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A COUNTRY SUBSCRIBER PROTESTS. A Stronq Array of Reasons Against Granting Franchise to Beil Tele phone Company. Sumter, S. C, Dec. 27, 1902. Editor of The Daily Item : I have carefully read the propositions made to City Council by the Bell telephone people, and, as I live a little way in the country, I would begla 1 to be heard both for myself and others who live from 5 to 20 miles from Sumter. These people .the Bell Telephone Co. ? have now a monopoly, and it is evident they expect to extend it. Think of it, they charge cents per qnarter of a mile after they leave the city limits. Now what aces that mean to a man living as 1 do 10 miles from tbe city:1 82.30 per mile, 10 miles from the city, 823. Let the City Council consider well before they grant these people a franchise. The present system is bad it is true, but- when the Bell people are granted a franchise it means ail communica tion with the country cut oil*, and better, far better, that "we abide the evils which now exist, than fly to those we know not of.'' These corporations are for money and money alone. Let them pass us by, they have done so for several months, and it has caused no great inconvenience to Sumter, who gets her trade from the country. The telephone in its best form does not y^t take the place of the telegraph. Let Sumter give the Bell telephone a wide birth, unless better arrangements can be made with thern than those pub lished. When it comes to a matter of grear importance, we people in the coun try can use the telegraph, and, while it will be a little more expensive, we will have the saisfaction of knowing that we will have our 'phones in the country and over which we can some times communicate. Let Council act cautiously in this matter and not put a company here to gobble the old com pany and break us up in the country. I have no interest in any telephone company and have reason to complain of the one now in existence, but better let it alone, than put tbe Bell company in a position to make money for them- J selves and injure the public. Sinex. j MAYESViLLE NEWS NOTES. A Week of Pleasant Festivities. Mayesville, Dec. 27.? A week of festivities and frolicking was brought to a close last evening with a very successful entertainment given by the ladies of the Presbyterian Church. A large and appreciative audience was in attendance and a neat sum was realized. The program consisted of instrumental and vocal music and a farce entitled, ''Which will He Marry?'' The playing of the young children deserves special mention and showed how carefully they had been trained. The farce seemed to please the audience from tbe applause it brought forth. Space will not permit of any further description of the ex cellent performance given, but the whole entertainment was a grand suc cess. A '"Tacky Party" was given by Mr. and Mrs. K. J. Mayes, Sr., on Tuesday evening which was attend< d by a large number of young people and an evening of much, fun and plea sure was indulged in. On Christmas evening a dleightful social be was held at the residente of Mr. J. R. Mayes, and a general good time was had by all present. Prof. E. Earle Thornwell ^-ave his school a Christmas irre on Tuesday evening which was a source of much pleasure to the pupils. There was a large crowd in town on Wednesday and the merchants received a heavy business. The sales ar the dispensary amounted to 8350.05, but there was a noticeable absence of drunkenness, and rowdyism during the week, only a few arresst beimr made. The ground for the new town build ing has been broken, the brick has ar rived, and building will commence at once. At the regular meeting of Social Lodge, No. 110, K. of P., on Tuesday evening, an election of officers was held which resulted as follows: Chancellor Commander, M. l>. Wil son: Vice Chancellor, J. R. Mayes: Prelate, W. J. Garahm: Master of Work, H. B. Best : Master of Arms, M. C. Mayes: Keeper of Records & Seals, Y. S. Wyld: Master of Ex chequer, S. W. Pringle: Master of Finance, ('. D. Cooper: Inner Guard, W. E. And' rson : Outer Guard, W. M, Cooper. Several applications from prospective members were recei ved and SPMiss" innie Hunter, of Clausen, Fluren- County, is visiting Miss Mrs. Hyman Pearistine, of Charles ton ic \i>?iTiii'r her eirents Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Strauss. College, soent Wednesday with rela Mr. R. Mae C C copers. Mr. H. W. Cooper, of Sumter, was at home this week. Mr. W. S. Wyl i has gone on a visit The Dent!? of nnr. Bernard Gfleiii. Mr Bernard O'Neill, wholesale grocer and commission merchant, died ih thk*city yesterday, itgeo >v> years. Mr. (XNefif had been in feeble, health for many months and his death was nor unexpected. Mr O^Neili was born r.e.-ir Kilrea, in the North of Ireland. August 12: is22. He was carefully educated, es pjciallv ir; the classics, for which he alwavs had a gret afondness. tn"is42 Mr. O'Neill came to Charles to3. In 1843 he was in position to b< ? mission business in this city from thai Jims till his death. News ar..! Conn er, Dec. .'50. John Holland Fountain Pens, sold under a positive guarantee: also tin well known Waterman's Ideal Fountain 1'ens, at if. G. Osteen <v Go's. Book Store. FIRE IN BISHOPVILLE. Three Stores Bu-ned. Bishopville, Deo. 2S'. - Bishop vi He i has had her annual fire, nn the same day of the week and 02 weeks apart. Shortly after nine on the night of the 27th, the alarm was sounded, and it was discovered that the top of the j store Occupied by T. E. Mnnn was afire, after which only a few minutes ? elapsed before it was enveloped beyond : all hope of being saved. The next i closest building was an empty store owned by .7. H. Pate, which soon took j lire and extended it to Dr. R. E. ! Dennis* drug store. Then the whole of I them burned slowly t?> the ground. The depot adjoining the druc store was saved with but little work, the wind being favorable. At one time | i the destruction of the depot seemed im- ' I minent, and the Conductor at Luck- , j now was requested by wire to send j I down the locomotive to remove some I loaded cars which were standing near | I the building, but he declined to move I without orders from headquarters and so the whole was left to burn. That was a fine illustration of discipline. Tills place is building up rapidly, and it should, for there are numerous applications for all the numerous dwellings now in course of construc tion. J. A NEW MANSION. . One of Gov. McSweeney s Forth-; coming Recommendations. One of the recommendations the governor will make to the legislature in his last message will be that a new executive mansion be built. It is ad mitted by everybody familiar with conditions that the present mansion iias long since passed bey end its u>e for such a purpose, and that for the sake of the health, not to refer to the comfort of the occupants, something ought to be done about it. Gov. Mc Sweeney has given the question careful consideration, and he believes a new j mansion can be erected in every way \ modern, suitable and convenient with out a cent of cost to the state. It is estimated that the present building and grounds would bring about 640, 000, and that is not mere guess work, for some of the local capitalists who have been soanded on the matter, tiiink such a sum would be brought. Not. only that, but there is almost a certainty that if it is put on the mar ket there would le no trouble about getting a purchaser. That being ac complished, the plan is to secure two acres from the South Carolina college on Sumter street on the lot now own ed by that institution on which is j the old mess hall, some unsightly cow sheds and a turnip patch. The col lege might be given 810,000 of the purchase price for this lot, and leave ?>>0,000 with which to build a mansion of a modern character and arranged for the special purpose of being the residence of the chief executive. This would help the college and the State, and besides that put the present mansion property on the tax lists. This whole question has been quietly agitated for several years, but this will be the first positive and definite plan conceived or presented to the legislature.?Columbia Record. Dimmt WAS RIGHT." That is Charles Francis Adams's View of Our Only Great War. From the Baltimore Sun. Den:. . j Mr. Charles Francis Adams, of I Boston, in his address Monday even*! ing in Charleston, S. (\, at the ban- ! quet of the New England Society of j that city, a?serted that the civil war' was a necessity from the very nature of the Constitution of the United States. Mr. Adams has long < nter tained liberal views in this subject. Last June, in a speech in Chicago, he paid an eloquent tribute to Geh. Robert E. Lee, to whom, he said the nation owes a debt of gratitude for his decision not to prolong the strife through guerrilla warfare-. In his Charleston address Mr. Adams frank ly asserted that his study of the ques tions which led up to the civil war had convinced him that everybody was right; noliody was wrong." "So far as I can ascertain,"* said Mr. Adams, "every State of the federation be came a member of the Union with mental reservat inns. The one thing our ancestry united in most appre hending was a centralized government. From New Hampshire to Georgia such a government was associated with ;;:> idea of a foreign regime. '\ be people clung to the local autonomy the sov The "civil war was, in Mr. Adams's opinion, an irrepressible, inevitable conflict over the question of sovereign ty, and, in his view, when it came to be decided "either side could dlfcr [good ground, historical and legal, for j any attitude taken in regard t<; it." j Lt is refreshing to find so distinguished [ the South had ample constitutional I warrant for making war in defence of State sovereignty. Mr. Adams makes the interesting suggesion that if the Southern States had withdrawn fron) i the Union before. ISO! " they would [never have failed of success." They j were conquered, in ids opinion, hot by j military skill, or wealth, or ecu rage, i but by >team and electricity. " J I-? f< ? r? ! ISOl, " he observed, "steam and olee ! tricity, neither on land or water, had ; d< rtaken and Iinally '.v Mr. Adams's Charlestoi '< en nance his rep'u ta1 ion j str.uent of Amenean hi.* : able and fair-minded <x:. Urged to Sue for Libel. I try daily j a per for libel. This ; .; r ; in an editorial intimated that in par donin? Mclntsoh. the white muri ; {'.vi:-?- convicted of murder, the gov* ; ] re>r was actuated bv motives thai ?? : ! questionable. There way a suggestion of bribery in the charge which was : very galling t<> the governor's friends, j and be is by some of them being uri^t d ; to bring suit f?.; libel. His public j acts, they claim, are open to criticism, j but such a charge as this shouid be ! challenged.?The State, Washington Letter. Washington, Dec. 29. To the in ; tense relief of persons familiar with the interior workings of the White House and the Stritt- Depart ment the president has yield ed to the strong pressure brought ? to hear on him by the Secretaries of : State and War and as foregone the j pleasure of arbitrating the differences between Venezuela and the foreign powers. The invitation of Germany and Great Britain to arbitrate their claims so flattered the president that for some time his better judgment. Was obscured and it s< emed that, in spite of the protests of Messrs. Hay and Root and many of the republican sen ators, he would accept the position. So emphatic, however, were the argu ments against such a '-nurse, almost every republican newspaper protesting, that he was obliged to yield, and it now appears that the troubles of Ven ezuela will be adjudicated by the Hague Tribunal. Through the enterprise of a metro politan daily paper the terms of the Cuban treaty have been made public and have excited both admiration and criticism. To those members of Con gress who represent the manufacturing interests of the East the convention affords the utmost satisfaction, but to those wiio represent agricultural constituencies it is tbe occasion of worry and anxiety. Following the usual custom of his party. Secretary Hay has secured the most signal advantages for the manfuaeturing and other vest ed interests, to the disadvantage of the agriculturists. While manufactured silk, watches, umbrellas and a long line of similar products secure a eon cession of 40 per cent, from the Cuban duties, such important agricultural productions as flour, wheat products, corn and its products, beef and other meats, etc.. receive but the regula tion 20 per cent. It is true that cot ton and wool in the raw state receive a special discount of 30 per <vnt. but as has been pointed out by a western republican, Cuba is nor a manufac turing country and there will be little sale there for the raw materials. On the manufactured cotton and woolen goods a discount of 40 per Cent, is allowed, so that again the manufac turers are the beneficiaries. The in terest of the beet sugar producers are. of course, sacrificed as 2J> per cent, re duction is allowed on Cuban sugar en tering the United States. The prospects for the ratification of the treaty are not as rosy as the ad ministration organs represent. Sen ator Burrows, after examining trie treaty, has said that he will form no opinion as to its worth until after trie national beet su^ar Convention, to take place in Washington next week. The California delegation is strongly Opposed to the treaty and is attempt ing to form an alliance with the Xew England delegation which is earnest ly opposed to the JIay-Bond conven tion, which will permit Xew Found land fish and bait to compete with the Xew England industries, and to the Kasson treaty with France which will permit French silks and notions to compete with numerous Xew Fmg land manufactures, in this situation Senator Lodge finds himself in a seri ous dilemma. His friendship for the President prompts him to vote for the Cuban treaty, but his seat in the Senate would be imperilled by the neglect of any opportunity to defeat the French and Xew Foundlarid treaties. Under these circumstances the Senator is doinga great deal of thinking hut js not talking for publication. A rumor which is the occasion of ! serious misgivings to tie- friends of the President has leaked our froni the Whit" lb-use. It is to the effect that Mr. Roosevelt is seriously con- i templating the appointment of the notorious Billy Lorimer. Congress man elect, t > the position of Secre tary of the Department ?>f Commerce and Labor which ir is assumed will be created this session. It has long been the President's intention to ap point Secretary Cortelyou to his im portant post, hut strong pressure i. being brought to bear by tbe Illinois machine which claims that it has re ceived no consideration in return for its support of the President. The claim is undoubtedly true. and. to the credit of Mr. Roosevelt, it may be said that the unsavory reputation of the Illinois machine 1ms made him ex ceedingly chary about favoring it with patronage, hut as the time for the Na tional convention approaches Mr. Roosevelt becomes less independent and the Illinois delegation is a power ful one. Their support would prove much more effectual than any Mr. Cortelyou could deliver as his whole influence, if he lias any, :s in Xew York, tie- support of which state .Mr. Roooveii believes he is sure of. it has remained for Germany and j Cr-at britam to force trie repule t licans to declare their position in re- j gard to the Philippines. When the tieatv ? f Paris was' ne'-oriated i: lad! not entered the mind ifanv republican that the United States was acquiring terfito'rv with a view to its submission .i ?nt control, .-yj tue me rotectoj-ate w it was assumed that a prori-ctoi to he formed over the Philippines, which were in oih< r respects to onjov the Privileges of self gov, rnment. This being tie- case :!:<? ?'open door ; oiio,\ was guaranteed \:i Phili: ; iiie i astoms legislation. The United'states was to speK no a?ivantage ;n the Philippine market nol guaranteed to other na ?ns. mm i: lib ; and accordingly the Pow rs ? tered a protest. The Ad mi ; refuses to :h,- justice of t ; and. slates its position f i says that it is impossible to I the door to the Philip' in es 1 gard: d as in the san i the United St".tes as colonies to the r.are.nl issue l a ts basic principle the ta: ajiita! s;..< ;? , f oiai:, TeSsive ratio, the tax great poli tical part it s whom !.e charges with having coquetted with the trcs's at the i xpe.nses "f the p< <? jilt; and he predicts that unless a deoid ed change shall occur, both parties will be overthrown. A FIGHT IN FL0B1GA Between Phosphate Mine Negroes and Whites?Two Killed. Williston, Fla , Doc. '2U.- Two ne :oes arc dead and two white nu n ounded as a result of a clash at ?ins near the Xewberrv nhosnhate uimcr f lowers, kov uanoran, Landran and .M. Collev. whiles. they started home a gang of negroes, armed with Winchester rifles, met them in the road and opened fire. The whites returned the shots and the fet tle was continued for some time. When the smoke cleared away it was found that two of tiio negroes were (lead, while Flowers was found shot through the thigh and a channel was left in X. Landran's brow where a Winchester bullet had plowed its way. The live negroes had fled, but the whites fol lowed and succeeded in capturing one, who thev dedivered to the sheriff. CORONATION BAZAR SCANDALS, !n Which the American Women Are IViixed Up. From Harper's Bazar.) The golden glamor begins to fade from King Fdward's coronation, which began as a world-famous pageant, was suddenly darkened by the shadow of disaster, and finally ended as a simple and impressive religious ceremony. Not the least heralded {'art of the celebration was the coronation bazar held in July, and opened by Queen Alexandra. Rumors of awkward dis closures concerning its management are rife in even the most exclusive circles of the Court. The Duke of Fife, the King's son-in-law, who is chairman of the bazar committee, in sists on the publication of the balance sheet, in order to make clear to the in quiring world why very gieat sales re sulted in very small and even evanes cent cash returns. Certain great ladies, who helped to make the bazar a success or otherwise, and who have been talk ing to their admiring friends at after noon teas < f the wonderful efforts and sacrifices they made for the bazar, are equally determined to keep the financial statement strictly private and confidential. Rumor says that the rea son is that the bills of expense sent in by these great ladies practically absorbed the entire receipts of the bazar: hence their coy unwillingness to see the accounts given to a cold and unsympathetic world. Humor further says that the American stall, which was so eloquently hymned on both sides of the Atlantic, is as much under the cloud as the rest, even more so per haps; for everything in the American stall was charged for, although the women at this stall were among the richest Americans in London. There is something sordidly humorous in the picture of these great ladies with pro verbial Anglo-Saxon thrift making social capital by taking part in the great charity sale, posing as patroness es and dispensers of royal and noble bounty, and then sending in a formid able hill "for services rendered."* Of course, this may be idle talk, though v.-e are hardly inclined to think it so, while the great army and navy bazar scandal is green i". our memories. The ladies who robed themselves in the mantle of charity on that occasion got heavy expenses from tie- funds, and. annexed some of the .m.-st valuable articles "as memen toes*' of an interesting function mere cotillon favors, as it were. The cor onation bazar scandal mav, as we said, be mere idle talk. This can oniv be decided by the publication of the accounts, and his Majesty's son-in-law should carry his point without hesita tion or delay. Meanwhile we must content ourselves with saying, like the apostle of the ('entiles, that "charity" covers a muitiitude of -ins. WILL MARRY PRINCESS As Soon as She Gets a Divorce. Says Prof. Giron. TEN THOUSAND IN DIAMONDS Stolen From Window of New Y?rk Jeweler. After Glass Had Been Smashed With Rock Robber Captured. New York, Dee. 29. Jn full view of West 42nd 'street 'was sniasiSd Avlth a Belgian saving block tonight and ;?!??. chase, the robber, who drew a pistol and fonght desperately for his Liberty, j was captured. He was more dead than alive when the police rescued j him from the crowd of pursuers. I tie is 19 years old and calls himself I William Madison of Boston. ! It was one of the most daring rob | beries heard of in New York for a lonir j time. The shop was about to close when a paving block covered with papers crashed through the window and in an instant, a tray of diamonds disappeared. The man was hotly pur sued. A great crowd followed and when the man was overtaken he was buried under a score of men and so badly battered that physicians were required. Madison said he came here a week ago and was prompted to commit the deed by cold and hunger. If is said at the store that at the time the window was broken there was in the show (rase about 812,000 worth of diamonds. INDEPENDENT GOTToiToiL 00. Books of Subscription Opened at Darlington and $500.000 Subscribed. ; Special to the News and Courier. Darlington. December 2?.?The books of subscription to the capital I stock of the Independent Co ton Oil I Company were opened on Saturday at I the Bank of Darlington. The charter recently granted this corporation by the Secretary of State gives an auth orized capital of 81,000,000 to this con cern. Kive hundred thousand dollars was subscribed in less than thirty minutes, when the books were closed? as this was all that was wanted now. There were several applications for more stock after the books had been closed. The corporators are Bright Williamson and R. Keith Dargan, of Darlington, and A. Levi, of Manning. A meeting for detailed organization has been called at Darlington on Ja unary 2, when directors and officers will be elected. Business men from various sections of South Carolina are stockholders. The majority are from Darlington, however, where the cen tral managing office will be established. The purpose of this large company is to manufacture and sell all the pro | ducts of cotton seed, and the concern I is nor organized in opposition to any other mills or companies. The new I company starts out with a strong ag [ gregation of capital, brains, ahilitv and ! experience, and will be one of the ! strong business establishments pi cne! GQSI KB: B?!H? DE?BLY. j Speech in Which He Aroused the Enmity of Senator Roscoe Conkling. From the Chicago Chronicle. The widow of Henry Winter Davis, who was once a very conspicuous fig ure in American politics, died at her home in Baltimore recently The cir cumstance recalls a speech made by James D. Blaine in the House of Rep resentatives in LS96, in winch the name of her husband figured. If was this speech which incurred for Klaine the undying enmity of Roscoe Conk ling and which cost him, according to some historians, the Presidency. { Conkling and Blaine had indulged in I a lilt. Blnine was speaking and. turn i ing to Mr. Conkling. who was aceen I tuating his profound indifference t" j what tiie gentleman from Maine might tie saying by writing busily, made j tins utterance: . ?V sarcasm. I hot.e lie will not be too i minded gentleman is so wilting, his bau^htv Vfisdaim his grandiloquent at'i ! as an I :. date for Co;. ?> canvass ai ?m of ablese, i about s nominated A handsome line of newest r-;\les in Stationery. II. (',. Osteen A Co. The latest in fine Stationen just re ceived and placed on sale at H. G. Osteen & Co*s book store. HESTER'S COTTON STATEMENT For Week Ending Last Friday Comparative Receipts. Move ment. Stocks and Mill Takings. >Tli last 134,000. XL*, rtu!Uu.a.u urougut inr> >.g.;t ?lur ing the week has been 368,301 against 378,677 for the same seven days last year and 3.'$, 924 year before last. receipts at all U. S. ports to he 4,71 L, - 330 against 4,070,002 last year: over bind across the Mississippi, Ohio and Potomac rivers to northern mills and Canada "?23,323 against 566;7S5 last year: interior stocks in excess of those held at the close of the commercial year 472,230 against 536,115 last year : southern mill takings 789,500 aganist 709. ICS last year. The total movement since Sept. i is 6,499,333 against 6,382,070 last year and 6,365,545, year before last. Foreign exports for the week have been 216,546 against 245,109 last year, making the total thus far for the sea son 3,370.999 last year. The total takings of American mills, north and south and Canada, thus far for the season have been 1,782,532 against 1,686,010 last year. Stocks at the seaboard and tbe 29 leading southern interior centres have incraesed during the week 115,224 bales against an increase during the corresponding period .-last season of 45.281. Including stocks left over at ports and interior towns from the last crop and the number of bales brought into sight thus far for the new crop the supply to date is 6.714,457 against ONGLE M IS OUT OF IT. Venezuela fclust Now Submit Her Own Gase to the Tribunal. Washington, December 29.?The Venezuelan negotiations now wait upon President Castro. Minister Buwen lias been fully advised by the State department of the result of its exchanges with the foreign office at London, Berlin and Rome, and he has been charged to take the case in hand himself and arrange the details of the protocol, which will precede the sub mission of the foreign claims to the arbitration of The Hague Tribunal. In so doing Mr. Bo wen is acting, not as United States minister, but as Venezuela's representative. The offi cials her'- wish it to be distinctly un derstood that their functions ceased, so far as the Venezuelan difficulty was concerned, when they brought the par tner. zuem mis ngton i the commission whicn win draw up tec protocol providing for the submission of the claims of the Powers to The Hague Tribunal, it has been de cided that h may so r< ; resent Vene zuela, notwithstanding he is at pres ent charged with the interests of Great Britain. Germany, Italy and other European Powers in Venezuela. As soon as he leaves Veneuzeia this charge will uass to Mr. Russell, the secretary and enarge oi tee American legation, who- reputation at the State depart ment is that of a thoroughly compe tent and able official. The selection of Mr. Bower, will cause a postponement of the assembling of the proposed commission until he can arrive here from Caracas. Berlin, December 29.?Foreign Sec retary Von Richthfen is awating the receipt of President Castro's answer to the proposal to submit the Venezuela dispute to the arbitration of The Hague Tribunal, with certain reservations, before corresponding with Great Brit ain over the personnel of the Tribunal or the date for raising the blockade. "Assuming that President Castro declines to accept the reservations wiil arbitration fall through':" asked the (h O.steen ? i o. MANY PE?PLI: ^'V ? ST -~" ??> A* *>,> Sp?i'^f+ th: Zzo cf Glasses By children with defective Eyes often results in the gr\ iiiesi sUiiCiini;?some times permanent disability of one who might other wise become a power in the world: E. ?. B?LTMAN. .leweler and Optician. in Street. Sumter. S. C. :j>4.