The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, May 13, 1908, Image 2
T. P. 1 BANQUET
CLIMAX OF A GREAT OCCA
i MON
ftVnv HmsAreM Traveling Item and
Other Uewift
Hrend To
Cltiien* Re
the Belly item. May ?.
The T. P. A. Convention end the
eemtlllllii attend ant thereto were
Saejht ta a happy conclusion last
ht with the banquet, given In
asjesnr at the visaing traveling men
hg the eitisens of 8urater and Post
fa* Y. P. A. The banquet was served
ha the Armory and. beginning at t.SO
wee concluded In the wee
of the morning. The
?es hall was tastefully decorated
tret* alee and white? the colors of the
T? P. A. sad hundreds of national flags
thrge and small. The tables wsrs laid
lew nearly fear hundred and every seat
saae tehse. Seated at the head table
prate Ham. Riehard I. Manning, who
gsjgsi sa teaetmaster. the speakers of
ties evening* end the officers of the
Y4 P. A.
Ths) keenest was furnished and
by ft. D. Crawley A Co., tie
of the Hotel Jackson, end
established for theassslves an
reputation as caterers, by the
they managed this, ons of the
st net the very largest ban
given la Sumter.
west sseeu wee ee follows:
Menu.
Martial Cocktail
Caviar Sandwiches
galled Aim ons Celery
Deep Sea Bass, Capers Sauce
Potatoes Natural
Sauterne
Skassasb Mined Plciles
Cadekea Croquettes Petit Pots
hfargeaux
I Chicken Selad
Mayonnaise Dress!nj
Beef Potatoe Salad
Oeager Ale Chv.npagne
Chens* Saltraes
i Oafs. Notr
Cigars
a
1st Manning was very
la nie /Introduction of the
and the aanouncehient* of
wbsoh ware ae follows:
TOA?T8.
?*Ps e^ssiig have all as merry
nsn|r<nist "pint compJany, good wine and
ssWAa wsssi ?-?*
gepsaBBssjw eM*s^ema ewwepsjroc*
s?sd micnard I. Manning.
Teass ^nn^Pal
"stoats are nsf paints of the com pa*
?af entAe Ohart at true patriots*!
?;V * mmm. A. r. Lever.
WehPUl aad science, trade end
thy Are the cautious
thee througn ths people's
Carolina." 1
??Oer. M. P. Ansel.
Assity thst wisdom knits not. |
gptty saay easily untie."
?ftupt. A. W. Anderson.
eat the iUUroao?.
iodises plenty be the robe,
ej the geldsn girdle u* the
?Mr. Lewis W. Parker.
Use T. P. A.
thou Itveet. keep a good
igae 'la thy head."
?Pres. P. J. Drew
em. Posmhs nag Agriculture,
three, hat the greetsst of
mos bs?^~"? "
?Liest. Oov. T. O. McLeod. *
hops of sll who suffer,
of sll who wrong."
?Mr. w, K. QonseleH.
; th ?u loveliest gift that here
m
I rscelve, or Providence be
?Hon. Huger Slokler.
te the regret of everybody
Wilson, Hon. Charles 8.
and Prof. Qslloway were not
as had been expected, they
ween called back to Waith mg
he* a pressing engsgement. Secre
WRson wss down to respond to
United States," and Mr. Scott
Politics snd Agriculture."
A. P. Lever snd Lieut. Oov.
sLned were called on to fill the
sad they responded to the
rsll ss they sre wont to
nag ssade telling and eloquent
h the exception of Mr. A. W.
and Mr. W. K. C.onsales all
*s speak em spoke without notes
n Is therefore Impossible to re
ths really eloquent and fell
ihee thst were dealver^
v Ansel, who honored the occa?
ny his presence and whom the
jf shunter wore especially glad
In their midst <?n so pleasant
eon. was peculiarly happy In
ee te the loest of "South
r+mpow+m of Messrs. Anderson
and Qonaale? are given in full here?
with, they having spoken from manu?
script Without making an Invidious
distinction, reference must be made to
the speech by Mr. Parker. It was of
neceasity in the nature of a rejoinder
to Mr. Anderson's speech. It was as
full of thought cogently expressed
and forcibly presented, as an egg Is
of meat. He contended that the rail?
road* should be regulated and gave
his reasons. But he contended for
fair. Just and business-like regulation
that will Innure to the public comfort,
safety and convenience. He also took
Issue with ths T. P. A.'s of which he
said he had the honor to be a member,
In their position in opposition to the
new mileage ticket regulation recent?
ly put Into force by the railroads. He
said that it was a business measure
that the railroads felt that was neces?
sary to their protection and the' pub?
lic should at least give it a fair .trial.
Hs said that he had hundreds of
friends among the conductors and he
knew them to be as high-toned, hon?
est, faithful and noble body of men
as the country boasts of, but he knew
and ?very man within the sound of
his voice knew, that among the con?
ductors there are, as In all lines of
business, a few dishonest ones, who
are appropriating to their own use
money that belongs to the' railroads.
If the new mileage ticket regulation
ahall serve to protect the railroads
against these few dishonest conduc?
tors the public should be content to
endure the slight Inconvenience that
It entails. The effect/ of Mr. Parker's
speech was marked and he was heard
with the closest attention.
Retiring President Drew, of the
T. P. A.'s, la a natural born orator
and hla Sprech was a n*?sn. President
Prank Pegues was called on at the
conclusion of the set toasts and In?
troduced by Toastmaster Manning,
snd he responded briefly.
Before the crowd ersed there
were loud calls for D. C rieyward and
E D. Smith. Both acknowledged the
compliment but spoke very briefly snd
their remarks were in a vein appro?
priate to the time and occasion.
The speeches of Mr. Anderson and
Mr. Qonaales follow:
Mr. Anderson's Speech.
While I dreaded the ordeal through
which a business man, not given to
speechf-maklng, had to pass In ad?
dressing such a gathering of business
Interests, I felt so much gratified at
the cordial invitation extended me by
your Committee on Arrangements,
that I was perfectly willing to re?
spond, ' nowing, aa I do. that the
proverbial big-heart edness of the
traveling men of Sooth Carolina and
the good people of Sumter and the
Pee Dee section Would malts all due
a^pwadee.
If, dor any reason. It were neces?
sary to destroy ths business Interests
of this country, and I had the power
to do so, provided It waa dons by one
single act I would destroy ths rail?
roads. Leaving out any question of
the enormous property loss that auch
an act would involve, we still havs
what Is very much more serious, and
that is the absolute parallzatlon of
ths agricultural and commercial in?
terests of this country. Therefore,
?the railroads' relation to business"
Is a question too great to be covered
In so short a talk as I promise you
this shall be.
The railroad managements, more
thsa they have ever done before,
realise the gravity of their duties to
the public, and I believe are, In an
earneat energetic way, striving to
measure up to their responsibilities.
The business of the country and the
railroad Interests are so closely re?
lated, so firmly Interwoven, that you
cannot affect the one without aect
tntf the other.
Did you ever see a section of coun?
try, barring, possibly. a desert,
through which a first-class railroad
ran that waa not Itself prosperous?
On the other hand, where the rail
road Is poor and lacking In all facil?
ities, if not always, find the business
interests In keeping with the railroads,
it Is vitally necessary to the business
Interests thst Its railroads be prosper?
ous, and. If necessary to make them
so, the business Interests of any sec?
tion can well afford to contribute,
financially to that end or do what la
of more vital Importance, see that
their railroad Interests are given the
moral support of the people.
No man of good sense would, for
a moment, question the right of the
Municipal, state and National gov?
ernments to regulate Its railroads, nor
would any one question either the wis?
dom or right on the part of either to
place proper restrictions upon the
acta and conduct of its Individual
cltlaenshlp. but It would create a
wave of Indignation, if not revolution,
did the government. State or Na?
tional, attempt to dictate to the
farmer, for Instance, as an individual
or class, as to whether he should
plow hin cotton with a mule when,
for economic reasons, he might pre?
fer an ox.
Yet we dally see and read of Just
as unreasonable efforts to regulate
the railroads. The result has been
that the roads are usually on the de?
fensive, and. like the bare-foot boy
with the stumped toe, feels that every
stone or chunk that he may see In
k r \_
the street was placed there purposely
to cause him more plain. This gives
one of the reasons why railroads are,
as we might term it, "constitutional?
ly opposed" to all legislative attempts
to regulate.
There is too much effort to regu?
late. It is costing the country vast
sums of money, and It is really mar?
velous how the railroads have been
able to stand it, and yet progress.
Compare this beautiful City of
Sumter, with Its system of water?
works, electric lights, sewerage, its
spacious streets and beautiful build?
ing.-*, with what.it was twenty years
ago, and you wonder at the advance?
ment, due not alone1 to its wide-awake
and progressive citizens but. prob?
ably to the fact that its progress,
neither today nor in the past, has been
fettered by all kinds of schemes to
regulate Its every act and Interfere
with its merchants and manufactur?
ers in the lawful conduct of their
business.
Imagine, If you can, the contrast
between the present Sumter and
what It wounl have been had your
Municipal and State, not to mention
National, legislative bodies spent
days and weeks each year in the
discussion and passage of laws aimed
at the regulation of this city's affairs.
The development of the cotton
mill Interests in this State has been
wonderful, and It may have been due,
and certainly was In a great measure,
to the efforts of such men as Elli?
son Smythe, John H. Montgomery,
John B. Cleveland and In more re?
cent years, to Lewis Parker, Foster
Mcklsslck, Gus Smith and a dozen
others, but there is a still greater
cause and that Is that with a free
hand the cotton mill interests have
been allowed to conduct their busi?
ness and Instead of passing innumer?
able laws, unwise and unnecessary,
and all tending to Interfere with. If
hot fetter, the managements and bur?
den the stockholders, they have been
encouraged, If not by acts favorable
to their progress, at leant by no ac?
tion that would) Interfere with the
control by the ownera of their own
property.
Strange to say the heads of private
corporate interests, for example, the
cotton factories, do not hesitate to
tell you that railroads should be
regulated; yet, if you wish to know
their real opinion on the subject, ask
them what the result would be If the
management of cotton mills was plac?
ed In the hands, not of practical man?
agers but of. say lumber men. Can
the seriousness of s^ich a proposition
fail to impress you? It Is rather
amusing to see the' display of right?
eous indignation evidenced by our
cotton mill friends when they discuss
the labor laws that have been agitat?
ed In Congress for aome years past]
It depends entirely upon whose ox
Is gored as to most men's opinion of
legislative regulation. Aa for me,
my "position to all unnces
sary legislative interference with
the lawful conduct of one's affairs,
whether they be qulsl public or pri?
vate, la so great aa to Include not
alone the bualneas I represent, but.
also that of even our cotton mill
friends.
, Nothing is more true than that
"the least governed are the best gov?
erned," and I say It In ( all serious?
ness that if I were given the privi?
lege of, In a word, improving the rail?
road service of this country 50 per
cent.Jf not a hundred, I would wipe
out alb special acts aimed at the
regulation of the railroads, and leave
them to work under the common
law and such laws as apply to all
corporate Interests, forbidding discri?
mination and combinations that might
interfere with the country's develop?
ment.
No country on earth gets greater
returns from its railroads at so little
cost, but when we see the annual ef?
forts to regulate, It reminds one of
the fable of the goose with the gold?
en egg. I
This country is going to have to
pay very dearly for so much regula?
tion, and we see the indications of
it more and more each day. It is
costing many millions of dollars. The
railroads conduct their business sole
? I
ly by the proceeds from the sale of
freight and passenger transportation,
and the people of this country must
support them, and, therefore, the
relation of the railroads to the busi?
ness interests" of the country are in?
separable.
One of the railroads' largest Items
of expense Is for the privilege of be?
ing regulated. Giving one instance,
It Is costing the roads hundreds of
thousand* of dollars to comply with I
one feature of the Hepburn Bill,
namely, the posting of Interstate rates
for the public's Inspection, and. al?
though*. It Is costing thou?
sands, It Is aboslutely worthless as
a source of public Information. I
have never heard of a case, though
I have inquired many times, of these
files being examined as a source of
Information. !
We have all frequently heard it
said that the railroads are our great?
est etvlllsers, not. of course, because
the stockholders <>r the people who
manage them are any better or Wlssr
than anybody else, but because the
railroads are, as it were, the great
arteries of commerce, conveying the
people from one section to another,
and furnishing the means pf exchange
of both thought and matter, without
which the people and country must
decline rather than advance.
I can but compare our great coun?
try, with its numerous lines of rail?
roads hurrying its people north and
south, east and west, and inter?
changing Its vast qualities of field pro?
ducts from one state to another, and
hurrying its manufactured products
from the East to be distributed
throughout the whole country, all
making the country great, com?
mercially and agriculturally, to the
human body, whose veins carry the
blood in one direction, while the ar?
teries convey It to another, and with?
out either or both of which, the parts
of the body neglected must soon per?
ish and decay.
Can you conceive of anyone, with
the least power to reason, being will?
ing, for one second, to interfere, with
the absolutely unimpeded flow of the
blood that is so necessary to his ex?
istence? Is It not equally strange
that a country should interfere, by
legislative acts, or, for that matter,
in any other way, with the great ar?
teries of civilization, commerce and
trade, our railroads, In \he conduct
of their business.
The same amount of effort devoted
to aiding the railroads in the legiti?
mate "conduct of their business, that
is devoted to attempts to regulate,
would free them of untold difficulties
and enormous expenses that are to?
day going Into the cost of transpor?
tation and adding to the rates the
public are having to pay.
I know of no class of our coun?
trymen who are In better position
to broad-cast public opinion for or
against any proposition than our T.
P. A. friends, nor do I know of any
class of our eltizens more deeply in?
terested in the great question of "the
railroads' relation to business."
If you want lower rates, quicker
transportation, and, better facilities,
then /lend your most valuable assis?
tance towards discouraging all un?
necessary laws, and insist upon your
railroads living under* the common
laws, applicable to you and others,
and also aid them by encouraging
the passage of laws that) will help
them to protect your property placed
in their care for transportation, laws
that are reasonable,, though arbitrary,
and needed to enable them to prose?
cute those who feed upon the rail?
roads as legitimate prey.
?'Oh, be our friends'and permrt us to
be thine.
The amity that wisdom knits hot,
folly may easily untie."
Mr. Gonzales' Speech.
Mr. Toastmaster:
The power of the press ir ly belt
the globe and envelope the lands of
light as perfectly as the genii of elec?
tricity pervades the atmosphere, yet,
in this presence "the press" must,
perforce, be modest. For here are
two other potentialities and pioneers
in civilization that are jealous of
their influence and their developing
force. Ceres, the goddess of agricul?
ture, first began the titanic task of
civilizing a world, young, dark and
Ignorant. In late years, for the great?
er benefaction bf mankind* the god?
dess?having In addition to the mind
changing prerogative of her mortal
sisters, the ability to change her form
she has taken the shape of men,- and
Secretary Wilson and Dr. Knapp are
her truest and most valued represen?
tatives. These are shedding the light
of practical scientific agriculture, and
have achieved in a decade more than
the total of the preceding century.
The commercial traveler of today
is the other friendly rival of the
press that knows all things and tells
all things. He was a medium for
the circulation of news and ideas, as
well as merchandise, long before the
discovery of the art of printing, and
he has improved each year for a
thousand years. Once upon a time
there was a rumor current that drum?
mers?there are no drummers now?
drew long bows, but It will be noticed
that not one Knight of the Grip of
this period has received a certificate
from President Roosevelt entitling
him to membership in even the least
exclusive of our Ananias clubs.
The commercial traveler that cen?
turies ago carried his pack of pretty
things from country to country* and
was welcome In boudoirs of great la?
dles, may be still a favorite with the
fair but his fares are more Impor?
tant to the railroads, as they are
now standing between them and re?
ceiverships. He continues, and to an
Increasing degree, to circulate opin?
ions, advance ideas, and discuss pub?
lic questions; he is an enlightening
factor in America, an agency for
civilization akin to the press.
What Is "the press " The depths of
the subject suggested can not be
sounded within the time appropriate
tu consume. Numerically, twenty
two thousand newspapers, daily and
weekly, and a thousand periodicals
constitute "the press" of America. In
B country or State there are relative?
ly few individuals that possess all the
qualities for leadership, so in the
-V
vast number of newspapers consti?
tuting the press of this country the
controlling or dominating minds are
limited in number. There are in the
press, as in the less mystic walks of
life, a certain element that is "recep?
tive"?that follows newspaper lead?
ers; there is another element that is
constitutionally antagonistic?a psy?
chological provision, perhaps, against
a combine of the press for the sel?
fish control of the universe.
Each unit in the great body of the
press is engaged in the dissemination
of information to its patrons. , But
there is much news having signifi?
cance whose significance is not patent
to the hurried reader. There is a
multitude of Illiterates in this coun?
try but there is a greater number that
read without digesting that which
they read. These constitute the large
army of literate non-thinkers, non
thinkers until digested thought, easy
of assimilation is presented to them.
It is Just here that the power of the
press as an influence in stimulating
popular thought is exercised; it is
here that men with trained minds,
specialtists one may say in the arts of
diagnosis, analysis, logical presenta?
tion, and effective appeal, exert power
' through the press in fq-rming public
sentiment.
The same human nature noticed in
the army of newspaper editors is
I found In the run of the general pub?
lic; there is the spirit that accepts a
certain view as presented, and the
spirit that Is aroused to opposition by
the presentation. It is thus that the
introduction of any vitalized subject
results in alinements of opposing
views, which occasions discussion and
creates popular Interest. With inter?
est active and public questions de?
bated in public there is no danger of
long continued misgovernment or of
serious encroachments upon the lib?
erty of the people. The bulwarks of
corruption and the strength of mis
government He in popular ignorance
and popular apathy; the press is re?
garded by the enlightened as the
guardian of the peoples' liberties, be?
cause it turns on the light and arouses
the- people to protect their rights. It
is the instructor in the world's cur?
rent history. Its individual members
are not infallible, hut, as Jefferson
held, error of opinion may be tolerat?
ed where reason is left ?~*,e to com?
bat it. But the great body of the press,
pushing under the dominating in?
fluence of the spirit of law, liberty
and justice, is always for the right
and is a powerful agency for \ right?
eousness, a factor of immeasurable
I force In Christian civilization.
BRYAN OX FIRST BALLOT?
New York Herald Says That Nebras
kan Will Secure Nomination.
Washington, May 6.?The New
York Herald forecasts the nomina?
tion of William J. Bryan, giving him
a total of 676 vote on the first ballot.
The Herald article says 210 delegates
are already instructed for Bryan, 92
unlnstructed delegates are probably
for Bryan and 38 uninstructed dele?
gates are probably opposed to
Bryan.
The Herald's table of probabilities
gives 466 delegates to Bryan from
among those yet to be chosen. The
Herald says that New York's 78 dele?
gates will be for Bryan owing to the
Bryan people having patched up peace
with McCarren In that city, j
In the Bryan column are placed
Georgia, Kentucky, Tenner-see and
Virginia. It is understood that a
stiff fight will me made against in
structionsy in the first and last of the
four states mentioned.
CHAINGANG OVERSEER INDICT?
ED.
i
aaaaaaas /
True BUI Found Against Greenville
Man for Whipping Convict.
Greenville, May 6.?The grand
jury today returned a true bill against
H. P. Dill, former chalngang overseer,
who is charged with Whipping a
convict.
A great deal of Interest centeis
around this case, as local attoir.evs
claim that If Dill Is convicted it
meant the abolition of the whipping
post at the penitentiary. Dill admits
Whipping the prisoner, but claims It
was necessary, as the latter was in?
solent.
Builds up muscular flesh, healthy
tissue, rich, red blood, clears the
stomach, kidneys and liver. That's
what Holllster's Rocky Mountain Tea
will do. e>35 cents. Tea or Tablets.
Sibert's Drug Store.
Women have a kind of sturdy suf?
ferance which qualifies them to en?
dure beyond, much beyond, the com?
mon run of men.?Burns.
A CaIIfornInn's Luck.
* The luck tests day of mv life was
w'mn I tought j '.h x of Buckten'g Ar
dahn of Tracy California. 'Two t\rc.
boxes cured me of an annovl'vt case
<>f Itching piles, which had Uoub'ed
me for years and that yteldei to n<?
other treatment." Bold under gparsn?
tee at Sibert's Drug Store.
Japan should issue an order abol
ishing China.
A GREAT ATLANTA FIRE.
THE LOSS IS ESTIMATED AT
$1.250,000.
High Wind and Light Water Pressure
Hendered the Firefighters' Work
Harder?Ionian is the Largest In?
dividual Loser.
Atlanta, May 8.?Thirty-one build?
ings destroyed, 42 business concerns
burned out, 1,000 persons thrown out
of employment and a financial loss
conservatively estimated tonight at
$1,250,000 are the results of a fire
which started about 3:30 o'clock this
morning and raged for four hours in
the business district of this city.
Tonight the Are is under control
with ruined buildings in the district
bounded by Forsyth, Nelson, Madison
and Hunter streets. Late today the
police and- fire departments dyna?
mited what was left of the ragged
walls. Tonight half of Atlanta's fire
fighting force is playing water into e
dozen razed structures.
How the fire stated It a mystery.
It was discovered in the building oc?
cupied by the Schlessinger-Meyer
company, bakery. From there it ran '
Its way in all directions until it struck
the Terminal hotel, one of the largest
in the city, and gutted that. During
the early morning hours every one in
the Terminal hotel and in numerous
other smaller hotels in the district
had warning. There was no loss of
life and no serious injuries resulted
from the conflagration.
The insurance on the property de?
stroyed is placed by insurance rrien
at $750,000.
One vof the heaviest losers is S. M.
Inman, of Atlanta, who owned the
entire block bounded by Forsyth,
Mitchell and Nelson streets and Madi?
son avenue, and in which were locat?
ed the Schlessinger-Meyer company,
Branch E of the city post office, the
Ltquld Carbonic company, a branch
of Central Trust de Banking com?
pany, and many smaller concerns.
The fire was discovered in the ele?
vator shaft of the Schlesinger build?
ing and is supposed to have originated
from crossed wires running to the
motor which operated the elevator.
By the time the firemen had arrived
the flames had broken through the
roof of tis building and owing to a
light water pressure, it was impossi?
ble to check their progress. In a
short time this structure was com?
pletely gutted and the fire was eat?
ing its way through to Station B of
the Atlanta postofflce where mails r
ceived from the terminal station just
across the square are distributed,
The employes of the postofflce, how?
ever, by quick work managed to save
all the mail and most of the: equip?
ment. Jumping across Mitchell
street, the flames made short work
of the Terminal hotel, the Terminal
annex, Childs' cafe and hotel and
Childs' annex, at which point the
firemen succeeded in checking the
onslaught on the north side of Mit?
chell street. On the south side, how?
ever, the flames continued to sweep
everything in their path until Forsyth
street was reached, gutting the build?
ings occupied by McClure's Ten Cent
store, the branch bank of the Central
Banking & Trust company, the Para?
gon Suspender company, Moon Shoe
store and the Liquid Carbonic com?
pany. The Schlesslnger building ex?
tended half a block on Nelson street
and from it the flames soon jumped
to numerous structures on Forsyth
street, destroying |he places occupied
by Alverson Bros. Grocery company,
the Bingers Frame Manufacturing
company, and the Walker-Cooley
Furniture company. A strong west
wind fanned the flames and scatter?
ed burning embers over the whole
business section of the city, threaten?
ing for a time to cause even greater
loss.
The firemen had many narrow es?
capes from falling walls but no in?
juries of a serious nature are report?
ed.
The guests from the hotels and
rooming houses in the burned section
succeeded in saving most of their ef?
fects, having been warned in time to
remove their trunks, which were piled
on the plaza In front of the Ter?
minal station, from which point their
owners and many early risers watched
the progress of the fire.
TO SUE THE C. & W. FOR $30.000.
Pretty Young Woman, of Campo
bclle. Claim* .Conductor .Insulted
Her.
Spartanburg, May 5.?Alleging that
she was grossly insulted by a conduc?
tor of the Charleston and Western
Carolina Road while she was en route
Bragg, a pretty young woman of
from Augusta to Laurens, Miss Sallie
Campobello. has commenced an ac?
tion against the railroad for damages
In the sum of $50.000. The complaint
is being prepared and notice of the
action will be served on the defen?
dant within the next few days. It
is understood that the al'egation?* are
highly sensational.
Pittsburg should start a movement
to close the side door of its banks.