Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

&?}t ^fe?tktau at?? Sml?0k \i v .S* . -J WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1904. The Sumter Watchman was founded in 1850 and the True Southron m 1866. The Watchman, and Southron now bas the com? bined circulation and influence of both of the old papers, and is manifestly the best advertising medium zn Sumter. The Immigration bill has passed the legislaturaaf ter a hard fight and will in due time become a law, as Gov. Heyward is on record as favoring the enactment of such a law. The law is in itself <m excellent measure, but to obtain resolta of value its operation most be committed to the hands of the fight men. . j ;-- ? The war news from the far east is made np very largely of rumors and surmises, and it is a task beyond the power of the average man to sift the -chaff from the wheat. It seems that the Japanese have had the better of every encounter and that they have .sustained comparatively little loss, while on the other hand* the Kassians have suffered severely, but the real truth will not be known for sometime, .and at present there seems to be no correspondents on the scene of conflict to furnish reports at first hand. Senator Manning's statement in the Senate in respect to the State . House investigation is clear cut and should serve to dispel much of the misappre hension that has been created by the -efforts of sem? : members of the old .commission to make it appear that .they have been the victims of persecu? tion and unfair treatment Senator Vanning holds them- to the issue. The committee of which he was a member condemned the work on the : State Hostie and not the comm ission. Tho death of Senator Hanna re jsoves the only obstacle to the nom? ination of-President Roosevelt by ac? clamation as the Republican candidate :for President. Senator Hanna was the only man in the Republican party who could have rallied the anti-Roose? velt Republicans and had be lived and been so; minded he could probably have prevented the nomination of Roosevelt. ;On this account especially his death is a great loss to the coun? try. The Japanese in this country are hastening home to fight in the army against Russia, but we hear of none of the hundred of thousands of Rus? sians who now live in America going home to fight the Japanese. The Jap? anese wherever they may be are loyal and patriotic subjects of the Mikado while millions of Russian subjects are the bit&erets enemies the Czar possessse. . The members of the old State House commission appear to us to have made a mistake in rising such a furor over the report of the Legislative investi? gating committee and* by doing so have not only obscured the main issue but have assumed a burden that is not. their's! The gentlemen who composed the commission were not condemned bj the report nor W9re they charged with corruption. They were not on .trial by the investigating committee and there was no. reason why they j should have been summoned to appear j .and gi?e their testimony in defence of ! the architect and contractors. It was abe work itself that was .investigated and the architect ?and contractors who were to be approved or condemned as a result of the investigation. The old commission in-'undertaking to de fend the-work cm the JState House and to pose as martyrs may succeed in throwing dost in the eyes of some peo? ple but, their cry of persecution and their championship of work that has been condemned in the most positive terms by a ?ifcinterested expert whose professional reputation and personal character are above question creates a distinctly unfavorable impression. J. S. SENATOR ?0 BE TRIED. Senator Burton, of Missouri, 1$ Charged with Accepting a Bribe. St. Louis, Feb. 16.- Judge Adams, in-the United States District Court to? day, overruled th6 demurrer of United States Senator Joseph R. Burton, of Kansas, to the indictment charging him with accepting money for using Jbis infiuencein preventing the issuance ?of a fraud order against the Rialto Grain and Securities Company. The trial of the-Senator was set for March 22. A panel of sixty jurors lias been ordered fot Monday. : In filing the demurrer to the indict? ment the defendant contended that the Postmaster General did not have the authority to forbid the Rialto Com? pany the use of the mials or to issue a fraud order. Also that there was no -substantial charge bf fraud at the time, - Both of ; $hese questions were .dismissed by Judge Adams with the remark that he was not impressed with them. Aa to whether the United States was interested m the case called for a more extended opinion, but . -Judge Adams held tbat it was interest THE STA.E HOUSE INVESTIGATION. Situation Clearly Defined by Sen? ators Manning and Aldrich. Why It ls Necessary to Take Matter Out of Attorney General's Hands-Old Commission Never Denied a Hear > ?ng. The State House Investigation which is by far the most sensational issue before the present session of the Legislature is being discussed by all citizens of the State, and as it will unquestionably be made an issue in the State campaign tbis summer a clear understanding of the status of the case is necessary. The following statements made in the Senate by Senators Manning of Sumter and Aldrich of Barnwell, who were mem? bers of the committee of investigation clearly and concisely define the atti? tude of the member of that committee . and the motives that actuated them. Senator Manning said : 441 object to that part of the pream? ble which says that the commission were denied a hearing. As far as I know no request for a hearing was made by any member of the commis? sion. 1 am certain no such request was made by me. At one of th6 meet? ings of the joint committee the ques? tion was asked if any members of the commission were coming before us. I am sure that if the joint committee had any intimation of a desire on the part of the commission or any of them to appear before them they would gladly have accorded them a hearing. I myself would have insisted upon it and I am satisfied that the other members of the committee felt as I did, but I wish to emphasize the fact that we felt that we, were not investi? gating the commission. The duty placed upon us was to couidser the several reports of the commission for tiie completion of the State house and to report to the general assembly such facts and recommendations in reference thereto as we deemed advisable. I was appointed on the joint committee without my knowledge. I realized that was an unpleasant duty that bad been placed upon me, but I have en? deavored to discharge the work placed upon me thoroughly and without fear or favor. I went into the task with an open and unbiased mind, determin? ed only upon ascertaining and report? ing facts. I had no feeling in the matter, and nothing was further from me than any deisre to do an injustice to the commission. As I said, we were not appointed to criticise the commission but to consider the work upon the State house and the manner of its performance. We have made our report and the report shows how we did the work which we were ap? pointed to do. We made a personal examination of the work from the dome to the ground floor, accom? panied by Capt. S. S. Hunt, who had been employed by us as a first-class contractor of large experience, compe? tent and conscientious. Bnt I say to the senate that it did not take an expert to detect bad work and, inferior material. Such work as that, as pri? vate individuals, we would have re? jected without hesitation as soon as it came under our observation. These defects have been pointed out specifi? cally in our report and I need not re? peat them here. As a member of the joint committee I have discharged the duty placed upon me as best I could. I repeat again that I have done so without feeling against the commis? sion and without desire to do them injury or injustice. We have simply given the facts as I saw them and without any implication of the com? mission except so far as the facts show, bn,t we do in words condemn the work of the architect and con? tractor. We have finished the work imposed upon ns and the matter now rests entirely with the general assem? bly : but I, tor one, am more than will? ing to accord to the commission the hearing they desire. " The portion of the preamble objected j to by Senator Manning reads : .i* * * m0mbers of the ?aid com? mission, were not permitted to testify belora said committee, and that other parties whose actions were considered by said committee were not allowed to appear before said committee or in any manner given a bearing." Senator Raysor moved that the pre? amble of Senator Aldrich's resolution be substituted for the preamble in Senator Talbird's. This removed the objection, said Senator Manning, and the motion was adopted. Sen? ator Aldrich's motion that the num- j ber of house members on the com- | mittee be three instead of five, was j adopted. He withdrew his substitute resolution submitted on Friday night and which read : "Be it resolved by the general as- ? sembly of the State o? South Carolina, ? that any evidence, explanations or : other statements in writing that the j said memorialists may have to submit ; will be received and considered by the ? general assembly whenever presented. * ' Senator Aldrich said that he agreed | with Senator Manning in saying that j the work of the joint committee was unpleasant in the extreme. There j were men on the State housa commis- j sion for whom he had as high regard j as for any in public life. But duties of a public nature must be approached fearlessly and discharged conscien? tiously. Performance of only pleasant duties falls far short of true manhood. The duty was to examine the work. After examination it was thought only justice to the architect and' contract? ors that they be heard, and they were accordingly offered a hearing. The contractors took no notice and the architect wrote a curt note, saying li6 had nothing to do with the committee. No one had ever asked Senator Al? drich for a hearing and he had never heard from any member of the com? mittee of such a request. It would certainly have been granted. If they wish a hearing now they should re? ceive it. If a committee is appointed architects and contractors, so-called, could be summon?d who would swear that the work had been done without spot or blemish. The rain flooded spot outside the main lobby, however, cannot be sworn away, the rain flooded lower lobby cannot be sworn away nor can the two missing columns in the front portico. These speak for themselves. The broken lintel stone on the rear poctico, the missing lintel stones in the'front portico-none of these can be sworn away. The lack of roof ven? tilators, the thin sheet of galvanized iron between the interior of the State house and the "wide wide world" these cannot be sworn away and nei? ther can the defects in the dome.: Nothing has been reported that does not exist and if this is not believed an inspection will convince. This is th? State's case and" as a senator, Mr. Aldrich asked his brother senators not to allow the com? mittee in any way to frustrate the re? dressing of the vvrongs done the State. Let the committee report before the general assembly adjourns for the year. The Talbird resolution (including the Aldrich preamble] was then adopted as follows : "Whereas, certain members of the former 'commission to complete the State house' have memorialized the general assembly to make provision for giving them a hearing in reply to the report of the joint 'committee to consider the several reports of the commission for the completion of the State house and facts relating there? to.'' "Be it resolved by the senate, the house of representatives concurring. That a special joint committee con? sisting of three members of the house and two members of the senate be ap? pointed by the speaker a:.d president respectively with authority to appoint a stenographer, take testimony, com? mand the production of records and papers and report the same to the general assembly before its adjourn? ment." Immediately after this was adopted Senator Aldrich offered a concurrent resolution that suit be brought against Frank P. Milburn and Contractors Mcllwain, Unkefer & Go., a member being appointed from each house to supervise the litigation. This com? mittee shall have power to employ an attorney who shall receive not more than 25 per cent, of the amount recover? ed. An appropriation of ?500 is made for the committee. Immediate consideration was asked for this resolution. Senator Talbird wanted it referred to the judiciary committee which was done. Later in the proceedings, the regular routine of buisness was interrupted by a motion by Senator Manning to re? consider the vote whereby this resolu? tion was sent to the judiciary com? mittee The resolution was very sweeping and the attorney general was usually the person to carry on such litigation. A very manly statement was made by Senator Manning, who in a delicate way said ho was sorry to have to make the matter plain but he thought it would be best. The lawyers of -the senate realized the fact that cases sometimes arose in which the legal re? presentatives of the State are dis? qualified. While disclaiming in any. way any reflection of any kind or inti? mation on the attorney general, and this Senator Manning emphasized? still the fact remains that he was assistant to the former attorney gener? al, and the present assistant attorney general was the law partner of the former attorney general. The senate seemed to recognize and appreciate Senator Manning's remarks and the vote was reconsidered and the resolu? tion adopted by a direct vote. On motion of Senator Hardin the speeches cf Senators Manning and .Aldrich will be printed in the journal. IKE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. House Passes the Senate Tele? phone Sill to a Third Reading, Also the immigration Bu? reau Bill. Thh Senate Passes the New Ten Circuit Bil!, the Bill to Increase Adjutant General's Salary and the Cotton Seed Traffic Bill-Other Mat? ters. Colnmbia, Feb. 16.-The House did A hard day's work today. First of ail, it passed to a third reading the Senate bill which placee telephone companies ander the contrt of the railroad commission. Second, it ordered the bill to creat an immigration bureau to its thir reading. It left the appointment c this immigration commissioner to th Governor, and declined to take th election into the hands of the Genen Assembly. The gleaners' bill, which was prc posed by the tax commission, an which had previously passed th Senate, was killed in tue Hosae tc day. The tax commission bili, whic seeks to tax cars, rolling stock an other railroad property which ar alleged to have escaped taxation, pase ed the House, and tomorrow will go t the Senate. Speaker Smith appointed Mr. T Yancey Williams as the House mem ber of the committee to manage th litigation with regard to tho Stat House work. The bill to give the railroad commie sioners jurisdiction over all telephon lines is practically finished, as th Senate bill was adopted in toto, an the Honse refuses to consent to an interference with the bill as it ha* previously passed the Senate. Mr. Lancaster secured the passag of a bill which provides that mileag books when bought and paid for wil .be good, not only for the purchaser jt??fe for any member of his family, pro jv'iding that written notice be given fr 'tile railrod company at the time of th selling. i The two big fights of the day wer on the immigration bill, which wen to its third reading, and on the tele phone bill, which is now practical! ready to be anacted into law. Tomorrow, if all goes well, the im migration bill will be finally passe by tlie House, and, as it is a Senat bill, all that remains is to adopt tw amendments-one by Mr. Brooks ani the other by Mr. DeVore, relative t the class of immigrants to be sought but which amendments do not affoc the scope of the bill to any degree am whch can be arranged in conference The Senate this morong passed th bill to divide the State into ten judicia circuits, as reported by the specia committee of ten Senators to whon the bill was referred last night. Th: bill now goes to the House. Except the time given to the recir cuiting bill, the Senate devoted pract ically all of the morning session to i discussion of the bill to increase tin salary of the Adjutant and Inspecto General from $1,500 to $1,900, ant the bili to prohibit traffic in seed cot ton during certain seasons of the year. Both measures were passed. The lat ter bill has been discussed at each ses sion for several years past. AB pass?e today, it prohibits traffic in seed cot ton between August 15 and December 15. Sea island long staple cotton ii exempted from the provisions of thc bill. The Senate refused all amend ments exempting certain counties from the operations of . the propos?e law. The bill, which, as" amended by th? special committee, was passed by thc I Senate and sent to the House, divides the State into ten circuits as follows : 1. The counties of Berkeley, George? town, Dorchester and Orapgeburg shall constitute the 1st circuit. 2. The counties of Aiken, Bamberg, Barnwell, Edgefield and Hampton shall constitute the 2nd circuit. 3. Tue counties of Clarendon, Flor? ence, Lee, Sumter and Williamsburg shall constitute the 3rd circuit. 4. The counties of Chesterfield, Drlington, J?orry, .Marion and Marl? boro shall contsitute the 4th circuit. 5. The counties of Kershaw, Lexing? ton, Richland and Saluda shall con? stitute the 5th circuit. 6. The counties of Chester, Fair? field, Lancaster and York shall consti? tute the 6th circuit. 7. The counties of Cherokee, Spar tanburg and Union shall constitute the 7th circuit. * 8. Thc counties of Abbeville, Greenwood, Laurens and Newberry shall constitute thc 8th circuit. 9. The counties of Charleston, Col leton and Beaufort shall constitute the 9th circuit. 10. The counties of Anderson, Green? ville, Pickens and Oconee shall con? stitute the 10th circuit. The Judges of the 9th and 10th circuits shall be subject to assignment by tho Chief Justice to hold or con? tinue such regular or special terms of Court as may be necessary until further provided for by law. Special to Thc Daily Item. St. Petersburg, Fob. 16.-Admiral Alexieff reports that the Russian cruiser Boyar in Port Arthur squadron struck a mine in the harbor and was blown up yesterday. Nearly two hun? dred officers and men were killed by the explosion or were drowned when the ship sank. JAPS CROSS YALU RIVER. London, Feb. 16.-It is reported from different sources that the Japan? ese army of invasion has driven the Russian forces out of Korea and has crossed the Valu river in pursuit of the Russians whom they are now pushing back into Manchuria. The report has not yet been officially confirmed and no details of the battles proceeding the defeat and retreat of the Russians have been received. STILL OUT OF DANGER. London Feb, 16.-In a dispatch from Tokio dated Feb. .12, a corres? pondent of Thc Times says that the Russian Vladivostock squadron is still to tiie westward of Tsugaru strait, the eastern exit being guarded by torpe- | doe?. ! ???M--a- ntrwiiT SENATOR HANNA IS DEAD, j i Washington, Feb. lo.-Senator Mar- ? cns Alonzo Hanna died at 6.40 o'clock j this evening, at the family apart- j ments in the Arlington hotel, after an ! iliness extending over nearly two i months, filled with apparent recovei- ! ies, followed by relapses and finally : drifting into typhoid fever, which in j his weakened condition he was unable 1 to withstand. When the end came all the members of the senator's family were in the room, except Mrs. Hanna, 1 the senator's wife, and Mr. and Mrs. 1 Dan Hanna. Mrs. Hanna had left the ! room only a few minutes before. DR. CARTERS' STATEMENT. Washington, Fbe.l 54.-Dr. Edward Perkins Carter, ot Cleveland, one of j the attending physicians, tonight made the following statement regarding Mr. j Hanna's illness : "Senator Hanna died quietly at' twenty minutes of seven this evening, j after a most superb fight against a j very virulent attack of typhoid fever. The senator had not been confined to his bed only during the past fifteen days. "From the early course of the dis? ease there was no evidence as to the intense sever'ety of the infection and j ?ne outlook at first became bright. Since Sunday, the 7th the progress of the fever became more marked, there i being a gradual rise in the tempera? ture from cjay to day, and by Wednes? day the evidences of a severe toxic condition were such as to make the pnysicians in attendance anxious as to ! the ultimate outcome, though count- ? ing upon some of the Hanna ind?mita-1 ble will, tliey continued to be hopeful. "The early inability to retain nour? ishment was finally overcome, and the case seemed to be progressing more favorably when on Friday last, in the afternoon, the senator had a severe chill. "Following this his temperature rose rapidly, reaching 105 that night, and the evidences of profound toxemia were marked. "The change for the worse came early this morning, and was followed by a gradual failure of his strength, which already had been overtaxed by the severity of the disease." Washington, Feb. 15.-The senate in executive session today agreed to vote on the ratification of the Panama canal treaty on Feb. 23. WANTED, Persimmon, Dogwood, Hick? ory and Holly Logs. Freight paid on car? loads. JAMES COCKSHOTT, Charleston, S. C._Oct 21-4m. WANTED-Faithful person to travel for well established house in a few counties, calling on retail merchants and agents. Local territory. Salary $20.00 per week with expenses addi? tional, all payable in cash each week. Money for expenses advanced. Position permanent. Business successful and rushing. Standard House, 330 Dear? born street. Chicago. Nov. ll FOR RENT-One storehouse, with three room dwelling attached, with necessary out buildings, for five months. Three and one half miles from Sumter in the fork of Providence and Stateburg roads. For terms apply to R. M. Edens, Sumter, S. C. Jul}; 29-tf. ?V?getebie Preparationfcr As - similating iheFoodandBegula ?ng the S toinachs cad Bowels of Promotes Digeslion.Cheerful- ? ness andRest.Contains neilner Opium .Morphine nor^ffaerall >OT "NARCOTIC J?ctpe tfOld?rS?2fUELPiTCiIEfi Pumptem Seal' . jibe Soma. * j BaktlUScti*- i AascSeed - \ ftfpemwit - ; ) BiCar?xmakSoiit* j Ctarifitd Sugar ySatmyre&iriaror. / For Infants and Children. The Kind You Have Always Bough! A perfect Remedy fer Cons ?pa ?ion, Sour Stench,Diarrhoea Worms .Convulsions .Feverish? ness and LOSS OF SLEEP. Fae Simile Signature cF NEW YORK. A1 b m o i T l h. % b 1 d. Use For Over Thirty Years EXACT COPY OF WRAPPER. -" fc.MMN/. NCW VORX CTY. ff.LBOIUI.tost G. i MR, te. a Treas. The Sumter Banking ; & Mercantile Company, 3-u.i?itex?, 3. C. --Capital Stock $50,000-~~ Wholesale Grocers, Pert i liz ers and Farmers' Supplies. Sole agents for the celebrated brand of Wil? cox & Gibbs Fertilizers. We are prepared to quote the very closest cash or time prices on all lines of Groceries, Fertilizers and Farmers' Supplies, And invite your investigation before making your arrangements for another year. ^ Come to see us. We will save you money, and give you a hearty, courteous welcome. Sumter Banking- & Mercantile Company, Masonic Building, 2d door from the Postoffice. Sumter, S. C. Southeastern Lime & Cement ( IOMPANY. CHARLESTON, S. C. Building Material of all kinds. High Grads loafing "8BBER8B."