The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, August 27, 1910, Image 2
f%f ooliubman nfe Statfbnni
The Sumter Watchman wai found?
ed in 1850 und the True Southron in
IIIS. The Watchman and Southron
now has the combined circulation and
Influence cf both of the old papers,
and is manifestly the best advertising
medium in Sumter.
Our <?ld frbuul, A. C. Jones, of
Newberry. the man who leaped into
notoriety a few years ago by an?
nouncing himself a candidate for th-'
United States senate In opposition to
B. R. Tilllman. has written all the
way from New York to settle the
Brunson-Teatherstone controversy.
He says that Jones knows all about
prohibition politics, that Feather
stone is all right, that Chris Is the
candy kid. and that Joel E. Brunsen
Is all wrong, that he has a grouch
and don't know where hurts him?
or words to that effect.
? ? ?
Mr. Brunson's excellent memory
and hie (letter file haw turned the
laugh on the Rev. Louis J. Bris
tow, whose political activities over?
shadow his religious zeal. A well
stocked letter file is as deadly a
weapon as the jaw-bone of an ass.
? ? ?
President Taft's pronouncement in
favor of a further revision of the
tariff is the first move in another
bunco campaign, but the country
having so recently been treated to
an exhibition of tariff revision by
and for the trusts the common peo?
ple who bear the burdens and receive
none of the benefits should be slight?
ly suspicious of any revision propo?
sition emanating from Taft and his
coterie.
? ? ?
Mr. Belser's good roads plan
eee/i-i It have unsuspected elements
Sj anpularlty and meets with a fa?
vorable reception where opposition,
or Indifference, was anticipated. It
is a business proposition and the
people who have heard him explain
his plan and the ways and means of
financing it are giving it serious
consideration. When a successful
business man makes a business
proposition and talks it in terms
of dollars and cents he gets an at?
tentive hearing. We are now more
hopeful of Sumter county obtaining
a complete system of good roads
than ever before.
a a e
Two years ago there were 2,00*
votes cast in the first primary elect
tion in Sumter county, and it is
reasonable to suppose that the vote
this year will be equally as ' large.
The candidates and their friends
can figure on this basis, at any rate,
and some curious Juggling with fig?
ures || being done. One McLeod man
ventured the guess the other day that
his candidate would receive 1,800
votes in Sumter county?we hope
so. but don't believe it. A Feather
ston. -uippofftaf says his man will get
lf|| i in this county?we don't
believe that either. A Blease man
says that the Mayor of Newberry will
receive not less than 500 votes In
Sumt* r?perhaps so. but it is not
probable. Two years ago Blease re?
ceived 543 votes against 1.437 for
Ansel In this county; four years ago
Blease got 99 votes; Ansel, 278;
Brunen. 327; Edwards. 2; Jones,
5; Manning?. ItHlj McMahon, 111
Sloan. 23 out of a total of 1,777.
With these figures as a basis for a
guess it looks like McLeod should re?
ceive a safe majority of the votes
cast with the balance of the votes
du id I betw? ? n IVatherstone, Blease
and Richards, or Hyatt in the order
nam-1
? ? ?
W.- have been asked to give the
\ot?> fat < in lldates for State Senate
four years ago. and for the candi?
dates f?>r the House four and two
years ago. Th ? otflclal figures are as
follows:
Ifti?K?r the Senate: Clifton.
?79; Handers. 782; for tho House,
Danen. ??,37. nick. 1342. Dom. 719;
Km- r, l.OsJ; M- F.lveen. m; Moses.
|gji] Wi O. Stubbs. 735.
1908?For the House: Cuttlno,
829; Pahna, 1.015; Matt 1.^.78;
' ? r. 1.821; C. K Stubbs. 1.063.
? ? ?
The attitude of the average State?
wide prohibitionist toward local op
Haa would be funny were It not for
their deadly and Illogical earnest?
ness. As we diagnose their attitude.
It is that lo.-ai option Is an excellent
thing so long as It results In prohibi?
tion, t ut a covenant with death nnd
an i rr ? merit with hell If a majority
of the fMM.pl,. of anv countv declare
against prohibition.
? ? ?
If our State-wide Irlends will tell
?I how they v. Ill enforce prohibition
in aaaatlea that voted asjnlnat pro?
hibition under the local option law.
we will take aiore vto< k in their de?
in, i ml for a State-wlile law. It Is I
biir ia ssouee g aoanlaal eaf ?ren?
ne ?it of prohibition in counties
.i >t it v v ?ted for it, an 1
if the gate dependant ? for the sa>
fefcenseat af the law was those who
eased for prohibition, there would be
? n gtagi Majfjat than theft is now,
in the dry counties. In Sumter coun?
ty, for Instance, the suppression of
Mind tigers has been due, as mueh
to the efforts and influences of th^
law abiding citizens who voted against
prohibition in the election last sum
mc r, as to the efforts of the un?
compromising prohibitionists who
Voted to abolish the county dispen?
sary. Law is nothing more than
crystal isod public sentiment, and
every law that has not common sens.'
to r. commend It and public senti?
ment to enforce it. cannot be made
even nominally effective.
I ? s
But fOF the fact that Tammany is
no better than the Republican ma?
chine, the Democrats of New York
would have an opportunity to capture
that State as the result of the light
R w it Is making on the regular
organization.
s a s
?
If Mr. Lever Is a Republican be?
cause he voted foi a tariff on lumber,
what are the other forty-one mem?
bers of the House, and the seventeen
Senators, who voted with him?
Champ Clark, the leader, and Sena?
tor Tillman both say Lever is still
a Democrat In good standing, and
that his vote on lumber did not make
him a traitor to the party, and
their opinion is entitled to as much
weight as the dictum of any other
Democrat who volunteers to construe
the party rules and lay down the
law to the rank and file.
Mr. l,evcr ana tue Platiorm.
If the Democratic party or any
other party is "to do business" it
must move in a straight line. Some
authority must point its course. That
authority lb the national convention
and the platform is the chart it pre?
pares.
If Congressman Lever is justified in
kicking out of traces in respect to
the lumber schedule, Doe, Roe Dick,
Tom and Harry, from this, that and
the other district and State, are
equally justified In voting against the
party programme according as whim
or Interest may dictate.
To vote against free lumber would
be undemocratic irrespective of plat?
forms because It would be out of
harmony with the traditional Demo?
cratic tariff position. To vote against
it In defiance of a specific platform
declaration is an overt act of down?
right treason against the Democra?
tic party.
If the Democrats of the district
prepared to grant Mr. Lever an
dulgence to vote with the party
against it as suits his humor, th
must be prepared to pardon any ;
all violations of platform pledges and
to hold themselves responsible for
consequent party defeat.
The contention that the party plat?
form may be Ignored at pleasure in?
sults Intelligence. A political party
must have something to steer by?
when its platform Is abandoned, there
is nothing left.?The State.
LEVER'S LUMBER VOTE.
Whut Senator Tillman Has to Say
About It.
The following latters are printed by
Congressman Lever in the Oranrje
burg Sun:
Lexington, S. C, Aug. 15, 1910.
Senator B. R. Tillman, Trenton, S. C.
Mv Dear Senator Tillman:
The Times and Democrat, a news?
paper of Orangeburg County, Is
making a great ado about my vote
against putting lumber on the free
list in the last Tariff Act. This paper
practically accused me, in effect, of
being a Republican because of this
v< >te.
I should, therefore, appreciate It if
you will write me, answering the fol?
lowing questions:
First: Was the vote on the lumber
hedule regarded by Democratic
? i'h rs as a test of party loyalty?
Second! Do you personally regard
my vote on this proposition as a
breach of party loyalty?
Third: Have I not always, as far
ai you know, given loyal support to
the fundamental principles of the
Democratic party?
1 will greatly appreciate your kind?
ness in giving me an Immediate reply,
whb h I shall use for publication in
the Tmes and Democrat and the
(?rangeburg papers.
Very truly,
(Signed.) a. P, Lever.
Senator Tillman's Reply.
Trenton. S. C, Aug. 10 1910.
Hon. A. F. Lever,
Lexington, s. c.
Dear Levers
Replying to yours of August 1B I
would say mv answer to your first
lestlon would be emphatically, no;
to the second question! no; to the
third question, resj all with equal
emphasis, Party lines were not drawn
In the Senate or House ns far as l
1 nofV on the lumber sc hedule.
Very truly yours.
Signed. 1 B, I!. Tillman.
Wien will work on the Tuomey
He ipltal be started?
There Is * rJd lo i"v le s cotton
blight In the vicinity of Dalsell and
Qalllard Cross Roads this season than
tha re has been for several years. This
i - due in part to the planting of wilt
reslstanl cotton, and in part of the
ans, It Is said.
BRUN SON REPLIES.
Discusses the Letters of Messrs. Ever?
ett and Bristow?The Jerome Con?
ference.
To the Editor of The State:
1 regret to have to ask space to an?
swer Messrs. Everett and Bristow, as
1 have already taken more than my
shaie of your paper. However, I think
tins is my last letter, as 1 have said
enough to satisfy any intelligent man.
If u few more of the members of that
Jerome caucus should rise in Mr.
Featherstone'! behalf, I shall be able
to write out the minutes of that meet?
ing.
"A short horse is soon curried," and
I need say but little in reply to Mr.
Everett. I wish he had said some?
thing definite, so that I could get hold
of it. I did not say 'Mr. Featherstone
was in the least weakening as a pro?
hibitionist." I have not regarded Mr.
Featherstone for years as a prohibi?
tionist with any fixed principles. But
a shork time has elapsed since he ad?
vocated the sale of liquor in each and
every county where a majority of the
voters were in favor of it, and I be?
lieve If a majority of the counties
were in favor of selling it he would
be singing that same song today. If
it was a matter of principle and right
in the past, it should be right today.
We do not do evil that good many
come.
Mr. Everett says: "In that meeting
no word or act of Mr. Featherstone's
could have been construed as wanting
in fidelity to the cause of prohibition."
Mr. Everett has very poor conception
of the duties of one who becomes a
member of an organization?of party
fealty. Should a member of any po?
litical party commit such an act he
would be kicked out.
Now let me convict Mr. Feather?
stone out of the mouths of his own
witnesses.
Mr. Featherstone acknowledged
the authority of the regular pro?
hibition conference held in tue
Methodist church June 15 1905,
when he claimed a seat in the com?
mittee appointed by that body, ad?
dressed the chair and said "I move,"
etc. And then when he moved to
adjourn the subject to the call
of the chairman, he clinched his
acknowdedgement of the right of the
prohibition conference to form th*
oramlttee. No escape t?y th. t chan |
pel. I
Was Mr. Featherstone t the 3
rome hotel meeting? Dr Cr mer
says lie was there, Mr,
makes the impression that he was
not there, but does not say so. Mr.
Featherstone admits he was there
and gives as the object of the meet?
ing "to discuss the situation in gen?
eral and to consider the advisability
of putting out a ticket in 1906." Fur?
ther he says: "It was decided that
it would not be wise to put out a
ticket. It was also decided that we
would attend the conference during
fair week, which had been called or
which we anticipated would be call?
ed by Mr. Brunson and certain oth?
ers, and do what we could to keep
them from putting out a ticket."
Kow, Mr. Editor, Rev. Loouis J.
Bristow gives the key to the whole
situation. Mr. Bristow jays: "The
sense of that conference was that it
would be inexpedient to call a pro?
hibition conference to nominate a
State ticket, and that the idea should
he opposed at the State fair confer?
ence, which Mr. Featherstone sub?
sequently did."
That is the evidence put In by Mr.
Featherstone and his friends and it
proves a very bad case. Mr. Feather?
stone did not attend the June 15,
1906, conference of prohibitionists
which was called openly and the call
published, where he could have used
his influence honorably and tried to
shape the policy of the prohibition?
ists of the State, or prevent the call?
ing of a State convention. Or he |
could have gone into the State con-1
ventlon when It assembled and tried
to prevent the nomination of a ticket'
and it would have been honorable.
But for him, after the prohibition
eonference bad declared in favor of
a State convention and appointed a
committee with positive instructions
to call the same, to get together a
Secretly-Called body of less than a
dosen men and there decree that it
would be unwise or Inexpedient for
the prohibitionists to hold a State
convention) and decide that "we,"
we, we, would go into the commit?
tee meeting soon to be held and pre?
vent the calling of that state con?
vention; then to carry It out With
men who were not members of the
committee?for Featherstone himself
was an Intruder, never having been
appointed on the commtttei?it was
a ploltlcal trick of when hardened
politicians would bo ashamed. The
prohibition conference didn't ask
Mr. Featherstone whether it were
wise or otherwise as to th.' holding
.it ;i State convention, it adopted Mr.
I ',i istou' - resolul ion de? i irlng in
favor of a State convention and ap?
pointed a committi. to cail it. Why
M r. Fe ithers lone bo opposed to
:i State convention? Because bis
ticket WttS already In the field; he
did ind wish any regular prohibition
candidate to oppose it and was unwil?
ling to submit the claim Of bis ticket
Farmers' Union News
?AND -
Practical Thoughts for Practical Farmers
(Conducted by K. W. Dnbta, Preeidenl Farmers' Union of Sumter
County.)
The Watchman and Southron having decided to double its service by
semi-weekly publication, would improve that service by special features.
The first to be inaugurated is this Department for the Farmers' Union and
Practical Farmers which I have been requested to conduct. It will be my
aim to give the Union news and official calls of the Union. To that end
officers, and members of the Union are requested to use these columns.
Also to publish auch clii lngs from the agricultural papers and Govern?
ment Bulletins as I think will be of practical benefit to our readers. Ori?
ginal articles by any of o. r readers telling of their successes or failures
will be appreciated and | ublished.
Trusting this Department will be of mutual benefit to all concerned,
THE EDITOR.
All communications for tl is Department should be sent to E. W. Dabbs.
Mayeeville, s. c.
Organize For U Per Cent. Cotton Tare
Here la Work Which Farmer's
Unions in Every Cotton State
Should Begin at Once?Farmers
Are Entitled to 0 Per Cent. Tare,
Bat We Cannot Help a Man Who
Is Willing to be Hun Over?Prompt
Action Needed for 1910 Cotton Sea?
son.
_
Some time last fall, if 1 am not
mistaken, I saw in The Progressive
Farmer and Gazette an article, ad?
vising farmers to put 30 pounds of
bagging on their cotton, including
ties. The farmers here, following
your advice did so. The mill men
kicked on it and stopped all local
I
buyers from buyers, saying a farmer
had just as well put in plank to
make up, as it would be more honor?
able.
Some one wrote an article in the
Charlotte Observer about it making
the same sort of argument, and I am
surprised at your not replying to it.
You surely have not noticed it. Not
only myself, but all farmers are sur?
prised at your not replying. What
I want to know, is it law to put it
on? If it is defend us; if not publish
the amount we can put on it. C.
Shelby, N. C.
? . tu a. sn< ? a rem embi r I hat a id
"int. Progressiv? I . nei an1 G&sett '
can do in a case like this is to tell
what is right. With all the informa?
tion before us, we said, and still say,
for the nomination to a State pro?
hibition convention.
Now, Mr. Edltor, I am to write the
painful part of this article. I loved
BrlstOW like a yolinger brother. Who
persuaded him into that Jerome ho?
tel caucus? He wrote and advocated
the resolutions calling a State Con?
vention as adopted by the prohibi?
tion conference. Not long after he
was nominated for lieutenant gover?
nor there began to drop from hi?
pen. little pieces complimentary of
Featherstone. Was it Featherstoro's i
hand that tendered the crown?or j
counseled his nomination, that fasci?
nated the boy? I don't know.
Mr. Brlatow says I was "wrongly
informed" as to the Jerome hotel
meeting, and "It is very gratifying to
see that The State's editorial com?
ment upon Mr. Brunson's card does
not Indorse nor sustain the state?
ment concerning the Hotel Jerome
conference." Et tu Brute!
I now take a few words from Mr.
Bristow's letter written to me a few
days after the Jerome hotel meeting,
in which he tells me what occurred
there. After saying they all thought
the prohibitionists should put out a
ticket for th? next year, and the can?
didate was to be not "Featherstone
or a man like him .... I told him,"
referring to Featherstone, "plainly
before all present that he could not
be nominated, and that ... .1 and
Others had utterly lost confidence in
him." In the matter of nominations
he says: "There was a decided move
toward McCullough.I am
inclined to favor him."
A few days later Mr. McCulloUgh's
nomination appeared in print. Was
it the product of that Jerome hotel
conference?
If Mr. BrlstOW still thinks l was
"wrongly Informed," or that 1 have
twisted to suit my purpose any
clause of his letter and demand Its
publication, it shall go to the press
though it make a momental ass of
. him.
li Mr. Featherstone, or Mr. Ever?
ett, or Mr ciri^t, claims that I have
not <|iiot< d correctly from the min?
utes of the prohibition committee
meeting of October 26, 1905, that pa
per also properly signed by Mr.
j Jaynes can go to the press.
Now, Mr. Edltor, I have "made
g.I" from the testimony of Mr.
Featherstone, his frh nd i and t he
records without calling u single wit?
ness on my Bide,
i thank God for a fine memoory
and for carefully perserved records
in this controversy.
Joel El. Brunson.
Sumter, August no, 1910.
that the farmer is entitled to put 6
per cent, tare on his cotton bales.
This is his right, but if the farmer
is not disposed to insist on it, we
cannot help it. The farmer has a
right now to get 14 to 15 cents for
good cotton, but if he is willing to
be run over and let a buyer take it
for 10 cents, we have too much im?
portant work to do to go out and
tight the battles of a man who won't
stand up for himself.
The 6 per cent tare is right and
farmers from one end of the South
to the other ought to organize with
a view to enforcing this right on all
1910 markets.
All that we can do is to tell them
this and then it is up to them,
through the Farmers' Unions and
other ways to do the :'est.
But why do we say the 6 per cent,
tare is right?
Put in a nutshell, our position is
just this: Europe buys most of our
cotton, and buys it on a basis of 6
per cent tare?fixes prices with a
view to losing 6 per cent, to get net
weight. Pres'dent J. L. Lee of the
Georgia Farmers' Union publicly as?
serted last fall that Wilmington, At?
lanta, Augusta, and Savannah export?
ers buy cotton on a basis of 22
pounds and put on the fuM 30 pounds
before exDorting.
! th< !ui >peau n an ?> tun rs
American rnanufa urerf should ieth- 1
r allo* 6 per cent or pai s dish
er price for their lint. Anu u u
per cent is right, then it is not the
case that where the farmer puts on
the full 6 per cent, he is acting dis?
honorably and selling bagging and
ties at cotton prices; the real truth
Is, that where less than 6 per cent
is used the* buyer might more rea?
sonably be accused because he gets
cotton at bagging prices. And it is not
in getting cotton at bagging prices that
the only unfair action has been go?
ing on, if the information I have is
correct.
L,ast fall the American Textile
Manufacturer jumped on me for my
tight for the 6 per cent tare, and I
answered them with the letter add?
ed herewith. Although I watched
their paper carefully they have nev?
er yet published this reply, so far as
I can learn, nor have they ever re?
futed my position by private corre?
spondence. One or two leading cot?
ton maufacturers also attacked my
position, but could not come back at
me when I presented these argu?
ments, although I made it plain that
1 wrote with no feeling toward either
cotton buyer or cotton manufacturer
and with an earnest desire not only
to be absolutely fair, but to get any
information that might show me In
error. For as I said to them in the
language of old Marcus Aurelius:
"If any man can show me that I do
not think or act aright, I will gladly
change for I seek only the truth by
which no man was ever injured."
The fact that neither the manufac?
turers themselves nor their official
organ were able to attack or over?
turn our arguments is the best com?
mentary on their soundness.
The paramount need, as I see it,
is for a uniform system. There
ought to be a definite understand?
ing between the farmers' organisa?
tions and the manufacturers' organ?
izations as to the amount of tare to
be allowed on each bale and the
present double standard system,
with all of its Irregularities and
losses forever done away with.
It the tare were less than 6 per
cent, but uniform and unvarying,
prices would soon be adjusted
through natural law to compensate
for the Increased percentage of tint
in a bale, but with the present dou?
ble-standard system the farmer gets
eaughi between the upper and neth?
er millstones and has lost thousands I
of dollars as a result. I
I f ,; per cent tare is to be and con- '
tlimo the recognised standard by
European manufacturers - and it |
has been the standard so long that !
manufacturers tell us it would be
almost Impossible to change It?then j
the American standard should be re- i
\ Ised to accord with it.
in other woVds, we must have a
uniform system, and the 6 per cent
t ire se? ms to be the only one that
can be agreed upon. J
The b tter which I sent the Amer?
ican Textile Manufacturer. and
which they did not even publish,
may make our position even clearer
and is appended herewith:
A Letter the Manufacturers Wouldn't
Print. J
? To the Eidtor: I have read youi *
editorial in this week's Textile Manu?
facturer, and I think that you en?
tirely misunderstand the spirit of the
Progressive 1 irmer and the Southern
farmer. We do not wish to have a
single piece of bagging sold at cotton
prices. In fact, so far from vhe sys?
tem of selling by net weight being j
objectionable, the farmers know very
vaMi that the mills do not really buy
bagging and ties but always made
their price with a view to buying only
the net weight. The point I make
is, that long custom and the uniform
practice among European buyers is
to assume that net weight is C per J
cent, less than the gross v. ^lgbt, end
that prices for cotton are fixed upon
this basis?as it is reasonable bo as?
sume since the larger part of our
cotton crop is bought by Europe
in which the 6 per cent tare Is the
rule. A\
"As a matter of fact, then, it is not
the case that where the farmer puts
on {ull 6 per cent, he is selling bag
bing and ties at cotton prices, but
the real situation is, that where less
than 6 per cent is put on, cotton Is
sold at bagging prices. , \
"As for buying at net weight that
is what the cotton world is aiming
at now, for the price is lowered suffl-"
ciently to allow for the bagging and
uos. The need is for uniformity, so
that one class (the buyers and manu?
facturers) will not get the advantage
which another class (the farmers) is \
entitled to.
"Our position in the matter is mere
clearly set forth in the enclosed edi?
torial which we should like to have
you publish. We are only seeking
the truth in the matter and a square ?
deal, which we believe can only
come about by having a uniform sys?
tem instead of th<? present double
standard.?Progressive Farmer."
SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED.
y
t
Young Men and Women Who Will
Receive College Educations on
State Scholarships.
M the meeting of the State Hoard
>f Education bold ii. Columbia Wed
nesdu: s "V?ol..r-b; ?* ?r? t>>e
eges were a warned. The iot'owing
wert the ..wards for Sumtcr county;
Clemson College?Bush M. Jack?
son, Clarence C. DesChamps and one
vacancy yet to be filled.
University of South Carolina?
Thomas M. Moore.
For Lee county the awards were:
Winthrop College?Sarah Bates 4
James.
For Clarendon county:
University of South Carolina?Fur
man Bradham.
Clemson College?Ellison Capers,
Jr., R. Henry Ridgill. W. T. Sprott
Jr.
1
Death.
Alexander, infant son of Mrs. Mary
H. Sparks, died at her residence on
Sumter street, at 1 o'clock Tuesday
23rd, age 4 months.
(
?Dysentery Is a dangerous disease
hut can be cured. Chamberlain's
Colic, Cholera and Diarrhoea Remedy
has bean successfully used In ntne
epidemics of dysentery. It has never
been known to fall. It Is equally .
valuable for children and adults, and
when reduced with water and sweet?
ened It is pleasant to take. Sold by 1
W. W. SIbert. n
Monday afternoon the Liberty
Street and Little Rocks base ball
teams played a fast game of ball, re?
sulting in a victory of 9 to 0 in favor
of the Little Rocks.
Batteries: Little Rocks; Hoyt and
Richardson; Liberty Street; Gallagh?
er and Gallagher.
?When the digestion is all right,
the action of the bowels regular,
there is a natural craving and relish
for food. When this Is lacking you
may know that you need a dose of
Chamberlain's Stomach and Liver
Tablets. They strengthen the u!*es
tlve organs, Improve the appetite end
regulate the bowels. Sold by W. 'W.
Sibert.
A great many farmers are talking
of planting winter cover crops, eith?
er rye, vetch or crimson clover. The
campaign for scientific farming is
beginning to telL
?In buying a cough medicine, don't
be afraid to get Chamberlain's Cough
Remedy. There is no danger from it,
and relief Is sure to follow. Especial?
ly recommended for coughs, cold*
and whooping cough. Sold by W.
SIbert.
It Is said that the magisterial ra
iit Privateer is the. hottest politic
proposition In the county camp
There Is also a hard fought c
on the Providence district.
?If your liver is sluggish a mm
of t me, and you feel dull, ?
constipated, t ike a doaa of Ch
Iain's Stomach and Liver Tab
night before rettring and you \
all right In the morning. Sole
W. Sibert.