The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, February 07, 1912, Image 4
C||t dvlatibuiau mi *out|jron.
PublUheil WedMffdu) nod Saturday.
? BT ?
OSTEEII PUBLISHING COMPANY
8UMTER. S. C.
Term*:
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sTve.y subsequent insertion.10
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All communication* which sub
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fas* as advsrtlsementa
Obituaries and tributes of respect
will he eharged for.
The ?umter Watchman was found
as! la 1110 and the True Southron in
1900 The Watchman and Southron
aow has the combined circulation and
talus are cf both of the old papers,
aad is snaatfeatly the best advertising
saadium in guenter.
RAILROAD RIGHTS OF WAY.
The representatives of the special
railroad committee of the Chamber
of Commerce, who are securing the
rights oi way for the Seaboard Air
Line, in accordance with the agree?
ment with Mr. Honsel, by which the
citiaens of Sumter obligated them?
selves to provide the right* of way
and terminals free of cost to the
railroad have made some progress
with (he work, and quite a number
en' those through whose lands the
road will pass have Indicated their
willingness to donate the right? of
way. Others, however, are dems ad
hag compensation for the land to be
conveyed for the rights of way and.
In addition, payment for the inciden?
tal damages that the construction of
Use railroad through their property
may causa. It is not though' tiat
there w II ? m\ i nsu; nmunt>? oh? >l?
staclcs encountered In obtaining the
nquircd rights of way, for. wherever
the l-iiid wners refuse to donate the
right of way or demand an unreason?
able or exorbitant price for their
hind, recourse can always be had to
eond <mnation proceedings and a Jury
ef disinterested cltUens will fix the
vidu. h< Und and the amount to
be pa'd for tho rlgnt of a iv Tr>
?om?- i iSSS there msv ? < <om?. d.ftl
etttty H arriving at a fair and equi
tab|? i ?? for the rlsjht of w*.? but
In th" :n C r >f I?, .?. in r
should be none.
As a starting point for arriving at
the actual value of any tra?t of land
that the railroad will cross, the valu?
ation placed upon It by the owner
whan hs> returned It for taxation la un?
doubtedly thoroughly conservative and
worthy of serious consideration
when * Jury ef condemnation comes
V> Ox the amount that should be paid
the land owner. It Is. of course, well
known by nil and Is admitted as an
established fart that no one returns
property for taxation at its market
value, but there Is a sort of under?
standing that a great deal of proper?
ty Is listed on the tax booku at one
third its actual market value. If
this be true, and. for the ealke of the
srgui N nt It will be assumed to bsj a
fast, it WTUId lie fair und Just?even
Wh* r .) to adopt he tax returns as a
Saab? ? f . aiuath i for all rights of
wsy and multipf it by three to ar?
rive at the a<*tu I market value. No
land oun-r. who declines |0 donate
the r ghl of wai in consideration of
the -?nhancerrvent . f the remainder of
gdu real estate by the building of the
new railroad, should question the
falrneftfi of the compensation for the
land actually us ?d by the railroad as
a ri*M of way when he receives pay?
ment on the basis of three times
the v rg it ion he placed upon It per
see h n miking hlv returns to ths
eountv auditor.
It Is to be hoped thai a large ma?
jor't. f 'he land owners will donate
the i ;hi? of nay. for no one can
gnhsapy ?b"t the country the road
tra\rr*^s will be nr> materially
benelKted. lor in exceptional eases
the manner In which the road will
sut ? ertaln (arms will cause Incon
gggggfS ? and damage greater th in
the lsj> vents that will be iSttt sd from
the P iMroad by thst parti? ular html
owner and It is not unr- . ?..nabb- for
hhi v om it ion for his
land
Tho bgjgsl SO ..ihoitio, KOggi
above?using the tax returns as a
starting point?seems to itjattl SS
fair and lu^t to all u ? ? n. ,| as any
lh it - i\n adopted, and If it I* to
eeosarv to i.?ort to ? oeb innatlon
proceedings to reach an adjustment
?f the divergent l<>ss of the value of
the r!s;ht? of way. It Is clear that the
valuation recorded on the t ix books
should reo?lve serious consideration
and should ha\e due weight with the
Jurv In arriving at a \erdbt and In
making award In the land owner.
If it - ohm the State |ll,!ot for a
picture and a plaster of parts model
ef the proposed renovated St its
Mouse, the -whole Job will be an ex
pen*l\e proposition?far too expensive
to he undertaken at this time. Wo
go not question the correctssgsl of the
Statement that the State M mis,, stand
in need of renovation and enlarge?
ment, nor do we doubt that it could
be vastly improved by the expenditure
of a million or r.tore on it. but in
view of the financial condition of the
State and the present rate of taxation
we are most decidedly opposed to the
undertaking. Only a few years ago
more than two hundred thousand dol?
lars were expended on the State
Hou??>. and this ought to suffice for
the present. Furthermore, we do not
approve of the manner in which this
contract for plans has been fastened
on the State by the committee on
State House and grounds, Inasmuch
as it appears to us that the said com
mlttee stretched its authority in the
promises to a considerable extent. In
an undertaking of this magnitude it
seems to us that it would have been
wise to have extended an invitation
to architects generally to submit pre?
liminary sketches and estimates of
the proposed improvements on the
State House and then select the best
plans i>ubmitted. The whole thing
looks like snap judgment at heavy
cost to the State?In any event, not
less than $13.550. whether the addi?
tion!! are built or not. if the contract
with Messrs. Todd A Benson is a
loga, and binding obligation of the
State.
A milion dollars expended on the
public highways would benefit the
State more than the same amount
Hpent on the State House, and would,
also, be more sensible.
RACK TRACK GAMBLING,
The charge made by the opponents
of the Charleston race track that it Is
one end of a big. nation-wide pool
room Rambling scheme has been de?
nied by the race track people and by
them blttely denounced as S slander.
Yet in the race rac* track section of
the Sunday News of Charleston the
following bit of crooked pool room
gambling news is given prominence:
The following story tells of how the
first past the post" gentleman work
ed thi? game on the pool rooms in
New York on the victory of Elizabeth
Harwood In a rare run at Palmetto
Park last week:
"PjoI room keepers in Manhattan,
I Harlem were hit hard
when Klixabeth Har
hftn race at Charleston,
this particular race was
20, when It really was
? 13. Agents backed the mare hvav
lly when the opening odds were post
ed. In many instances obtaining 2 to 1
for their money?double the odds
quoted at the race track.
"The rooms In the down-town dis?
trict were fairly well Hooded with
money. Hig commissions are execut
ed dally In that territory, and the plan
to put the deal through worked like
a charm. Owners of these establish?
ments handled all the money offered,
which amounted to a sum that ex?
ceeded any conimlsdon taken in
years.
"Thos,- doing business on the tele
phom received bets of huge propor?
tionr. Th se were accepted, as usual,
the t; kers figuring on laying off the
bulk of the money with the big opera?
tors. To their dismay they found no
outlet for any part of the play. So
well hud the scheme be >H planned
thdt every channel uats choked with
KT/tbeth Harwood money,
?This bft the defeat of Elisabeth
HarWOOd M the Ohl! avenue of es
e be, in the Interval of the tew mo?
ment- before post tune. I, If, all busi?
ngs was suspended in marly every
room of importance In Greater New
York. The piny was practically all
i deied on the one hors.-.
? The scattering play OD tbe 'COO
tenders' was ie light that it would not
pay the pool room keepers' car fare
to their homes.
"Information regarding the ma?
noeuvre lo weaken the bank roll* of
the backen of rooms eras kept as so?
or t us ,m\ of the mysteries of the
Hlack- Hand gang. Seldom in the
hist or] of pool room looting save the
nperntori observed the rules thai
spelled hu< cess in their hue. As one
playoff said:
' The follows Involved in the deal
must have sworn secrecy on ,t itack
of l.lbles.'
in the rooms erh?re cash is han?
dled j,nd winnings, pa d ths conclu?
sion ot cm ii race settlement bad been
msds on the Elisabeth Harwood svenl
,i half hour before discovery was
oi de regarding, ib.- true quotation on
the mare s chance to win, which was
;? to in. This led to an Investigation,
the result of which showed that the
money was bet SOVSffel minutes after
the actual running of the race.
"Betting- via the telephone on Bllaa
hath Harwood that was placed *noui
post time It a matter that eoflsjgrne
those Interested. Tbe settlement *>f
this form of p|,iv promises to be ban*
died with kid gloves when collections^
ar ? demanded. '
.\o further proof is needed of toe
harge that the Palmetto race track
Is a part?a necessary part of the
pool room gambling business that
Is operated in all the large and many
Of the smaller towns of the country.
As a (ambl$ng game, as a demoralizing
and vicious Influence the race truck
in Charleston is as had or w??rse than
the bucket shops that the legislature
outlawed a few yean ago. The sen?
ate should stand shoulder to shoul?
der with the house In viewing tho an
ti race trac k hill as a moral issue
and vote to kill the race track gam?
bling game before it becomes en?
trenched in the State.
FARMERS'
UNION NEWS
Prneileal Thought* for Practical
Farmers*.
(Conducted by E. W. Dabbs, Pres?
ident S. C. Farmers Union.)
Resolutions Adopted.
At the meeting of th? Sumter Coun?
ty Farmers' Union on Friday. Feb?
ruary L'nd. the following resolutions
were unanimously adopted and or?
dered spread upon the minutes:
cur honorable President E. w.
Pabbe, having tendered his resigna?
tion as president of Bumter County
Farmers' Union, it is hereby resolved:
1st. That it is with great sorrow
that we, the members of Bumter
County Farmers1 Union, are asked to
accept his resignation and we wish to
express our great respect and love for
Brother Dabbs, and that it is only
that he may devot.? his time to the
work in a wider field as president of
the State Union that we accept his
resignation as president of Sumter
County Union.
Resolved lnd< That these resol'i?
?mois he printed in the County pa?
pers.
n. w. Beat!,
Committee.
It having been the sad misfortune
of President E. \V. Dabbs to lose, by
death, one of his little sons recently.
It is hereby resolved that we. the
members of Sumter County Farmers'
Union, extend to him and his family
our heartfelt sympathy in this sad
bores roment,
n. W, Beeil-.
Committee,
ReaorVSd: That this union extend
to Uro. s. N. Welch our sincere and
heartfelt sympathy in the shocking
acoid *nt that caused the death of his
eldest son. before his very eyes, a few
dayi ago. Our hearts go out to him
and his good wife, in this terrible dis?
pensation of Providence, and we com?
mand them to their God and ours,
Who alone is able t<? soothe their
wounded hearts with the precious
promisee of His word, and the Holy
Spirit In their hearts and lives.
Resolved: That a copy of these
l solutions be sent to our brother,
published in the Union columns of
our paper, and Inscribed In our min?
utes.
Adopted bj a rising vote.
K. w. 1>AI ins.
(Committee.
J. F. WILLIAMS.
President.
Hugh Witherspoon, Secretary.
COV.Vn TEACHERS T<> MEET.
Meeting to lake Place at Noon Satur?
day at Hampton School Building.
There will be a meeting of the
Sumter County Teachers' Association
Saturday at noon Ul the Hampton
school building. An interesting pro?
gram ha--- been outline?! and it is
hoped thai all of the teachers In the
county will come out to the meeting.
tmong the speak irs for the meet?
ing win be Miss Leiht Russell, 1U
p. rvlsor of rural schools in York
" ity, MISS Kussel hiis had much
expcrlem e In educational work in ru?
ral districts and will make an inter?
esting address along theae lines.
Sunt, of Education Cecil Zelgler of
Alken county, will also be present to
make an inter,.-ting address on edu
cstlonal work,
The Field Pay program will be an?
nounced and everything connected
with the evnti of Field Day arranged
for. it will be remembered that last
\. f Field Paj was a wonderful suc
e.->is and plans are being matured
earls lo m ike the Field Day this year
even more of a ?uccess than last
\ ea r
.mi teachers In the county are es?
pe< lall) invited to come, as are the
trustees of the schools In the county
snd all other persons interested in
educational work In ihe county.
HEARST BUYS HEORfSIAX.
\?w York Publisher Mela FOothold
in Atlanta.
y Atlanta, On.. Feb. .*?. The Atlanta
(^e,.rgian, an iftetiiooii paper of At
lavita, announced this afternoon that
tiiS paper bad been purchased by
William Randolph Hearai from Fred
I, * Beeley, e ho
six* years ago.
LEGISLATURE MAKES TIME.
SHAPING MATTERS TO ADJOURN
WITHOUT USUAL HUSH.
Lawmakers ESndeuvorliig to Avoid
situation Produced t>> Blease'n
Wholesale Use of Veto Power
Clove Of laist Session ? Import.o:l
Hill* Likely to ho in Governor's
Hands in Time for Final Action
Before Adjournment, on February
17.
Columbia, Fob, 4.?The General
Assembly will continue In boss! in
for two week.;, when it will adjourn.
The work of the session is particu?
larly well in hand, and If it. really he
came necessary an adjournment cou'd
bo had prior to the 17th. which is ihe
fortieth day of the session. The ap?
propriation bill is In hand, and could,
according to the custom of previous
years, be passed and ready for rati?
fication by the end of the week, but it
is evident that the purpose is to al?
low latitude for emergencies, and. of
course. In this particular instance the
emergency is the veto power of the
Governor.
Last year, it will be remembered, a
great many of the members went
home prior to the approval of the
appropriation bill with many items
eliminated as a result of the veto
power,
It is perhaps fifteen or twenty years
Since my good friend. A. II. Williams
wrote a story about the General As?
sembly that was then in session, and
he denominated it as a " June bug
Legislature." This was intended to
mean that the Legislature was al?
lowed at that time to fly at pleasure,
but that there wa.s a "string" tied to
the lefi hind leg from "down-stairs, '
and whenever the "June bug" Hew
too high, or got out of bounds, the
"string" from "down-stairs" was
pulled and the "June bug" had to
stop its Might. That was a very apt
description of the General Assembly
In those days, but whatever is least
apt to be tied with the "string" from
"down-stairs" would be best appli?
cable to the present General Assem?
bly. Of course, everyone who knows
anything about legislation under?
stand! that "down-stairs" is intended
to mean the Governor's office, and
the "up-stairs" is In no degree re?
sponsible in this year of our Lord to
the "down-Stairs." This condition of
affairs and the generous use of the
veto power has made the General
Assembly cautious In one respect, and
expeditious in another.
By way of illustration: At the last
session of the General Assembly a
commission form of government bill
WAS passed, as applied to the City of
Charleston, Governor Blease vetoed
the bill and argued that it was not a
correct form of government. The
Hause has passed a bill incorporating
verbatim the Act that has been ve?
toed with certain additions as to reg?
istration and operation.
There is a clause in the Constitu?
tion which reads as follows: "If a
bill or joint resolution shall not be
returned by the Governor within
three davs after it shall have been
presented '.<? him. Sundays ixcepted.
it shall have the same force and ef
f ci ss i'" he hi d signed it. unless the
General Assembly, by adjournment,
pr ivent its return. In which case it
Shall have euch force ami effect un?
less returned within two days after
the nexl meeting.' It is to meet this
emergency that the General As
esmbly is giving itself two weeks.
in other words, such bills as the
refunding measure, the commission
form of government bill, and varloui
Othei matt >rs, Will 1? > in the hands of
the Governor, according to the pres?
ent programme, three days prior t"
the adjournment, if they are nol ve
toed within these three days. they
will become the law of the state, any?
way, and If they are vetoed, they
musi be returned, as the provision of i
the. Constitution contemplates, In
time for them to be acted upon orlor
t.. final adjournment by thin Clenerol
Assembly,
This is Indicative of the ?entlment
In the House and Senate: thai la
'h<t the important matters should be
d' j osed of ilnally and conclusively
hj the present membership as they
Invite responsibility, it is the correct
w iv in which to legislate, and as a
matter of fact the host thing that
could happen for the State would he
nol to consider n single, solitary sec?
ond reading bill ten days prior to
final adjournment, and devote that
time to th.inslderation of confer?
ence reports and the adjudication of
difference* between the two houses.
The race course bill has none over
t.. the Sonate. It want over exactly
as it was framed bj the friends of the
measure. \o int irference or amend?
ment was permitted on the part ol
anyone nol entlrelj frlendls to th?
legislation. A* Mr. Vander Hoist ex?
pressed It, "II WOB ;? moral issue, or
lit leust it was made ?o," and he real
sled that Ihere was absolutely BO
possibility of defeating or amend
inn the hill as long as the members
Pom ei\ ed lhai II was a moral Issue,
I Jk i >4ia I
! I POWDER I
6 AbsoiuteBy Pure ml
||L Economizes Butter, Flour, W
7 Eggs: makes t&e food more , flu
? J appetizing and wholesome W
||! The oalv talcing Powder made ffi
Vojf Irom ZIoyal Grspe Cream ol Tartar iff
JM V.-J>
The House has acted upon a groat
number of local measures, and a
matter of particular significance in
connection with these measures is
the tendency towards bond issues for
permanent Improvements, such as
the dev< lopment of municipal enter?
prises, the building of public struc?
tures, or the improvement of county
roads. There are, in the same con?
nection, two larger issues presented
for consideration; one looking to a
vote by the people In the next general
election on a proposed bond issue of
a million dollars for the completion
and development of the new property
of the State Hospital for the Insane,
and a I tcond bond issue to be sul - I
mitted to the people of a million dol?
lars for the extension and improve?
ment of the State House.
Perhaps the most important mat?
ter to be acted upon during the pres
proposition which had its inception in
the Pee*Dee section. It is a some?
what noteworthy feature of this con?
templated and important scheme that
it has never yet been reported tip- I
on by the judiciary committee of
either the House or Senate as to how
far it involves limitations of the Con
Btltntlon. The bill in the House was
referred to the committee on ways
and means, very probably because of
I
Section 17. Which provides: "The
sum of $5,000 is hereby appropriated
for the contingent expenses of said
board, and the sum of $250,000 to
carry out the purposes of this Act is
hereby appropriated." The Senate
has passed th.- bill and the outlook Is
that it will be passed by the House in
very much the same way. ' ?f course,
the direct appropriation of a quarter '
of a million dollars for the starting of
the undertaking will have to be met
in the appropriation hill.
Under the bill providing for the re*
demption of tho nearly six million
dollars 4 1-2 per cent Brown consol
bonds, the tax exemption clause as
applied to banks is eliminated. Of
course, if the statt- is unable to
"float' a I per cent bond wlthoul the
tax exemption clause, at par. the pres?
ent "brown' bonds are to continue In
force, except what are redeemed, lot
another twenty y >ars after It 13. Phe
bonds are known as 20-40-year bonds
with the privilege of redemption a'
the end of the 80-year period. Thos ?
in authority figure that they can
"float" a I p i eenl gold bend w?h
ease in 1 91 3.
Tlie chances are that there will be
no Hquor legislation at this session
unless it be tin- adoption of a gener?
al bill permitting elections in tin va?
rious counties. The disposition is to
keep the dispensary ami prohibition
issues out of the primary. The bills
thai were pending provided for dis?
pensary elections on the day sot for
the general primary. This it is
thoughl ma\ cloud the primary issues
and Involve complications and it ap
penrs to be generally understood that
If counties want to hold elections to
gel back their dispensaries they must
do BO on the day sot tor the general
election. Others contend that the
(?unities that voted themselves "dry"
had better wall the full four-year
period and tboti bold their elections.
One of tin- very best statutes likely
t<> result from the present session Is
what is known as the school medical
Inspection bill. The two houses have
passed such measures and the only
question now is how the two branches
will agree on the minor differences
The central Ides of medical examina?
tion of school children has been
maintained." A. K. In News and
< '.airier.
News Note? from IMsgah.
Pisgah, Feb. 5. The old saying
that a cold winter will follow a hot
summer has been amply verified, if
am one wants colder weather than
what we now have they are hot
blooded sure.
the State warehouse
hogs to kill. It ti cotton everywhere -
to th<- . spens ? of other things more
Useful and needful to the people.
Very little progress so far is made
toward ? er?.p. It is no* yet known
how the staple crops will run. Some
Who ha v.' sot signed pledges to re?
duce cotton acreage will cut from 25
t?? 4a per Cant. There ??>??? "<??? fttc*V
known: There will b
plented and lass guano
I don't think the riS4
materially affect the ?.
We are hard up for BOtueiitMig in eat.
in the Vegetable line. All the potatoes
have rotted. There ar.- no gardens,
owing to dry weather. No eggs. The
hens are on the worst strike I have
ever seen. N?. on - g?. ts eggs, some?
thing unknown here at this time of
th?. year. We have, although, a
plenty to eal <>f the diy kind, meat
bread, and coffet und "Issues." Some
have milk aiui butter. That is jooit
the hill of fare. White peas. a*, pa'a
tahle, are as scare as a I'nited
States bond.
a go? d lesson was learned last year
about the folly of all cotton and 1
think more attention
th?- raising of thinj
buys.
Belton Ifelfaans g
en at Rombort Satur
If in a bad !ix.
A negro boy got killed on Mr. T.
1?. McLeod's place not long since. He
was leaning on his gun when a small
boy lingered at the trigger and it
wa nt off and killed him.
I hear <d no trouble Shout honest
men getting all the money needed to
run their business. The Farmers'
Bank and Trust Company, The Bank
of Sumter and O'Ponnell and Com?
pany do the lion's share of the busi?
ness here. As merchants, th
Harllec Company at Ram bo
done well. Mr. Harllee has n
p ?ri.'to'e and tine taste in th
ling of tine goods, and the si r<
supplied a long-felt want. Miss Mat
tie Jenkins has a position with the
firm.
\iiaa Cuttino who teaches the New
Hope ehhool was si Plsgnh chnreh
yesterda>%
\ hot supper, with oysters, will be
gh a at tin- residence of Mr-. I>. G.
Brown near New Hope church, on
next Friday evening, the '.'th. for the
benefit of Sew Hope church. The
public Is cordla..y Invited t?> be pres
ent and enjoy the feast of good
things.
H, VI.. Gets Rights of Way at
Bsalsofri 111*.
Last Friday a court of condem?
nation was presided "Ver by Judfr*
of Probate Jno. If. Smith in the
court house. It was the ease of the
S. A. L. Railway against Mr. J. H.
Kilon for right ?>f way through his
property here In town. The jury
before whom it was tried were:
.Ta<. B. IfeCutchen, Sr.. foreman.
If. U Williams. H. Oatltl . H. R.
strai ge, f. H Hearon, Bdwtn Wil?
son, 11. W. Kembert. W. T. Welch. W.
A. Stuckey. U. r. Weldon. J. K.
Kirkley. W. P. Baskin.
Mr. Thoe. H. Tatum represented
the railroad ami Ifesars. II L. Smith
oi Camden and J. B. McFauohlln of
Columbia the defence. Testimony
was taken and after argument by
counsel, the jury returned a verdict
of 13,104 as damages t?< defendant.
Condemnation proceedings were
held yeeterdey on the IfcColl place
near Mr. f. h. Hesron to get right
?.f way for B. A. L. railroad. The
jury we understand estimated the
land actually taken for right of way
at $94 per SCre. BtshOpVttls Vindi?
cator. February I?
The ground hog certainly saw his
shadow Frida) so the people of Sum?
ter may SSpCCl six weeks of cold
weather.
l-H)it SALE?A choice lot of Georgia
rr?-.?.?-r? &?>i\tor c?>ed ??:its. lie. Phone