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WCONUOAY, JANUARY 13? 1909. ~:?'-=? ~"? ? A The Afcimter Watchman was found? ed tan 1860 and the True Southron In 186* The Watchman and Southr#t8 tftow has the combined circulation and tafltreaoe of both of the old papera. sued is manifestly the beat advertising uaodturn in Sumter. ill._ BB No act of Chief Justice Pope's ca reflects more credit upon him hie resignation His recognition ?e>f the fact that the time had come for blm to lay down the burden of the Chlefjuatlceship, which he aaa longer bad the strength to bear, proves thai he has a proper appre? ciation of the responsibility of the of 1 teUfttfti e ? I la Lealairton county they dispose hy Inexplicable diaappear Ia Lexington's lexicon there la see auch word as lynching. r ? ? ? * Tlie very Idea of Theodore Roos.e fceviag the temerity to put the eervtos sleuths on Ben Tlllman's as enough to make one's hair at ouj end. e e e AH newspapers should put In rush orders for a supply of asbestos paper. They will need it when they print ttor Tlllman's comments on ?velt's use of the secret service to shadow him and. if post I Me, connect hhn with the Oregon land frauds. TTs heartily Join In the hope that 'Senator Till men may still be possess? ed ef hie full strength and vigor, men? tal. nJiyefoal and linguistic when Theodore Roosevelt takes hie seat in 'che Staate as the representative of New York. A head-on collision be? tween these two would draw better than the laauguratloa?from South Carolina anyhow. ? ' t a When the Legislature comes to -eh-ot the successor of Judge Pope It 8s te be devoutly hoped that the ?Chile* will fall upon some strong, ?stalle and learned Jurist and not upon a ?mooth. affable politician with only a superficial knowledge of the law. We greatly rear, however, that the politicians will have the inside track, since the men best fitted for the su? preme bench have neither the time nor the taste for cultivating the favor of politicians. The expected has happened? Greenville la first with an entry in the race for the Chief Justiceship. ? e ? sfe have always bellsved that Sena? tor Ttllman was too smart to get '?envaght In raecality. even though guil? ty, but It begins to look as if Roose? velt and his secret service agents have the pitch fork stateemsn In mighty close quarters. Senator Tllman may eeiae clean, but thla land grabbing episode will, nevertheleM. leave a bad . taste la the mouth. ff> . e ? e ' Sumter county cannot afford not to go ahead with the Improvement of the public roads. The work that has been done ?tartng the p i?t eight years has wrought a wonderful Improve? ment, bet only a beginning has been made Clay srd mi l roadways are at beet but temporary In character and reqslre <on*tant attention If their efficiency Is to be maintained. We now have a fairly good system of eanri-'ley roads In some parts of the ojety, but these roads are steadily ?deterioration for lack of systematic artwntlon. The chalngang Is the sole dependence for road building and It la utterly Impossible for this force, averaging about twsnty-Ave hands, to perform the necessary work. Ten cbatagangu equally as large would be inadequate, and until some plan to supplement the work of the chain sjang la evolved this county will nev? er be Able to maintain a system of frood roK || If the mirplus that SI new in the county treasury Is not ur? gently needed for some other purpose, 81 should be spent on the roads, but SM>t la a hspbasard manner. The work should be planned and super vlntd by a competent road engineer. The surplus fund In the county treas? ury Is no great sum. but. If properly expended, would make a beginning *>n a system of good roads. The work enold then be continued with funds ealaed by a special road tax. for If we -are to have good roads we will have to resort to a bond Issue or special taxation. There Is no escape from It. Jt is either bad roads or taxes. ? I I The candidates for Associate Justice io numerous that the Legislature he embarraseed by over abund of Judicial timber. ? ? i We preeent today for the conslder tton of our readers the full text of Henator Tlllman's reply to President atooeeveltt charges. We make no aretegy for the great amount of epaee allotted to It. f r. In our opin? ion. It Is the most luiportent piece of sasws of the day. livery cltlsen of Carolina Is deeply Interestsd In or Tlllman's defense and we be Ileve that every Democrat has enter? tained the sincere hope that he would be able to refute each and; every charge brought against him by the President. Time has not permitted a careful and searching analysis of Senator Tlllman's reply, hut in so far as we have been able to form an opin? ion from a hurried reading, It appears that he has made good his defense in all Important particulars. He demands a fuller and more searching investi? gation and courts a comparison of hls record as a public official and as a private cUixen with Theodore Roose? velt. The tone of the entire reply is bold and fearless and does not sound like the explanation of an exposed grafter. Senator Tlllman's strongest defense is the course he followed from first to last in his dealing with the promoters of this land deal. Through? out he acted in an open above-board manner and every step he made la a matter of record. Had he deliberate? ly engaged in an unlawful or Question? able transaction he would not have written so many letters, he would have covered his tracks so well that not even (the Secret agenta of the President would have been able to un? earth the proof*. President Roose? velt has failed to destroy the man he hates, and of the two Tlllman comes out of the encounter with a better reputation for decency of conduct and honesty of purpose than the employer of spies and ruthless violator of laws and time honored precedents who oc? cupies the White House. see The Legislature convened Tuesday and will probably be in session less than forty days, since the members are now paid $200 for the session* be It long or short, instead of $4 per day for net more than forty days as here? tofore. see If the Legislature gives heed to all the recommendations of the State House officials and others who hold office under the State government, the appropriation bill will be a record breaker and the tax levy will of ne? cessity be higher than ever before., see The boot-licking of Taft that Is go? ing on in Augusta is disgusting enough in all conscience, but the mere thought of what would have happened had he made his winter home in Atlanta goes far towards reconciling the remnant of self-respecting Southern Democrats to the performance of the Augusta amatuers. ? ? ? Senator Tlllman read his reply to Roosevelt, hence the comparative ab? sence of fireworks. But wo have an Idea that he has not said all he want? ed to say and at the first favorable opportunity will give the "Big Stick" a free-handed dressing-down. ? e ? Sumter comity will have two strong men In the race for the vacaney on the Supreme Court bench, but the mere fact that there are two candi? dates from one county will weaken both At the present stage of the game Judge Watts appears to occupy a point of vantage, having the unani? mous endorsements of both Laurens and Chesterfield counties. 1 ? xwdio is KILLED. Florence, Jan. 10.?Early Friday morning a band of masked men took Arthur Davis, a young negro, from his home in the lower part of th> county. kn<?wn as the Hymanvllle SSO? tlon. and after beating him In brutal fashion, shot him to death. The mag? istrate at Hymanvllle held an Inquest Saturday and adjourned the hearing until Tuesday, that more evidence might be obtained. The young negro, who bears an ex? cellent reputation In that section for honesty and Industry, had had a dis? agreement with certain parties short? ly before, and it Is thought that the brutal crime was the work of the other parties to the contention. The suspected parties are white men liv? ing In the lower part of this county. The negro, It seems, was taken from his bouse Friday morning, drag? ged Into the woods nearby and bru? tally beaten, then shot. The lashes were laid on with switches, taken from bushes studded with thorns. The magistrate has not yet ordered any arrests, but developments are ex? pected when the Inquest lr. concluded on Tuesday with the appearance of other witnesses. The people of this county an> great? ly Incensed at the crime. Mr. W. E. Renneker, of this city, commercial agent of the Atlantic Coast Line, returned to Charleston yesterday morning, bringing with him hla bride, formerly Miss Nina E. Dove, of Sumter, 8. C. The couple were married at tho bride's home on December 29, 1908, and have spent a short honeymoon in visiting points of interest In sunny Florida. Mr. and Mrs. Renneker will take up their res? idence in this city. Messrs. J. S. Walpole and J. F. Magrath, of Char? leston, who were present at the wed? ding, stated on their return that it had been ono of the prettiest affairs they had ever attended. Mrs. Renne? ker had, and has still, a host of ad? miring friends in Sumter.?News and Courier. A Dentil Blow to the Small Town. We live In an era of progress. We are moving forward so rapidly that there is danger that some proposed so-called modern improvements may be accepted as beneficial which in their actual working out, when prac? tically tried, would prove to be evils in the* guise of benefits. An illustra? tion of this Is the propisition to turn the Post Office Department into a carrier of all kinds of miscellaneous merchandise by the adoption of a parcels post system. From a national point of view one of the most serious dangers from this system is the in? evitable effect that it would have, to throw into mail order channels and transfer to the great cities of the coun? try a vast volume of trade now done In the small cities, country towns and vllllages. That this would be an evil no one with a mind capable of thought can deny. Stupendous changes 1.1 the methods of transacting the busi? ness of distributing merchandise to the consumers would result, and the result of every change would be to transfer trade and population to the great cities. It would practically wipe out the jobbing trade and the country merchant would inevitably become, as the Postmaster General says, in effect, he has become In Germany, a sales agent without any stock in trade, of? fering specific goods as they are sold, Just as a manufacturer's agent does in this country, requiring no more of the machinery of trade than is neces? sary to transmit his orders to the central factory or warehouse. Retail merchants now engaged in trade in thousands of the smaller trades cen? ters In all arts of the country would be forced out of their business, their stores would be closed and some great mall order concern In a great city would do the business. The people employed to transact It would neces? sarily live in the cities where the trade was done. In every European country where the parcels post sys? tem exists, It has had this effect. The cities of those countries in Europe have grown in population and trade with stupendous strides, at the ex? pense of the country, since the parcels post system, has been In vogue. That system has undoubtedly been one of the great promoting influences to? wards this centralization of trade and population in the cities. To break the effect of this funda? mental objection to the parcels post, the propronents of that scheme urge that it will stimulate the settlement of the rural regions, because It will 1 lcrease the conveniences of rural life. So It would stiumlate rural settle? ment, If the government would fur? nish everyone who would move Into the country with a donation of money and a free supply of garden tools. If the huge treasury deficit which would be caused by the parcels post system If inaugurated were applied directly to such donations and gifts from the government, It would undoubtedly re? sult In creating many new country homes, but the reaction from such a scheme would far over-balance the benefits from ft. The fact is Incontrovertable that the goods, wares and merchandise, household goods, garden tools, dry goods and clothing, groceries and all food products not produced on the farm must be purchased from some source by the dwellers in the country. Where are these goods to come from, and where are the people with con di:ct the trade of supplying them to live? If the countless millions of dol? lars expended by the dwellers in the country for such things In the course of a year are sent to the great cities, and the goods ordered from there huge mall order concernes, to be de? livered by parcels post, then the fact cannot be gainsaid that the people who transact that Immense volume of annual business will be concentrat? ed in the cities. The large population now transacting the business in the small cities, the country towns and country villages, will be transferred to the cities. The eventful working out of such a system would result, in the end, in dividing our population into two classes?those living in the great cities and those living on farms, whether they be large or small, in the country. The intermediate popu? lation, which now furnishes the so? cial conter for the farmers* life, in the nearby town or village, or In a small city where practically every so? cial advantage can be had that ex? ists in the larger cities, would strug? gle for existence against a constantly Increasing industrial force that would tend, like a mighty maelstrom, to sweep into the larger cities year by year a greater and greater proportion of the population and trade of the en? tire country. It is this effect on the population mgaged in commercial pursuits and In the trade Of distributing to the consumer countless millions of dollars WOrth. Of merchandise every year that is entlerly overlooked by the propon? ent of the parcels post schema when t.iey contend that the effect of that ?ysitM would be to move populatlc ? from the cities to the country.?Max? well's Talisman. A negro fell from a trestle across Congaree river, near Columbia, and was killed. MAD DOG BITES CHILD. Little Girl. Daughter of Mr. W. L Parrott, of Bishopvillc, Bitten by Habid Dog. Bishopvllle, Jan. 8.?While little Florence Parrott, the five-year-old daughter of Mr. W. L. Parrott, of this place, was playing in the front yard of their residence a large dog unper celved by the child ran Into the yard and bit her seriously upon the head. Chief of Police Grooms soon dis? patched the dog and Mr. Parrott at once packed the head of the dog in ice and forwarded it to the Pasteur Institute in Atlanta for examination, and after an anxious wait of 36 hours the wires flashed the news that the dog's brain indicated hydrophobia. Mr. Parrott will at once rush the child either to Ricamond, Va., or At? lanta for treatment. DISPENSARY SALES. The Total Cash Receipts From the Sale of Liquor Greater in 1908 Than Ever Before. The increased sales of the county dispensary during the year just closed were the largest since the dispensary was established, and the increase is to be credited in no small measure to the fact that Clarendon county Is now prohibition territory. Since the dis? pensaries in that county were closed there has been a noticeable growth in the business of the local booze shop. Dispenser Windham furnishes the fol? lowing figures: Gross sales 1908.$144,995.25 Gross sales 1907. 134,128.05 Increase.$ 10,867.20 The total sales by the beer dispen? sary and Mayesville dispensary are not included in the above figures, but it is estimated that the addition of the cash receipts from these two dispen? saries would bring the total for the county up to approximately $170,000. ERASER FOR ASSOCIATE JUSTICE Sumter Will Probably Have Two Can? didates in the Race. Yielding to the urging of his friends Hon. T. B. Fr?ser has practically con? sented to enter the race for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. He has not positively authorized the use of his name, but it is proabble he will do so and that his name will be present? ed to the legislature. A meeting of the Sumter Bar Asso? ciation was called Saturday afternoon for the puTpose of endorsing the can? didacy of Judge R. O. Purdy, but when the meeting convened the state? ment was made that Hon. T. B. Fr?? ser would also probably be a candi? date, and it was therefore decided that It would not be proper for the asso? ciation to endorse either Judge Purdy or Mr. Fr?ser. The meeting therefore adjourned without taking any action. SATURDAY NIGHT CLOSING. The Rev. Messrs. H. H. Covington. J. P. Marion and C. C. Brown, who were appointed by the Ministerial As? sociation as a committee to see the merchants and business men in re? gard to closing the stores and other places of business by 10 o'clock Sat? urday night, begun work today. They circulated a petition and secured about sixty signatures. They intend to continue the work next week, and when they complete their canvass of the business district, will publish I statement of the result. JUSTICE JONES A CANDIDATE. Columbia, Jan. 12.?It was stated yesterday that Hon. Ira B. Jones would be a candidate for chief justice to succeed Hon. Y. J. Pope, resigned. Justice Jones was asked if such a statement were correct and authorizes the publication that his friends will use his name. This complicates, the situation very much. Justice Eugene B. Gary being the ranking member of the supreme court, there had been a sort of ac? ceptance that he might be unopposed for the position of chief justice, but the friends of Justice Jones have se? cured his consent to use his name. Justice Jones said yesterday that when Chief Justice Pope was elected, his seniority was so marked that the other Justices stood aside for him, whereas in the present Instance the seniority is not so marked and his friends assure him that they see no breach of etiquette or ethics in his permitting the use of his name. When it became known that Justice Gary would have opposition there was not a lltttle speculation us to whether or not this would not let down the bars for competitors from tin' outside, and what effect would come from such a complication. It was decided at the meeting of tho county board of commissioners to have the Court House grounds improved and beautified. Supervisor Pitts and Clerk of Court Parrott were authorized to ascertain the probable cost, and to proceed with the work. COUNTY BOARD MEETINS. RESOLUTION TO PAY OFF BONDS RESCINDED. Surplus Funds Will Bo Kept for Bond Improvement or Other Ordinary County Expenses if the Emergency Arises. The annual meeting of the County Board of Commissioners was held yes? terday with Commissioners Brogdon, Thomas, Young and Mims and Super? visor Pitts. The first matter to be taken up was the agreement between the city and county in reference to the exchange of labor by the county chaingang for city prisoners. The agreement that has been in effect lor the past two years by which the county takes all city prisoners, feeds clothes and guards them and gives the city in re? turn, in labor, one-sixth the actual time city prisoners serve on the gang. City Clerk Hurst was present as the representative of the city and an ad? justment of the labor now due the city by the county was made. It was de? cided that the county is due the city, up to January 1st. 30 days work by the full chaingang. Messrs. R. I. Manning and Xeill O'Donnell appeared before the board and urged that the decision of the board to use a part of the surplus now in the treasury for the payment of $5,000 of the $30,000 Court House bonds be reconsidered and that the ? surplus funds be devoted to road im? provement. These gentlemen made strong arguments In favor of a pro? gressive policy In respect of road Im? provement and laid great stress upon the necessity of road improvement be? ing undertaken at once. They point? ed out that it is Impossible for the chaingang to do the work that is needed and that unless the work is supplemented the roads will deterior? ate Instead of being improved. They also stated to the board that if it was not found expedient to use the money on road work immediately, the avail? able surplus could be deposited in bark and draw interest at 4 per cent, until It is needed, both asserting that the local banks would be glad to make that arrangement. Messrs. J. H. Clifton, T. B. Fr?ser and C. E. Stubbs of the Legislative delegation, who were present, also discussed the proposition. Mr. Clifton advised that the bonds be not paid out of the surplus, but opposed a defi nit appropriation of the surplus to road work. In his opinion it would 1 be wiser to hold the surplus for emer? gencies. He referred to the proba? bility of the abolition of the dispen? sary by the enactment of a State? wide prohibition law, in which event the Income of the county would be materially reduced. Then all the sur? plus would be needed for ordinary ex? penses and a higher tax levy In addi? tion would be Imperative. Mr. Fraser took somewhat the same view as Mr. Clifton, but did not go so far as to urge the board to hold the surplus Intact for prospective emergencies. He said the delegation had confidence in the board and would be guided by the decision the board reached after mature de? liberation. Mr. Stubbs said he would endorse whatever action the board might see fit to take. A motion was made and adopted to ? consider the resolution adopted on Tuesday to pay $5,000 of the 15 year Court House bonds, and it eras decided to keep the surplus in the treasury' for ordinary county purpose* where it will be available for road improvement and other purposes when needed. The bond of Sheriff W. H. Epperson in the sum of $10.000, with Mrs. M. A. Epperson, J. H. Sykes and A. C. Durant as sureties, was received, ap? proved and placed on record. Mrs. Epperson justified for $10,000 and A. C. Durant for $30,000. Supervisor Pitts and Clerk J. R Sumter were appointed a special com? mittee to confer with the City Council and adjust the debt due the county for cement sidewalks constructed on Main and Canal streets by the county. The Supervisor and Clerk of Court were authorized to employ Mr. W. D. Woods to supervise the improvemeut of the Court House grounds, Mr. Woods' compensation to be that pro? posed by him. to wit: the boxwood hedges and other shrubbery to be re? moved from the grounds. The Su? pervisor and Clerk wore also author? ized to expend such sum as may be necessaiy to put the grounds in good condition and and to use the chain? gang for such work as cm be done by it. The schedule for licenses for agents for 1909 was adopted as follows: Stoves and Ranges.$50.. Clocks.&? Lightning Rods.50 Sewing Machines.15 Pianos.15 Peddlars, on foot.20 Peddlers, In vehicles.40 Stock Traders.100 Mr. L. D. Jennings was re-elected county attorney. The clerk \va3 Instructed to adver? tise for physician fcr alms house, Jail and chalngang and for contract for supplying alms hou? e. Jail and chain gang with drugs a?)G mediclneu, Magistrate-elect H. Harby asked permission to u?e the grand Jury room as a court room when he has Jury trials in his court. Action was postpone!. The following re < lution was adopt? ed and made a part of the minutes, and the clerk was directed to send Mr. W. H. Sea'e a copy: Resolved, That the retirement of Mr. W. H. Seale, Supervisor, should be marked by the writing upon our minute book the explosion of our sincere regard for Mr. Seale as a kind and genial personal friend to the members of the Board, and to com? pliment Mr. Seale, as a county official, upon his zeal and his efficient hand? ling of the county business. We deem it only Just to say that Mr. Seale has during his eight years' administration as County Supervisor shown his fit? ness for the work intrusted to his care, leaving the affairs of the county financially as well as otherwise in a condition that he may well be proud of, and that we, the other members of the Board, are proud of. We wish for Mr. Seale In his new duties that he may be as successful there as he has been as County Su? pervisor, and we feel sure that if he carries intoh is new field of action the same energy that he used In behalf of county affairs our wishes will be gratified by fulfillment. A PRELIMINARY HEARING. Warren Blanding is Cliarged With tlie Murder of Charlotte Boulden. Magistrate W. J. Rees, of Wedge field, held the preliminary hearing Friday in the case of the State vs. Warren Blanding, who is charged with the murder of Charlotte Boul? den, the negro woman who was killed in Stateburg township several weeks ago. When the inquest was held no evidence sufficient to make out a probable case against Blanding could be secured and the jury returned a verdict that the woman was killed by an unknown person. Since that time the suspicion that then merely pointed to Blanding has been strength? ened by additional evidence, both direct and circumstantial, and in con? sequence a warrant charging him with the murder was issued by Mag? istrate Rees. At the preliminary there were several witnesses who did not testify at the inquest, and while the proof against Blanding is not conclusive, the testmony ww? sufficient :o bind him over for trial at the next term of the Court of General Sessions T. P. A. SMOKE R. Poet G. Will Entertain on Night of January 15 at Jackson Hotel. P\>st G., T. P. A., will give a smoker at the Jackson Hotel Friday night. January 15th, that bids fair to be a< largely attended and most enjoyable affair. An elegant supper will be 8^rv ed and the following gentlemen have been invited to make speeches: Mr. Frank Pegues. of Darlington. President of the South Carolina Di? vision, T. P. A.. Former President P.<] J. Drew, of Columbia: Mr. John W. Llllard, of Columbia; Rev. H. H. Cov ington and Dr. Geo. W. Dick, of this city. All visiting T. P. A.'s are Invited to attend. ?'-~< A Positive Cure for IndlajcatsWa, If you have Indigestion, your food ferments in the stomach and bowel??. It does more: it decays and the nutri? tious matter which should go to make new blood decays with it, and ( this leads to an impoverished condi? tion of the blood, to nervousness, bil? iousness, constipation, sick headache, bad breath which disgusts your friends, and other disagreeable and unpleasant conditions. And all this trouble Is caused by the food that doesn't digest, but fer- * ments and ofttlmes rots in the stom? ach. And fermentation is caused by the stomach not being strong enough and energetic enough to thoroughly mix the food with the digestive Juices. Mi-o-na is responsible for tens of thousands of cures. In fact, it Is such a positive cure for Indigestion and all stomach troubles that it is guaranteed by J. F. W. DeLorme to cure or money back. The price of a large box of Ml-o-na tablets is ^0 cents, and they are sure to promptly! relieve the worst case of Indigestion or gastritis. Try them. 1-12&14 09 CURES CATARRH, ASTHMA; Bronchitis, Croup. Coughs and Colds, of money back. Sold and guaranteed by J. F. W. DeLorme,