The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, August 14, 1901, Image 1
THK SUMTER WATCHMAN, Established April. 1S50. "Be Just and 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 15 &
Cosolidated Aug. 2,1881.
SUMTER. S. C.. WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 14. 1901.
Sew Series-Yoi. XXI. So. 2
Clje SE?tidjunit ?sib Bmilp
Published Srary ^TedLnesda?,
-Bf
IM. Gr. Osteen
SUMTER, S. C.
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NcLaiirin D?plies to the Coi
iiiittee.
He Don't See it Like the Senk
Senator and Will Not Resign.
Paris Mountain, S. C\,
August 5th, 1901.
To the Democratic Executive Corn-mi'
tee, State of South Carolina.
Gentlemen: The official notice (
-the action of a majority of your con
mittee of July 25th was received b
me on August 1st, five days after i
had been announced in the newspt
pers. This published announcemer
was the first notice I had that any ac
tion affecting me was to be taken b
your committee. I am now official!
informed that the majority of yon
committee condemns my course in th
senate, demands my resignation an
undertakes to expel me from the den
ocratic party. Twenty-one men hav
attempted to usurp the powers of th
90,000 democratic voters of South Care
lina and as an incident, in a meetin
called for another purpose have hastil
endeavored to do what can be don
only by solemn proceedings of ira
peachment, expressly provided for i:
' the constitution of the United States
RESPONSIBLE ONLY TO TH]
PEOPLE.
I hold my commission from'the dem
ocratic voters of South Carolina, I re
cognize no authority but theirs, tak
no orders from any source but them
and shall in due course appeal to then
for judgment on my course as a sena
tor and my character as a man and ;
democrat.
Personally I am indifferent to you:
action because nobody has made yot
my master or censor, and I regare
what you have done as merely express
ing the malice and the fears of one in?
dividual, Senator B. R. Tillman. Bm
for this always evil and indecent influ?
ence ordinary respcet for the proprie
t ties, would probably have prevented
the four of you who are my declared
competitors for the seat I "now havi
the honor to occupy, from attempting
to use the power entrusted to you b\
your party to remove a riyal from youl
path.
ACTION UNFAIR, ABSURD ANE
UNDEMOCRATIC.
As a citizen and democrat of South
Carolina I am mortified by your ac?
tion, because it has brought upon the
State the condemnation and the ridi?
cule of the press and the. public
throughout the country. Unhappily,
those who are not intimately acquaint?
ed with our conditions accept the ac?
tion of your majority as representing
the intelligence and democracy of oui
State*and both are made objects of de?
rision. Against this I wish to enter
my solemn protest. I shall demon?
strate how unfair, absurd and un?
democratic your action is : and I shall
trust to the democrats of South Caro?
lina to repudiate it when the opportu?
nity is given them. Your purpose is
to deny that opportunity.
. STAR CHAMBER PROCEEDINGS.
It is in strong contrast with the
blatant boast of Senator Tillman at
Gaffney to put me on trial before the
party on the hustings with himslef as
prosecutor. As you know, I sought
that test by accepting a proposal of
appeal to the people, but the governor
saw fit to forbid it. Now Senator
Tillman appears as prosecutor against
me in my absence and by proceedings
like those of the star chamber, which
was the most infamous tribunal of
English history, and the most abhor?
rent to Anglo-Saxon instincts, seeks
to include me from the party and its
debates and public assemblages. It
is your duty, as custodians of the par?
ty interests, to seek recruits and to
strengthen the party. To save Senator
Tillman from staking his rceord,
strength and fortunes against mine,
you unde retake to exclude me and my
friends from the party. Whatever
your individual motives may have
been, the purport of your action is to
facilitate the senator in dodging me
and to deny the poeple the opportuni?
ty of passing on my position and con?
duct. It seems to me the democratic
masses of South Carolina are compe?
tent to say at the polls whether or not
I have been a faithful senator and a
consistent democrat. Why should you
attempt to prevent them?
POLITICAL ASSASSINS.
It is no cause for wonder that Sena?
tor Tillman should seek to make po?
litical assassins of you to avoid open
and fair fight. He has climbed to
power by venomous abuse of many of
the purest men in the State who op?
pose him, for which he has always
carefully shirked personal responsibil?
ity, and on the political lives and for?
tunes of those who befriended him
while he needed friends. Norris, Tin?
dal and Donaldson, men representing
earnest purpose and the interesst of
the farmers of the State and therefore
strong, were used by him to promote
his own interests and then thrust
aside. Irby, Shell and Farley died
despising him because of his treachery
to them and to the people. I am now
in his way and because he has failed
to strike me down he incites you to
attempt to strangle me, and at the
same time to destroy a white primary
to his advocacy of which he owe?
much of the best of his early follow?
ing. Party principles are fixed and t<
the principles of the democratic part;
I have been uniformly faithful. Part;
policies are determined from time t
time by party elections and conven
tions, "and no man nor body of mei
has the power to say between thos
elections what policies shall be th
tests of party loyalty. Senator Till
man is assuming: the prerogative o
supreme boss and dictator to say whi
shall or shall not be regarded as ;
democrat next year. I do not con
cede any such power to him nor t<
you. He, nor all of your committee
together, has not the power to exclude
from candidacy nor the polls at th<
democratic primary the humblest citi
zen of South Carolina who declare
himself to be a democrat and pledge
himself to support the party nominees
Suppose in 1S90 the executive commit
tee of the State had ruled out of th<
party all who engaged in the "Farm
ers' Movement?" Suppose two year
later it had excluded all who favorec
the Sub Treasury idea? Such actioi
would have been unjust tyrannical an(
insulting to thousands of good citizen;
and democrats, but not more so thai
this proceeding: of yours.
WHERE DID TILLMAN GET THI
MONEY.
In his double character as prosecut
ing witness and attorney against me
Senator Tillman is reported as savin?
before your committee that I hav<
voted with the republicans "in impor
tant matters" and that he has seen m<
conferring with republican senators
As I will show by the records he him
self ..frequently voted with the republi
cans "in important matters" as al
other democratic senators have don?
from time to time. It is frequently
necessary, proper and courteous to con
fer with members of the opposit<
party, as he knows and as every mai
of practical sense knows. These ex
pressions of his are attempts to tak<
advantages of credulity and ignorance,
I do not think there is a man ir
South Carolina so ignorant as to b(
really deceived by them. He can noi
put me under suspicion as he has pm
himself by his own acts. ! I have noi
in pubilc office retrograded from a,
j perhaps, honorable bankruptcy to dis
I honorable and unexplained wealth. Hi
and I have drawn the same salaries
but I have found it impossible to save
! a dollar from mine. I have never,
j however, truckled to corporations with
the fawning of a tamed spaniel, made
speeches against them, then voted
for them, and accepted favors as he
has done. I have never been the sole
boss and buying agent of a newly cre?
ated whiskey trust with its rebates o?
$60,000 to $70,000 a year, none o?
which ever reached the State treasury.
I have never had the handling of State
bond refunding scheme with $28,000 of
commissions never yet accounted for or
explained.
A year ago Senator Tillman went
into Nof&h Dakota and made speech?
es advov vting the re-election of a re?
publican ' Senator-Mr. Pettigrew.
Senator Tillman and this Senator
were prominent in preventing by filli
brusteing tactics a vote on the subsidy
bill. The newspapers said that Mr.
Hill, head of the Northern Pacific
lobby against the subsidy bill, gave
Senator Tillman's friend and associate
a "tip" which paid him $450,000 in
the stock market. Birds of a feather,
gentlemen of the committee, always
flock together.
TILLMAN NOT A DEMOCRAT.
Has Senator Tillman, prosecuting
attorney against my democracy, ever
failed to abuse democrats and democ?
racy? Do you know that in the last
two democratic national conventions
he has supported the nomination of
Republicans? In 1896 he favored Sena?
tor Teller for President an old line
republican and one of the bitterest
foes of the South in reconstruction
days. He had himself appeared be?
fore the convention as a competitor of
J. Bryan and been ignominiously
snowed under. In 1900 he was for
Towne, also a republicn, for vice pres?
ident. Is he the man to be supreme
i arbiter and judge of what is democracy
in South Carolina?
GIVE THE YOUNG MEN A
CHANCE.
In the Senate I have labored, as the
records will show, to broaden the pros?
perity of the country, to promote the
interests of my own people, to spread
civilization, to enlarge and increase
opportunity for our young meu and to
stimulate enterprise. His whole polit?
ical course and method have been to
tear down, to abuse and oppose, to
blight and restrain, to bite where he
dared and to fawn where he feared or
sought favor. I shall ask the people
to contrst the records and shall claim
my right as a free man, a born and
reared democrat and a Senator from
South Carolin, to do it regardless of
the orders of twenty-one members of
the executive committee. I shall ask
the people to decide between the man
who has trid to help cotton factories,
open highways of commence and to so
command the democratic party as to
command for it the confidence and re?
spect of the business and laboring ele?
ments north and south ; and that of
the man whose conduct and record has
been to sink the party to disrepute
and impotence. I shall ask them to
say whether they prefer the Senator
who has tried to retain for South Car?
olina the honor and dignity won by a
long line of illustrious sons and glori?
ous deeds, or the Senator who has
postured as buffoon and bully and who
proclaimed on the floor of the Senate
that he represented a constituency of
ballot box staffers and murderers who
wanted their shave of the stealage.
He is now in a Northern State hold?
ing up our people as negro murders and
ballot box thieves.
TARIFF SUBSIDIES AND EXPAN?
SION.
You ha\e undertaken to condemn
and expel and depose me, not only
without a hearing but without evi?
dence. Upon what ground are my
good faith as a Senator and my fideli?
ty as a democrat assailed? Is it on the
tariff? None of you of the committee
can prove to the people that the demo
eratic party is a free trade party. 1
has opposed a tariff for protectio
only, but as early as 1797 we had
protectirve tariff and we have never i
the one hundred and four years sine
known free trade. General Hancock
the party nominee for president i
1SS0, regarded the tariff as a loci
question. Samuel J. Randall, fe
years the party leader and speaker c
the house, was a protectionist. In e\
ery congress where the question ha
been presented numbers of democrat
have voted against and helped to kii
free trade. I have contended th a
Southern products should be put o:
equality with others, and in 1897
fought to have rice, pine lumber ar*
cotton protected. The cry of ' ' Repn:
Hean" was raised against me then
but the people, before whom the issu
was squarly put, endorsed me by ' &
overwhelming vote. Are you now un
dertaking to reverse that verdict?
I have favored ship subsidies. It i
a great question and one, I submi t
on which the people of this State ar
competent to pass after hearing ful
argument. The subject has never bee]
discussed before them although it is o
vast importance to the prosperity o
this State. The purpose of the sub
sidy is to develop the building am
operation of great fleets of America!
ships. It touches the interest of ou
sea ports, of our lumber industries, o
all our mnufacturing enterprises am
our great agricultural products. It i
a question on which some of the ables
democrats of the house and senate ar
divided. I most humbly submit tha
it is not in order for twenty-one mem
bers of our committee to rule tha
the democratic masses of South Caro
lina shall not at their campaign meet
ings heacr this matter of vital inter?s
to them discussed ; and that the peo
pie of the sea coast cities, who woul<
like to see new tides of commero
brought to their harbors and the lum
bermen and owners of forest lands wh(
would be glad to sell material fo:
more ships, are to be thrown neck anc
heels out of the party because thej
favor ship subsidies. Senators Carlisle,
Pugh and Morgan voted for a subsid]
bill which has been in force ten year?
and which has hepled our Braziliar
trade, in a measure at least. Aw
they not democrats, according to th(
decision of Senator Tillman and you]
committee?
I believe that it is our duty to de?
velop the new territory, which has
come into our possession along com?
mercial and industrial lines, to civilize
them, and make them the equal of oui
own States in material prosperity.
Sen tor Tillman would leave them,
after we have deprived them of the
protection of Spain to a hopeless
struggle as an independent nation
without resources or self protection.
Fortunately for us the records show
that in building them up, we are go?
ing to benefit our own country. I
want to give that territory the best
form Of government in the world, he
does not want to give it any form of
government at all. He says "free
silver or bust. " I say the American
people h ve settled that question at the
ballot box.
I am for a sound currency and constant
employment for all who desire work at
remunerative wages. This we cannot
have without an outlet for our surplus
products on equal terms with all of
our competitors in the markets of the
world. Do you think the energetic,
live, progressive young business man
of the South, will long permit the ca?
bals of a few scheming politicians to
stand between him and the attainment
of these glorious ends? If this is not
democrcy, then gentlemen, I invite
you to join hands with me in making
it so.
These are the leading questions on
which I understand my democracy and
loyalty have been assailed. The records
give me little light as to what further
ground there may be for your action.
Allow me to summarize them briefly.
In the first session of the 55th con?
gress Senator Tillman and myself vot?
ed together in 148 of 150 yea and nay
votes.
I voted against him for protection to
the farmers on an amendment to the
tariff bill, proposed by Senator Jones,
of Arkanss, present chairman of the
democratic executive committee. Pos?
sibly you may reconvene your commit?
tee and read him out of the party. I
voted with Jones. Vest, Bacon, Bate,
Berry, Daniel, Mills, Morgan and all
the other democrats, except Senators
Tillman and McEnery who voted with
the republicans. It was a straight
party vote. On another amendment to
the same bill I voted with the demo?
crats. Senator Tillman was the one
democrat voting with the republicans.
See Congressional Record, vol. 30,
paee 1577.
In the second session of the same
congress Senator Tillman and myself
voted together on 82 of 95 roll calls.
One vote on which we differed was on
a motion to adjourn intended to defeat
a resolution calling upon the Presi?
dent to intervene in Cuba. Senator
Tillman voted with the Republicans
to adjourn and the motion prevailed
by one vote. I voted with the Demo?
crats. The other votes on which we
differed were unimportant and
not party questions, the par?
ties dividing on ali. I fa?
vored the acceptance of the Ha?
waiian Islands along with such Demo?
crats as Gorman, Kyle, Money, Morgan,
Pettus and Sullivan, and he, with the
other democrats and some.republicans
were opposed to it.
On page 4858, vol. 31 of the Record
it is shown that I voted, with all the
democrats but three and all the repub?
licans, fora bill to provide for arbi?
tration of disputes between railway
companies and their employes. Sena?
tor Tillman was one of the three
against it. We also differed on a bill
Erohibiting intoxicating liquors to
e sold in the territory of Alaska. I
favored and he opposed the prohibi?
tion. Possibly he had views on a dis?
pensary and rebates there.
On a vote to recommit the conference
report on the River and Harbor bill I
voted for the recommitment with such
Democrats as Chilton, Heitfeldt, Ken?
ney, Mills, Rawlins and Turner. He
voted against with such republicans as
Allison Burrows, Cullom, Davis, El
kins, Hale, Hawley, Loge, Perkins,
Platt and Quay.
In the first session of the 56th Con?
gress Senator Tillman and I voted to?
gether on 67 ont of 71 roll calls. In
each of the four cases in which we i
.differed the parties were divided. The
most notable of these was on the ad?
mission of Senator Qnay. I voted for
it with Senators Daniel, Kenney, Mc
Enery, Morgan and Tilaferro, "demo?
crats. He opposed with most of the
democrats and eleven republicans, in?
cluding Hanna, Platt, Foraker, Gal
linger and Hale.
In the last session of the same con?
gress Senator Tillman and myself vot?
ed together in most of the 57 votes
taken. On a resolution requiring the
President to issue in ten days a pro?
clamation disclaiming any purpose to
exercise sovereignty over the Philip?
pines I voted "nay" with Foster,
Kyle, Lindsay, Morgan and Sullivan,
democrats. Senator Tillman was one
of 22 favoring it. On an amendment
declaring that it was not the purpose
of the United States to exercise per?
manent control over the Philippines,
Senator Tillman with most of the
democrats and Senator Hoar republi?
can, voted "aye." I with Senators
Foster and Lindsav, democrats, voted
"nay."
On the final passage of the army bill
we differed. I voted for it and had
with me Senators Foster, Lindsay,
Morgan and Sullivan. We voted to?
gether for amendments extending the
constitution of the United States
over the Philippines on strict party
lines.
On the question of governing our
outlying possessions he and I voted
together and it is this that determines
the matter of imperialism, not the pos?
session of the territory. I voted to
take possession and rule justly. He
voted not to take possession but to
rule.
He and I voted together on all party
questions except those concerning the
Philippines which my judgment, exer?
cised as a Senator and a representative
of the people, told me was a question
of foreign relations, involving entire
ly new problems and therefore not
properly a party question and on
which my political judgment told me
the country was practically united.
The democratic party was wrecked by
being forced in this mater into a
policy opposed to its own traditions,
and the overwhelming sentiment of
the country against my protest and
that of other loyal democrats. Devel?
opments have proved that those who
maintained that the pacification of
the islands was impossible, that the
people would never accept our control
and that their retention would be un?
profitable and disastrous were wrong.
I am ready to go before the people
of South Carolina and show them the
facts. Do you undertake to say that
I must resign and put myself out of
my party because I favored uphold?
ing the dignity of the American flag
after its troops had been fired on, and
opposed a cowardly abandonment of
these islands to chaos? Is the proposi?
tion to punish me, because I did not
believe Aguinaldo to be the equal of
George Washington or concede that
the Filipinos could instantly and
unguided organize for themselves a
stable government and a high civiliza?
tion?
LET HIM DENY THIS RECORD.
I have been at some pains to show
from the records, by volume and page,
that where Senator Tillman and I
differed in congress it was not on
party questions : and that he voted
with the republicans at least as often
as I did, and that in every case where
we divided I had with me democrats
who possess the confidence of the
party throughout the country and
whose democracy not even his reckless
and slanderous insolence dares to
assail. I could go further and show
other instances in which he has voted
against the great majority of his party
-notably in the Platt amendment to
the Cuban bill. He had declared his
purpose to oppose and fight this to
the last ditch ; but he voted for it.
Some of his present newspaper friends
said at the time that he did it to curry
favor with the Charleston vote, hop?
ing to trade the exposition bill
through. If that was the case, he was the
shallow victim of a political green
goods game and sold himself for saw?
dust. But I have said enough, I think,
to prove to you and to the public that
you-like many others who have risen
and gone before you-have permitted
yourselves to be made tools of by Sen?
ator Tillman, to promote his own base
and brutal ends and to protect him
from a struggle he fears to face, be-1
cause he knows that the facts and
arguments are all against him. His
hope is to keep those facts and argu?
ments from the people of South Caro?
lina.
Accept my condolence on the un?
happy and absurd situation into which
this would be dictator has led you.
You may be assured that he will find
a crevice through which to crawl,
leaving you to stand the fire when
it becomes hot, and that having used
you he will cast you aside like many
he has formerly used.
I desire to proclaim to the world
that you do not represent the intelli?
gence, the democracy or the people of
South Carolina ; and to you and Sena?
tor Tillman that he has never been my
master and shall never be : that he
shall not escape the vengeance that
must surely fall upon him when
the people have been made to under?
stand his motives, his methods, his
debased character and his shameful
record. To that grand conservator of
free government, the reserved patriot?
ism and common sense of the people,
I make appeal, against partisan intol?
erance and tyranny.
Very respectfully,
Jno. Lowndes McLaurin.
Lincoln, Neb., Aug. 7.-Meetings
were held tonight by the Democratic,
Populist and Free Silver Republican
State Central committees and fusion
of the three parties was practically
argeed upon, the State conventions of
all being fixed for Sept. 17, at Lincoln.
W. J. Bryan addressed the Democratic
and Populist committees and expressed
himself strongly in favor^of fusion.
DISPENSARIES FOR THE EXPOSITION
Director General Asks For Num?
ber, on the Grounds.
Columbia, Aug. 8.-Mr. J. H.
Averill, director of the Charleston ex?
position, and Mr. W. H. Welch of the
county board of control appeared be?
fore the directors of the State dispen?
sary yesterday to consult as to what
methods can be pursued to have dis?
pensaries located on the exposition
grounds. The board promised its co?
operation and insisted that it is an
isous to help make the exposition a
success.
No definite proposal was submitted
-that must be arranegd with the
county board. But it was intimated
by the State board that it sanctions
the establishment of six or eight dis?
pensaries on the exposition grounds,
such dispensaries to sell beer and light
wines. The dispensers must be regu?
larly appointed and must be bonded
officers. The board thought that a clerk
could be elected to have general super?
vision of these dispensaries, but each
dispenser must have an individual
permit.
Mr. Averill asked if a beer dispen?
sary could be operated in connection
with a restaurant. He was informed
that such a proceeding would not
conform to the letter of the law.
However a beer dispenser could have
his booth adjoining that of restau?
rateur, and patrons could give their
orders for beer to the cafe waiters.
In the opinion of the board the wait?
ers could be ' ' servants of the guests,
not servants of the restaurant-keep?
er, ' ' and for that reason could fetch
the foaming beer for the thirsty guests
of the restaurant.-The State.
GIVE CUBA A CHANCE.
Havana, Aug. 78.-The Union of
Tobacco Buyers of Havana was recent?
ly asked by the Merchants' Union to
give an opinion as to the duties levied
in the United States upon Cuban to?
bacco. The reply was to the effect
that duties on cigars should be reduc?
ed to 82.50 per pound irrespective of
value, and that the duties on wrap?
pers and fillings should be reduced 20
to 25 cents respectively per pound.
A long preamble asserts that Cuba
if she does not obtain concessions to
which she has a perfect right in view
of the fact that she is under the eco?
nomic as well as the political protec?
tion of the United States should ask
for annexation. "This the United
States would grant," the preamble
goes on to say '1 as it would be in con?
formity with the desire of a maajori
ty of the American people. Thus the
successful opposition of the sugar and
tobacco interests of the United States
to granting concessions to Cuba would
only result in the ruin of these inter?
ests, since with annexation Cuba
would have free trade, and this would
mean the overthrow of the sugar and
tobacco industries in the United
States.''
GUNBOAT SENT TO PANAMA.
Isthmus Must be Kept Open
Decision of U.S. Government.
Washington, Aug. 7.-An order was
issued by the acting secretary of the
navy for the gunboat Machias, now
at the Boston navy yard, to proceed
without delay to Hampton Roads and
there to prepare for departure to Co?
lon, near the eastern terminus of the
Panama-American railroad.
At the navy department it is explain?
ed that this movement has been order?
ed with a view to having the Ma?
chias take observations in the vicinity
of the isthmus. In announcnig the
action of the department it was offi?
cially stated that "it is deemed need?
ful that a United States war vessel be
in that vicinity at this time." The
j order to the Machias followed a con?
ference held at the navy department
j between Acting Secretary of State
i Adee, and Acting Secretary of the
Navy Hackett. Mr. Adee received
the dispatch from Consul Gudger last
night, stating that the revolutionists
had held up a train for an hour at
Marachin on the line of the railroad
across the isthmus, and only about 15
miles from Panama city. While this
was not regarded as threatening an in- j
terruption of traffic or giving any
ground for intervention by the Uni?
ted States, yet it was deemed advisa?
ble by the" officials that one of our
ships shouuld be in the neighborhood
in order that suitable observations
could be made and steps taken to meet
any serious emergency that might
arise. For the present officials do not
believe there will be any need of land?
ing marnies. The commander of the
Machias, Lieut. Commander Mason is
regarded as an officer .of tact and abil?
ity and beside this he has had recent
experience in West Indina waters, hav?
ing been in command of the Scorpion
when she made her recent trip to La
Gui ra to keep watch on American in?
terests in Venezuela.
The Machias is a gunboat of 1,177
tons displacement with twin screws
and good steam capacity. She has
eight four inch guns in her main bat?
tery, six rapid fire guns and one au?
tomatic gun. Her run to the isthmus
depends somewhat on the length of her
stay at Hampton Roads, but it is be?
lieved she will be ready to proceed
with little or no delay, in which case
the trip will take about ten days or
two weeks.
We have dallied so long in the mat?
ter of the connection with the Sea?
board Air Line that we have lost our
opportunity. We did not grasp the
forelock and now will be lucky if we
even get a hair out of the tail. Sum?
ter is going to get the road now.
Sumter is feeling and feeling strongly
the beneficial effects of the recent de?
velopment in her railroad facilities.
Her people have built the roads and
they are enjoying the fruits of their
enterprise.-Florence Times.
POETIC JUSTICE.
A Jerseyman who went ont for a
pleasure drive with his sweetheart not
long ago received a needed though
rather severe lesson on the necessity
of being humane to animals in this
day and generation. It was very a hot
day, and when the drive was about
half over the horse became balky.
The driver thereupon lost his temper
and gave the animal an unmerciful
beating. Then the trouble began. A
constable saw him and promptly ar?
rested him for cruelty to animals He
was unable to pay the money, and his
companion settled the business for
him. Then she went home and wrote
him a note, and this was what it
said :
"When a man will so brutally beat
a horse and so easily lose his temper,
a woman marrying him would take
the chance of the same treatment."
And the rest of the note released
him from the engagement.
Most people will be of the opinion
that the young lady in question did
what was exactly right, and that she
was fortunte in discovering the dis?
position of her fiance before instead
of after marriage. Insensibility to the
pain of another is not a trait which
is particularly desirable in either a
husband or a wife. While, of course,
it is not to be inferred that every man
who will beat his horse will also beat
his wife, cruelty to animals so viti?
ates the moral nature that those per?
ceptions upon which a sense of justice
depends are blunted. The intimacy
of marriage is so close that happiness
can only exist where there is mutual
forbearance, together with a certain
sensitiveness to the feelings of others.
The man who does not possess this
sensitiveness may not be actually
cruel to either wife or children, so far
as physical maltreatment is concerned,
but he will say and do things which
are quite as brutal as a blow with a
whip would be. There are a dozen
considerations which are likely to
restrain him from wife-beating-the
opinions of his neighbors, custom,
fear that his wife may invoke the law,
fear of retaliation by her relatives, or
merely the fact that it is not usual for
American husbands to express their
sentiments in that way. But if his
nature is essentially cruel he will find
ways to torture those dependent upon
him which are worse than physical
pain. The true test of a man's char?
acter is not to be found in his actions
when he is restrained by public senti?
ment or fear of consequence. He is
his real self when he is free to act, to
indulge meanness, or passion, or
cruelty, tow?rd some creature which
cannot retaliate and has no means of
defence. The Jerseyman who is the
unenviable hero of the incident above
recorded was subjected to this test,
and apparently he failed. He may
have had an idea that by his lack of
consideration for his horse he was
showing a manly and stern strength
of character which would impress tha
girl in the seat beside him. Some men
have an idea that women rather admire
those who are capable of cruelty. These
men are trying to fit sixteenth century
ideas into twentieth century civiliza?
tion. It cannot be done. It is true
that women admire a brave man, and
often the man in question is a soldier
or hunter, but there is a very fine
distinction between the brave man and
the man who is ever ready to inflict
pain. What the modern girl sees to
admire in the soldier is not his will?
ingness to shoot another man, but his
readiness to be shot himself : not his
murderous impulses, but his sacrifice
of personal safety. The kind of wom?
an who would like a man after seeing
him act cruelly toward a helpess ani?
mal is not fit for a civilized country.
-i i - ?
Florence Hit by Freshets.
Florence, Aug. 9.-Florence County
has been hit hard by freshets this sum?
mer. Three thousand . dollars will
have to be expended on Lynch's river
bridge and causeway alone. Besides
this, countless small bridges have been
wrecked, and the roads put in such
condition as to require the constant
attention of the chain gang, reenforc?
ed by several paid laborers. To meet
this "increase in expenses the county
will have to borrow $6,000 to run it's
affairs until 1901 taxes begin to come
in. Florence county has been run on
a cash basis for several years and a con?
tinuation of this method being desired
is another reason for the action of the
commissioners in borrowing money.
Supervisor McBride will negotiate
with the State Sinking Fund commis?
sion for tho loan.
Dr. FL B. Rhett Dead.
Charleston, Aug. 7.- Dr. Robert B.
Rhett, one of the leading physicians of
this city died at 9 o'clock tonight af?
ter several weeks illness, of tyhpoid
fever. Dr. Rhett was one of the most
progressive members of the medical
profession in the State and his reputa?
tion as a surgeon was of the highest^
throughout the South.
We were shown a letter this morning -
from Robt. Wilson, Jr., M. D., Bac?
teriologist to Board of Health, Charles?
ton, S. C., to Mayor E. O. McCreight,
saying that he had examined the specs
imens of Camden artesian water,.
Hamlet and Sumter ice used in Cam?
den and that he found them absolutely
pure and healthful. He states that of
course these waters should be examin?
ed frequently as the water may at any
time become polluted.-Camden Mes?
senger.
Norfolk, Va., Aug. 7.-Lieut. Com?
mander James C. Cresap, U. S. N., of
the inspection board at the Norfolk
navy yard, died at the naval hos?
pital here at an early hour this
morning of blood poisoning,, which
was caused by the dye of a stocking
absorbed in a slight abrasion on the
foot. A wife and two sons survive him.
The body will be taken to Annapolis
for burial.