Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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mm mis ii tarnt Dl*PimiTION TO PILFKHKHH HELP? ED BRING HIS DOWN 1'ALL. lie as Said to bo ?7 Years of Age and Certainly liook* It?His Prcdecea Forty Training and Adventu i are* r?Kt^eral Good Qualities As a Ruler. > Whan a man has reached the alleged ags of ninety-seven yearn, and la then of sufficient political Importance to have aa Inaurrectlon raised against him. ha must be. In some rsapecta. a remarkable figure, (Jen Nord Alexis, until last Wednesday President of the Republic of Raytt. ?ras, In th. reapect of ags. at leaat. the foremost ruler of las Black Republic. Prealdenta of I Hayti seldom are long-lived. Nord Alexia never erred on the aide 04? gentleness He came to the presi? dency In litt? fully aware of the peo? ple with whom hs was to desl. and he had some grewsome object lessons of pot he uneasiness that accompanlea wear ling a crown In his country Of the preside''*a who hsd preceded him. Des snllnes and Salnave were shot; Petion end Riehe were poisoned; Christophe committed suicide after committing atrocities of ths wlldsat kind; Boyer, . Boolooque, Oeffrad. Domlngue. Canal, Psanlomon. and Legitime went away post hiiste. Pierrot (well nsmed) and Nis? ei ge-Saget abdicated; and It wsa the boost of ths heirs of Hippolyte that he ded peacefully In office. But, Ina much as he was conducting an army against rebels at the time, even his I demise Is open to suspicion The old man who aasumed this seem? ly, hopeless task hsd been preceded In office by a villainous person. Tlreslas gfmon Sam. who added light-fingered tyjalttles to the rest of his defects. Ssm u feud left the treasury In a bad condition; I the army was rebellious, as usual, when no money was forthcoming; the Vtrmlnlst exiles were clamoring from Jumacia; ths republic wss In chsos. Nerd Alexis had Ideas of hla own Ute was astute, evsn commensurate p. w Ith hie years, and hs had no woman I tsh aversion to the shedding of blood when he thought It necessary. There Is no reason to believe that he haa done anything In aix years of rule with an Idea lass commendable than the Im? provement of his country, snd Its standing with ths rest of ths world. He I was firm In ths persuasion that ths ' proximity of white people was, on the whole, dangerous to the Independence of the oounti > and though he did nothing oa the offensl' *, he was ever careful of granting tirade concessions. Hsre Is sn Instance of a craftiness combined with a real feeling toward progress, A mining expert th Phila? delphia, who had assayed a lot of cop? per-bearing rock said to have come from Haytl, went down there to look over the ground. He found a fine ore mountaln. but It was far In ths Interior and quite Inaccessible for bualness pur? poses unless a railroad could be built Ths Germans had a railroad from Port au Prince to the Salt Lakes, and naturally wanted no competition, and a German steamsh p line saw possible * rival eteamshlpe connecting with the rail end. They began to work on the president. Alexis took hla particular view of the case. "I don'* mind giving you a concession." he said, "but I don't want to run the chance of giving you the whole island." He had evidently heard something of concessions. The Oermsns apent s good deal of money In Haytl over thla matter, It la reported, but finally Nord Alexia, af? ter sn Interview In which he showed a keen business sense, though asking nothing for himself, granted the con? cession. He signed the papers and sent them to Congress. The gentle? men at the Legislature, however, had been "seen." and though they did not care to Involve themselves with the preaident. they delayed and delayed until they found a way out. Enough of them to break the quorum left the oapltal and went down the coast. Nord Alexia merely aent hla gunboats after them, with a courteous request to come back. They came back. They knew Nord Alexia. Amnesty Hin l'ndolng. Another Instance of the tactfulness of the old man waa given soon after he came Into office. There were 100 or more rebels exiled In Jamaica. They had been followers of Gen. Firmln. In 1903 Alexis grant'- i them amnesty and they returned. He had a double itiotlve in this; first that they were possibly to be won over to his side, und also that he wanted no Insurrec ?v int?-rf?T. fu gftfh certain plan?? t?f civil Irnprovemenfs that he hud In nlnd. Thla wss more clear wht-n, In 'feply to censures from Congress for v?t prPPP ding against the disturbing sjjggaent. the cabinet resigned, ami Alexis refused tl Ignutlon*. He ?ssnted s free hand t?? hunt down the ''rauds In connection with the l^nr of government securities for $.'.??'>'?.'>???>. As a result of the Investigation*, ex Presldent Sam and several national bank officials were Implicated. Ituf like many other strokes of dip? loma* v i hough this permission of the return of Flrmln's followers gnsj for time s brilliant one. It waa really the undoing of the preaident. There la little doubt that the present rebellious* spirit generated in that very quarter. The childhood of Alexander du Nord, or Nord Alexis, was not such aa would Inculcate any Ideas of good? ness and mercy. He came from the northernmost part of the island. Cape Haytlen. where his father was called prince. Prince was a title which had been handed out very liberally under several reigns. Faustin 1 (Soulouque) had a marvellous court, In which there were seventy dukes. (It Is solemnly attested that two of the dukes took the titles Marmalade and Lemonade.) The cider Alexis held a position In the household of the Emperor Chris? tophe. In speaking of the rulers of Haytl It Is confusing to find one a president, the next an emperor; but It must be remembered that the coun? try has been successively a republic, an empire, a republic, empire and a republic again. But no president has ever been anything less than a dicta? tor. It was a strange, unhealthy atmos? phere Into which the young Alexandre came. Chrlatophe waa a barbarian, pure and simple, and before he committed suicide he conducted a reign of terror, lh which he was guilty of deeds which the native historians blandly refer to as "many unfortunate acts." Several stories are told to ahow the kind of all Alexia breathed. Christophe doubted the loyalty of a ohlef of police of Port au Prince. The emperor asked the chief If he waa loyal and on receiving a affirmative answer, ordered him to prove it by bringing him the heads of the chiefs wife and daughter. The loyalty was proved quickly. Under this sort of instruction, Alexis developed no very tender nature. He waa brave, masterful, and alert, how over, and when he took the field, as a young man luring civil troubles, his ?ourage and determination soon at? tracted attention. After he strength? ened hia position by marrying the daughter of Preaident Pierrot, he be? came still more powerful. It had been trranged aa far back aa 1870, that he mould be president, succeeding Dom ingue, but when the latter'a govern? ment was overthrown, Alexis waa in ?xile; and even after he returned to Haytl, Preaident Salomon had him thrown Into prison. So it was not until nearly eighty years after Nord Alexis had aerved as l page in the weird court of Henri Christopher that he gained the height of his ambition. It came about In thh way; that when President Hippolyte was Involved In civil strife, Alexis took the field against him. Tlrealaa Sam had the beat hold on affaire, and for another few yeara the coming of Alex la was delayed, but when finally Sam fled from the country the old man gained ths palace. The "palace" is a two-story building In the southern part of Port au Prince, distinguished from the pink disharmonies around It by a modest slate color, aurrounded by a high iron fence, and filled with monstrosities in the way of paintings and sculpture, which have been contributed by "na? tive talent." Here came Alexis In his glory at the reputed ags of ninety-one. At various times It has been reported that he meant to set up an empire, that he was to have a gorgeous court, that he meant to expel the white people from the Island, and that his fingers were near the scant treasury. There has never been much foundation for these stories. All in all. he is a sensible old man. especially when compared with his predecessors. There Is not the slightest evidence of graft connected with him personally. On the other hand It has been offered as a reason for the revolution against him that he was too persistent in his effort to Keep the other piratical souls of the coun? try off the treasure grounds. Now, this point alone was sufficient to cause the downfall of Alexis; for the army, a collection of pitiable scarecrows, ununlformed and badly equipped, had little hopeH of getting salaries when the head of the govern? ment was so "parsimonious." The manner of paying off the men pre? cluded anything coming to them; for when pay day comes, the money goes from general to general, each trans? mitter whittling off a little for him? self. By the time It reaches the pri? vate, acute evaporation has taken place. And considering that for years there have been almost as many gen? erals !n the army as privates, the un? lucky underlings get no chance. Then, the southern part of the re? public was against him on general manciples Ills very name suggests that they could n?v?T love him. (o n. An lolM Simon, who OondUOtSd th?' oper? ation?* against him, was the vigorous ruler of the south; and when Alexis saw that he could not hang on much longer, he proposed that the general of the northern department, (lilies, one Of his own men. should lUOCeed him. The lighting was really on that point. In gppsarancs, during his last y n Alexis was at La t striking Forty v aas ago he SJIUSl have bSSfl a mighty warrior. OVOf six foot In height, and powerful In build. Ills features air those of a central African, his color coal black. When he was seen by an American ^^^^HbssBBBS^as^annnnsssssj not long ago he was described 1 "His legs and body seem a mas mere bone, shrunken until aluiuul nothing is left. His hands are Long and bony and themselves show great age. On one finger of his right hand he wore two tremendous diamonds in one setting, but no other Jewelry. A twisted mass of sparse hair dec? orated the huge and long upper lip. while a small goatee appeared from the lower. He wore gold spectacles which partly concealed his '-yes, and these were sunken, with the whites discolored to a kind of brown." Nord Alexis speaks French very fluently and well, and showed much refinement, far beyond that of his country. What will happen to Haytl I now that this man is gone is a good I deal of a puzzle. CASTRO AND HIS SCHEMES. Penniless When He Usurped Presi? dency, He Amassed Bullions. Ciprlano Castro was born in the State of Tachira, Venezuela, in 1860. Mother a negro; father an Indian. Kept small store and cared for fath- j er's cattle. He is small In stature; in | dress extravagant?effects a gray frock coat in Imitation of Napoleon. Conspicuous at social affairs for his fantastic capers. Courage Illustrated when, during earthquake of 1900, he abandoned his wife in palace and Jumped 29 feet to the ground, Penniless when he usurped presi? dency, eight years ago; annual salary 112,000; now has millions. Owns finest ranches in Venezeula, "houses without number," including two palaces. Also ?teamers of the former Orinoco Com? pany and of Lake Maracalbo. Tachira Railway, Puerto Cabello wharf bonds, two-thirds of Dutch diplomatic debt, 12,000,000 Venezuelan debt, and "mil? lions on deposit ?n English and French banks." 1899 Castro ri.lsed a revolution, de? feated the government and proclaim? ed himself president. March, 1901, elected president, after putting down the revolts of various eaders who deserted him when he usurped the presidency, in 1905 elect? ed for second term of six years. , July, 1904, seized asphalt lake own *d by New York and Bermudez Com? pany, refusing request of the United States for suspension of proceedings pending Investigation. Property se? questered In hands of representative of Castro, who has since sold and re? tained proceeds of asphalt mined. 1902. as result of policy of despoiling foreign industry, Oreat Britain, Ger? many and France, joined by other power, blockaded Venezuelan ports, December, to enforce claims of citi? zens. Puerto Cabello bombarded December 13, San Carlos bombarded January 17, 1903. Castro extricated from this difficulty by insistence of the United States that. disputes be arbi? trated. Protocols signed February 13 provided for payment of 1400,000, ad? justment of remaining claims and ar? bitration of prsferential treatment question. 1905-1906 Castro's hostility toward the French Cable cognpany and Insults to French minister led to severance of diplomatic relations January 10. In April he resigned the presidency, but resumed office three months lat? er. It was generally supposed that his retirement was due to the desire to saddle his successor with the responsi? bility of enforcing Jaws which were distasteful to the Venezuelans. In March, 1907, he refused to arbi? trate the Jannet claims. He also an? nulled various contracts made by his government with other foreigners, in- I eluding two English companies and a French company. In July, 1908, he expelled the Dutch envoy, resulting in the breaking off of diplomatic rela? tions. The origin of this trouble was due to the breaking out of the bubonic plague In Venezuela. A quarantine was established at the Dutch colony of Curacao, and Castro retaliated with a number of repressive measures. The relations became so strained that, at one time, war was expected between tb .untries, but hostilities never n d. From time to time, be f< Jfc i sailed for Europe, rumors \* current Of a movement to oust h ... from the presidency. He had knowledge of the dissatisfaction of the Venezuelans with his administra? tion, and with characteristic clever? ness, he avoided such a contingency by becoming 111 and deciding to go abroad and consult surgeons. He sail? ed from Caracas November 24. ?Nearly everybody knows DeWitt's Little Early Risers are the best pills made. They aro small, pleasant, sure Uttle Liver Pills. Sold by all Drug? gists. Dr. (). B, Bramlett, a well known druggist of I'elzer, is dead at his home. ?You should always remember that most OOUgh and cold cures are const I - patlng. Yet th? most important thing to do when you have a cold is to move the bowels. you cannot promptly ours ? cold until you do this. Ken* ii dy*i Laxative Cough Byrup stops the COUgh by aliasing inflammation of the throat and lungs, and it drives the < oid from the lystem by gently mov? ing the bowels. Children like it for it tastes nearly as good as maple SUgSr. Seid by all ,A , I I Ii NOT A DISPENSARYITE. SEXATOU CHKISTENSEX OF BBACfORT JOINS ISSUE WITH MBNATOR OTTS. Declares Tlsxt He is Opposed to the Whiskey Trufna\ but Favors Ix>cal Option, and He iff Not Hounding up tho Advocates of tlie County Dis? pensary System for a Fight Against State-Wide Prohibition. \ To the Editor of The News and Courier: Kindly grant me space in your columns to correct a statement made in your correspondence from Gaffney. dated the 14th. Therein it is reported that I am a county dispensary advocate, and an; rounding up the dlspenvary forces f jr a legislative oontest against the Pro? hibitionists. I am not a dispensa'.y man. In an article published laat I month in the Annals of the American Vcademy of Political and Social Science of Philadelphia, I wrote; uThe State did not succeed as* barkeeper. vVill the Qountles do better? That is i question South Carolina is solving. t Is too early yet to say what the out* ! :ome of this decentralization will be. I Decentralization has killed the lioness, I und her dwarf subs comparative liy easy to handle. However, they ale I lot lambs. Whether the present sys I *em will long remain clean as a hard I TiRtter for conjecture. In putting I nto the hands of public official.* ihv I '?ower to purchase liquor the door for I ?raft is known wide open, and through I t at any moment may enter corrup I '.ion that will render the system a*? I Yil as the worst." Those are hardly the expressions of I in advocate of the county dispensary. I In an Interview published in The I tfeWf and Courier and other dailiee I Mid weeklies a few days ago I stated I hat I am a local option prohlhitlon I st. I take the liberty of again tres I pissing upon the attention of your I readers, not for personal reasons, but I n this discussion between the State I .vide Prohibitionists or antl-optionlsts I tnd the local optionlsts. I They would establish prohibition in I ion-prohibition counties by decree of I the legislature. We would educate I the non-prohibition counties to the I point where each would for Itsolf de? cree'prohibition. Between these two I .vays to a common end is a great dif I .Vrence, all the difference, we local op I ? I.mists maintain, between ultimate I iitijessg and failure. Says Senator Otts, for whom I have I espect and liking: "The way to stop I he liquor evil is to stop and not to I temporise or compromise with It." He I wishes to carry the cltidel by one grand I Picturesque assault. We point to the I experience of generations that proves I tapping and mining to be mere ef I foctive against this particular enemy. I if the State prohibition law is passed I !t will be a hollow victory in many of I the present dispensary counties. I On the other hand, wherever a I county adopts prohibition the gain is I real, genuine and lasting. We local I option prohlbltinist8 advocate the same I course of action Senator Otts and his I friends have been following up to I this time. They are branching off, I hand In hand, with old State dispen I sary leaders, as antl-optlonists. We I want to be allowed to travel the same I road, his county of Cherokee took In I getting a prohibition that prohibits. I He says that kind of prohibition is I fine. Then why does he insist In forc I Ing another kind on other counties? I tell him, and nine out of every ten I thinking, sober men in this lower sec I tion of the State will tell him, that a I state prohibition law cannot be en I forced here with any success at this time. It Is folly for Senator Otts to assert, as he does, that "two or three determined men can enforce the law in any county." There are many more than the number of men in this county who would do all they can to enforce prohibition here If it necomes a law. and we know before hand that our efforts will be futile. Face conditions. Come down here and help us educate our people as you did In Laurens and we will do for our? selves what you cannot force us Into. Senator Otts says again: "I have seen the results of prohibition, I have seen the law enforced, I have helped to enforce it." He refers to his coun? ty, that was first educated up to the law, and was then allowed to enact It. He would have had different experi? ences In an antl-prohibltlon county upon which prohibition had been en? forced. It is characteristic of certain Prohibitionists to charge all who may differ with them as being allies of the liquor interests. Senator Otts refers to the local option argumenta as "this song of the Whiskey Siren." Yet the National Liquor League, which has just closed Its annual convention in Washington, in one of its resolutions wrote: "Local option is but another name lor prohibition." Local option? lsts were not whiskey Sirens when Senator Otts was leading their chorus in Cherokee So far as 1 know there is no effort to organise the local optlonlsta in or >ut of the legislature) and i have not planned or attempted auch an organi? zation, newapaper reports to the con? trary notwithstanding. Hut i have become interested In the Ugh! again - the liquor evil, and as one put in a I little brief authority am earnest to | exert it for tried and rational meas? ures. So I address myself to the keen witted, sober-minded, frank and God? fearing people, who are the great ma? jority of the people of this State, con? fident that they will stick to the guns with which liquor has been effectual? ly driven out of half her territory. Neils Christensen, Jr. Eeaufort, S. C. December 15, 1908. CASTOR IA for Infants and Children. The Kind You Have Always Bought Bears the Signature MASTER'S SALE. Py virtue of a Decree of :he Court of Conmon Pleas for Sumter County, in the State of South Carolina, in the case of Andrew H. ^bble against I John E. Harmon, Gertrude E. Rich lardson and H. T. Edens, I will sell at public aution, to the highest bidder at the Court Hous* In ttt* @tt9 ot Sumter, in the County and State afore? said, on Sal? Day in January, 1909, being the 4th day of said month, dur? ing the usual hours of sale, the fol? lowing: described real estate, to wit; All that lot or parcel of land situ? ate, lying and being near the western limits of the City of Sumter, in the County and State aforesaid, containing the asre. more or less, and bounded on the North and East by land form? erly of N. G. Osteen, now said to be of Burns, on the South by Hampton Ave? nue, and on the West by land of A. White, Trustee, for Mrs. Gertrude E. Richardson, being the lot of land con? veyed to me by Mrs. Gertrude E. Richardson. Terms of sale: one third cash, the balance in equal installments of one inj two years, the said cash payment to be applied to the debt of Mrs. Ger? trude E. Richardson and of Plaintiff herein, and a mortgage be executed by the purchaser for the balance unto the Master for Sumter County, at the rate of eight per centum per annum, payable annually, with privilege to purchaser of paying all in cash. H. FRANK WILSON, Master. 12-15-3t. EXCURSION KATES Vi? ATLANTIC COAST LINE Act-mint CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. \ Tickets on sale December 18tr. 19th. 23rd, 24th. 25th, 30th and 31st 1908 and January 1st, 1909. limited tc return not later than January 6tn, 1909. For further information, reserva? tions, etc., call on nearest Ticket Agent or write W. J. Craig, Passenger Traffic Manager; T. C. White, General Passenger Agent, Wilmington, N. C. The McLees ginnery, in Anderson County, was destroyed by fire. Lou about $5.000. MASTER'S SALE. By virtue of a Decree of the Court of Common Pleas for Sumter County, n the State of South Carolina, In the jase of Alston Westberry and Friday Xershaw against Robert Ramsey and >thers, I will sell at public auction, to he highest bidder, at the Court House n the City of Sumter, in the County md State aforesaid, on Sale Day In January, 1909, being the 4th day of -aid month, during the usual hours of ;ale, the following described real es ate, to wit: "All that piece, parcel or tract of and, situate and being in said County "nd State, containing one hundred acres, more or less, tying on the public .oad leading from Sumter Court ilouse via Providence to Camden, and. adjoining lands now or formerly of the Estate of Furman, Joshua Myers, rienry Williams and others; being the ;ame land conveyed to me by said AI? ;ton Westberry and Friday Kershaw, he description of said premises in said leed of conveyance being herein In? corporated into and made a- part hereof in all respects." Terms of sale: one half cash, bal? ance on a credit of twelve months Yom day of sale, the time portion to >e secured by the bond of the pur? chaser and a mortgage of the premises old, the bond to draw interest from he date of sale, the dwelling house to ?e insured and policy assigned. The judgment in this case has been heretofore assigned in part la Marlon Moise as appears by the record here? in. H. FRANK WILSON, < Master. 12-15-3t. 1 Southern Standard of Satisfaction HOGLESSLARD 9 Made by Nature. As pure,' as healthful, as wholesome as the grape of the vine or the fig of the tree. flFor all cooking ? better, cheaper, and healthier than the best of the hog?as good as butter for most purposes. The Southern Cotton Oil Co. NEW YORK-SAVANNAH NEW ORLEANS ATLANTA ? CHIGAGO m as nj I m m m I m eaaaaaaaa$aaa??aaaaaa?aaa?i The Two Things Necessary to Possess a Bank Account. The first, is the Desire or Inclination. Every one has a wish for money, for it takes mooey to pcssess the comtorts and necessities of life. The secoud requirement is One Dollar or more. Tbe first deposit need not be larve, and after tbe firfet money is deposited, yon have a bsnk account. The size of your bank account rests with you. THE Bank of Sumter. J5he Farmers Bank and = Trvist Co. z Commenced business April 1905, Volume of business as shown by Daily Exhibit Oct. 31. 1905 .$226,712.00 1906 .$315,206.46 1907 .$378,262.51 1908 - $443,026.16 Progressive and Conservative, wjare steadily growing Accounts, large or small, both Savings and. General Solicited.