MBS MUM UMl DEAL iORKKSMAN LOVKUINO BAYfl ? X-OON YICTs ARB TO BLAMF. ? Lovcrlng. off MftMOchuseUM, In it \ ?gottms Speech In the House, * oswit? Halney Charge* ami Say* I tsnf he tiot his Information From il\m World, or From Some Certain ? i?<>??*totM Who, he Alleges Start < regard to the use of personalities. Mgj Lovertng protested that he had ?? etttioned no names except that of r, Rainey and those which had been oken in the House and In the pub II press. Mr. Rainey entered the chamber end i aed that an engagement would pre t.t his remaining through Mr. Lov ? isgfs remarks, but that he later a isld make answer should he find It ' ceasary. Mr. Lovertng declared the evidence . kg complete and sufficient "to con t the blackmailers, who have tried work their game not only on the I atlemen I have named, but on both I lltlcal parties. ' Last fall, he said, an effort was mads to sell the storlee the Democratic campaign commlt ' es, and that certain leaders of that I rt> took the matter under constder ?' Ion. but that they were not used be? ute they could not be substantiated. Weight of Cotton Rales. New Orleans. Peb. 11.?Secretary !; ester today Issued a ststsment of lights of 1,141.60S bsles ol cotton indled at ports and overland across > s Mississippi. Ohio snd Potomac r vmrm to American manufacturers out? do of the cotton belt during the onths of September to January. In ustve. showing an average per bale ' HI 41-100 a?r\ln*t 612 18-100 ounda per bale for the same period 1 ist year. The Locke Manufacturing Com ? any. Concord. N. C, the corporation hlrh purchased the Odell Mills at the receiver's sals. Is reported to be ?tanning for the early rebuilding of olll No. 4, wrlch was recently com detely destroyed by fire. The new .nllt will be much larger than the old. 4 pace Is to be provided for the accom nodatlon of 6< .000 spindles. MI? UHIOH UKL 1 AUMKItS SHOULD ADOPT THAT of TiiK (xmroa pabhic. Proddent Barrett I rges Them to Wear Cotton uml Use It lit Every Way INwMlble. President Charles S. Harrett, of the National Farmers Union appeals to members of his organization to pro? mote the use of cotton by emptying It ae bagging and clothing to ae great an extent aa practicable, In a letter Is? sued recently. The addreee is directed to all the of? ficers aad members of the Union, and begins with the request that at the next meeting all organisations take action looking towards the promotion* of the movement. He trusts that ov everythlng possible be done to wfden the use of cotton in every direction. "The Farmers' Union Is on record a* being the first In the field to work for such extension of the use of the South's leading staple crop," he say*. "Our work from year to year, and nt I our conventions, has tended to pro I mote this Idea. There have been sev leral Indications of late that responal I bio organizations of the country art) I waking up to the advantage of assist I hig us In this "regard, and we simply cannot afford to neglect the duty of pushing this great movement at this I most prosperous time. * "Activity is demanded of us fro.a I the fact that source after source, gov I eminent department after government I department, association after assocla I tlon has taken steps loooklng to In I creasing the consumption of cotton. 4 At your next meeting I urge most I earnestly that you request the local I and wholesale merchants you patron I nee to specify that all commodities I they handle in wrappers be enclosed I in cotton. Of course there will be I some cases where the substitute is I not practicable. It Is practical In any I number of Instances, where no other I c werings are used. "The man from wham you buy your I sugar, your flour, your meats, your I clothing, the majority of the everyday I necessities of life?lias it in his power II > help on this movement. He can do I to oy demanding that the manufac I turers and Jobbers and wholesalers I u.-e cotton wrapping wherever poast I ble Tou patronise him. Make him I assist you. It is to his Interest no less I than your own. I "Visit such men personally, through strong and Influential com? mittees. Tou will never accomplish anything unless you go after the mat? ter yourselves. I "Efforts, practical and persistent, in this direction, can Increase the annual I consumption of cotton hundrede of thousands of bales, it can raise th ? I price a cent of the fractional part of la eent every year, for good. I "This matter is one of the most ur Igent now before the Farmers' Union. II believe that the public can be edu? cated into the use of cotton articles I in sueh faahlon as will ultimately I double the present consumption of the staple. The suggestion I have out? lined for immediate action will make a good beginning In that direction. "My work in connection with the commission on country life is now vir? tually concluded and the report of that body in to be made In a few days. It Is a source of gratification to me, and I believe will be to our membere, that many of the recommendations in this report read like resolutions passed at a Farmers' Union convention. I am convinced that I have been able to be of material assistance, both to the members of our organisation and to the rural population generally, In con? nection with the commission's work. It has not been permitted to interfere with my dutiee as your president, but 1 think the extra time crowded in will prove to have been an excellent invest? ment for the cause I represent. It may be of Interest to the brethren to know that the members ot the com? mission deferred to my Judgment In a number of mattere vitally affecting their recommendations." With reference to the movement to promote the use of cotton goods, Mr Barrett states that no time Is to be lost, and names the foil ^wlng commit? tee to urge it: J. P. Green, North Car? olina; D. J. Nelll. of Texas, and M. F. Dickerson, of Arkansas. Hold-Up at Greenville. Greenville, Feb. 11.?Last night at 7:30 o'clock while on their way home, A. Baron and E. Kantor were held up on the outsklrlts of the city by two men and relieved of $112 In cash. The highwaymen had a shotgun and fled Into the woods Immediately after Sheriff Poole was notified and soon gave chase, but no clue was obtained as to the Identity of the men. Augusts SHU Toadying. Augusta, Ga.. Feb. 11?Mrs. Wil? liam Howard Taft was today made ar. honorary member of the local Y. W. C. A., which was organized with about 500 members. Her nnme head* the l.st of members. The sweetest words In the English language: "Enclosed find check."?St. Joseph Gazette. Ikwh South Carolina Need a Compul? sory School System? (By James B. Kennedy, Professor Politic**! Economy, Wells College, in Charities and The Commons, Feb. 13.) Edward T. Devino. in presenting The New' View of the Child, names five fundamental elements in Its composition. All of these are Im? portant, but none* needs more study and Investigation, particularly In the South, than that element termed, "useful education." Py no other nn-ans is It possible to prepare boys and girls, young men and young wo? men, for. the position of a useful member of society. This does not mean that It is impossible for a boy or girl to be a useful membe* of so? ciety without an education,?indus? trial or vocational. Yet it does in? tend to lrn*dy that without the educa? tional training a larger per cent, of the youth of the land will become useless, if not destructive members of society. This is a serious problem in every geographical division of the United States and within each State compos? ing these divisions. By the twelfth census, 1900, the greatest percentage of Illiteracy of the total population ten years and over was in the South Atlantic division; the second highest percentage was In the South Central division. These divisions cover the Southern States. The percentage for the two divisions is 23.9 per cent, and 21.29 per cent. The three States with the largest percentages In the South Atlantic division are South Carolina, 35.9 per cent.; Georgia, 30.5 per cent, and North Carolina, 28.7 per cent.; those in the South Central di? vision are Louisiana, 88.5 per cent.; Alabama, 34 per cent., and Mississip? pi. 32 per cent. These figures sad? den the hearts of many who are working for an extension of educa? tional advantages. As a representa? tive of the South and a native of the State with the second largest per? centage of illiteracy, these figures contain much exciting regret, but at the same time they furnish some ground for rejoicing. South Carolina, Indeed, deserves some credit and commendation In her fight to lower the percentage of illiteracy. In re? ducing this from 55.4 per cent, in 1900. the State has not been wholly negligent. And yet she cannot claim to have done her full duty. Examine the State's illiteracy In greater detail. In general the percentages show considerable decrease in illiteracy. There is a decrease among all classes (except the foreign-born white. Dur? ing this decade the foreign white show 12 per cent, decrease in num? bers, but a small increase in Illiter? acy,?from 6.3 per cent, to 6.5 per cent. The greateet Illiteracy is among the negroes,?52.8 per cent, in 1900; yet this is a reduction of 17.6 per cent, of the percentage at the be? ginning of the decade. For the same period the native white reduced Its percentage of Illiterates by 24.8 per cent. These reductions are encour? aging. But closer examination shows not all encouragement. Note actual conditions. In the total population, ten years and over, one person out of every two and three-fourths Is Illiter? ate. Among the native white popula? tion it is one out of seven; among the negroes one out of two,?to be more accurate 1 to 1.98. Greater reason has the State to be aroused on this subject when her record Is compared with other States. Take Iowa and Nebraska whose total Illiteracy is 2.3 per cent. These are extremes, South Carolina at 35.9 per cent., with Louis? iana only showing a higher percent? age, and two western States at 2.3 per cent. It may be argued that the comparison is not a Just one, that the large colored population in South Carolina Is responsible for the high illiteracy. In part this Is true. But one Illiterate out of seven among the native white cannot be thus explain? ed. Economic and social conditions have been such that the Illiteracy of the State may be the natural conse? quence. This has been the case. The paramount issue, then, at present is to seek causes and to effect some rem? edy. None will deny that the economic and social conditions of a people are responsible for many ills. But there appears back of these a more signifi? cant and, without doubt, the funda? mental cause, namely, the lack of educational advantages, or at least, the failure to enjoy the advantages offered. South Carolina has a fair educational system at least. There Is no reason why anyone should not have opportunity to learn to read and write. Many are refusing the oppor? tunity. Turn to the government cen? sus of 1900. Total persons of school age, 5 to 20 years, inclusive, 560,773, or 218.323 white children, 342,401 ne? groes, and 49 colored (Indian, Chi? nese ami Japanese). Total persons attending school during this year ag? gregate 177.528, or 31.6 per cent, of the total number of school age. Corresponding percentages in a few other states are: Louisiana, 28.7 per cent.; North Carolina, 4 2.1 per cent.: New York, 54.9 per cent.; Iowa, 64.1 per cent. The percentages of white - ? ? ? ?i??nrnmrnW?1? children within the .school age, in 'actual attendance during 1900 for theM stales are: Louisiana, 37.9 per cent.; South Carolina, 41.2 per cent.; i North Carolina, 4 5.9 per cent.; New j York, 55.6 per cent.; Jowa, 64.2 per cent. For negro children: Louisiana, 18.7 per cent.; South Carolina, 25.5 per cent.; North Carolina, 35 per cent.; New York, 41.5 per cent.; Iowa. 53.5 per cent. These figures show the relative po? sition of South Carolina among some of her sister States. The State shows the second largest percentage of il? literacy. The best evidence that this status will remain unchanged is seen in the percentage of school attend? ance. In this respect the State ranks second lowest.- Of the white children eligible to the schools 41.2 per cent is in attendance; of the negro children 25.5 per cent. Louisiana shows the highest illiteracy, with 37.9 per cent, and 18.7 per cent, white and negro children respectively in school. The cause of South Carolina's illiteracy Is evident. To my mind the only absolutely certain and perma? nent remedy is compulsory education. South Carolina has done well by her citizens. She deserves much consid? eration. Her struggle has been a dif? ficult, but noble one. Her progress has been remarkable, but it may be greater. To attain this let the State enact a compulsory education law. Her children have been offered an ed? ucation. For various reasons this, by many, has been refused. The next step should be compulsion. Objec? tion is raised that compulsion is un? fair, unjust, unconstitutional, etc. We do not wish to impugn the motives of anyone making objections. These ob? jections may be valid from a present, short-time economic view, but take a broader view, the good in the long run, the permanent contribution to the general well-being. Fear in mind that what is a hardship for the pres? ent will, In the future, be a permanent good. A State, as an Individual, should at all times be unselfish, but not always kind. "An Injudicious kindness is often the greatest unklnd ness." A personal observation of this is not untimely. While in the office of clerk of court and register of Mesne Conveyance of my native State and county recently a stout, robust farm? er applied for a renewal of his cer? tificate of registration. He was una? ble to present his old certificate. He evidently had regarded his enrollment on his precinct club as equivalent to registraton. The applicant was en? titled to register anew, under either the educational or the property quali? fication clause. He was unable to do either. A man of perfect physique, and yet disfranchised because he was Ignorant! The greatest kindness to this man would have been an un klndness,?so say some objectors to compulsory education,?had he been forced to obtain at least a grammar school education during his boyhood. A few years, In youth, under the bonds of an educational training, is compensated manifold times in after years. Unkind compulsion In this case is the greatest kindness. Another objection commonly offer? ed is that the widowed mother needs the aid of the boy or girl in support of the family. It la unfortunate for the income earning member of the family to be taken. The children often are the great sufferers. To these children so? ciety owes protection. Efficient chil? dren develop into efficient men and women. To permit them to go to the factories early in life, thus neglecting their education, is laying the ground? work for dependents, defectives, and delinquents. Without education their income-earning capacity is limited, their usefulness as citizens is narrow? ed, if not totally destroyed. Let me - i e this suggestion as the wise rem? edy in the "widowed mother" case. Put the child in school until his in? come-earning capacity is increased and support the mother, or supple? ment her income with a sum equal to that earned by the child during this period. Results from this will be an educated boy, greater capacity of self-development, larger income, a happier home, a prouder mother, and a more useful citizen. The fam? ily as a social unit must be Improved before society can be sound and healthy. For this particular case is there a better remedy? Compulsory education laws should be general. There should be no "class legislation." Why require the factory child to attend school and ex? empt the farmer boy! There are con? stitutional reasons why'discrimina? tions of this sort would be objection? able. There can hardly be any why the courts would set aside a general law. Again it is objected to on the ground that a compulsory education law would force negroes into school, thereby giving them a further oppor? tunity toward "social equality." (Granting that greater numbers of ne? gro children will be forced into school, Is this a legitimate reason for Oppoalng the law and thus continuing in illiteracy one out of less than three for every man, woman and child over ten years of age? We hope not. Again, are the people of the State, through their representatives, to re? fuse to move forward on the ground that such a move will put the negro Child on the same footing with the White* In so far as school attendance is concerned, and thus give the negro population an advantage (?) over the white? Are the white parents of the State of South Carolina ready to con? fess to the world that their children are unable to cope with the negro child? That b> giving aoth the same opportunity and requiring the sme school attendarce, the negro child will be the more faithful pupil and the greatest good, In the long run, will come to the negro population? If the State has ome to this, it is a sad commentary on the integrity of her good people. We do not think these will be the results. Give, or rather require, the white child a school training for a few years. In course of ten years there will be less need of requirements. The child will have awakened to his real Interest. He will have realized that formerly the State had not taken the widest stand, that a State with compulsory educa? tion laws Is the true friend to the child, the family and society. Yes, the white child of South Carolina will not fall to make good under this new environment. There can be no dan? gerous results, social or political, from a judicious educational training. That compulsory education Is a good thing is well demonstrated by the following paragraph by George F. Milton (supplement to the Annals of the American Academy of" Political and Social Science, July, 1908): As showing the relation of the com? pulsory school system in Germany and other European states to Illiter? acy, the following statistics of adults are suggestive: German Empire, .01 per cent, are Illiterate; Denmark, .02; Finland, .49; Switzerland, .13; Scot? land, 2.46; Netherlands, 2.30; Eng? land, 3.00; France, 4.70; Belgium (not compulsory), 10.10; Austria, 35.60; Ireland, 7.90; Hungary, 47.80; Greece, 30.00; Italy, 32.99; Portuga , 79.20; Spain, 68.10; Russia, 61.70; Servla, 79.30; Roumanla, 88.40. South Carolina,?indeed the South, ?ie behind other sections of the Ur? ion, and far behind many European countries named above. Only Hun? gary, Portugal, Spain, Russia and Roumanla make a worse showirg than South Carolina. In conclusion, allow me to empha? size one thought, viz: The day Is com? ing when South Carolina, aye, the American people, will learn that it is safer to neglect children under three years of age than over three. Do we realize the meaning of this assertion? Do the State, the nation, realize that after that age street freedom and education bring results, not for the child only, but for the State, the na? tion, that demand the greatest pay? ments? Payments in kind, what a people soweth that shall it also reap. May South Carolina's law makers, now in session, hear the call for a compulsory school system! Not a dead letter law, but one enforced by the strong hand of the law, equitably by the governor, his trained corps of Inspectors, and a Just and impartial court. Woman Likes Lonely Post. For twenty-seven years the great lamp of the Vera Cruz Lighthouse has been tended by Miss Laura A. Hecox. In that time she had only six brief vacations, and In a recent statement she expressed satisfaction with her life. She Is the daughter of a clergyman who, when his health gave way, obtained the post on the lighthouse. He expected to remain there only a* year, but health did not return and for thirteen years he was in charge of the house. Then his daughter received the appointment, and she has filled rt to the satisfac? tion of the government officials and mariners. She says she only fears something may arise to cause her re? moval, as she love the isolation of her home and the moods of the sea as It washes up to the foundation of the lighthouse set In solid rock. There is no doubt, however, that her wish for an Indefinite term will be gratified, and that she will not be required to return to the hurry and rush of life in the every day world, to which she now confesses she is almost a strang? er.?New York Press. Hradstreet's Trade Review. New York, Feb. 11.?Bradstreet's this week says: "Unsettled, stormy weather has ac? centuated the quiet prevailing in gen? eral trade and the situation as a whole ! is rather irregular. The first of the spring season buyers' excursions are. however, attracting merchants to the j leading markets East and West, and 'while conservatism characterizes deal ! ing, the feeling is still one of optim? ism as to the future. Best reports come from the textiief trades, partic? ularly c< tton and woolen dress goods lines. ?ome light cottons are sold ahead tO October. The metal and coal traces are rather conspicuous for the dullness of demand, j "Reports as to collections are still only about fair." With Malice Aforethought. Much is being said about "pellagra" here lately. Pellagra is a disease that is becoming quite prevalent in north? ern Italy, and is causing the doctors much concern. It begins with a gen? eral lassitude, growing gradually worse from year to year until it ends in death, often preceded by insanity. No cure for it has as yet been found, but the discovery has been made that the disease is caused by eating corn that has not fully matured, as corn must be which is grown in northern latitudes. It is asserted that this dreadful dis? ease has been discovered in the South and the story is spread in Northern papers. I Why? I To add another to the bugaboos concerning the South with which the people of other sections and other countries are being stuffed, to make them afraid of the South as a coun? try unclean, polluted and dangerous*. This story of pellagra in the South is false. It is circulated with malice aforethought by those who love not the South. There can be no pellagra in the South, because the causes which pro? duce pellagra do not operate here. Very little cornbreal is eaten by the whites. Of cornbread that is eaten that made of Southern grown corn Is not only harmless, because the grains a**o fully matured by our long summers, but there isn't anything more wholesome to eat anywhere In the world. Even the negroes who eat bread made out of Western corn eat such bread only for a part of the time, not enough to be affected by it. This story is only another of the slanders that are perpetrated on the South. It is untrue. Tet it will be believed where it is circulated, among uninformed people who are only too ready always, because this has been the regular order so long, to believe everything that is bad about our sec? tion.?Augusta Herald. GREEK LABOR BETTER. C. C. and O. Contractor Replaces Ne? gro Workmen With Greeks. Spartanburg. Fy deputy, at the following places on tin days indicated, respectively, for the purpose of re? ceiving returns of personal property and poll taxes for the fiscal year com? mencing January 1st, 1909: Tindalls. Tuesday. Jan. 5th. PrfVateer, (Jenkins' Store) Wednes? day. Jan. 6th. Manchester, (Levi's), Thursday, Jan. 7 th. Wedgefield, Friday, Jan. 6th. Stateburg, Monday, Jan. 11th. Hagood, Tuesday. Jan. 12th. Rembert, Wednesday, Jan. 13th. Dalzell, Thursday, Jan. 14th. Gordon's Mill, Friday, Jan. 15th. Mayesville. Tuesday. Jan. 19th. Shlloh, Wednesday, Jan. 20th. Norwood's X Roads, Thursday, Jan. 21st. pswego, Friday, Jan. 22d. The law requires that all persons owning property or in any wise having charge of such property, either as agent, husband, guardian, trustee, executor, administrator, etc., return the same under oath to the Auditor who requests all persons to be prompt in making their returns and save the 5 0 per cent, penalty which will be add? ed to the property valuation of all persons who fail to make returns with? in the time prescribed by law. Taxpayers return what they own on the first day of January, 1909. Assessors and taxpayers will enter the first given name of the taxpayer in full, also make a separate return In each township where the property la located and also each and every case the number of the district school mast be given. j Every male citizen between the age of twenty-one and sixty years cn the I first day of January, 1909, except those Incapable of earning support from be? ing maimed or from other causes, are deemed taxable polls, and except Con? federate soldiers 50 years of age, on January 1st. 1909. All returns must be made on or be? fore the 20th day of February next, t cannot take returns after that date and all returns made after the 10th day of February, are subject to a pen* alty of 50 per cent. J. DIGGS WILDER. 11-1 Auditor Sumter Co? t