The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, July 03, 1901, Image 2
?i}e iVatcfyutan an? S o ntl) ron, -
. , ' -' ~ 1 " ~ :-?- v>
?H? S?KTK? WATCHMAN, Established April, 1SS0? "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thon Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's." THE TRUE SOUTHRON, Established Jun?,
Consolidated iUg. 2,1881. SUMTER. S. C.. WEDNESDAY. JULY 3,1901. Sew Series-Toi. XX. No.^fc
PxAlis?sl S7S27 Wednesday,
KT. Gt/'Osteeil)
SUMTER, S. C.
TERESi
$1.50 per annum-io advance.
?LDV2STI3KMEKT:
Ono Sqaare first insertion'..................$l 00
?very subsequent iosertion..... 50
Contracts for three months, or longer wi!
be made at redaced rates.
AU communications which snbserve private
interests will be charged for as ad ver tie cen ts.
Obituaries and tributes of respects will be
charged for.
A NEW YORK BANK SENSATION.
The Seventh National Bank
Nearly a Mi?ion Behind.
^New~ York, June 25.-It became
known today, that there was a debit
ba??nee.:at the Clearing: House against
the. Seventh National Bank amounting
to $938,000. This gave rise to rumors
that the bank was in difficulties,
and caused other rumors that other
banks were also hampered. All these
were cleared away when , Manager
William Sheree of the Clearing House
-Association, gave out a statement to
the^ effect that all the banks in the
association had met their obligations*
and that all Clearing: House sheets
had gone through. "William H. Tap
pan, president of the Gailatin National
Bank?r who was present at a conference
held during the day with other mem?
bers of the Clearing House Associa?
tion, made the following statement :
* "All the banks have settled jheir
balances satisfactorily. This disposes
:of -aB rumors. "
Tonight a statement was given out
by the officials of the Seventh -Nation?
al Bank, in. which it said that the
debit balance of ^the Seventh; National
Bank with the Clearing-House this,
morning was ?938,000, and that this,
balance was due to heavy checking on
the partof men connected with.several
. large brbk?rage and banking. : houses*.
The directors and stockholders of the
bank convened and at once provided
ample means for all business purposes.
. The" statement further-says that the
flurry was probably started for stock
jobbing purposes, and that the rumors
. so weighed-on the mind of President
"William' H". Kimball, of the* bank,
that he tendered his resignation," which
was accepted, and E. R. Thomas, son
of Gen. Samuel Thomas, was elected
in his place. Gen. Thomas, is a direct?
or arid one-of the-"heaviest stockhold?
ers in the bank. The statement avers
thai the bank is. in most* excellent con?
dition, and is not connected, directly
-or indirectly, with any other finan?
cial institution in New York or else?
where.
: THE WAR IN AFRICA.
Bloody Engagement Betweeu
Boers and British June 6.
Cape Town, June 25.-Details of the
engagement between Gem Elliott
-Scott and DeWitts3 force hear Reitz,
June 6, shows that the British sur?
prised the Boer convoy. The burghers
fled, but seeing, that "the captors were
not in strong force the Boers returned
and charged with great determination,
-after desperate fighting recapturing
-the convoy. -When Col. De Lisle ar-*
rived with. reinforcements? the fighting
was renewed. vThe Boers lay between
their guns and unflinchingly fired vol?
ley between the wheels while their com?
rades engaged in spanning and driving
off that portion of the convoy furthest
from the British. The latter pushed
in among the wagons, using the bayo?
net freely/ Gen. Dela ry was present
and .personally. used a rifle, a man at
his right-hand was killed and the com
,rade oh his left was wounded. The
"affair ended in a'serious hand to hand*
encounter and fierce melee, the Boers
being eventually "driven off. One of
Gem-"DeWitt's staff officers "was wound?
ed and taken prisoner.
Barkley "West, Cape Colony, Monday,
June 24.--Gen. Eouches, the Boer com?
mander, advanced beyond Glenn on
Monday, which is about 10 miles
southeast of Aiiawalnorth. Boers and
British scouts have exchanged shots
six miles hence. All the local defense
forces have been mobilized.
Rev. Patrick Chambers Killed.
"Walhalla, June 24.-News reached
here toady that Rev. Patrick Cham?
bers, one of the most prominent citi?
zens of the Holly Springs section, had
died from the effects of a blow receiv?
ed at the hands of his son-inalw, Dan
Roach, several days ago, with an ax.
All this trouble, it is said, was caus?
ed by Roach not providing for his own
family. He lives at the home of Mr.
Chambers who told him he ought to
get to work and make a living for his
family.. Roach became furious, secur?
ed his axe, and dealt a ?e&dl? blow
with the side of it back of the left ear.
Mr. Chambers is a leader of his sec?
tion, honest and respected. Roach has
been in trouble before, his father-in
law always coming to his rescue, try?
ing to make something out of him.
Greenville, June 25.-Charlie Hol?
combe, a young white man. was put in
jail today^ charged with forgery. Hol?
combe presented to President Nor?
wood, of the City National Bank, a
note for thirty dollars signed by him?
self, and E. B. Latham and Walter
Holcombe as securities. Upon exam?
ining the note Norwood saw that
Latham's signature was a fake. He
refused to recognize the note, but call?
ed a policeman and had Holcombe ar?
rested. Holcombe denies that he forg?
ed Latham's signature and insists that
it was written by Latham himself.
NEWS FROM THE FLOOD.
Sixty Drowned at Bluefield-Lit?
tle News From Other Places.
Roanoke, Va., June 25.-News from
the flood stricken district in West Vir?
ginia is still very scarce, bnt through
persons coming in from the coal fields
the situation is getting down to cold
facts. There has been some interrup?
tion today between Roanoke and Blue
fields, and only one wire has been
used since morning, this remaining
wire being: duplexed all day, the rail?
road dividing it with Western Union
folks as far east as Lynchburg and
west of Bluefield. A telegram from
Bluefield tljis afternoon says there are
no important developments there to
day. Itepair work is going ahead with
a rush and vigor. Bluefield is the
great shipping point for the Pocahon?
tas Coal company coming. east. It is
said there that coal fiedls will not be
abie to ship out any coal for the next
30 days. It is thought at Bluefield
that the loss of life will reach in the
neighborhood of 60. The coal fields
will suffer almost incalculable loss as
a result of the wash-out of : tracks and
damage to their machinery,
i- A gentleman arriving in this city
today fromt he stricken section gives
an explanation for the report first cir?
culated that great masses of human
bodies were to be seen floating around
in the water. It seems-that there is a
graveyard between Norfolk Junction
and Keystone, which towns are about
a mile apart, and at which point the
storm was very severe. This graveayrd
is near the bank of the river which
caused the great destruction. When
the flood came the graves gave up their
dead and added greatly to the bodies
seen. "'
The Norfolk, and Western, folks
thought this morning that they would
be ablento have their Valley line open
this evening. They say the Thacker
coal fields lines are already open to?
day, and the road will be able to get a
train through to Columbus tomorrow.
These repairs will only be of a^ tempor?
ary nature, however, and it will neces?
sarily be many weeks before the tracks
and roadb??s can be placed in their
former condition.
London, June 26.-The casualty lists
made public by the wa;r office continue
to show rather severe fighting in vari?
ous parts of South Af rica that are not
reported in the ordinary dispatches.
Tais is notably so with regard to the
Zeerust position in Cape Colony. It
also inspires-disquietude, which is
added - to by- the repeated looting of .
Jamestown, in spite of the proximty of
a strong British force at Aliwalnorth.
Tt'appears " that ' including the Boer!
prisoners and those in the concentra?
tion camps the cost of supporting some'
80,000 Boers is today falling 'heavily;
upon the British taxpayers.
Cape Town,-^mie 25.-Jacobus Bo-?
tha, the member of the Cape Assembly
for Aliwalnortlb, has been, captured by
the Boers and publicly sjamboked. In
addition his house was burned. The
reason assigned for this treatment is
that Botha voted in favor of . the.
treason bill.
Leipzig, June-.25.-The .director oj
the Leipzig, bank,- announce that owing
to the stoppage of the- Dresdener
Credit Anastret in consequence of
difficulties in discounting bills, the
Leipziger bank is compelled to tem?
porary suspend payment, in the inter?
est of its creditors. The directors say
that if the committeement can be
liquidated the creditors will suffer no
loss, and the stockholders may hope
favorable outcome. The capital of the
bank is $48,000,000.
LABOR RIOT IN NEW YORK.
Rochester Police and Striking
Laborers Come Together.
Rochester, N. Y., -June 26.-Strik?
ing laborers to the number of 10.000.
had a brisk encounter with the police
today, in which ll policemen and 20
rioters were injured. The strikers
had set out several times before to
drive off laborers who were at work
on street improvements. At Mill and
Commercial streets they encountered
50 laborers employed by the Rochester
Gas and Electric company- in digging
a trench and, advancing, drove them
from the trench. The workers sought
refuge in the power house of the com
! pany and the police undertook to dis?
perse the mob. The police reserves
were drawn up in a " platoon of 50
across the street, and, upon orders,
advanced with drawn clubs upon the
mob. Immediately the air was filed
with bricks, stones and wood, and
shovels and picks in the hands of the
strikers were used freely.
Amid the melee a shot rang out and
Sergt. Stemn, commanding the pla?
toon, ordered the policemen to fire
over the heads of the strikers. This
had the desired effect, the strikers
scattered and the police- chased them
through the street to the city hall
park, where they were held awaiting
action by the mayor. Reinforcements
were hurried to the scene of the riot,
but their services were not required.
The injuries sustained by several po?
licemen are of a serious nature. The
hurts of the rioters were mostly scalp
wounds inflicted by the officers* clubs.
Cambridge, Mass., June2 6.-Presi?
dent Eliot announced at the Harvard
alumni dinner today that John Pier?
pont Moragn had given more than one
million dollars for the erection of
three of the five buildings planned for
the Harvard Medical school in Botson.
The gift is for the 44 Prosecution of
Applied Biological Research." The
buildings will be a memorial to Junius
Spencer Morgan, for many years a
Boston merchant.
Montgomery, Ala., June 26.-A col?
lision on Hull. Street this afternoon
between a trolley car and hose cart
caused the death of one man and four
were injured.
REPUBLICANS OPPOSE RECIPROCITY
They Seek to Evade Pledge in
Republican Platform.
Washington, June 25.-It now seems
that while Senator Aldrich, as repre?
sentative of the protected interests- of
the country and particularly of the
sugar and tobacco trusts, called at the
White House the other day to protest
against all measures looking towards
carrying out the reciprocity pledge in
,the Republican national platform, he
particularly directed his attack against
free trade with Porto Rico, which
nearly everyone has considered would
inevitably follow the special session
of island legislature called- to meet
July 4. Sentaor . Aldrich, however,
has found a loophole by which he
hopes free trade can be staved off a lit?
tle longer until Conrgess* can pet a
chance to take action preventing it
indefinitely.
It has been the popular impression
that the Foraker act was mandatory and
that the President had no choice to do
anything else but proclaim free trade
whenever the island was ready for it.
The act says: "And fwhenever the
legislative assembly of Porto Rico
shall have enacted and put into opera
ton a system of local taxation to meet
the expense of the government of Porto
Rico by this act established, and shall
by resolutions duly passed so notify
the President, he shall make procla?
mation thereof, and thereupon all
tariff duties on merchandise and arti?
cles going into Porto Rico from the
United States and from Porto Rico shall
cease and from and after such date
all such merchandise and articles
shall be entered at the several ports
of entry free of duty."
In addition, the law prescribes that
the abolition of duties shall, in any
event, occur on the 1st of March,
190*2. "
Senator Aldrich contends, however,
that the Island revenues will not
meet the needs of government and
that even if they do, the fact cannot
be established without. at least six
months' trial-which would bring us
to next December when Congress
meets again. He wants the President
to refuse to issue his proclamation
on this plea until after that time so
that Congress may get a chance to
extend this last date.
The figures relating to the Porto
Rican finances already in the posses?
sion of the Governm?nt through re?
ports by Governor Allen, are consid?
ered by . Mr. Aldrich to indicate
th?t"there will be difficulty in secur?
ing enough revenue through the ope?
ration of the. Hollander tax law.
The. excess bf expenditures over island
receipts during the ten months of mili?
tary administration was ?188,877.97,
While the, same5 ?xcess during the first
eleven month's bf?civil government was
$121,35?. 70:" The ! legislature has al?
ready enacted ' a budget for the next
fiscal year, which/with pother necessary
expenses will take, 82,000^000 and t?
meet this expenditure the receipts.are
estimated at exactly the same amount..
Some of .the items, however, says Sen
ator Aldrich, are pure guesswork,
such "as the 8150,000 expected from
the Operations " of the Hollander law..
Of course Senator "Aldrich cares
nothing about Porto Rico. What he
is interested in. are the beet sugar
and tobacco ~ interests. The sugar
interests in particular has .been mov?
ing through Henry Oxnard, the man'
who. caused the initial abandonment
of "plain duty" to keep out Porto
Rican goods. Mr. Oxnard considers
that his interests are threatened by the
possibility that eventually all the
possessions bf the United States
may send ' their sugar to this
country duty free. He looks upon
the free entry of Porto Rican sugar as
the first step in that direction, and
purposes to make a vigorous fight in
opposition. ' The same is tine of the
tobacco growers, who complain that
the American market is already being
flooded with Porto Rican cigars, and
that with the abolition of all duty,
the importation of that kind of mer-,
chandise will greatly increase. In
fact, ' according to the claim of the
protectionists, it will be ^impossible
for American tobacco growers and
cigar makers to compete with Porto
Rican labor. Of course this is all
pure nonsense, but then again, "any
stick is good enough to beat a dog
with," and any weapon will serve
the protectionists.'
BIG STEAMSHIP WRECKED.
Passengers and Crew Rescued.
St. John's, N, F., June 25.-The
Orient Steam Navigation company's
steamer Lusitiana, Capt. McNay, from
Liverpool June 18 for Montreal, hav?
ing 500 passengers on board, was
wrecked last night off Cape Bollard.
No; loss of life occurred. AU the pas?
sengers were rescued.
The Lusitania was bound round
Cape Race for Montreal, with a large
cargo and a shipload of passengers.
She mistook her course in a dense fog
and went ashore near Renews, 20 miles
north of Cape Race before daybreak.
The ship ran over a reef and hangs
against a cliff,. The passengers, who
are mostly emigrants, were panic
stricken. They struggled and-fought
for the boats, and they were overcome
by the officers and crew who secured
control after great trouble and a pro?
longed struggle with the rougher
element among the passengers who
used knives, The women and chil?
dren were landed and the men follow?
ed. The crew stood by the ship.
"Now, dear," said mamma, giving J
final instructions to Elsie, who is go- ?
ing to take tea with a playmate, "- I
when you are asked if you will have j
something you must say, ' Yes, thank 1
you, ' and if you don't want it you j
must say-" "Oh, you needn't both- ;
er about that, " Elsie interrupted. "I '
don't expect to refuse anything."
Philadelphia Press.
10,000 HORSES STB?GKEN.
Strange Disease Resembling Grip
Spreads Rapidly-Alarms
Horseowners.
A peculiar malady hitherto unknown
to veterinary surgeons has attacked
horses of every degree in this city
since last Saturday. In that time
over ten thousand horses have been
laid low by the disease, and the number
is increaisng with such rapidity that
owners are alarmed.
According to Supt. Hankinson, of
the Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals, so serious is the
state of affairs that unless the malady
is speedily checked oxen will have
to draw vehicles about the city.
Not since 1874. when an outbreak of
epizotaic attacked horses here, has
the condition been as serious as it
is today.
"The symptoms of the disease,"
Supt. Hankinson told a World re?
porter yesterday, "are a sort of lassi?
tude, a well developed cold and a high?
er fever. Dr. Henderson, who has
been treating horses at the New York
veterinary Hospital, informs me that
over 2,000 horses have been cared for
in that institution since the disease
began to spread. Almost every stable
in the city has been affected by it, "
and reports keep coming in con?
stantly.
"The malady is more like grip
than anything else I know of. It at?
tacks horses of every degree and sta?
tion. The valuable high-stepper and
the West street track horse are alike
affected.
"In 1874 oxen had to be used for
draught animals and ii the disease
keeps up a short time longer a like
condition will prevail.'5
Mr. Hankinson said he wanted to
warn all drivers that as soon as the
disease manifests itself the animals
should be taken from the shafts,
wherever they may be, and taken back
to the stable to receive immediate
treatment.
The reports of the leading veterinary
surgeons show that thus far the dis?
ease has not taken a dangerous form
where treatment has been immedately
applied.
It has been found that in most cases
the disease lasts from three to five
days, but the cold will continue for
ten days or two- weeks.
"Every bit of work the horse does
after he is attacked by the disease,"
Supt. Hankinson states, ' ' tends to
add to his weakenss and lessen his
vitality. "-New York World.
RAILROAD DISASTERS INDIANA.
Emigrant Train Goes Down With
Trestle-Sixteen Killed and
Fifty Wounded.
Perca, Ind., June 26.-Sixteen per?
sons" were killed and about 50 were se?
riously injured in a wreck of train
No. 3, the west bound Wabash limit?
ed, nine miles west of this city at
12:30 a. m., today.. The dead are all
Italian emigrants en route to Colo?
rado, whose names are unknown.
Two sections of train No. 3, one
coming from Detroit and the other
from Toledo were consolidated in this
city into ' a train - of eleven cars,
making up the flyer for its journey to
St. Louis. It consisted of a combina?
tion baggage and express, combina-'
tion and smoker, day coach, emigrant
coach, three chair cars, three'sleepers
and the private car of General Super?
intendent Cotter of the Iron Mountain
railway. Having left this city one
hour lat? the train was speeding west?
ward at a high rate when .at a point
nine miles west the engine plunged
through a trestle which had been,
undermined by the recent heavy
rains. The embankment on both sides
of the little stream dropped at a
sharp degree a distance of forty feel
Owing to the momentum of the train
the engine appeared to leap nearly
across the embankment, plunged into
the soft earth on the opposite side
and fell, back to the bottom. Engi?
neer Butler and Fireman Adams were
thrown from the cab but not serious?
ly hurt. The express car and the first
chair car were telescoped. The emi?
grant car followed by two chair cars
went down on the left side of the
track and the first sleeper pitched
forward upon the mass of debris Its
windows and trucks were broken, but
none of the occupants were injured.
The remaining cars also left their
trucks, but were not badly damaged.
It was in the emigrant and day
coaches that most of the deaths and
injuries occured.
ANOTHER STORM IN VIRGINIA.
Baltimore, June 26.-A special to
The Sun from Keyser, Va., says a
frightful storm passed through the
historic New Creek valley south of ;
Keyser last night. It was an appa- ;
rent repetition of the cloud burst, and ?
in a short time the bottom lands were i
coverecH>y a roaring river from 10 to <
30 feet, deep, carrying off newly har- :
vested wheat, ruining oats, corn and <
gardens and damaging roads and pas- i
ture fields. It is not known, that any <
lives were lost, but several piersons are 1
not accounted for. Today the water {
receded and on all sides are lying the i
bodies of horses, cattle, sheep, hogs i
and other live stock by the score. The i
valley is one of the most fertile in the <
State. New Creek rose a foot every <
two minutse for 20 minutes.
There's a man up in Sumter cqunty t
whose brains are composed of little ?
cells each one of which is stuffed full i
of information relating to the past ^
and present local history of our towns, i
Wherever he goes he gleans something i
new and sooner or later gives it out t
again stamped with his authnority. 1
His name is McDonald Furman.- I
Aiken Journal and Eeview. j C
ALABAMA'S NEW CONSTITUTION
Montgomery. Ala., Jnne 26.-In the
Constitutional Convention this morn?
ing Governor Jones offered a separate
article providing for dependent mem?
bers of the families of sheriffs killed
while defending prisoners. It gives
the right of action of damages against
the comity and the Courts a right of
action against mobs.
Winn, of Barbour, offered an ordi?
nance giving the railroad commission
plenary powers, but giving the rail?
roads a right of appeal to the Courts.
This was accompanied by a petition
from the citizens of Barbour County,
declaring that the present commission
was a failure. Similar petitions were
also presented by Ashcraft, of Lauder?
dale, and Banks, of Russell.
An important feature of the Conven?
tion today was the report of Chair?
man Parker, of the committee on
county and county boundaries. Ma?
terial changes were reported ; one per?
mitting the State to acquire additional
territory, as in the case of the promis?
ed purchse of West Florida. It pre
mits the Legislature to change county
boundries when requested by two
thirds vote of the qualified electors
residing in the proposed territory to
be taken from one and added to an?
other county. New counties can only
be created in like manner. The area
of counties is reduced from six hun?
dred to four hundred square miles.
THE MANILA SCANDALS.
Manilla, June 26.-Harold M. Pitt,
manager of Evans & Co, government
contractors, who has been on trial on
charges of improperly purchasing
Government stores was acquitted to?
day. Four other purchasers of com?
missary stores were found guilty and
fined 81,000 each. Pitt was acquitted
by a Military Court composed of
volunteer officers. Provost Marshal
Davis considers Pitt was convicted on
his own admissions and has ordered a
reconsideration of the verdict. Those
sentenced were Clark and Boldt. a
Spaniard named Riva and a China?
man, Wung Tingv Clarke and Boldt,
in addition to being fined $1,000 each,
were also sentenced to a year's impri?
sonment, but Pr?vost Marshal Davis
commuted the imprisonment.
FINNS TO SETTLE IN GEORGIA.
Washington, June 26.-The Southen
Railway announces that it made ar?
rangements today with Captain A.
Backman of Findland, fo the, pur?
chase of 10,000 acres of land on the
Southern . Railway in Georgia for
colonization purposes. Capt. Back
man^ purpose is to aid a number of
Findlanders who are dissatisfied with
the political condition in their coun?
try to emigrate to Georgia where his
brother, Rev. Mr. Backman, an in?
fluential Lutheran minister, will ar?
range for the settlers. It is hoped the
result will be considerable Finnish set?
tlements along the line of the railroad.
Z The Sumter grand jr ry has presented
the roads of the county as a nuisance.
?ow if they are tried, convicted and
closed up, "the county %will be in a
favoable posiiton to get some roads
that will be beneficial. If Chester
county had no roads now-we mean
nothing called roads-we have no
doubt that we would be better off ten
years fom now than we will be, with
the things we call roads obstructing
travel and transpotation, and stand
ng in the way of locating roads on
rational grades.-Chester Lantern.
- i ? > iii
A SENSIBLE JUDGE.
The court room is a place where a
good many amusing things occur.
The examination of witnesses is often
the occasion of a good laugh for the
visitors to the temple of justice. In
many instances the joke is on the wit?
ness ; but sometimes the table is turn?
ed and the examiner is the one who is
hit. An instance of the latter kind
occurred in the court room this week.
On the stand as a witness was a prom?
inent farmer of the western section' of "
the county, who is a little deaf. The
attorney asked him a question : hut |
received no answer. The question,
was repeated : but still there was no
answer. The examining attorney then
threatened :
"I will appeal to the judge and he |
will make you answer the question."
"That he won't," was the reply of
the witness who was not too deaf to
catch the attorney's remarks. "He's
got too much sense to ask any such
fool question as that."
The sheriff's ' ' Order in Court' ' was
not sufficient to restore quiet in the
court room.
Accident at Epworth.
Columbia, June 26.-There are usual?
ly about 109 or more orphans at the
Epworth Orphanage. This afternoon
som? of the boys were working about
the farm and a small detail was sent
Dut to gather broom straw. A severe
rain storm arose and the boys sought
shelter under an old barn and stable
ivhich stood on the plantation, some !
distance from the main building. The '
t>arn was blown down, and Charles 1
Stack, aged 7, from Lake City, was
Instantly killed. The following were >
?njured : John Henry Parker, Mayes- ?
tille, arm broken : Lee White, of Pen- j
ileton, face cut: John D. Lemmon, cf
Sumter, shoulder bruised.
John D. Lemmon, although hurt, ran
;o the main building and told of the
:rouble and every one rushed to give
ill help possible. Young Stack was <
nstantly killed, but prompt assistance \
vas given the others. They are all do- t
ng well, and the wounds were given <
inmediate attention. Young Stack i
vas a bright little fellow, who came s
?ere from Florence. His remains will 1
ye sent tomorrow afternoon to Lake I
3ity for buriaL g
BANK CHECKS WILL BE FREE.
Revenue Stamp Tax Will BelOfT
July I.
The troublesome revenue tax which M
has been in force since July 1, 10*98,
will at lastre lifted on some of the
chief articles in common use. v ri
After the 1st of July people will no ??
longer have to put the inevitable and $
inconvenient 2-cent revenue stamp OIL'^-?
bank checks. ;'*?sg
The amendment act of March %
1901, will go into effect July 1st. By ;1
this act the tax will be lifted on many v|
of the most important taxable articles,
instruments and property. The lifted ^
tax will affect chiefly the rank and file M
bf the people. A tax still remains on |
many less common articles, v
The necessity for affixing revenue ^
stamps continually since the Spanish- %
American war has been a great hard?
ship to the people. The tex was im- , ? |
posed on things in common use among
the masses, and has been a source of
great trouble and expense for the past
three years in the commercial and
business world, as well as annoyance
and cost to private individuals. ?j
Of the many taxations imposed by '>
the act of June 13 1898, -the most seri?
ously inconvenient have been-lifted
under the act of March, % 1901, to go
into effect July 1st. \ ?
After Monday bank checks will no \^
longer have to be stamped. Telegraph
messages will not require that extra
cent heretofore imposed. Express re?
ceipts and money orders will not need t|
revenue stamps. All patent medicines
will be released from their previous
heavy revenue tax.
Schedule B of the act taxing medi--.
cinal. proprietary articles and prepara?
tions, such as cosmetics, chewing, gum,
perfumery, etc, has been amehdea-by?
elimination, leaving only the previous
tax on sparkling and other wines wneh >
bottled for sale. - W
Seats in parlor cars and berths-ih
sleeping cars are still taxed 1 cent,'= the
stamp to be affixed to the ticket; by
the company. SH?S&lii??
Tax on personal notes has been lift- : ^
ed and that on deeds, instruments^
conveyances, ..etc., much reduced> :v?
Previously such documents were taxed
50 cents for value from $?00 to $500,
and 50 cents >for additional value up
to $5,000. Now only 25 cents^ imposed f
for amounts between $2,500 and $3,- ;
ooo. . - . ~ , '% :
As the revenue-tax act now stands,;;|???
since amendment, taxation fells large- ;: ;. ;.
ly on corporations and holders of large/
interests* Father than upon the p?pu- -
lace.
The consequent penalty for not affixr :
ing necessary, revenue stamps will^ of? -
course, after Monday be remove^; ' ;
Documents formerly invalidated- fry ^
the lack of proper stamps will :3io
longer be subject to such law* V V
The toublesome necessity, so annoy- , .
ing to business .'men, of keeping cn
hand a supply of stamps will largely ' . ;
be relieved. The continuous cancella?
tion of stamps by writing one's ini?
tials and the . date on them will be %
obviated. JV
Papers requiring stamps which have
not been affixed are invalidated. They
cannot be rejeordeef or admitted as evi?
dence in . any court until proderly
stamped. . T\.
Single revenue stamps to the value. ,
of 81,000 have been issued.
Everybody is glad-that the revenue
tax will be " lifted. It is a great relief
not to have'to bother with, licking
stamps on all occasions, making chick?
en feed change to pay telegaphic toll
tax, etc, or to procure stamped ::?
check books. f .
Banks and,business enterprises have
known of -the lifting of some- of the
taxes since March and have been able
to prepare for it. Left over stamps,
stamped check books, etc, may be
redeemed, however, by the revenue de-:
partment. Private individuals can ^
have redeemed such stamps or checks
at their banks by accommodation.
Australian Ballot For Cuba.
Habana, June 27.-The election com?
mission appointed by the Cuban con?
stitutional convention to frame laws
for the conduct of Cuban elections has
completed its work and will probably
present its. project of electoral law to
the convention tomorrow.
The electoral project provides for
universal suffrage and the use of the
Australian ballot system. One article
specifies that the ballots shall be di?
vided into columns corresponding to
the number of political parties in the
field, and that each column shall be
distinguished by the mark of a party
in order to prevent the. deception of
the voter who can neither read nor
write.
CHARTER FEES.
For some time there has been, aris?
ing questions at the office of the secre?
tary of State as to the construction of
the act relating to charter fees. The .
office has now construed the act to
mean that fees must be paid on the
maximum capitalization named in the
declaration. For instance if it is
stated that a company is to have a
capital stock of not less than 81>000>
nor more than $150,000, the fees- OIL.
5150,000 must be paid. When subse?
quent increases are made the fees are"
on the basis of the amount of increase.
The fee under the new law is $300 on
a capital of $500.000, and $125 on a
2apital of $150,000. The fee is one
mill on all amounts under $100,000.
Gomez Coming to U. S.
Havana, June 26.-General Maximo
bornez sailed for New York today hy
vay of Tampa, Fla., accompanied by
;he private secretary of Governor Gen?
ial Wood. The purpose of the gener?
a's visit to the United States, it is
aid, is to confer with Thomas Estrada
Palma, the former delegate in the
Jhited States of the revolutionary
rovernme^^^uba^^^^^^^^^^