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f^f (WlaUbnun aitf Joutjjnm. Published Wednesday and Saturday. ?BY? OSTEEM PUBLISHING COMPANY SI MTKK, 9. C. Terms: 11.(0 per annum?In advance. Advertisement*: One Square first inaertlon.$1.00 Every subsequent insertion.50 ContracU for three months, or longer will be made at reduced rates. All communications which sub gervs private Interests wll be charged for us advertisements. Obituaries and tributes of respect aIU be charged for. The Surater Watchman was found? ed In U60 and the True Southron in 1666 The Watchman and Southron now has the combined circulation and ?avdufuee cf both of the old papers, aad Ii manifestly the best advertising nvtVura h Sumtsr. The advocates of the Charleston race track In their arguments before the legislature laid great stress upon the fac; that race tracks were per? mitted In Virginia and no attempt had teen made to interfere with the noble sport of horse racing and the profitable graft of furnishing gam? bling data to the pool rooms of the balance of the country. Now comes the lower bouse of the Virginia legis? lature and passes an anti-race track gambling bill by a vote of 62 to 21. It Is praoMcal'y certain that the up? per house will pass the bill and It will become a law. Thus race track gambling will be outlawed in another State. ? ? e Booeevelt and his friends have **en gulch to seise upon the Indisposition af La 'ollette as an excuse for crowd tag him out of the leadership of the progressive faction of the Republi? can party and substitute Terrible Ted tgy therefor. w^s????mmm^mm?? TIME TO IIOLLKR. The Columbia correspondent of the Augusta Chronicle writes an follows ?onr.Ti in< the St??? ?!?us?> Job Tudii m Ueuson, a flrnf of Char? leston, architects, have put In a bill for over 113.000 against the Oeneral Assembly for drawing plans for the gjegt Slate house Thi:? Mil i* ?oing to oau?e 4 >nu* h ud things "> be - d tn t'1* Uousv And >?????? .. ??.: yeag 11 ?; #?r*r noi sent a * 1 e Mouse in wnien lie called attention Ui the condition of the toilet ro.?r,is lo satod und>t the front entrance to the State house. A committee was ap? pointed to make an Investigation and ehaage Ihe location of the rooms. The committee, however, went a step fertn?r and secure*", a firm of archi? tect* m grew pi.ms for the two ad? ditional wings to the State house to ggag tl.o00.00a. This was not author? ised by the Oeneral Assembly and the 'an; bill of $13.000 will make seme of the retrenchment men set up a holler. The governor is constantly bollering economy and yet he permit? ted this extravagant unnecessary ex penile Ths expense was brought about as a result of tine of his recom? mendations" It is time to holler and to holler loud If the sub-committee of the Committee on State House und ?round? was not authorised by the fcegtilature to enter fnto a contract whh an architect to draw plans for g million dollar addition to the state Mwuse. the bill of Todd and Benson ?or $13.500 should be turned down an# ihe entire proceeding repudiated. The \erjr Idea of an unauthorised sub? committee making a contract in the name of the State and creating an obligation that may ultimately coat ths taxpayers more than $60.000 is preposterous. The idea of paying out tll.soa for preliminary plans, a few pictures and a plaster model of an Imaginary Stste House that may never hs b'Uit Is ridiculous And to pay the afehlteet $660 for traveling up snd gggfg the State electioneering the mtm *ers of the Legislature In behalf ef a mllllor dollar appropriation for re i? anting the State Houne In ac? cords o * with his plans and to his own profit to the tuns of $60 000 Is enough lo make every taxpayer holler. It Is lime to holler. Stats Treasurer Jennings has made giMtd his charge that Oov. Blease made statement* absolutely without foundation" la reference to the no gjnitallest and consummation of the lean of $600.000 for the Stats. The r*<orrt speaks for itself, the bare f.i h bl.tndins; ?>ie *'>\ernor ?:< t deliberate falsifier. ? ? ? The Stale House Joh la Just about ghe nastiest mess that has heeii g?lggggff lurht In ggggg time. ? ? ? I.? igM USd An hhe. t lodd t Id the gfegggj that be thouitht be was huvlmc i K'dd hond when signed that ? ontr-e f to prepare .d.tns for the State House, hut It seems that quite ii nnmli'T of othel legislators thick ftsJ&eeSsfll was trying to hand the State a gold brick. . . . The MouSe passed the anti-race track gambling hill by an overwhelm? ing majority, but the Senate evinces a disposition to dtlly dally with it by postponement and continuance until it is too late to do anything at this session, which will suit the race track people fully as well as the outright defeat of the measure. s e s The probabilities ate that Gov. Wense will veto the anti-race track bill, should it pass the Senate as it came from the House. The injunction feature of the bill will furnish an ex? cuse for vetoing it, and it will be shrewd politics to raise a clamor against government by injunction, while professing unalterable oppo? sition to race track gambling. It will be playing a double game and will make him solid with the race track crowd and may save his face with some of those who oppose race track gnmblini:, but are doubtful of the expediency of injunction proceed? ings against law breakers. RETAIL MEUCHA NTS' ASSOCIA? TION. Claims Filed with Association and I n paid are to be Sued Upon. Gener? al Matters to be Considered at Smoker, February 20. The Advisory Committee of the Sumter Retail Association met at the Chamber of Commerce Tuesday evening and decided to push the work of the association very actively from now on. The most important matter consid? ered was the engaging of an attor? ney and pushing the uncollected claims, now on Ide with the Bureau, to judgment, ''he merchants feel that they have given every opportu? nity to these debtors to settle these claims. They have been notified by yellow letter several times to make some adjustment of these claims. These claims are r aced in the hands ?>f the Bureau only after the debtor,. h* s refused or neglected to pay a just | ?liim after considerable time has elapsed since the debt v as incurred The merchants are always willing to adjust these claims by partial pay? ments if the debtor can do no better and he has been so Informed. The debtor, thereforr, can hardly claim that any merchant has been unjust In his treatment of him. From now on. unless these claims are paid with? in a reasonable time after being tiled with the bureau, suit will bo insti? tuted and when judgment is obtained, the names and amounts of the Judgment will be published. Many of thees judgments will be ad? vertised and sold at public auction to the highest bidder. <>n Tuesday evening. February 20th at 8 p. in. the association will hold a smoker at the Chamber of Commerc? when a number of these matters of interest to the retail trade will be discussed. Coffee, sandwiches and cigars will be served. It is hoped that Secretary McCarty of the Char? leston Retail Association may be se? cured for the meeting. All city re? tailers whether members or not are invited. It was determined to enlarge the membership of the association and plans will be laid for an active mem? bership campaign at the smoker. The merchants are requested to keep in mind the far I that they are pledged i not to advertise except as endorsed by this association. Some Women Have No Hearts A Cleveland man was con.pia .loa toe otbsr day abont the lack of sym? pathy in the world And then he offered a personal ex? ample He aald be went home from hta business on a Pttesjl afternoon and received a great scare on the way He -?aa still trembling when he en? tered the bouse ?Well, Mary." he said, a- he dropped Into a ? ir. 'I got n bad scare just now As *. went aroi nd the end of the * at he corner h b'g touring car w% ' e like a wild thing, and say. It w* v> clo?e when it risset! that the hubs of the wheels brushed my pants" Did hta wife turn pa!e at this re? ctal? Did *he express Joy snd thank fuloM* ove/ his narrow en-ape? No. ahe didn't She Just looked Mn> ovr?- nnd snirl: "Well, vour pant* certa'nly needed brushing" The American Qoose. The adoption of the eagle as a na? tional emblem by the United States may be all right, but it might have been still better to adopt the goose We have never heard of the eagle do Ing anything great, but last month a goose walked into a church in 111 Inols during the services and drove half the congregation outdoors before she got out herself, by flying through a window An old gander, when thor? oughly mad. Is more dangerous than a dog. Cough Cure. If you can stand the odor, a bad cough can often be i lirod by five drops of kerosene t>ik?-a on a lump of sugar If Oils sounds to<? horrible, much the same effect is achieved by iwallowlni gasoline. OLDER NATIONS Personalities Behind the Transformed Ottoman Empire?The Young Turk Organization Really a Masonic i Movement?The ?ultan a? a Tool. \ By WILLIAM T. ELLI8. | Constantinople.?At the back of every movement must be men. The transformation of Turkey from a mediaeval absolutism to a constitu? tional government was not wrought without human agencies. Who did It? At the time of the constitution and the revolution there were stories of a romantic secret committee in Paris, with a chief possessed of greater statesnamhip and morn dictatorial powers than any crowned head in Europe. The present Paris commit? tee 1b disgruntled and in opposition, and it is rather generally admitted that there was considerable romanc? ing about tlio original committee. Admittedly the Youug Turk move? ment was a bit of successful oppor? tunism. Its leaders were quick to take advantage of favorable events, which is certainly nothing to their dis? credit. The men were ready for their chance when it came. A German on Top. But now, after the lapse of many months, who is the top man in Tur? key? Amid all the personalities here, which one towers above all others? It Is none other than Baron von Bee bersteln, the German ambassador. One searches in vain for this omnis scient, omnipotent Young Turk of whom we read so much at the time of the parsing of the old order. Instead, he finds behind the forces at work here this shrewd old diplomat, the ablest in Europe, who has within a year Tecoverea n\i the prestige That the German cause lost with the fall of Abdul Hamid. In domestic affairs, as welU* lu foreign relationships the hand Wvon Beeberstein may be traced by those whose business it |g tgHmow the in- 1 war'dness Of current events here. Since this wise old G6rrnon is an extra- I Turkish personality, perhaps it is not fair to consider him in looking for the , most influential figure in the present regime. A Glimpse of the Sultan. It is easier to say who this man is 1 not than who ho is. First of all, ft is not the suits* He may be elim- . inated at the outset. A high diplomat who has had to converse with the present aullan says that the ordeal is like talking to a wooden man. One encounters various terms in the dip? lomatic circles to describe the nonen? tity of Mohammed V. Doubtless, many of these are exaggerated, like the stories of his devotion to the flow? ing bowl. The sultan sees no for? eigners, but anybody may see him at the Selamlik?the weekly function when he goes to the mosque to pray. With Abdul Hamid, this was an or? deal to be dreaded, and he sat cower? ing in his carriage in a coat of mail. Apparently his brother is glad to have this weekly outing, for the poorest hamal that totters over the Galata bridge beneath his monstrous load, sees more of life than does his Royal Highness. He likes the pomp of the lines of soldiers who line the high? way for the short distance from the palace to the mosque. These soldiers are part of the mod? ern army; on the whole, well armed and fairly well set up. Along with them one sees the archaic, red-hel meted fire brigade, with the long leather guards at the back of their helmets. The lancers, who are the sultan's bodyguard, are plainly Mongo? lian, and fine fellows they appear. The sultan, himself, stares at the crowds as the crowds stare at him, or as a countryman gazes at the circus. He wears a fez, and but one decoration on his bre-kt. ills Tace la weal:, ^IZh puffs under the eyes. His beard is grey and rather close cropped. He looks for all the world like the tygte of ge? nial old New England ne'er-do-well, whom one may see sunning himself outside the houae, or sitting on a cracker box in the corner store, while his wife runs the family affairs. The day 1 saw the sultan an Amer? ican girl in the carriage next mine i as &.. :ing a camera at him. He was attracted by the fresh young fig? ure, and obligingly turned his face toward her and smiled?and thtn kept on smiling and craning hla neck j toward her like a gay old flirt. It wa3 j not very dignified or royal, but it was J decidedly revealing, especially when one renu mbers that this man Is "King of kings." "Commander of the Faith? ful," and "The Shadow of God on Farth.' Incidentally, he is a political cipher. 1 The Pric^ner of Salonica. Nor ia Abdul Hamid any longer a foaclble factor in Turkish affairs. Wild tumors fly around Occasionally Of his escape from bis imprisonment, i in the garb of a woman servant, and ! of his being at the bottom of re/o-j j lutionary plots. This Is the last of I the contingencies that the present government has to face. The host advised say that, while Abdul is mo? rose and sleepless, he none the less Is too fond of life to take any chances with this committee His supreme passion Is to be permitted, to die a natural death. For a generation ?lie has been haunted by the nightmare of a violent death Now he is guarded by the most trusted representatives of the commit? tee of union and progress. I am told i 'apt, W. U Hart, of the U, B. |Ar Dt one whose knowledge or Turkish affairs has proved correct on other points that the jailers of Abdul Hamid are men who have blood feuds with him?whose relatives the deposed sultan has slain?and who would be glad of an excuse to square their ac? counts with him. Moreover, Salonica is the center of Young Turk senti? ment, and the most difficult soil for the growth of a reactionary plot. That the common people expect ney? er to see Abdul in power again is shown by the way the press and the public deride and detest and make sport of him. The meanest loafer in the sidewalk cafes is free to curse the memory of the prisoner at Salonica A popular postcard in the shops rep? resents the prison beguilements of the late sultan. It is a portrait cun? ningly created by the grouping of sev? eral houiis, and a vision of the mo?ques and palaces of the Bosphor us within the tarboosh. The harmless diversions of the harem are all of his former glory permitted to Abdul Hamid. Is There a Man of Mystery? One searches in vain for substanti? ation for the early tales of the wonder? ful dictator in Paris, who, unknown himself, rules Turkey through the committee of Union and Progress. There is no really great personality on that bo?y. Not all of the members are known, however, although all pos? sible members have been appraised. There is an Arabian Nights' flavor to the situation in Constantinople to? day. The real head of a department may be a man in the outer office. The cabinet minister may be subject to his secretary in the ante-room. The inner circle of the Young Turk com? mittee is made up of men who, for the purpose, occupy places high and low. Some of the members of this inner circle are in office, some are absolute? ly without official position. The com? mittee has a penchant for putting for? ward the men who look a part and who will fill the role of popular he? roes. This Is the anomaly of present-day Turkey. The committee of Union and Progress is supposed to have dis? solved and passed out of existence. It really runs parliament?an incon? gruity which maltet constitutional government seem like a farce. Fur? thermore, not all of the figureheads who themselves understand their lack of power can enjoy this empty show, war, the supreme commander of the Turkish armies, th<? ' Saviour of Con? stantinople" and the man who has frequently been said to be the real dictator of the present regime in Turkey. Really, Gen. Shevket is practically subordinate co one of his own aids and associates. He is not in the in? ner circle of the committee of Union and Progress, although a genuine Young Turk. It is perhaps an incon? siderate way of putting the case, but I am credibly informed that he is only a sort of puppet in the hands of stronger men. However, he looks the part of a popular idol. Tall, bearded, with small black eyes that flash, he is a veritable Beau Brummel. He could readily be a cruel man and a dictator if he had the power, eise 1 misread physiognomy. While we talked he twirled his nose glasses by the handle, or rolled them on his fin? gers, or twiddled his nose?the right side of which bears a large vaccina? tion mark. Frequently he tilted aside 1 his green astrachan fez and scratched his iron-gray hair. He is a charming gentleman to meet, and he speaks with an apparent openness that would disarm an un- , sceptical interviewer. He told me in all earnestness and apparent sincerity that there was absolutely nothing in the rumored agreement between Rou- | mania and Tur&ey, al?hoigh I had other more trustworthy ?nformation, which history has since confirmed, j that the deal had been made. He speaks with the greatest optimism 1 : concerning the future of the new regime. The financial revenues in? creased by thirty-three million francs during the first year and, because of better methods of collection, a still greater increase will probably be 1 made during the present year. The j I situation throughout the provinces, he said, has very much improved, the turbulent Albanians have been paci? fied and disarmed. Parenthetically, I ! may remark that one who saw the arms the government took in, says that they are only fit for a museum, and that the rifles and revolvers which can really do business are still within reach of the warlike Albanians. Shevket Pasha says he thinks the Al j banians will be a valuable asset to I Turkey when enrolled in the army, and he spoke most magnanimously of their defeat by the Turkish army sent against them. He said they lack The Sultan on a Visit to the Mosque. ed good leaders and organization, and . were overwhelmed by the mass of gov- ! ernraent troops. He looks forward to 150,000 troops from Albania now avail? able. Moslem Versus Christian. When we got to talking about the possibility of further trouble between the Moslems and the Christians, he naively asserted that it was the Mos* lems who were in danger from the Christians, which would explain why Christians rather than the Moslems, are being disarmed. He said that what 4s being done in Albania in the way of establishing a suitable government with law and or der, is being carried out also among the Druses. There is a reasonable percentage of Christians now in the army, according to the new order, and hs Bfi'3 It is unthinkable that there i' I should ever again be strife between islam and Christianity. The first busi? ness of Turkey is the development of her army for the sake of law and or? der throughout the country, as well as In the dealings with other nations. He stressed the idea of a strong Turk? ish army, ready for any emergency, but he looks forward to no immediate armed eventualities with, any other country. The Government's Many Critics. So much for one cabinet minister's view. That he and many like him, in office and out, are real patriots can? not be dented. There are many dis uffected persons in Turkey and for various reasons, some of them obvi? ous. The foreigner is displeased, as he chronically is with any government carried on by those whom he likes to call his inferiors. There are various ! portentous elements of disintegration at work in the empire. I question whether it will ever be possible to have a homogeneous nation here. i The new order of thtngs has brought in a new restlessness among all clasB ' es of people, and Turkey, be it ever 1 remembered. Is a hodge-podge of na? tionalities. On one occasion I count? ed jit least fifteen distinct and differ? ent peoples thai go to make up this I strange govemiue*v The Turkish f >??::? ' vor BO difficult to ph B. Bowles*) ' my. is the guetl of hi. a! ?*r, Mrs. -v and they are one element of weakness In the new order. A Masonic and Jewish Body. Everybody in Constantinople seems to know that the committee which overthrew Abdul Hamid and brought in the new day for the empire is real? ly a Masonic organization. It differs from the masonry of the west In that it is non-rellglous?the name of the Deity is not mentioned in its docu? ments. It la affiliated with the Ital? ian masons and not with the British or American. This fact has incurred the special hostility of orthodox Mo? hammedans, who dislike the Masonic order even more than they detest Christianity. This fact may be borne in mind In any study of present con? ditions, for it is likelier to be a factor in the developments than some more apparent causes. Another charge brought against the committee of Union and Progress is that its membership is largely Jew? ish. Here one must try to master a strange condition, possible only in this romantic east, where the Improb? able and the Incongruous are matters of every day. This particular story harks back more than 200 years, when the son of a Salonica rabbi announced himself as the Messiah and got a con? siderable following. His cause was so portentous that he was arrested and taken before the sultan, where, in his extremity, he renounced his claims and accepted Islam. So great was the confidence of his I followers in this Messiah, that they 1 too obeyed his lead and became Mos? lems. During the ensuing centuries ] they have remained a distinct commu? nity, with thziz uttD uicsiue. r?\kSr never Intermarry w'.rh oVher Moslems, and the genuineness and depth of j their fidelity to Islam is a subject of I scepticism among the faithful. Cer 1 tainly this Moslem-Jewish community j has furnished some of the most ag j gressive men in the empire, and far more than its proportion of the lead? ers of the Young Turk movement. The Military "Dictator." I have interviewed many of the lead en of the Turkish government, and shall have occasion to Quote some them. Here it must BUfflce to giv< representative the one most pic qua figure in the governn moud Shevket Pa iha, the i ii; . Bnell. K. OF P. I.I.I :<T OFFICER**. f-estuig l>e\olopm? ::t EafSBDUE*] in Mayeuvtlle Municipal i:i<vtion. ? i Mayesvilh-. Feb. 7.? Ai 1*1* regular ing of Social Lodge No. 110, K. f P., held last night, t te installation f officers for the ens dng y< ar took pli eo. Installing Offlc ; M. C. Mayes was in charge of the ort and the following were the officers inducted^ Into office: Chancellor Commander, ' .!. W. Spencer; Vice-Chamel j,,r, S. C. Foxworth; Prelate, J. it. Mayes; Keeper of Records and Seals, Dr. E. If. Davis; Master of Work, K. E. Wells; Master of Fxehoquer. Rev. H.^j A. Knox; Master of Finance, T. L. * Kahn; Master at Arms. J. M. Cooper; Ii net- Guard, M. C. Mayes; Outer Gluard, ('has. Richardson. The meet? ing was well attended and was a most profitable one to all concerned. It has been decided to have a supper for the members of the lodge n ihW near future, and one of the officer of the grand lodge will probably be present at any early meeting to ad? dress the lodge on same interesting subject. ?'ow that the books ol registration^ I for i.ne tow*n election on April 1 ar?W open and the election is not quite I two months off. municipal politics are j being discussed and from the present outlook, there will probably be some interesting developments about elec? tion time. According to the charter of the town, it seems that nomina-^ tions for town officials must be made at a mass meeting of the qualified voters, and the citizens voting at this meeting arc thereby bound by the nominations made in the meeting. The meeting is in real'tv a Demo < ItiC primary and the officials nomi-1^ nated are virtually elected. This sys? tem is not now in general favor and probably some action may be taken soon to have the charter of the town ehanged and this mass meeting sys t* m done away with. Miss Rosa Steele, of Yorkville. ijf visiting her sister, Mrs. Minnie Steele < 'handler. Mrs. C. F. King has gone to HartSVille on a visit to her sister, Mrs. Sara Rarrin^er McLeod. in town last evening, the giu-st fir. and Mrs. m. C. Ifayea 3* FARMERS GATHERING COTTON'. it. T Very Little Commercial Fertilizers to Be ?sed at Wlspeky This season. Wieaeky, Pab. I.?Notwithstanding ilif severe weather the farmers are tard at work gathering the cotton remaining in the fields, of which there is a considerable quantity, b"t Which will soon be gathered if th ninshlne continues. There will b very little turned under the soil, if tb<? present prices continue. Some farmers are breaking their lands, and putting down cotton seed as fertilizers. Some are planting in oats. 1 ha\e not heard of any buy? ing commercial fertilizers and. from j\ all I can learn, the quantity of fer? tilizers will be greatly reduced this season. This is as it should be, for the large quantity of fertilizers used last year, had more to do with pro? ducing the bumper crop of cotto than the large acreage, creating an enormous debt, thereby forcing the farmer to rush his crop on the mar? ket in order to meet his obligations. It is useless to reduce acreage, un? less we reduce the amount of fer? tilizers. Numbers of hogs ha\v died nearb> Jn? with cholera, or other diseases. Only one of our neighbors has suffered any loss. I hear he has lost 40 head. Ef? forts have been made to check the disease, which 1 think have been suc? cessful. I trust it has. as the hog crop has been very profitable for the*^ last three years. If every section of our country had provided as rich sup? plies of meat as this one there would not be much demand for this article of food. Mr. Asa Mooneyham has bought the farm formerly owned by Mr. *s| Mike Player, and moved his family in our midst. We are delighted to have them as neighbors, and welcome them among us. 1 am delighted to see the spirit of the farmers of Sumter Cuonty showik, by the returns of committees, to 8v A cure pledges for reduction of acreage, planted in cotton. I have not heard of any movement of the kind in Lee County, but every one with whom I have discussed the subject says they will reduce without pledges. I am glad to report that there |i very little sickness of any conse quence. > Marriage License Record. Marriage licensee have been -sued to the fallowing couples: i Mr. Charley Burgess Jenkins ar \ Miss Martha < >. Rroekington. whins, of Sumter; and Rrayton Butler and Genie Singleton, colored, of Btateburg. Heard in Sunday School. gjg**| "What ? do In rase hflf^ right hand offends him?" "Become