PANAMA 6ANAL TREATY SIGNED
Colombia At Last Accedes to the
Wishes of the United States
and Canal Wiil Be Built.
Washington, Jan. 22.?At the presi
dent's reception at the White House to
night the news that the treaty between
the two countries at last was an ac
complished fact leaked out and later
was conrfimed authoritatively on in
quiry in official quarters.. It had been
intended not to make the signature of
the canal treaty pubilc until, tomor
row, but the news apparently was too
good for some of the friends of the
canal to keep. Fears had been enter
tained until this week that Colombia
might not be willing to accede to the
wishes of the United States in the
matter and that recourse to the
Nicarguan canal project might be
forced an the government of the
United States. But this week events
took a more favorable turn and
Colombia transmitted instructions and
authority to Dr. Herran, its repre
sentative in the Uinted States, that
made possible a conclusion of the long
pending negotiations.
Washington? Jan. 23.?The treaty |
between the United States and the
Government of Colombia, which was
signed yesterday by Secretary Hay and
Dr. HerranJJas the ropsentatives of the
two countries, was transmitted to the
Senate today and by the Senate refer
red to the committee on foreing rela
tions.
The treaty was read in executive ses
sion, but the injunction of secrecy
was not removed. By the terms of the
treaty the United States agrees to make
a cash payment of $10,000, ?00 in gold to
the Colombian Government, and after
the expiration of nine years to pay a
rental of $250,000 per year. The lease
of the strip of land to be used for the
canal and for canal purposes is practi
cally made perpetual, the provision on
this point being that the first lease
shall be for 100 years and renewable
thereafter in terms of 100 years, at the
pleasure of the United States. The
strip is to be ten krtomtres, or about
six miles in width, and over this ter
ritory the United States is given police
and sanitary jurisdictoin, although it
is explicitly specified .that Colombia
does not surrender sovereignty over it.
Tbe United States is to have the priv
ilege of free importation of vessels and
materials to be used in the construc
tion of the canal. It is also given the
right to improve, use and protect har
bors at both the Atlanitc and .Pacific
ends of the canal. The grant is made
exclusive to the United States and no
taxes or rentals are to be charged in
addition to the gross sums of 810,000,
000 cash and a quarter of a million dol
lars- annually.
Felt is Charleston and Throughout
the Lower Part tf the State.
Charleston, Jan. 23.?An earthquake
shock was felt here at 8.11 o'clock to
night. There was one distinct shock,
which was not sufficient to cause any
damage to property nor even to occa
sion serious alarm. Reports f rom.points
near the city indicate that the shock
was felt throughout lower South Car
olinflp
FELT IN SAVANNAH.
Savannah, Jan. 23.?Two distinct
and almost immediately successive
shocks of earthquake v/ere felt here
tonight at 8.15 oclock. Reports from
Tybee Island are that houses were
very perceptibly shaken.
BEAUFORT SHAKEN.
Beauofrt, Jam 23.? A pronounced
tremor of earthquake was felt here at
10 minutes past 8 tonight. It contin
ued about 15' seconds, shaking the
buildings slightly.
EXCITEMENT IN COLUMBIA.
Columbia, January 23.?There was
a distinct earthquake shock hero to
night at eleven minutes past 8 o'clock.
It did no damage whatever, but as the
vibrations swept from northwest to
south, and kept up for five or ten sec
onds, there was just a bit of anxiety.
In some of the club' rooms there was
sufficient trepidation to make many
jump down the steps in double-quick
order. All sorts of wild rumors went
the rounds, but it soon became evident
that no damage had been done by the
shock 'and that it was quite general
through the lower part of the State.
THE ALASKAN BOUNDARY.
Washington, January 24.?Secretary
Hay and Sir Michael Herbert, the
British ambassador, signed a treaty
today providing for the settlement of
tbe Alaskan boundary question.
Efforts in this direction have been put
forth for a long time, the pressure
coming from both sides, the Canadian
miners being anxious to get through
the Klondike to the sea without passing
through American territory, and the
Americans insisting upon their right
to the coast line and the control of
the ports. The treaty signed today
provides for the reference of ail these
boundary questions to a mixed tribunal
of jurists, three on each side, to deter
mine the interpretation to be placed
on the treaty of 1825 between Great
Britain and Russia, which defined the
boundaries between British America
and Alaska.
Plague-Stricken Mazatlan.
Mexico City, January 25.?The
charity commission at Mazatlan has re
cieved up to date 8130,000 for use in
combating the plague. Money is still
pouring in from all parts of the coun
try.
The official bulletin from Mazatlan
reports four deaths and four new cases
for Wednesday last, and for Thursday
five deaths and two new cases. The
total number of cases in the hospital
was 44, five of which were serious. At
the pavilions are housed 520 persons,
none of whom are sick.
Dr. J. H. Grimes, the bubonic
plague expert, has been "notified to
hold himself in readiness to proceed to
the stricken city.
THE EARTHQUAKE SHOCK.
! Some Sumter People Felt the Earth
Tremble Friday Night.
The earthquake shock at S.ll
Friday night was felt quite distinctyly
by many people in Sumter, but the
tremor was so slight that no alarm J
was created, although the more ner- j
vous were somewhat excited and ap- \
prehensive of other and more severe j
shocks during the night. But as there i
was no repetition of the seismic dis- j
turbance during the night the tempo- j
rary excitement has passed off.
The shock was felt throughout the j
county, and it is stated by four or five j
gentlemen who were in town |
Saturday that similar rumbling noises j
were heard twice during the after- ;
noon. As these gentlemen live in
widely separated sections it is quite'
clear that the noises they heard about
4 o'clock in the afternoon were not
due to local causes, a wagon crossing
; a, bridge for instance, but to a dis
j turbance of the earth's crust.
COW THIEF CAPTURED.
The Police G?+her Another Recruit for
the Chain Gang.
Henry Smith, colored, was arrested
Saturday morning forstealingacow and
calf from Pleasant Scarborough, an
old negro woman who lives a few miles
east of this city.
The theft was committed during the
night, ? and early Saturday morning
Smith drove the cow and calf up to Z. E.
Walker's house on Council Street and
offered them for sale for 815. Walker
agreed to buy them and had Smith to
turn them into his lot. He told
Smith to go down to his store for the
money. The police were notified and
Officer H. H. Smith went to Walker's
store and arrested the cow thief who
was waiting there for payment. The
cow and calf have been returned to'the
old woman, and Herny Smith has been
committed to jail bv Magistrate
Wells.
Smith is the tenth or twelfth cow
thief captured, within the past few
months, by the police, but 'it seems
that cow thieves continue to regard
Sumter as a good market for stolen
cattle in spite of the fate of the many
who have fallen into the hands of the
police and are now on .the chain gang.
THE DEAD^?nFtHE LIVING.
Mr. N. G. Gonzales, editor of the
Columbia State, who was shot down
in the principal street of the State
Capital last Thursday, passed away
yesterday afternoon. His hands are
folded, his^lips, are dumb, his impet
uous spirit"will no more be disturbed
by the conspiracies of the vicious or
the frailties of the weak. He will rest
well, after the little space he was per
mitted to dwell here, safe in the shel
ter of a good conscience.
So it is with the dead: how is it
with the living? So it is with the
slain; how is it with the slayer, with
the voice of his helpless victim,
'4Shoot again, you coward," ever
ringing in his ears? With the reflec
tion, in his quiet moments when there
is nobody with him but himself, no
body within call of his soul but his
own accusing spirit. "It was not nec
essary for me to kill him, I did not
ask him whether or not he was armed.
I did not give him a chance?" He
will never get away from it. There is
something in the stain of human blood
shed by violent hands that cannot be
washed out. It is always red, blood
red, and it obtrudes itself upon the
vision whatever the beauty of the
scene, whether it be the .innocence of
little-children at play-the contentment
of the virtuous life, % the good fel
lowship of well-conditioned neighbors.
It does not matter to Gonzales what
happens to the man who killed him. He
has spoken his last word in condemna
tion of his enemy. What was written
in the heat and passion of the last
campaign has not been blotted out by
the shedding of his blood. What he
said when be was assaulted without
notice has only been emphasized by
his death. We have not the least
doubt as to what the law ought to do
with his slayer: our only doubt is as
to how we can best aid in the enforce
ment of the law and the punishment of
the man guilty of its violation. We
have not the least doubt as to the
quality of Mr. Tillman's offence?we
all know that he shot down his unarm
ed victim without notice, that he did
this, after reflecting upon the course
that he should pursue in order to ob
tain a vindication of his character for
the period of about six months, and
that the element of malice afore
thought entered into the execution of
a deliberately formed purpose.
In a better condition of society we
should be able to predict with certain
ty what the result of the trial of such
a case would be: and we are almost
equally sure what the outcome of the
trial of Mr. Tillman will be in the
conditions existing in this State. But
we must not eo into a discussion of
the case. It will not be tried by the
newspapers, but by the ordinary meth
ods of the law. If these methods prove
to be insufficient for the protection of
society, so much the worse for society.
There have been so many miscarriages
of justice, so many farcical proceed
ings in Court, so much waste of dig
nity and legal learning, so many vio
lent men who have escaped any sort of
punishment that we do not look with
much confidence to the orderly proced
ure of the Courts in a certain class of
cases which are treated as above the
law.
It would be for the highest good of
the State if, on account of the deep
damnation of his taking-off, the deAh
of Mr. Gonzales should mark the T)e
ginning of a new e.ra in the enforce
ment of the law against murder in
South Carolina.?News and Courier,
Jan. 20.
Washington, January 2G.- It was
announced at the White House today
that Judge William K. Day, of Can
ton, Ohio, had accepted the tender
made to him by the President of a
seat on the Supremo Bench of the
United States.
Col. Lynch'S Sentence Commuted.
London, Jan. 27.?The sentence of
death passed upon Col. Arthur Lynch,
who was found guilty of high treason
on Friday last, has been commuted
to penal servitude for life.
IBNORANT HEWERS ARE HURT.
Fell Timber Without Judgment
and Contribute to Ultimate
Annihilation.
Charles G. Howardson, a Washing
ton lumberman, is in the city. Mr.
Howardson is naturally interested in
the forest lands of the country inas
much as his company is dependent
upon them for existence, fie is an
ardent advocate of legislation looking to
their preservation that the supply may
bo made inexhaustible. In conversa
tion this morning with a reporter for
The Evening Post he spoke interest
ingly on the subject.
"What are requisite and necessary
for the country,' said Mr. Howard
son, "arc statutes that will prohibit
wanton waste of timber. There arc
thousands upon thousands of acres of
valuable lands now and even at the
present rate of destruction they will
not last a long time. But unless
steps be immediately taken toward
preserving these tracts, future genera
tions will value timber as the most
precious metal is now valued. It will
only prove detrimental to allow igno
rant men to continue to hew trees in
discriminately in order to provide for
the present arid allow the future to
care for itself.
"This is a wrong policy and one that
is hurting more as time passes. It is
all right as long as these tracts of
virgin timber, capable of supplying
millions of feet, are still untouched,
but the demands of these United States
are constantly and steadily growing,
and this course is a serious menace to
the nation as a whole.
"With our increasing population and
greater demand for lumber, trees are
falling fast. No judgment is exercised
in the selection of sticks for mill use.
Whatever tree meets the requirements
of the market must come down. ' The
sooner our wise legislators realize and
appreciate* the danger, the better.
They should open wide their eyes and
inaugurate an earnest movement for
the protection of the forest*. It is
true that the national bureau of forest
ry is aiding in^this good work but its
efforts require the second of the law
making bodies of the several States
if anything is to be accomplished.
Men are being trained to care for
forests, but they are not given author
ity to enforce strictly measures which
should be adopted. They have the
knowledge, skill and information, and
are handicapped by insufficient inves
titure of power to make proper appli
cation.
"The request on its own initiative
of a local lumber plant asking for an
expert forester to survey their tracts is
ablecommend; it is a step in the right
direction. At present there is a bedy
of men going carefully over their
property, marking trees which can be
felled without detriment to the tract.
Their work means that other trees will
be given decent opportunity for growth
and the lands will yield vastly more
timber than they would if injudici
ously used, or rather abused. This
action can be followed with profit by
other kindred concerns hereabouts.
The fruits may not immediately be
manifest, but later they will surely
become apparent. "Rigid measures
are required if the valuable timber
tract of South Carolina and other
States are to hold ont. Posterity
should be cared for and this can be
done without hurt or harm to this gen
eration. Your Legislature would do
well to investigate this matter and
provide plans for protection and pre
servation of the forests.?Charleston
Post.
IfflffljATHg IN THE SOUTH.
Important Government Report in
the Process of Preparation.
_
It is quite likely that some time with
in the coming six or eight months,
says the Washington Post, Prof. Mead,
of the department of agriculture, will
write a paper on the subject of irriga
tion east of the Rocky Mountains,
with special reference to the South.
Several years ago Mr. Hamilton Yan
cey, agent for ?he department in
Northern Georgia, who owns a large
farm in the Coosa Valley, Cherokee
County, Alabama, decided to try the
experiment of irrigation on his place
to ascertain whether or not it could be
profitably employed in the South. The
farm in question lies in a bend of the
Coosa River and is almost level.
The soil, a rich, heavy loam, retains
water for a considerable period after
rains, and for years past it has pro
duced heavy crops of corn and cotton.
So tang as the rainfall was regular Mr.
Yancey was certain of reaping a large
quantity of grain from this island, but
for the past three season this district
in question has suffered from the
effects of a prolonged drouth, and as a
result the crops have proven failures.
Early last season Mr. Yancey applied
to the department requesting informa
tion as to the manner of constructing
an irrigating plant, and in response
Prof. Mead dispatched Mr. W. H.
Code to the scene, who erected on
Mr. Yancy's farm an irrigating ma
chine, or pump, with a capacity of
2,000 gallons and operated by means of
a 35-horse power engine.
The water, lifted from the Coosa
River to a height of 30 feet through
a 10-inch pipe and distributed over
the land, brought results that were
astonishing. At the time the plant
was erected the corn crop on the land
was suffering from a drouth, the stalks
being little over three feet in height.
In three weeks after the plant began
operations Mr. Yancey rode through
the field on horseback and from his
lofty perch was barely able to see over
the tops of the stalks. Mr. Mead
states that as a result of this experi
ment, which has been pretty well ad
vertised throughout the South, there
is a growing interest in irrigation
throughout that scetion and inquiries
and request are coming from many
quarters of the TransOhio region from
farmers who desire information and
who reside in places which now and
then are visited by severe dry spells.
Tbe interest in the foregoing lies in
the fact that the Yancey farm is the
first upon which irrigation has been
practiced in the South and the second
to adopt means of artificial watering
east of the Mississippi River, the first
having been the old Newell farm, near
Boston, Mass., upon which the father
of irrigation in the United States,
Mr. Fredeick Haynes Newell, spent
his boyhood.
THE GENFRAL ASSEMBLY.
The Principal Problem is the As
certainment of Taxable Prop
erty in the State and Its Ju
dicious Assessment.
Columbia, January 25.?The General
Assembly has now "been in sessionjfor
ten days. Nothing much has yet been
done. The session has been quiet and
peaceful, and there appears to be no
desire for sensational legislation.
The general laws that have been on
acted since the Constitution of 1895
have settled the more important issues.
There are now general county gov
ernment, county salary, county road
laws and similar general statutes and
the disposition is to leave them alone
until a fair trial is given them.
Take a look at the Calendar of the
House and it will be noticed that the
important bills are corrections or ex
planations of the Code, measures to
stop cock-fighting, to extend the chain
gangs, to provide for the distribution
of dispensary profits, to abolish the
office of phosphate inspector to repeal
the lien law and to further protect
druggists.
The point is that there are no
radically new measures proposed.
There has been nothing new
of importance thus far this session,
and this is always an excellent sign
that the body is made up of conserva
ive and sensible men.
There are more young men in the
House this session than is usual and
they are showing their good judgment
by going slow.
Several assessment propositions have
been presented, but none of them is' a
decided innovation, but all intend
carrying out the present laws upon
the subject in a more exact manner
than at present, and to put more safe
guards than at present against incor
rect or fraudulent tax returns, for it
is now generally admitted that if the
property that there is now in the State
could all be assessed at what the law
contemplates there would not be any
demand for the proposed assessment
laws.
The first thing that ought to be done
is to see-that all taxable property
gets on the tax books and then this
should be followed by getting at the
correct values after the property is put
on the bocks. Of course, it is ad
mitted that the basis of assessment
varies all the way from 25 per cent
to a hundred cents on the dollar, but
no amount of legislation can make
folks do the right thing in their re
turns or get the proper men for coun
ty auditors?that is one of the misfor
tunes of the primary system which
while it may have its advantages
has also its bad features.
There was a time when the members
of the General Assembly talked about
the dispensary from the time the ses
sion opened until the last day of the
session. Now everybody seems to be
afraid of the thing and there is but
little talk. The system it seems' is
going to lemain for years to come in
its present form and the only thing
that is likely to happen within the
next few years is a radical change in
management. It will be a year before
there will-be any election for the ex
ecutive offices and then there promises
to be a great scramble for the positions
in connection with the establishment ;
in fact lines are already being put
out for the position.
Tuesday at 1 o'clock the election of
an Associate Justice and Code com
missioner will be held. There is no
unusual interest in either of these elec
tions and from the candidates now
in the field who stand the best chance
there will be good selections and
competent men will be elected. The
important work this session is likely
to be done in the ways and means com
mittee room were the financial condi
tion of the State and the appropriation
bills are to be considered.
Thus far no special bills have been
introduced carrying direct appropria
tions. This is a very ordinary form
of bringing such things to the atten
tion of the General Assembly.
During the week the bill looking
to an exhibit at the St. Louis Ex
position will be presented, and if any
exception is to be made in making
appropriations outside of the fixed
charges so to speak, for the conduct
of the State Government, then it
ought to be for the St. Louis Exposi
tion. It is a good investment and the
State ought never to be too poor to
make good investments. As a matter
of fact, however, the State at large
has never been more prosperous, and
the present financial, condition of the
State Government is only the result of
a bad system that has been in vogue
for years, and for which no one As
sembly is directly responsible, and for
which a pittance such as is to be ask
ed for St. Lonis^ could not affect. It
is quite likely that an effort will be
made to establish two additional
judicial circuits. There is consider
able talk of the necessity for such an
addition, but a proposition of this
kind would be certain to meet with
serious opposition, both on the ground
of cost and necessity. There are some
folks who are so uncharitable as to
suggest that the fault lies more with
the tardy attorneys than with the avail
able Courts for the trial of causes,
and that lawyers aie often not ready
to go ahead with their cases.
There have been efforts made to
hold night sessions. These efforts
have failed. Experience has shown
that every General Assembly does a
certain amount of work and then
stops, and there is no use to push
beyond that mark. If time is gained
now it will be lost in some way and
the pulse of the law-making body
seems to be as constant and steady as
that of the ordinary man. The worthy
Sentors appreciate this fact and hold
short sessions and take recesses, as
they do tomorrow.?August Kohn in
News and Courier.
Columbia, Jan. 20.?The flood of
new bills increases each day and the
House particularly is having a big
batch of work cut out for it. Few of
the bills are of much ipmortance.
Today several bills were given the
third reading. Of these the one of
most general interest was Mr. Kibler's
bill relating to the qualifications of
county superintendents of education.
The first bill taken up was Mr.
Forde's bill providing for ten-year
convicts to serve sentences on public
works of the county. The present law
provides that convicts up to five-year
sentences can be sent to the chain
gang, and the proposition was to in
crease the limit so that ten-year con
victs could be sentenced to the chain
gang. On a yea and nay vote of 79 to
23 it was ordered to the third reading.
Mr. Hinton had a bill by which he
wanted each county to get its town
share of the dispensary profits. He
wanted the fund to go to the school
fund.
Mr. Herbert objected to the bill,
because it took all the dispensary
profits from the cities and towns. To
take all the profits from the towns
and give it all to the school funds
would kill the law. If the towns got
no revenue they would take no inter
est in tbe enforcement of the law. His
proposition was that the county's
share of the profit go into the school
fund.
Mr. Tatum opposed taking away the
towns' share of the profit, but favor
ed Mr. Herbert's amendment.
Mr. Cooper favored the bill and
urged that the spirit of the lav; was
for the profits to go into the school
fund. The declared purpose of the dis
pensary law was that the profits go to
the school fund. The towns would get
back the money and would use it on
their'schools.
Mr. Moses urged that in his section
the police did all the enforcement * of
the dispensary law and the constables
did nothing much. It was far better
to leave things alone and not disturb
the situation. -The fund is now prop
erly disposed of.
The majority of the cities and coun
ties want the bill left alone.
Mr. Jeremiah Smith said the dis
pensary profits ought to go into the
school fund and not to the general
county funds. The bill could be
amended and he moved that debate on
the bill be adjourned until tomorrow.
This was amended so that the bill is
made a special order for Wednesday.
.Mr. Toole'e, bill to prevent the sale
of dynamite for the purpose of killing
fish was passed.
Mr. Kelley's bill to provide for the
transfer of certain records to the office
of Probate Judge waf passed.
The Senate met at 8 p. 7m.,
with a full attendance. The ses
sion was short and wanting in
special interest. Several third read
ing bills were passed and sent to the
House, and quite a number of new
bills were introduced.
GGSSiP ?F NATIONAL POLITICS.
Opinions of Senators on German
Bombardment of San Carlos.
Washington, Jan. 26.?That [Ger
many has gone too far in her treat
ment of Venezuela and should be call
ed upon to halt is the conviction of
many of the leading men in Congress.
Senator Bacon, when seen yesterday
by your correspondent, said, "I do
net believe Germany was justified in
this bombardment (of San Carlos).~
It is possible the German naval officer
may have exceeded his instructions
but I doubt if his Government will
disavow his action if this is true.
The harsh attitude of Germany is
open to very severe criticism, but at
the same time it is probably prudent
not to stir up any bad feeling by harsh
expressions of opinion. If Germany
wants to blockade the port she may be
justified with the consent of the Unit
ed States, but a bombardment is not
part of a blockade." Senator Elkins
said "The situation looks alarming to
me for the first time. Germany, this
country begins to believe, is not acting
fairly nor openly." Senator McLaurin
of. Mississippi said, "If I had my way
l^ffcvould drive Germany and England
out of Venezuela. After that the
matter might be settled by arbitra
tion. I do not believe that Germany
ought to be allowed to take the brutal
course she is taking solely because
Venezuela is the weak power.'
At tho State Department it is said
that the United States will not at pre
sent take any cognizance of Germany's
action. It is further admitted that
President Roosevelt has, by his de
finition of the Monroe Doctrine, piaced
this country in a most unfortunate
position. Relying on that definition,
any European power can intimidate
and bully any north American repub
lic, and so long as it does not land
troops and attempt tbe acquisition of
territory the United States cannot
logically protest, at least cannot do so
without repudiating the Roosevelt
definition of the Monroe Doctrine.
Minister Bowen is in Washington and
is doing all in his power to bring
about a peaceful settlement of th?
difficulty, but is meeting with grave
obstacles which are giving rise to
serious suspicion as to the honesty of
Germany's purpose.
That set of men known as the leaders
of the republican party is perpetrat
ing in the United States Senate one of
the most outrageous filibusters in
parliamentary history. After a test
vote by which it was demonstrated
that seventeen republican senators
and practically all of the democrats,
constituting a majority of the S' nate,
desire to vote on the Statehood bill
and vote affirmatively, the Senate
leaders, Aldrich, Hanna, Spooner,
Allison, Lodge, Eale, et ah, have
announced that they will not permit
the question to come to a vote if their
determinaton necessitates the calling
of an extra session to make appropria
tions for the regular expenses of the i
Government. They are openly defying
the will of the majority and are setting
themselves up as oracles whose will
the Senate must obey.
Among the reasons which are doubt
less prompting the continuance of the
Statehood blockade by the republican
ring may be cited a desire to prevent
anti-trust legislation which fwill prove '
inimical to the interests which have
placed these men in the Senate and the
hope of preventing the passage of the
Immigration bill and other legislation
in the interests of the whole people.
With a review to further complicat
ing the anti-trust situation tho mem
bers of the Senate are now preparing
a number of anti-trust bills which
it is well understood are intended to
head oft" the administration measure
just reported to the House and likely
to pass with the help of democratic
votes at an early date. When it gets
to the Seate, however, it will be met
w,ith the argument that one clause
has been covered in the Elkins bill,
another in some other and so on and
it is the hope of the republican leaders
to vin this way prevent all effective
anti-trust legislation even supposing
their fight on the Statehood bill should
not prove sufficeint to do so.
The Secretary cf State has finally
concluded terms with Colombia and
has sent to the Senate a treaty which
seems to meet with general approval.
Under the conditions of the conven
tion, this country is to lease the re
quired zone of land for one hundred
years with the privillege of renewal
at the same rental, at pleasure. The
annual rental, which is to begin five
years after the ratification of the
treaty, is to be $250,000 and the cash
payment to be made as soon as the
convention is rati?ed by both Con
gresses will be 610,000.000. This with
the 640,000,000 which it is- agreed to
pay the Panama Canal Company, will
make an immediate cash pavment cf
600,000,000. At the end of sixty years
the entire property of the Panama Rail
way will revert "to the United States.
All tonnage and other water dues
from the harbors of Panama and Colon
will be paid directly to the United
States. During the construction of
the Canal martial law will prevail
and United States troops will police
the district. After that arrangements
are to be made for policing, etc., by
a joint high commission but i* is
provided that in no, instance will a
citizen of the United States be tried
by other than a court maintained by
his own Government.
The Cuban treaty is still the execu
tive business before the Senate and
Senator Culiom is watching for an
opportunity to secure an executive
session of several hours duration when
it is believed the convention will be
promptly ratified. Several members
of the Senate have expressed to your
correspondent their approval of the
Colombian treaty and its ratification
is practically assured as soon, as the
Cuban treaty is disposed of. \
The Philippine committee has
amended the House bill lowering the
duty on Philippine imports so that it
now provides that 50 per cent, of the
Dingley rates shall be collected on
Philippine sugar, tobacco and all other
Philippine products shall be submitted
to this country duty free. As sugar
and tobacco constitute aimcst the en
tire exportable products of the islands,
however, the amendment is a concession
of 25, per cent to the sugar and tobacco
interests, at the expense of the Phi
lippines. ,
IMPORTANT TO TEACHERS.
Last Circular Issued by Capt. Mc
Mahan. the Retiring Superin
tendent of Education.
Columbia, January 25.?Following
the action of the State board of educa
tion at its recent meeting Superinten
dent of Education McMahan issued just
before retiring from office an import
ant circular of information for school
officers and teachers, setting forth ex
plicitly the new requirements* as to
time of examinations, registration of
certificates in the county superinten
dent's office, and the exclusion of
Latin from the schools unless the
teacher has a certificate of qualifica
tion *to teach Latin. The circular is
given below, and the county papers are
requested by Mr. McMahan to copy,
for the benefit of all persons concern
ed:
Office State Superintendent of Edu
cation.
Columbia, S. C, Jan. 21, 1903.
To County Superintendents: The
State board of education at its meeting
on the 16th and 17th insts. adopted
two permanent regulations which are of
far-reaching effect, and should be
known at once to every teacher and
trustee in your jurisdiction:
First. That after February and
beginning May, 1903, there shall be
two county examinations for teachers'
certificates each year, to be held in
May and September and that hereafter
[no teacher shall be employed in the
public schools of this State who has
not registered the certificate^ in the
office of the county superintendent of
education and submitted proof to the
board of trustees.
The February examination will be
held as usual this year, and will be
after that abolished, so that no teach
ers' certificates can be obtained, and
none can expire during the winter or
regular school term. The times fcr
examination will hereafter be in May,
at about the end of the usual school
session, and in September, just be
fore the opening of the new schcol ses
sion.
You will note that no trustees' con
tract with a teacher will be hereafter
valid, unless the teacher has -first
registered ^his certificate in the office
of the county superintendent and sub
mitted to the board of trustees cm
ploying him your statement to this
effect. Therefore no school can law
fully open and certainly no public
money can be paid to a teacher until
you have on record in your office the
facts as to the teacher's valid, up-to
date certificate of qualification. There
will be, therefore, no excuse hereaf
ter for you to relax in any degree the
strict enforcement of the law requir
ing teachers to have certificates.
Second. That after July 1, 1903,
the teaching of Latin in the public
schools shall be forbidden except by
teachers holding from the State
board of education a special certificate
of qualification to teach Latin, and
that examination in this subject shall
be offered hereafter, beginning be
fore July 1, 1903-college diplomas
not to exempt from this examination.
Latin is not prescribed in the public
school course and is not usually to be.
taught, but where the trustees and;
county authorities permit it to be*
taught the State board now directs
that there must be evidence of fitness
of the teacher to teach Latin properly
aud, therefore, this special examin
ation is to be offered reguioily hereaf
ter, and this certificate must be held
by a teacher before he shall be permit
ted to teach Latin in any public
school. Let this new regulation be
generally known and see that it is
strictly enforced. There is a great
deal of humbuggery in the pretence
of some teachers to teach Latin. Per
sons who know ; no better are being
imposed upon. A capable teacher
cannot, object to an examination and
a certificate of qualification. The
teaching of Latin, however, should
always be exceptional in a public
school, and should not be permitted
where it would interfere with the
teacher giving full time to the regular
prescribed course.
John J. McMahan,
State Superintendent of Education.
Tobacco growing will be an import
ant industry this year in several coun
ties where no tobacco has been grown
for market heretofore.