South Caro lina. He informs me that all are audited except fonr claims, one of them being of the Coast Line and the others for only small amounts I have written the parties and informed them that nniess they sign the papers and send them and thus perfect the vouchers their claims will be disal lowed. "I asked the auditor to wait three or four days before he sent the check to Gov. Eilerbe. I think you will receive the checks io the course of ten days "I exhibite'd to him the submitted copy of the act you sent me and he said this was all right, and $1 50 per day would be allowed by the gov ernment He further informed me that when there was no special form, and none would be required for making out claims of officers and men, the rolls most show the names, number of days served between the entry into the service and the muster in, the amount due each with receipt from each man "&Q further said there must be the certificate of some military officer as to correctness of the rolls and also attached to each a copy of the act such as yon sent me. i think the form of roil adopted by Capt. Carson, judging from the duplicate of it yon sent to me, will do. The auditor said it most appear that the men actually vofanteered-that is, that they went to Columbia foe this purpose. "This, I think, embraces all the information I received. If there is anything more yon would like me to tost into, I will promptly do so. satt "Sincerely, _ "C. P. Townsend." Captains of 'companies should go to work at once on the basis of this letter and get np the rolls The men will get $1.50 per day, except officers, who will get the regular army pay. It is certain that both the accepted and rejected men wilt be paid for the time between enroll ment for the service and the muster in or rejection from the United States army. But a receipt for each indi vidual man must be bad, and the soouer the captains forward the rolls the sooner will the men be paid An army officer, probably Capt. Fnller, will be detailed to assist in getting np correct rolls. An effort will be made to secure a months extra pay for the First regi ment But there is some doubt about it being obtained, as the regiment was mustered out before the law allowing extra pay was passed. Colombia Record, May 31. RETRIAL OP DREYFUS. Paris, June 1-Ma tre Mornaird, counsel for Mme. Dreyfus, concluded his argument before the court of cassation today on the application for a revision of the Dreyfus case. It was largely rethreshiog of straw already thcrougbly threshed ont by Mm Ballot de Beaupre and Maoau. He warmly eulogized the report of M. Ballot de Beaupre and applauded the conclusions arrived at by M. Manan. Counsel for Mme. Dreyfus ooooluded with protest ing against the idea that even for the sake of the honor of the army might should dominate over right. He ssdd the army itself was thirsty for honor and justioe to be rendered and be pointed oat that the army conld not be dishonored by the acknowledgment that a judicial error bad been com mitted. The decision of the court is expeoted on Saturday. Penitentiary Quarantined. The general anxiety over the out break of meningitis st the State penitentiary continues Yesterday another new case developed, the victim being s colored convict. This makes s total of seven cases and fonr deaths. It is doubtful if wo of those now ill will recover. Every thing poesibie is being done for the sufferers and to prevent the disease from spreading Yesterday one of the guards resigned bis position and left the institution rather than run the risk necessarily encountered. The city board of health has quarantined the institution in order to prevent the disease getting into the city and for once the quarantine task proves to be an easy one.-The State, June 2 CONDITION OF CROPS IN SOUTHERN STATES Has Bsen Too Cool and Sev eral States Still Suffering Prom Drought. Washington, May 30.-The week ly crop bulletin of the weather burean issued today is in part as follows : "The week ending May 29, 1899, has been much too cooi in the Mid dle and South Atlantic States, but elsewhere east of the Rocky moun ; tains the temperature conditions have j been very favorable. The previously i reported droughty conditions in the Golf States have been largely relieved by rains which have been heavy ir localities, while in some sections drought continues, especially in southern and eastern Texas, and southern Louisiana. Kains would now prove of much benefit in the Ohio valley and Middle Atlantic States, while portions of Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Arkan saB have suffered from excessive rains. "From the lower Missouri and cen tral Mississippi valleys eastward to the Middle Atlantic coast the week bas not been favorable to corn which is generally reported as backward and making slow growth. Io Kansas the crop is in fine condition and it is decidedly improved in the east Gulf States while in portions of the Ceu tra! Gulf States and southern Texas it is suffering for rain. The early planted is maturing in Texas. "The general condition of winter wheat in the States of the Ohio, cen tral Mississippi and lower Missouri valleys is probably less favorable than in the previous week, consider able damage by rust and insects being reported. Harvesting is in progress in some of the Southern States, with better yield in Texas, io some localities, than was expected. "Oat harvesting is in progress in the Southern States with generally light yeilds The crop is making slow growth in the Middle Atlantic States and upper Ohio valley, and bas suffered from two much rain in Missouri. "The condition of cotton has im proved over the eastern portion of the cotton belt, except in the Garolioas, where the weather has been cool The crop has made slow growth and is suffering from rain in portions of Louisiana and Mississippi, while too much rain has injured the stand in Arkansas "In Texas cotton is growing rapid ly and he corn ctop is. well cultivated, except in some locali ties of the northern portion, where the fields are foul. "The week has been unfavorable for transplanting tobacco owing to the absence of rain. Much ground is prepared, bowever, and with a favor able season the work wilt make rapid progress/' Plan to Break Wall Street. Au oid oue-gallus farmer of Rich land coooty, S C t so Mr. Pattoo, of Columbia, tells me, bas an original idea about cur cotton growers breaking Wail street, and all getting rich io one year. He proposes teat next spring every aere of farming land io the South be planted io cotton. Then let the farmers mortgage their property, go into Wall street aod bny cotton futures at the low figures tbe big crop prospect will warrant. When they have bought these futures, let the farm er go to work aod plow op every hill of cotton oo bis piace aod all bauds rest for the balance of the year. This would be a most ezcelleot idea if we farmers dealt with honest and solvent meo ; but the result would be that (hose Wall street gamblers would declare themselves bankrupt aod secrete their money, and theo buy op the laois of us bankrupt southern farmers at their own price.-Columbia Record. Disaster in Japan. Victoria. B. C.. May 31.-The steamer Kinship Marau briogs oews from the Orient of a large fire at Yamagata, Japao. Six hundred booses and eleven shrines aod temples were destroyed. A number of lives were lost. Thirty hcusea were burned io he Abohisa fire at Kobe, Aprtt* 30. One mao perished. ROYA ^ ABSOLUTELY \ Makes the food more de _ROY A l BAKING POW THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH. Dr. Evans Replies to Certain Adverse Criticisms. The appearance of several cases of smallpox in Newberry, which was noted yesterday, together with a statement that the State board of health had been tardy in attending tc them, recalls a complaint on similar lines made by the Savannah Morn ing News. Dr. Evans, of Florence, is the chief officer of the board and be bas always been most prompt and ener getic In stamping ont the disease wherever it has been reported in the State. If there ha& really been any '"elay in attending to the Newberry Cases, it may be certain that there was some sufficient r ason for it. As to the complaint of the Geor gians, they seem to bave no cause whatever. Dr. Evans bas had some thing to say about this iu an inter view in the Florence Ti&es. He said that the health authorities of Savannah bad been making many complaints about the spread of the epidemic in this State and bad gone so far as to report the matter to the national authorities, that they claim ed that the smallpox had been carried into Savannah from this State and that the authorities on this side of the river had done nothing to prevent the spread of the disease. He had re- . plied to the surgeon general and con vinced him that the Savannah men were altogether wrong, and. reported the work being done by the State board of health. Recently he had received a very discourteous letter. Now, as a matter of fact, said the. doctor, in nearly if not quite every * one of the instances of the breaking out of the pestilence, the infecting case came to South Carolina from Georgia, and that if any further proof of this claim, was wanted he could easily produce it. Dr. Bacot's letter, an extract from which is pub lished in this article, will show the origin of the latest infection beyond a doubt, and those from Edge field and Barnwell are unquestionably from the same country. Georgia, be said, had no state board of health and the authorities of that state could not possibly say where the smallpox existed in Geor gia They have done nothing to .eradicate the disease from the state aud the efforts of local boards of health in the different towns and cities were clearly unable to attack the task of handling.the disease and preventing us spread. Thus it is clear that the boot is on the other leg and that instead of South Carolina beiug a menace to Georgia, Georgia is the worst kind of a menace to the health of South Car olina That instead of the Georgia authorities making a kick against our board, we have every reason to kick against them, bot that the character istic of the two people were shown in this matter as in every case where a comparison is to be made (these are not the doctor's words) We are willing to do what we could to help ons friends ou the other side of the river and to treat them with a decent courtesy in a very differenS way from the treatment they accorded us, which would, even if their charges were correct, have been discour teous Refering to the cases of smallpox in the state since the report of the boardVas made last year, Dr Evans said: Since the publication of that re port last winter there have been cases reported from Maye6ville , 350, now clear of the faintest trace ; from Packsville, 250 cases, now free, or nearly so ; from Conway, 20 cases,, now free from plague; from Barnwell a number of cases now well in band and taken care of by the local physi cians ; lately he has received notice of the apparance of the plague in. Newberry of five cases, at Bluffton* five and Hilton Head five. The board has taken charge of these cases at once and will stop the spread if no. more infection comes over the river. Columbia Record June 2 London, June 2 -The Rome cor respondent of the Dailyf mail says ~ Lieut. Col. Panizzardi (military at* tache of the Italian embassy ic Paris' when Dreyfus was condemned) informs me that the Italian embassy si ways knew that Esterbazy wrote the bordereau " j BAKING POWDER HIRE Hcious and wholesome Ogg CO.. NEW YORK._