Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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REVIEW MO FORECAST. What Tin Logislat'ire Has Qoee and is Likely to do. ? A PET AHO FRIENDLY, IF NOT VERY BRILLIANT, SESSION. Marshall's Child Labor Law the Onjy Labor Legislation of the Session?A Flood of Local Bills-Growth of Elec trical Corporations. Columbia, February 15.?One week more and the General Amssembiy of 1908 will adjourn. It has not been an eventful or a remarkable session. There have been no extraordinary de velopments. No political fortunes have been made or unmade; no sensational or radical legislation has been enac ted. It ijas been a smooth and easy-going body. There have been no general load laws, no general tax statutes, no gen eral salary bills, no general criminal law, no change of the dispensary law enacted this session. It has not been a session of vital or record-making legislation. The only general law thus far passed, or likely to be is the i Marshall child labor bill. There have been no real hard or vigorous fights during the present ses sion Strange as it may seem, the only real protracted fight was on a bill to prevent the shipment of shad outside of the State. It was an unex pected fight, but it was a real fight, and there was a curious and note worthy phase of the contest. Said one of the persistent Spartanburg advocates of the fish bill: "I guess we do not know much about this shad business, but we know as much as do these low country members who voted for child labor legislation, without knowing anything about our conditions and we can take a flyer ourselves." There is a great deal more of this sort of feeling than one would suppose. The passage of the mild child labor bill at least had the effect of stopping all other textile legislation *for this session. There were three or four other child labor bills that were defeated or withdrawn. Then there was a ten hour labor law, and a fellow servant ' liability bill and weekly payment of salary proposition, which will go over until next session; This means that if pressed this year they would in all likelihood be killed, and so they are retained on the Calendar until next session, simply , to die ;by courtesy rather than by violence, - which cer tainly would be the fate this session. The "talk .now is decidedly very decid edly against any further legislation one way or another regarding the industri al interests of the State. Legiaiatiosr^id' getting- to be very much of a local affair anyway. An inspection of the Calendar will show tfiat ^il^tfiBRee-fourths of the legisla tioa;.p?2pj?se???nd enacted is local and. unimportant; that it .relates to tbe is suance or payment of bonds to build a school house -here or there; to give autho?ty to 'a certain -county to sor row- money or build a Court House or jail. or.t&-change- some minor officer's salary or pay some claim for money due. ??The.other day an Act was pass er7- providing for indexing certain re eords.in Anderson County, **provided the cost did not exceed $75." and ic cost'the State more than the 875 to eu act and print that law. The county commissioners, it seems, cugh? to and do heeve that authority, ana yet the appeal. "Oh, gentlemen, that is strictly a local matter," seems to be a barrier to all opposition, because there will come a time when the objectors %may have their own strictly local mat ter that can effect no one else "but my county." So the story goes. Contemporaneous with the remark- { able development of the industries o"f the State and the utility of electric powder has . come? the organization of large enterprises, which have asked for legislative ' authority to utilize available water power and, if need be, construct dams to secure tbe maximum water power. The devolpmcnt along this line has been remarkable and as the increase of distance over- which electric power may be transmitted increases so will be capital invested in giant power plants grow. The most ?importa"nt matter the Assembly might have undertaken was j to provide be assessment measure that J would have met present conditions, or! if not a new law, a method of making1 boards cd equalization and county auditors: d?J their duty. If the proper amount of energy could be put into , the county boards and auditors there would be no such trouble. In Columbia recently a house-to-house survey of the property and an active board caused more than a million-dollar increase in, taxable property here. It cost money, but it paid, and it will pay others. What is most needed is the enforce ment of the existing law. As has already ba?n suggested, there was no hostile nor amendatory dis pensary legislation. It is now an ut , terly hopeless task, bat times change. Mr. \V. Turner Logan, of Charles ton, had a sensible measure. He made a strong, a high-toned and vigorous presentation of his bill, which would have had marked effect in Charleston, which city it was intend to help, but the members listened, said nothing, and voted against the measure- As yet it ' is tbe orthodox thing to vote against legislation affecting the dis pensary. How long this will continue depends upon conditions. ^ Perhaps the most conclusive and evi dent showing of the excellent feeling between the two houses and the absence cf many important measures or hard fights is the -ract that within a week of the close of tue session there has not yet been a single conference committee asked for, and there is no likelihod of more than one or two free conferences. It is most unusual and commendable, because it testifies that members do not wish to fight to pile useless statutes on the books. There were only two changes on the appropriation bill from what the ways and means committee of the House re commended?Winthrop and the State board of health. The Senate will, no doubt, give'occasion for a free confer ence on the general appropriation bill. For the first time in years the gen supply bill will not encounter op position on any of its items. All the delegations seem to be united. The five-mill tax levy for general State purposes was left at five mills, and no effort seems to be made to remedy the glaring fact that the five-mill tax levy will hot raise enough money, even when added to all the State's re venue from other sources, to meet the general appropriation bill. This does not take into considera tion the lapse on account of the loss of a year in the collection of taxes and the complications resulting from the loss of that year. Independent of the lapse of the year in the collec tion of the taxes the appropriation bill carries more money than a five-mill levy will raise. The only hope of getting even on this score is in the normal increase in taxable values, in the State. The ever-thoughtful clerk of the House has arranged for the members to get their pay so as to leave here on the early train Saturday, if they wish.?August Kohn in News and Courier. THE HEw1wm'bUST~LAW. What Attorney General Knox Says About it. Washington, February 15.?Attor ney General Knox, who is known to have prepared the important features of the anti-trtfst bill now enacted into laws, on being asked as to how they were regarded by the Administration, said: 4<*The legislation affecting the trusts passe'd at this session of Congress is satisfactory to the Administration and the prompt response to the Presi dent's requests is signally gratifying. >A very long stride in advance has been accomplished and the promises of last fall have been made good. 44 The giving and taking of rebates is now prohibited by a law capable of effective enforcement against corpora tions as well as individuals, and the Courts of the United States are cloth ed with jurisdiction to restrain and punish violations. 4'The Act creating the department of commerce vests in that department complete authority to investigate the organization and business methods of corporations engaged in Inter-State -and foreign commerce, and to that end to compel the testimony of persons having the desired knowledge, x "The legislation is concise in its terms7 but very comprehensive in its scops: Under its provisions a fiar op portunity will be afforded to test the effect upon the tendency towards in dustrial monopoly of its guarantees of no favors for the great producer as against the small one. '"Discretion is lodged in the Presi dent as to the publication of facts useful to the public to know, and a wise administration of the law prom ises much that is helpful and nothii that is harmful. 4<The law to expedite the hearing of cases and.giving an appeal directly-to the.Supreme Court from the Court of first instance assures within a reason able time authoritative decisions upon important pending questions, in the knowledge of which further legisla tion, if necessary, can be confidently framed. "Upon the whole, the situation is eminently satisfactory and is the re sult of concessions, modifications of views and forms of expressions upon the part of many earnest and thought ful men, who have endeavored within a very brief session to meet a rational public demand in a rational and effective way." THE P?SE OF OB. DRUM, Mr. Roosevelt Wants a Vote in the Senate and Will Abide by its Decision. Washington, February Li.? To a number of Republican Senators who called at the White House today Presi dent Roosevelt expressed a desire that a vote be taken in the Senate on the adverse report on the nomination of Dr. Crum, named for collector at the port of Charleston. Those who talked with the President on the subject said the President showed not the slightest disposition to force an objectionable nomination j upon the Senate. He said it was but fair to the nominee and fair to the appointing power that the advice and consent of the Senate should be ob served in this case, as in all others of similar nature. He insisted, how ever, that a vote should bo taken to ascertain beyond doubt whether a majority of the Senate approves the adverse aetion of the committee. In the meantime the colored friends j of Dr. Crum are invoking every poli tical influence in sight to influence the ' Republican majority in the Senate. They are urging that a great national issue is involved, and they are making the most vigorous and earnest appeals that party lines shall be closely drawn when the final vote is takin. Some of Cram's friends attempted to see the President in iiis behalf today, but the President was otherwise engaged and the colored strikers for Crum left the White House without, receiving any encouragement from that source. The New Maine. Philadelphia, Feb. 15.?The new battleship Maine built to replace the warship of the same name, which five years ago srfnk in the harbor of Ha bana as the result of a submarine ex plosion, today left her dock at the League island navy yard and anchored in midstream. Tomorrow she will proceed down the Delaware river on her first official assignment, that of joining the North Atlantic squadron. The Maine is commanded by Capt. Leutze, and is manned by her full complement of 640 seamen marines. Her armament consisted of 20 guns. Textile Operatives on Strike. Dover, N. JL, Feb. 15.?The strike of the carders and ling spinners of the Cochec? cotton mills looks more seri ns tonight than it has at any time since the men left the work Wednes day. Tire weavers, the mule spinners and the loom fixers unionmet separate ly today and unanimously voted to en dorse the action taken by the strikers, to remain out and fight to the end. .Later a mass meeting of all opera tives of the mills was held, and it voted to continue the strike. was THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. Compulsory Education Bill Killed in House. NO REPAIRS FOR CAPITOL. The Dog Tax Bill Passes the House?Senate Kills Bill Pro viding $100 Scholarships at Winthrop College. Columbia, Feb. 13.?The House to day, killed Mr. Haskell's bill to pro vide S4,000 for the erection of a granite terrace around the Capitol building and to make repairs on the interior of the building. During the discussion Mr. Rainsford of Edgefield and other gentlemen called attention to the fact that a lot of these reapirs are made necessary on account of the poor way in which tfie contractor put on the roof of the dome. The compulsory education bill was Killed by a vote of 60 to 54. Several advocates of the bill were absent The Spartanburg delegation, which had opposed the child labor bill, voted for this bill. The dog tax bill passed a second reading. The work of the Senate was taken up largely in the passing of uncontested bills. The only genora? measures dis cussed were the road law and the sen tencing of ten-year convicts to the chain gang. Both measures were left incomplete and further debate was continued until Saturday. In a yea and nay vote on the road law the amendment to make the age limit from twenty-one to fifty was de feated by a vote of 28 to 7. The question of the late Governor's veto in reference to the lost Blue Ridge bonds, amounting to $37,000, said to have been lost or stolen, has again been made a special order for next Tuesday. Among the new bills was one by Senator Stanland making it a mis demeanor to give away any liquor at ' or near any voting precinct and an other by Mr. Hardin, prescribing a mode of enforcing obedience to statutes regulating the sale cf com mercial fertilizers containing more than 8 per cent of moisture or short in weight 2 per cent or more. At the night session of the Seriate the Aldrich bill to increaes the salaries of county treasurers was contained un til next session. The Richards bill providing for $100 scholarships in Winthrop College was killed. v Mr. Warren's two bills inflicting ad ditional penalty for carrying concealed wea?ons were both continued until next session. ?t ? Mr. Manning's bill to provide for the charter fees for domestic building and loan associations was read the tHrd .? thne and sent to the House. The House at the night session kill ed the Rainsford bill authorizing the sale of the State farms. The house passed a bill appearing thus on the calendar: "Mr. Sinkler? A bill to amend section 2165 of the code of laws of South Carolina, 1902, Vol. I." The title of the bill gave no intimation of its contents and the house passed it without comment. The bill exempts railroads under 40 miles in length from being required to have 2 cents per mile as the maximum rate of fare. The house passed a bill to allow rail roads to operate fruit and vegetable trains cn Sundays, f Last of Local Bills Put Through Saturday. Columbia, Feb. 14.?The House has been busy today passing local bills. Any measure which failed to tret through today \,?]1 have a close call as the ^General .^fssemhly will adjourn next Saturday, probably. All of the Charleston bills are safe, being passed by the House today. The Senate bill to prevent, election frauds was p>assed in the ilouse with Mr. Sinkler's amendment. After going through the calendar a big fight was sprung on the bill to prevent wholesale catching of fish at Georgetown. The debate wasadjourn ed after an exciting Hour of filibuster ing^ At the session held by the Senate last night a bill was passed amending the dispensary law so as tu ; Mow the establishment of breweries witM? one fourth mile of cities of over ?;..O0O population. The object of the bi!l is to allow the Seegers Brothers breweries, value at $40,000 and located just outside the city limits of Columbia to resume business. The Winthrop scholarship bill wTas' defeated, the Senators fearing that its passage would jeopardize, the appro priation of $59,0(i? asked for and which has already been recjucred to $02,000 by the House. The Senate will probably contend for the full amount. Today the senate devoted the whole session to the calendar. The bill to amend the charter of the town of Moultrieville was killed, also that to fix the time for the inauguration of the Governor and also the*bill to increase penalty for usury to 25 per centum cf the principal. The bill relating to examinations I of accounts of the State treasurer, comptroller general and commissioners of the sinking fund received a similar fate. Mr. Hardin's fertilizer bill intro duced yesterday, was reported favor ably today. Twenty-one acts were ratified by the joint assembly just previous to ad journment. It appears that the Senate committee on dispensary will not bring to light any startling or sensational facts, j The investigation into the working of j the State dispensary is dragging along without incident. Columbia, Feb. 16.?The house of representatives met at noon and held two sessions during the day, adjourn ing at 0 p. m. V/esterday two new temporary rules went into effect?one limiting speeches to five minutes, the other preventing bills from being in troduced except through committees. The house gave third reading to all of the 57 bills which passed second read ing Saturday with the exception of the one relating to a new school district I at Blythewood. Twenty-seven of these I were senate bills and all of the sen ate bills now become acts with the exception of Senator Von -.Kolnitz's bill to purify the bal lot d box of Charleston. Mr. Von Kolnitz and Mr. Huger Sinkler amal gamated their respecitve bills and this combination measure was the one which came up for final reading yes terday. It provides for registration certificates as in the general election and also for the Democratic club rolls. The amendment inserted yesterday re quires the applicant for registration certificates to be enrolled "four months" before the date of the pri mary instead of 'thirty days" as in the combination bill. The remaining 30 third reading bills, having emanated in the house, were sent to the senate where they will probably have time to be put through as they are local bills. Seeing the futility of pushing them at this late day in the session, the respective ,authors of a large number of house bills had their "measures con tinued until, next session when they will resume their regular places on the calendar, unless the entire calendar is again referred to committees. Among these were Mr. Thomas' relating to high school scholarships; Mr. Wade's to prohibit slot machines; Mr. Beamguard's relating to penalty for delay in shipments; Mr. Doyle's relat ing to treating on election days; Mr. Carlisle's relating to violation of labor contracts, etc. There was no debate whatever on Mr. Gause's fish bill when it came up for third reading and the measure was sent to the senate. By a vote of 45 to 33 the house killed Mr. Toole's bill to grant to the sinking fund commission ers the exclusive right of protection of oysters, terapin, etc. As a number of the members of the house wanted to see "Faust" last night it was decided to hold an after noon session. There was little done at this session but to kill the marriage license Bills?and to kill a bill to repeal a part of the charter of the Charleston Union Station company. Mr. Wingo's bill looking toward special legislation on road working was. passed. The work in the Senate today was only routine except a discussion of the House bill to prohibit cock fighting in the State. On a yea and nay vote of 18 to 15, the following amended bill passed a second reading: "It shall be amis demeanor for any person to engage in or be present at cock fighting within this State, where there is any betting" or gambling, and any^???SOn found guilty shall be fined not exceeding 6100 or imprisoned not exceeding thirty davs." Senator Johnson introduced an amendment, which will be voted on tomorrow, to make the proposed appro priation of ?20,000. and any sums that may be donated to the Hampton monu ment available only for the establish ment of perpetual scholarship's -in South Carolina and Winthrop Colleges. The omnibus magistrates bill passed a second reading with numerous amendments. 'No new bills were introduced and for tomorrow the supply and appropriation bills have been made special orders. The Senate meets, at 11 o'clock tomor row. CYOLOHE II HOIK m Country ffjr Twenty ^ilss Around Devastated amd Fui!. Extent of Damage and Less of ?fe Unknown?All Wires Down and ffev/s Cut Off. Special to The State. * Greenwood, Feb. 10.?A severe wind storm, accompanied by thunder, lightning and wind, broke over this section this afternoon at 3 o'clock. Damage to property in Greenwood was slight and no one was injured. The storm centered at Honea Path, 25 miles north'.vest of Greenwood. For a radius of 20 miles the storm played "havoc. Houses and barns were de molished, stock was injured and the ground was covered with fallen trees; telegraph and telephone poles were biov. aidown ar.d wires snapped. TberV is no possible method cf;fecxn munication. Trains are running with out orders ;?.nd consc-iueTith are much delayed. In Honea Path two men ?cro hilled outright, two fatally-injured and ihree or more arc missing. When the storm began six m; r took refuge in a brick store owned by W. A. Shirley. The cyclone struck the store and demolished it, carrying parts of the walls and roof, a hundred y a rd s. Karle M cGee a r. d a y ? s? ng man named Austin from Belton weie in stantly killed, while two others, named Donald and Stone were fatally injured. Sbirlev was hurt, but not fa rally. Five houses were I !own to pieces, trees uproorcd and the debris .piled in tee streets. A drummer on a night train says the storm was ; fearful. Men and women were run hing into the street- seeking shelter from wind and rain. The hunt for the missing has proved unsuccessful so far. The Savannah river is still rising at the rate of an inch an hour, but no trouble is antic ipated. C?STELYGO L4I?S. Appointed First Secretary of the Department of Commerce. Washington, Feb. 16.?The presi dent today sent to the senate the nom ination of George B. Cortelyou to be the first secretary of the commerce and labor under the act creating the new department. The senate subsc quently confirmed the nomination. The nomination was referred to the committee after the senate went into executive session and the committee was polled on the lloor. Senator De pew reported the nomination with fa vorable recommendation. He asked for immediate action and as there was no opposition Mr. Cortelyou was con firmed. THE MOROS SUCCUMB. Latest American Success in the Conquest of Philippines. TROUBLE BREWING IN CHINA. Manila, February 14.-?Bayan, the strongest Moro stronghlod in the i that one" thousand sword bayonets News of Seizure of Arms -Em press Holds Emperor Captive. Victoria, B.. C, Feb. 15.?News was brought by the steamer Olympia Lanao country of the island of Minda nao has submitted to the American force commanded by Capt. Pershing. The Mores refused for months to have been seized at Chung Wang Tao. They were being imported by order of Viceroy Van Shi Fai, who is now ac cused of deliberately violating the treat with the Americans, but recent- j protocol between China and the pow ly they made friendly overtures, signi- j ers. It is stated that extensive srnug fied their willingness to visit Camp gling of arms to arm the Chinese has \ickers, but objected to Americans | been carried on in contravention of coming to their stronghold. Capt. Perhing insisted, saying the Ameri cans would go now as friends, but later as enemies. The Moros finally agreed to receive the Americans, and Capt. Pershing went to Bayan, ac the treaty. Pekin correspondents report tha'* the emperor is imprisoned and closely guarded by the empress, who has sur rounded him with a large guard since the return from the summer palace. jompanied by detachments of cavalry | Foreigners assembled along the route and artillery. The Stars and Stripes ! of the procession, which marked the was raised by the soldiers and the j return to Pekin were ill-treated, some Moros joined^ in saluting it. Their j being arrested, including a party, peaceful submisison is regarded as be-1 among whom were two women from ing a great diplomatic success. I the American legation. Special Values in Full Bound, patent, flat-opening Ledgers and Journals. A large stock, to select from. Prices to suit ail purchasers. Jmt received a large lot of Type writer and Manifold Papers. 1.6 W. Liberty Street RAILWAY Effective January 13, 1003. Read flown No 42 4 3<) pm 6 10 am ! 1 45 am S 30 pm 12 35 -an i SO am 6 3 5 pm S 2 pm 9 20 pm 7 40 am 2 00 "in 10 am Lv am Ar am Ar pm Ar pm Ar am Ar am Ar pm Ar Xo 7 60 11 30 11 35 12 30 8 15 5 33 11 50 3 10 4 25 pm Ar 7 15 8 15 Ar Lv Lv Lv Lv 7 30 pn* A r pm Ar pm Ar 12 35 pm Ar Ar Ar Ar Ar b?mter Charleston Columbia Augusta Atlanta Birmingham Lv Xew Orleans Lv Spartanburg Lv Greenville Lv Ashevflle Louisville Cincinnati No 41 9 15 am 3 20 am 7 20 am n amden Rock Hiii Charlotte IjV Lv Lv Lv Lv Lv Washington !Lv New York Lv Read up ]Sro 43 6 10 pm 1 50 pm 3 10 pm 7 GO am 11 45 pm 4 10 pm 9 20 am 10 35 am 9 40 am 7 05 am 7 40 am 8 30 am 11 30 am 9 15 um 8 10 am 9^0 Dm 3 25 pm ft n 1? t r.J Nt T: lins 42 ?nd 43 make cics^ connection ;;t Sumter Junction with 3; itdii Pullman Drawing-room Buffet Sleeping Car between Charlesb 2 d D:ab:'g Car between Kock Hill and^ Washington. XrpiUs 4./ aud 4-1 make close connection at Kingville for Columbia and r.t C?lxm vvirh solid Pullman trains composed of elegant' Dining Car.--. Pullman Coscpsrt ??\\ Clr.b Library. Observation and Drawing-rocm Sleeping Cars to and free Fieri point?. For full u rtuation or reservations apply to any or adar;.- 5 S. H. Hardwicfc, General Passenger Agent Washington; I). C. W. H. Tayloe, istant Gen. Pass. Agent, Atlanta. Ga. C. U. Acker:. J. R. Clack, General Managet, Agent.* Washington, D. C. Slimier, S. C. R. W. Hunt. Division Passenger Agent, Charleston; S. C. Mimmiie. iJmm Passenger Trains arriving and leaving Sumter. j rasn frain Florence to Augusta Leaves 4 I'O am Columbia to Wilmington " S 20 am *57 Gibson to Sumter Arrives U 20 am 52 Charleston to Columbia and Greenville Leaves i) 30 am ?? W> Crestoa to Charleston (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) " !) 80 ana 53 Greenville and Columbia to Charleston w G 27 pm 32 Augusta to Florence '* G 28 pm : :.t; Sumter to Gibson ** G 50 pm *47 Charleston tb Creston (Tuesday. Thursday, Saturday) " 8 20 pm 55 Wilmington to Columbia " 9 30 pre Freight Trains carrying Passengers. :'-::-l> Sumter to Robbins Leaves* 10 00 am *24 Sumter to llartsvilie '* ,10 00 am *12 Sumter to Florence " 3 10 pm *11 Florence to Sumter Arrives 1 40 pm :': '6G Robbins to Sumter " 5 25 pm *25 Hartsville to Sumter " 7 40 pin Northwestern Kailway. Train *70 Camden to Sumter Arrives 9 00 am ?? *72 Wilson Mill to Sumter " 12 01 pm ?: *68 Camden to Sumter " 5 45 pm ?: *71 Sumter t9 Camden Leaves 9 45 am *73 Sumter to Wilson Mill vt 3 00 pm *69 Sumter to Camden " 6 36 pm Trains marked * daily except Sunday ; all other trains daily. For further information,'apply to J. T. CHINA, Ticket Agent A. 0. L?