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.

WEDNESDAY, JULY ll, 1906. The Sumter Watchman was founded in 1850 and the Tr?? Southron in 1866. The Watchman and Southron now has the com? bined circulation and influence of both of -the old papers, and is manifestly the best advertising medium in ?Sumter. Mr. J. Fraser Lyon's reply to the .charge that h-e had received double pay while serving on the dispensary investigating committee should be ' -.satisfactory and will be so accepted by all save those who wish to. make use of the incident for political effect. In the circumstance the acceptance of jpay as a member of the House and as a. member of the committee, when he performed the duties of both repre? sentative and commitceeman on the same days, was warranted by prece? dent, and we do not see that he was .guilty of any moral wrong. We do not believe that Mr. Lyon should be con? demned for accepting double pay, for .by so doing he committed no real wrong, but he was guilty of an inex? cusable error of judgment that has had the effect of discrediting his work as an investigator with unthinking ad- J vocates of the dispensary as it has been. run. Messrs. T.* B. Fraser, Ar? thur Goston and the other members who declined to accept^ double pay displayed better judgment than did Mr. Lyon. * * * Senator Tillman, will do more to set -the people to thinking on the dispen -sary issue and will accomplish more in an educative way by the few ?speeches he will make in the State than it is possible for the entire State campaign party to hope to attain by ?speaking in each and every county. He may not make any stronger speeches .than some of the candidates for State offices could make if . given time, but limited as they are to a few minutes they find it impossible to discuss the question in a comprehensive manner. Senator Tillman has all the time he wants and he will have the crowds jout to hear him. . * * "We do not blame Mr. Bryan for wanting the Democratic nomination , for president next time. He was de . feated twice by the campaign contri? butions of the national banks, trusts - and the great insurance companies, . and as there is a chance that this . great corruption fund will not be available for use by the Repub'ieans .in 19OS. Mr. Bryan has some reason . to hope for success if he is the nom -inee. . * * *The strength that Mr. R. I. Manning "Is developing as a candidate for gov? ernor is evidenced in a number of ways, but none is more signficant than the persistence with which Cole L. Blease, the sometime attorney for Hub Evans and the only man who as? serts that there has been no corrup? tion in the dispensary management, attacks bim on the stump. With .Manning out of the way Blease might by some fluke get into the second race 'with Mr. Ansel, but even then we do not believe he could be elected, for & majority of the people in the State would, we believ, prefer a unani? mous candidate to him. As the "race now stands Manning is in the dead with the whole field against him. Manning is the man for governor and even those who do not endorse his dis? pensary views admit his fitness for the office, and he will receive thousands of votes by reason of the confidence those who know him personally or by reputation have in him as a man. With Manning as governor there will be no grafting, if he is given the pow? er to prevent it by the exercise of ex? ecutive authority. . * * Attorney General Youmans appears to have dealt the dispensary investi? gating e.-mmittee a knock out blow by -declining to begin prosecutions against any of the dispensary officials ?on the hearsay evidence gathered by I the committee after months of labor, oa far the committee has made public no other sort of evidenc ? and unless the committee is holding ir, reserve .evidence of a substantiell nature, the investigation has been un absolute failure, insofar as the punishment of the grafters is concerned. Neverthe? less the investigation has been pro? ductive of good results, and while the .hearsay evidence may no: be good in the courts it hus been ampiy sufficient .to convince the honest-thinking pub g?? that :be:v has been "graft and eor .-.mptio:. o? the vv ?rsi description in the manag, men: of the St i*. * dispensary^ The investigation h:is demonstrated .beyond reasonable doubt that there was jral't in connection with the glass contracts as weH as with :: ?urge num? ber of the whiskey purchases. It has shown that the State bonni paid n:"r* for liajiox than dealers ir* other States, thal immense orders wer - placed for nigh priced liquors: of character known to be unsalable, that inferior liquors were bought ai excessive prices, that the liquors purchased from certain favored houses were sold at a lo?:- for rh*> purpose vf increasing the sales to the benefit of the favored douses, and that certain men connect J ed with the dispensary became rich in a sudden and as yet unexplained manner while occupying official po? sitions that opened to them opportu? nities of unlimited graft. The inves? tigation? may not result in the con? viction and' -punishment of a single grafter, but the moral effect has been ! worth ail that the Committee cost, i for it has fully aroused the people of I the State to the necessity of a thor? ough reformation of the State dispen? sary and the enactment of more strin? gers laws for its regulation. It has also shown that it is folly of the worst sort to put $400 men in charge of a $3,000,000 business. Aside from, the educative effects of the investigation, it saved the State thousands of dol? lars by causing the cancellation of graft contracts. SHOOTING AT LAKE CITY. Mr. E. B. Gaskins Seriously Wounds Mr. M. B. Martin, His Brother-in Law. Lake City, July 7.-About 5 o'clock this afternoon, near the out? skirts of town, Elisha B. Gaskins shot and seriously wounded Madge B. Mor? ris Both are respectable white men living near here and are brothers-in law. Gaskins shot Morris twice, the first shot missing and the second striking Morris in the right side of his stomach, just below the ribs, and pen? etrating the interior to the region of the spinal column. I The wound is regarded as very dan? gerous, but physicians have not an? nounced positively their opinion. Mor? ris's right side appears to be par alzed and he seems to suffer very much. Gaskins went home immediate? ly. It seems there has been bad blood between these men previous to this trouble. It is stated.that Morris came ! to town a short while before the shooting with a double-barrelled shot gun, which he ^.played, declaring that either he or Gaskins would die before night. This threat is said to have been reported to Gaskins, who appeared to wish to avoid a meeting. However, they did meet near the postoffice and after exchanging some words, Morris proposed that they go out of town and settle the matter, to which Gaskins assemted, and they started out. On the way Morris is ? said to have cursed Gaskins and dis? mounted from the horse he was rid? ing. He continued cursing, so it is stated, and Gaskin, shot, as above stated. Morris did not have the gun at this time. He was drinking. The rowdyism at baseball park on Thursday ,and Friday afternoon dur? ing the games between Sumter Cam? den was disgraceful and has done more to injure baseball in the city than any other one thing that could have occurred. It was outrageous that three or four drunken toughs should have marred the pleasure of hundreds of ladies and gentlemen who went to the park to witness the game. The disturbance on Thursday afternoon and the fear that there would be a repetition of the disorder on Friday deterred a great many from attending the game and the gate receipts were much less than they would have been. The gate receipts, however, are a smail consideration in comparison with the good name of Sumter, and the reputation of the city and of the people suffer in proportion as such disorders are permitted to pass unpun? ished. The disorder was anticipated both days by four Camden men who were drunk and bent on creating ? disturbance, but Sumter does not .blame Camden or the many Camden people who came to witness the game and conducted themselves in an or? derly and proper manner. Such people are always welcome visitors and they cannot come too * often or in too great i numbers to receive courteous treat j ment. But for the rowdies and toughs who offend decency and make the bail park unpleasant and unsafe for decent peopie by their profane and obscene language'and riotous conduct there is i no welcome and no room in this city. They should be dealt with in the most summary and severe manner. They show no consideration for others and merit no leniency or consideration at the hands of the authorities of this city. In many cases the harshest meas? ures are the best and the disorder ? at the ball nark is a.n instance where th? strictest enforcement of the law is called for. If the law is not enforced and the rowdies suppressed haseball is doomed in this eily. CHARLESTON GETS HOODOO. ? ! Battleship l eva-- Will Become station S!ii;> at V'u Xav-j Yard. Washington, July 7.-The Unit? a States battleship Texas is destined to j pass forever fr on the active hs; ..t j the navy becoming the station ship the new navy yard at Charleston. T;?.- i six inch guns haye been removed, bul the turret guns are Hkely to remain '>:: the ship, being held in reserve and in sueh condition as would enable her to be transferred to thevlist of active ships at any time with certain neces? sary preliminary work. The Texas is popularly known in the service as the "Hoodoo-" of the navy on account of the many acidents that have marked her career; The Bigii School in Sumter Com It would be difficult to find arnon these persons who have educatio interest at heart any one thoroug opposed to the plan of having c< tralized or high schools in te ru parts of the State. There is little conflict ol opin; when the plan is considered in I main features; it is in the details tl j strang opposition has developed. ! It is unfortunate for any furtl i trial ol: the plan within the limits j Sumter county that it should first tried where it had the least chance 'succeed and should find such in; dicious advocacy. An opportunity is sought to st< ? ?me of the causes which have a do now tend to failure and at t same time to correct much misco ception which many appear to ent< tain as to the opposition with whi the plai has been met. The most lasting benefits and mc enduring institutions are created by long process of education. Xo one c? expect support, especially amongst t" conservative people of the South, any institution which is expected be the creation of a day, a week, a month, nor will the necessary su; port be forthcoming when the peop are called upon to consider educatic in general and have instead an il considered plan sprung on them fi which they were not prepared, n< had the least idea that such wou be presented to them. Such an attempt was made in Di; tri?t Xo. 6 in September, 1905. Tr. teachers for the various schools wei elected, the schools were open, pupi were al!ofter*to their proper classe orders ::or books were given, whe sudJfenly the people were asked t break up all this and to embark on scheme for which they were total! unprepared. The rapidity with whic plans were promulgated immediatel j?xcited opposition and the people. r? turned to their homes with a feelin of irritation which has never been al leviated by anything that has hap pened since. Want of preparation at the very be ginning sowed the seeds of opposition The advocates of that measure no only failed to prepare the people fo the piar., but failed to prepare them selves with adequate information a to the tsocial and educational condi lion of the district. Unfortunately for the measure, the; utterly ignored the fact of there al ways being a sharp line of division ii the usual line of thought of one par of the district as compared with an other. More important than the questio: of fund? to carry out the plan is i' necessary to know the people, whos< support is looked for. Ignorance o: social conditions is a second caus? of failure. The proposed attempt to do witt $2,000 what elsewhere it takes $4,00C to do, appeared, even with outsidt help, an ignoring of the financial con? ditions of the district. From a taxpayer's point of view il did not appear wise to sacrifice school building?? already in existence, or which, as in one case, $560 had been spent some four years before in build? ing and $70 in equipment, which buildingf; were ia use by organized schools, presided over by teachers o? ability, in whom the people "had con? fidence, and with whose systems of management they were in accord. Very little consideration was given to this, no argument of any weight was made how the district would be com? pensated ?or the abandonment of school property, which, by the terms of its "He nure, would revert to private citizens. vA thorough knowledge of financial conditions is therefore.- necessary. Ig? noring such will provide a third cause of failure. Imagination and enthusiasm are factors in upbuilding corrynunities. educatio lally or otherwise. Both these qualities the high school advocates have. Public schools, however, are estab? lished and maintained by law. and failure to consult or an ignoring of school law will shatter any scheme. The tendency LO follow the imagina? tion alone is native to one section of the district, and has boen fatal to general educational interests. The wisdom of consulting aird following the law ha.> in another section pro? moted success. A domineering spirit and way of doing thing.*' is a poor substitute for the law: it * not likely to win neces? sary suppo? . nor can ar.y amount of a?A'ertisenK JC be substituted for the After several years <?;.' class legis? lation by the .'..c;>l school board, how <-"uM they and the adv-cates of the . high school reconcile the abandon? ment of that policy with the proposed pian tu include all pupils attending the ? white schools? This has never been ! sufficiently answered, and yet what ! :i fruitful <-:ui<.- cf trouble is such in I ! elusion, and how many would nave to ; s ai li if \ themselves in agreeing t.. such j after the action "f the local school j board ii drawing a social line; special? ly for the benefit of persons and rcreating by an act. which was un- ? \ r. ? 1 r I tion already had met with a backset [ through class legislation, and the j causes of disintegration would still be present if there was wholesale in? clusion, of all white (?) pupils. The topography of the country was itself sufficient cause for decided op? position. Given a district withs the constitutional limit of area, with airly level roads in good condition, with a population not too widely scattered, there is s me chance of success. Contrarywi:-e with a district 60 square miles in area, very unequally populated in which thc teachers and a number of pupils resided from two r> four miies rrom an existing school c. nd on the western side, pupils al? ready travel three miles over the worst o', roads, it could not but be expecte'l that the fathers, and more than that, th?; mothers, of pupils would have consid?rable anxiety for the safety of their children ii' several miles of tough, hilly roads were added to their routes, long enough and difficult enough to travel as they are in all kinds of weither. The anxiety of parents for their children's safety was very lightly con? sidered. It was not to be expected that teach? ers would take upon themselves an unlawful authority in supervising the conduct of pupils off the school prem? ises, nor was any extra inducement held out to them to do so. There is a basic cause of failure then in not knowing the faces as to the highways and byways, added to which in this particular district is the curious fact that the lines of differ? ence in ways of thought andaction are co-terminous with * a physical line dividing the district into two parts, with varying degrees of difficulty in traveling. In connection with the subject in general it may more particularly be said that the advocates of division of the district have not been satisfied with the general policy of the local board; objectionable features have ex? isted for more than ten years. When the Stateburg graded school was organized it was through the ef? forts of Mr. W. M. Lenoir, who worked faithfully and hard to carry out the plan of centralization. ? i He was a trustee, fearless and im? partial in the discharge of his du? ties, fully competent and thoroughly posted as to the financial condition of the township. He was removed on a technicality. This is one of the many causes of the dissatisfaction of the parties seeking division. No such comp?tence has j been shown since by are -nem >er fri j the school board. j A disintegration has begun whi bj i will eventually result ii tu her de? centralization! What the well equip? ped and progressive schools of the township which were doing good work before the High School scheme was evolved, need is place. They have done good work in the past and will continue to do so, if the local Schoo Board will quit being caught by every "wind of doctrine,'' give the educa? tional plant time to grow and not pull it up. by the loots every; two years to the detriment of the schools. Each school within its own sphere can meet the needs of its immediate neighborhood and contiue to do so un? til circumstances are more favorable to centralization. * * * Japan Getting Full Sway. Mr. Fraser, the British consul gen? eral at Hankow, warns the British public that the present foreign trade of Great Britain, with China will only be maintained with the utmost diffi? culty. The spirit of opposition to foreign enterprise in the country, he says, is now manifesting itself among all classes of the Chinese people aft? er a fashion that does not admit of two interpretations. The foreigner from the West is tc no longe.- enjoy the privileged position in regard to land concessions or trade facilities to which he has so long been accustomed. Japan appears to iigurc considerably in this change of things. The Chinese former dislike for the Japanese, according to Consul Fraser, has been transformed into keen ad? miration, and the latter has now the advantage not only of his geographi? cal position, but of his kinship and similarity in thought and custom wheh particularly fit him for pene? trating into the interior and pushing hs wares in the shops and towns and villages of China when m> on?- ever visits a treaty port.-Spartanburg Journal. THE KAISER'S CHIME. Manchester. England, July 9.-Thc Dispatch says the Britain foreign of? fice is in possession of extensive evr- I lenee of a serious German intrigue at ! "air". Egypt, ?for rousing th<- natives j Lgaans; british rule and that the rea on for the statement given by Secre- * arv of State for Foreign Affairs Sir Edward Gray in the House of Com-H no ns last week was to warn Ger tiany that England was cognizant of Kaiser's attempt t" arouse dis , i taction in Egypt. The Dispatch I tiso d?clares that the Kaiser hopes by ; .laying into the hands of the Sultan j brough helping him to bring about FAMILY HOLOCAUST. An Emire Family Burned to Death in Indiana. Lafayette, Ind., July 7.-His wife and six children are dead, his home destroyed and himself badly, if not fatally, burned, is the fate of Solomon Gobba, whose residence was on the outskirts of this city. The dead are Rachel, aged 16; Freeman, aged 12; Guy, aged 10; Marquis, aged 8; Edith, aged ~>; Brooks, aged 2 and Sarah, the mother, aged 3*. Gobba was in yard when he saw the flames coming from the upper part of the house. He called his wife and together they rushed up? stairs to awaken te children. Both were overcome by smoke. Gobba man? aged to crawl to a window and in the effort to raise it fell to the ground, sustaining paiful injuries, while the mother and six children perished in the flames. Four of the little ones were cremated outright and others were suffocated. Elsie, aged 14 was at a neighbor's for the night and so es? caped. - ROJESTVENSKY ACQUITTED. Court Martial Found Him and all Other Officers Save Four not Guilty. Kronstadt, Russia, July 10.-The court martial which heard the charges against Admiral Rojestvensky and the other officers of the torpedo boat Be dovi with the surrender of the boat to the Japanese, acquitted Rojestvensky and all but four of the other officers. These four were guilty of surrender? ing vessel with premeditation and were condemned to death. It was recommended to the Czar, however, that the sentence be commuted to dis? missal from service. TAFT AND ROOSEVELT. The Secretary Goes to Oyster Bay With Speech He Will Make in North Carolina. Oyster Bay, July 7.-Secretary of War Taft wasv in conference with President Roosevelt for an hour or so this morning. Matters relative to the Panama canal, the army and the Phil? ippines were discussed. Before leav? ing Sagamore Hill, Secretary Taft showed: the president a draft of the speech he is to make at Greensboro, X. C.. next Monday night. Portsmith. England. Ju?j 10. The Neue Frei Presse prints an inter view with vV. J. Bryah, in which the Nebraskan is quoted as saying, "My bi metal ism principles are the same as? iii lSdfr, but they are less inportant now in consequence of the increased gold production and the rise of other questions. The silver question will not play an important part in the 1908 campaign." TROUBLE IN EGYPT. Fanaticism Necessitates Increase of Garrison and English Min? istry Regards Situation as Quite Serious. London, July 6.-The address of Sir Edward Gray, in the house of commons last evening regard? ing the gravity of the situation in Egypt, wa? called forth by an at? tack on the government by John Dillon, the Nationalist member, for what he termed the "brutal barbarism" of floggings and ex? ecutions in Egypt. In reply Sir Edward said that the recent attack on British offi? cers at Tankab was not accident? al but a deliberate manifestation of the fanatical spirit which had necessitated the strengthening of the garrison in Egypt. He said, "As things are now, I say deliber? ately and with a full sense of re? sponsibility, that if parliament does anything at this time to weaken or destroy the authority of the Egyptian government you will come face to face with a very serious situation, for should fana? ticism get the better of the con? stituted authority there might be a necessity for extreme measure." PURE FOOD LAW. Food Manufacturers Already Get? ting Good. Washington, July G.- Although thc pure food law does not be? come effective until January I and cannot then be enforced un? til congress appropriates the nec? essary money, the activity ol the agricultural department is already exercising a wholesome effect upon manufacturers ol food stuffs throughout thc country. The department has received many samples wit li a request that the department pass upon them to see if they are within the re? quirements of the lau. This ac? tion of manufacturers is taken as a good "alen, and hythe depart? ment of ici?is it is interpreted to " *.u~? ?>?.'-'m.;torturers irener FOR SALE-5-horse farm, Rafting Creek township on Charleston road, opposite Mr. E. R. Alston's T. P. Sanders. CANDIDATE'S CARD. For Judge ot Probate. Duly appreciating the generous sup? port of my fallow citizens of Sumter county in the past, I respectfully an? nounce myself as a candidate for re? election to the office of Judge of Probate at the approaching primary election and will abide by the result of said primary. Thos, V. Walsh. For Congress. I hereby announce myself a candi? date for the Democratic nomination for congress from the seventh con? gressional district, and pledge myself to abide the rules and regulations of the Democratic primary. A. F. Lever. For County Supt. of Education. I hereby announce myself a candi? date for the office of County Superin-? tendent of Education, subject to.the action of the Democratic primary and pledge myself to abide by the rules of the same. Charles Pinckney. I hereby announce myself a can? didate for reelection to the office of County Superintendent of Education, pledging myself to abide by the rules of the Democratic primary. S. D. Cain. For the Senate. I hereby announce my candidacy for State Senator for Sumter county subject to the rules governing the Democratic primary. A. K. Sanders. For Supervisor. In announcing myself a candidate for re-election to the office of county supervisor I desire to thank th-j citi? zens of Sumter county for their lib? eral support in the past and pledge myself to abide the result of the pri? mary. W. H. Seale. For Magistrate. The undersigned at his own urgent request has consented to become a candidate for Magistrate in the Sixth Judicial District of Sumter county and if elected will endeavor to serve the people to the best of his ability. He pledges himself to abide by the rules and regulation of the Democratic pri? macy. H. C. Bethea. The mar/ friends of Mr. W. . R. Brown nominare him for the oirlc-e 2* Magistrate of the Sixth. Distrir and pledge him to abide the result of the primary. I hereby announce that I am a can? didate for office of Magistrate at Sum? ter, and I need every vote I can get. I ask that you give me your votes and I pledgeymyself to give you my best service and abide by the results of the primary. H. L. B. Wells. - USE THE Sparks Distributor TO SIDE DRESS YOUR CROPS. Try one and be convinc? ed!. Guaranteed to do what is claimed. Buy \ from dealer or order from SPARKS nmmiwm co. Sumter, S. C. 4-13-3m SUMMER BOARDERS W?NTE0. WELL FURNISHED ROOMS ; good climate ; if looking for a good place to rest and enjoy yourself, come. Rates S6 to S io per week. Apply to (Mrs.) Ella Morgan Osfeen, 28 South Main Street, 7 ii iii* Hendersonville, N. C. las s gsa a s s B a a g aaa gasa 3398335 3 a a g g g g HIGH LIVING j is an everyday affair with those who I eat at our restaurant. The best of I food is served at a modest cost. GOOD EATING j and our bill of fare go together. Well j fed men dine here because they get j what they want and as they want it. j It's a pleasure to pay for good food. That's why we have so many good patrons. THE SUMTER RESTAURANT, V. E. Branson. Prrmrie**V