Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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TOBACCO LEGISLATION DEEDED WAREHOUSE METHODS CAUSE (HEAVY IA)SS TO TOBACCO U ROWERS. Pi-acUcc of Selllitjc Leaf Tolauvo L'n ?Tmded Is Peculiar to South Cum Una ami Result* in Serious Dlscrlm (notion AgainM South Carolina To tsMXN??Change Demanded by the Farmers. Editor Sumter Daily Item: Since the farmers started the move? ment to get better marketing condi? tions on their tobacco, so much ias been said which was misleading, we would be glad if you would give us space to explain to your readers what we wish to do. We have asked the legislature to put a license fee of $5 on every tobac? co warehouse in the State and to en? act a law restricting them to the sale of leaf tobacco wr'ch has been grad? ed and tied. Oi urse to except bag scrdap. At the same time to amend the law regulating warehouse charges so they will be reduced to the North Carolina scale. Now what we hope to accomph.-h in: 1. An extension of the selling s?a son to avoid the terrible congestion on our markets. x. To keep down over-production. I. To receive a better price for our tobaco. For tho past few years we have had to rush our tobacco to market with? out getting any improvement in the bulk. Any good tobacco farmer knows what a bi* improvement he gets on the appears! ce of his tobacco by bulking It for a month or ilx weeks. He also knows that the buy era buy his tobacco by the way It looks when placed on floor for sale. We are confronted with conditions the year which have not prevailed heretofore. When cotton was selling well and labor was scarce, and A'e needed all the room we could Ket lor our cotton, then we were raising normal crops of tobacco, the demand exceeded the supply. Competition was keen and the buyers greedy for our tobacco. Then we could afford to handle our product In a^ careless man? ner, and sacrifice on the price, for we were making good money anyway. Hu now conditions are different. Leist year with very poor seasons over the entire belt we raised over forty-one million pounds. Had the seasons been good we would have made sixty mil? lion. Eastern North Carolina, made a big crop and as It is also a cotton country tt h* but natural that they wid Increase. Now we had just as well meet the situation squarely. Our tobaccos are being discriminated against, and it is due to our method of marketing them. Eastern North Carolina went into to? bacco raising at the same time that South Carolina did. We followed the sane methods of ridslr.g and market? ing until a few years ago when they* were forced?mark the word forced ?to grade all of their tobacco. Up to thU time we were received about tho same price for our tobacco. Since then they have on some years nearly doubled us. I have taken the trouble to get the averages from the Wilsen, N. C, market for several years. This market is centrally located in the fat sardy eastern coast part of the State, where the lands, the climate, the sea? son and the people are similar to the South Carolina section. They make the same types of tobacco we do. They grade and tie every leaf. They commence to sell in Auk ist and soil until March. Now let us see what they are do? ing. The Wilson figures were gotten from the president of their board of trade and the South Carolina tlgures frcrn our State Commissioner, E. J. Watson. Year Wilson, N. C. S. C. Dif. in av - erase. lilt.$19.88 10.90 8.9 S 1913.19.03 IMI 5.20 19L4. estimated. .15.00 9.68 5.32 The average loss per year to tbe South Carolina farmer Is 10.53 per 10?) po inds. South Carolina Hold during thtse past three years 98.7:19,121 pounds. Total hm? to the South Caroli na farmer at $6.5:'. per 100 pounds, is 9?.447.644.79. Now granting an ex? treme allowance fay grading and loss of weight of $1.50 per 100 pounds. WS | still have a net loss of $1.906,577.93 to the South Carolina farmer for thi?e years. This is a little over a million and a half dollars net loss per gagf distributed over about half dozen counties. Tho United States makes about *>r?0 million pounds of tobacco each year. Kvery leaf of It Is grad? ed before being nob! except the forty million raised In this State. If they are wrong nnd we are right why do they not adopt mir system of market? ing? We have tbe ?mall 'armer on our side who wants to reis?- a sin ill amount, handle It nk?dy and get big returns for his pains ami cue. There are larg farmer* who are not p!cas ee with the bill, "his is the man who has a big place and g lot of Ignorant negro sbaro croppers. WOMAN SUFFRAGE DEFEATED. RESOLl'TIOX FOlt COXSTITITIOX AL AMKXDMKXT FAILS. Advocates of Cause Say Fight Will i ontlnue?Vote of 201 to 171?South Carolina Delegation Opposed to Measure. The entire South Carolina delega? tion in the house yesterday voted against the resolution to submit a woman suffrage constitutional amendment to the people. Messrs. Aiken, Byrnes, Finley, Johnson, Lever, Kagsdale ;ind Whaley all were pres? ent and voted solidly against submis? sion. Washington, Jan. 12.?The house of representatives tonight by a vote of 204 to 174 refused to submit to the States an amendment to the federal constitution to enfranchise women. A two-thirds majority would have been necessary for adoption of the resolu? tion submitting the amendment. Hundreds of women who had sat in the crowded galleries throughout the eight hour.* of debate greeted the an? nouncement of the result with varied expressiontt of approval or disap? proval. Dejection mingled with en? thusiasm as the purple and yellow sashes of the suffragists and the red rose bedecked anti-suffragists filed out into the house corridors, wearied with the long strain of oratory. It was the second defeat suffered by the suf? frage cause in congress within a year .On March 19, last, a suffrage consti? tutional amendment received a vote of 35 to 34 in the senate, obtaining a bare mapority, but not the necessary two-thirds. Suffragist leaders, undismayed by the result of tonight's vote, declared that the fight was by no moans over. Dr. Anna Howard Shaw and other prominent uuffragists who sat with her In the gallery through the debate pre? dicted a mjre favorable result when congress a grain is called on to vote on the question. Anti-suffragists weer well satisfied. "The result is what tve expected," said Mrs. Arthur M. Dodge, president ?I the National Assoication Opposed to Woman Suffrage. 'It means that the suffrage movement, fostered by hysterical women, is on the wane." Insurance Man Kils Himself. Blakely. Qa., Jan. 12.?C. H. Rob inson, a prominent insurance man, cbmmitfed suicide fcy shooting himself in his office today. The suicide is said to be due to financial troubles. He wants to make tobacco like cot? ton. If he can realize a decent rental for his land he is satisfied. It is to this class of farmers that we may look for over productions, for which we nust all suffer, and it is sure to come if conditions continue like they are. The only way to reach it is through the legislature, for the non-resident warehousemen will never agrees to a change. He is identified with us for only a short season and the shorter the season the better pleased he is. Hut be it said to the credit of the warehousemen who make South Car? olina their home, they are not fight? ing it. What they get in increased commissions from higher average prices will be overcome by the reduc? tion to the North Carolina scale of charges and the lengthened time they will have to hire their force, but they are willing to see th? farmer better his condition if possible. Conditions are growing worse each year. You see what the crowded glutted markets did for you the past year. Now with a sixty million crop to face and with short time we have to sell it, and with the limited capacity of the ouyer to handle it, you may expect worse crowded conditions than ever before. Now we have plenty of time to correct the evil and it can be done by the pro? posed law. Write your members of the legislature or the senator at Co? lumbia and iik him to do something to help relieve the situation. If you full to do this and find your tobacco discriminated against in favor of other States when the crop is better pro pared for market and when they don't have to sell it all in sixty days, blame no one but yourself. if you will prepare your tobacco for market by letting it remain a reason? able length of time in the bulk. Then grade and tie it, you will lind the buy? er will remain lu re and give yon a square deal, but II you are disposed to dump it on the market like shueks, then yog will lind the buyer disposed 10 throw our crop into the low grades and pay us accordingly. if it is known before the buyer comes her?- he will find the crop Krad? d. be will come with the limits on a graded basis equal to Mastern North Carolina, but if it is not a Htate wiile movement tbey will como a usual with limits on an ungruded ba sis and the OftOS who made will re eelve no b*nent Write your rej.'esentative today t< help you. N. A. McMillan. Business A^ent Farmers Union, Ma rion County. BLEA8E TURNS OUT ENTIRE MILITIA OF STATE. Will Affect Thirty-one Companies in the Three Raiments, Comprising More than Two Thousand Men and Olliccrs?Adjutant General to Take Matter up With War Department, Which is Asked to Delay Action. The news that Gov. Bleats had dis* banded the entire militia of the State, affecting two thousand men in the thirty-one companies which make up the three regiments of the State mili? tia, was the general subject of conver? sation last night, whan the matter be? came generally known. The an? nouncement did not cause as much surprise as might be expected, as the governor's controversies with the mili j tia practically ever since he has been in the executive chair, were well known, and any action by him ceas? ed being a surprise some time ago. What will be the outcome of Gov. Blaase'l proclamation in the standing of the militia with the war department awaits to be seen. The order follows: "Whereas, differences have arisen bgtween the secretary of war of the United States of America and the sec? retary of the navy of the United Stales of America, and the adjutant and inspector general, department of State of South Carolina, and his ex? cellency, the governor of the State of South Carolina, who is also Command? er-in-chief of the military and naval forces of the said State of South Carolina, and, "Whereas, differences have arisen between the adjutant and inspector general and the commanding ollictrs of the volunteer militia of the said Statt?, which have caused serious breaches of discipline in said depart? ment and much discord; and, "Whereas, the present governor ol the State of South Carolina is of the opinion that it would be unfair and unjist on his part to turn over to his successor in ofllce the militia of the StatD of South Carolina in its present Condition?brought about by differ? ences heretofore mentioned, ' which mig'.it be very embarrassing to the incoming administration of the State of South Carolina; and, "Whereas, there are many?chief among whom is the present com mander-in-chief?who are of the opinion that the State of South Caro? lina made a serious mistake in be coming a part of the National Guard under what is commonly known as the 'Dick Law Now, know ye, I.. ..governor.of the State of South Carolina and com mander-in-chief of the militia of said State, under and by virtue of the power vested in me as the governor of the State of South Carolina and commander-in-chief of the militia of said State, by the constitution of \his State, the code of laws of this State and the constitution of the United States of America, .? "Do hereby order and ordain, That all the militia of the State of South Carolina, including the National Guards, as now enlisted, and all of the volunteer militia of the said State of South Carolina be. and they are hereby, dissolved, mustered out and disbanded. "Thi sorder to take effect imme? diately." Reception in Honor of Mrs. R. I4 Manning. 0 le of the most delightful social affairs of the season was a reception tendered by the members of Chapter I of the Woman'! Quild, In honor of Mrs. R, I. Manning, at the home of Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas. Mrs. Man? ning is one of the charter members of this guild and will be much missed by every one. The Quild en masse presented Mrs. Manning with an armful of carnations, the presentation being made by Mrs. Hubert Osteen, who very touching* ly elprCSaed the regret of the Guild at ttio prospect of losing Mrs. Man? ning, as i n ever present and active member, Mrs. Manning, hov.es er. faithfully promised she would be with them as often as the occasion would permit. The home .vas very tastefully dec? orated in fernSi emllax and carna? tions, and presented a bower of beau? ty. The hostess, assisted by Miss Krlstlanaon, very charmingly enter? tained hei gueat!. delightful refresh? ment! wiie served and n very pleas? ant evening spout. J The Guild and all its friends wish Governor iml. Mrs. Manning a hearty God-speed, and may their occupancy of the Gubernatorial Man-ion be hap by in proportion t<? tin- regret thai follows at the loss we entertain. Columb|aa Jan. 1 !. The dispen? se rl s in 16 counties of the State sold approximately $3,600,000 worth i>r whiskey In 1914, according lo u report by Mose H. Mobley, Stat?- dlspensarj auditor* Tin- profit i<? the counties was $900,000. Considering the num? ber of counties having the dispensary ?dem ;is compared with 1913, the to | tal sabs h io\v a considerable dec rouse, [department assured that manning will act. No Trouble Expected From Disband? ing of State Troops, as Now Ad? ministration Comes in Next Week. Washington. Jan. l).?'The war department Will take no action until the new governor comer? In. The de? partment thoroughly understands the I situation and there is no reason what? ever to assume that there will he any, serious trouble there." This was the statement made hero today by Gen. J Mills, chief of the division of military affairs of the war department, when I asked as to the Status of conditions I regarding the order of Oov. Blease disbanding the South Carolina troops. There is a great deal in this state? ment. It means that with a now State administration but a week away ami with the assurance that the now gov? ernor will undo what Gov. Blease has just done In his order disbanding the j militia the war department will take | absolutely no action regarding the i matter until the new governor is sworn in. The assurance that the militia will be reorganized by Gov.-elect Manning as soon as he takes office January 19, was giVon in a statement here today by Adjt. Gen. W. \V. Moore. Mr. Moore said the governor-elect has told him to convey that assurance to war department officials. Mr. Moore will ask department of? ficials tomorrow as to steps to take regarding establishing the militia to its former footing. He expressed con? fidence that the situation would ad? just itself satisfactorily immediately after the expiration of Gov. 1 .lease's j term of office. The policy of the war department la not to tear down and disrupt bu?? j to build up the State troops, making them auxiliary to the regular army, and with this In view there is but the slightest chance of South Carolina troops being permanently mustered out. In fact, the present situation Is doubtless what the department lias been desiring ever since the trouble with Goy. Blease began a year or more ago. Discussing the matter, Senator Till man said today: MI think it an op? portune time for Gov. Manning to co? operate With the United States au? thorities and have the militia take an entirely new start and be thor? oughly reorgainsed. The State is now charged with a good many thousand dollars' worth of munitions ami arms that are lost and can never be recovered, of every imaginable sort of quartermasters* supplies too nu? merous to mention, as well as obso? lete ordnance and ordnance stores, and 1 believe the war department will be entirely friendly towards the pro? posed reorganization and In starting a new slate. "in a communication from the sec? retary of war to Gov. Blease dated July t), 1914, Secretary Garrison said: " 'It is hoped the State will take early and effective steps to settle the above mentioned property questions, to generally reorganize the mlltia in B manner that will assure an effective and stable force to provide in the future for prompt compliance with the federal laws for the government of the organized militia, and to pro? vide for the care, safekeeping and ac? countability or government supplies loaned to the militia of the State. "The State, however, must do its Share and the legislature and GoV. Manning should see to this. Gov. Blease s action instead of being harm? ful, as he no doubt Intended it to bo, Will result In great good to the State'.* military establish mint. "In the same letter above quoted from, Secretary Garrison said: " 'When the organized militia of South Carolina is placed on a satis? factory basis the war department will consider the withdrawal of the re? strictions of which you are Informed In this communication and which are effective on and after this date.' I "Mr. Garrison's letter is on file in the executive office In Columbia, no doubt, and Co,v. Manning can read it and find out the exact status from the war department's view. "in starting a new slate, which will be necessary after the war depart? ment has received and receipted for such arms and stores as arc turned In, Oov. Manning can feel the satis? faction of having accomplished some ti .ng for the State without incurring the odium or unpoptilaritj that would come h;t(i he Inaugurated it. "in my Judgment the legislature, ii it is w ise, will provide for n thorough rcorganlnztton of the militia nnd pul it on a more efficient basis than it now is. The war scare which the European situation has produced and clamor for preparedness t>> meet a possible invasion has shown the ne? cessity, to me, ?'t' Hie different States having thorough overhauling ol i lu ir military oHtnbllshnn nts." I < >s:m?' orange w ood is ;i source of dye and can be used lo supplement the Imported fustic wood, ;is n per i mamnt yellow for textil< s, OUR OLD STATE ROAD. Written for Sumter's Homo Chapter, J). A. H., by Ann Cntherine Ander? son Sounders. Perhaps the .story eounda etrj ?ige of an Indian trail, the pathway oi' sav? ages, whose silent footfalls scarce gave alarm to th<^ wild denizens of the for? ests, nor sounded a discoi d among the whispering windy. Perhaps from tl\i? savage trail t.' the biased road of a pioneer trader, and again to a Kings high- ay, sounds stranger still to our democratic car-, especially just at this period, wh n the Imperialism of Europe has plung? ed nations into a vortex Of war, de? struction and desolation, and yet over this Kings highway our forefathers fought their battles, winning- liberty and Independence. And bo, beginning with the Indian trail, we will work our way patiently until we Und ourselves on he old State road of the present day, which j is well defined and still used, con j nectlng Charleston with Charlotte, N. C, passing through Camden. During the period of stage coach and tavern, when the weary traveller welcomed the sight of the wayside inn as a haven of rest, two of these inns were situated in the village of statc burg, one at Manchester, eight miles below. The beautiy of the country through which this road lies becam? a matter of history, attracting the at? tention of many of the most noted men of their day. The historian, i ltobert Mills, in Iiis Statistics of South Carolina, page 74 7. says: "The road from Stateburg to Charleston is the great thoroughfare for all wag? ons east and west of the Catawba and should claim the attention of the leg? islature. A place can hardly be con? ceived more horrible than Nelson's swamp in winter, yet In the direct route to Charleston." In the year 1700, John Lawson, then surveyor general of the province, travelled by water from Charleston to the Huguenot settlement on the Han tee. He found that these settlers were also connected by a road from Charleston. Above this point, which was but forty miles from Charleston, there was neither road nor settle? ment in South Carolina. This surveyor traveled on to the up? per part of the State, visiting differ? ent Indian tribes, conducted by an In? dian guide, over a trail which even- j tually was laid off into a King's high? way, one of the colonial roads of the province. That trail he describes in | his "Journal of a Thousand Miles i Traveled Through Several Nations of Indians: "On December 28, 1700, I began my voyage for North Carolina from Char? leston in a large canoe." Then he describes his trip by water up 10 the Huguenot settlement on the Santee. From there he continued his journey by land, guided by his Indian pilot. He saw no more settlements of whites, j and his description of the country was from e>bservation; he had no time for) surveying. He says: "We traveled by a swamp road, which swamp I believe to be no less than twenty miles over, the other side being as far as I could well discern, there appearing great ridges of mountains, bearing us w. x. W. One a.li, with a top like a sugar loaf advanced its head above the rest very considerably." The historian who cuotcs him a century ago remarks: "The prospect he describes is evidently the one seen from the Santee hills. The old In? dian path passed over a point of one of these at Capt. Becker's plantation, from which the prospect extends more than twenty miles, and the alp which was so conspicuous must have been Cook's Mount, opposite Stato burg." From Historic Sketch, by William Dobein James. A. M.: A few yeu.S after Surveyor Lawson came William Saunders, an English gentleman, who came to America to make Iiis fortune bv trading with the Indians. He em ployed several men and ;i train of pack mules in this enterprise, and was said to have been the first man, to blaze a road between Georgetown and the large Indian town which was sit? uated very n< ar the present site of Camden. This blazed road was merg? ed Into the Indian trail through the greater part of its route. This pioneer named the creeks In his path from lo? cal associations and incidents occur? ring on his first journe> to Indian i Town. j Beech Creek he named from a handsome beech tree which grew on us bank; Rafting Creek, because it was so broad an l deep he feared his goods would !>'? ruined, so he con? structed a raft, which bore them over In safety. Swift Creek, tamed from its rapid current; Town Creek, near the Indian Town: Pine Tree Creek be I cause be cut a tall pine on its ban!. I to assist him in crossing. Saunders Creek, above Camden, was named for We have now advanced from a irall I to a biased road, the transition to .i settlement of the province advanced and (be population Increased. .\ow we can travel over it with our I Kevoluntioi.ary heroes, Suniter, Ma him. rion, General Greene with his army, and counties-; numbers who fought for Independence, whose names are to us household words. Over this road. Lord Cornwall!* marched and loitered, too, in the vain hope thai he would catch our Game Cock napping and that cruel Tarleton who demanded the hospitality of women and then burnt their homes; but these passed on forever, and back our warriors came, bearing the shield of Liberty. Then the King's highway became a State road sixty feet wide, governed by the statutes and laws, protected from the wanton destruction of its shade trees, such grand old trees, that In some places arched overhead with moss, or garlanded with roses. How many winsome maidens, bon nie brides and brave, true men drove over this beautiful road, the waving brandies and fitful shadows cannot I tell us but there are still some per? sons lining who can point out spots where during the war of the Revolu? tion or the War Between the States, some men foughz and died. How has this roadway been* pre? served and tended, which came to us i from our fathers, full of usefulness and romance, even stained with the blood of patriots? A wayside flower! u unsightly stump, perch nice a lone tree, Standing by an undignified single roadbed, marks out the neg? lected heritage. These narrow roads when tanked on each side by perpendicular ditches, are obviously dangerous, especially now that the era of the motor car de? mands a broad, safe road ? If the appeal of safety, beauty and sentiment is inadequate, the com? mercial value of a beautiful, broad drive-way is unquestioned, challeng? ing a world-wide interest, which In most places has already produced earnest endeavor and acomplishment. To us has come the privilege of tak? ing the initial steps towards a grad? ual restoration of our old State road; how pleasant it will be to renew some? what of is beauty and preserve its history. The placing of granite J boulders along this road presents a work for our Chapter when such ef efforts are justified by its bettered condition. These boulders will stand as monuments of the past, and remain a legacy to future gem: rations of our fathers. The reward will be great, both in sentiment and practical utility, if we arouse a spirit of determination to improve this road, and also our fine old Sumter road, so that they may again be worthy of a people rich in history, responsive always to the call of progress. RAILWAY OFF1CIAU DEAD. Christopher Schultz Gadsdcn Passes Away at the Age of 81 Years. Charleston, Jan 11.?Christopher Schultz Gadsden, second vice presi? dent of the Atlantic Coast Line Rail? road corr?pany, died today in Summer ville. He was in his 81st year. He was president of the Charleston & Savan? nah railroad \ hen it was purchased by the Atlantic C it Line and became president of the ' tlantic Coast Line Railways of Soui. Carolina. When the lines were taken into the Atlantic Coast Line of Virginia about 12 years ago Mr. Gadsden was elected second vice president. He was one of the sur? veyors of the Charleston & Savannah and was builder of the original Char It ston & Western railroad, known then as the Port Royal road. Read Your Label. It will show the date of your sub? scription and serve as a gentle re? minder to send us a check to bring your subscription up to date. Blankst*Of All Kinds. Land rent liens, lease, chattel mortgage, note and mortgage, agricul? tural chattel mortgage, labor oui tracts, real estate mortgagee, real es? tate titles, urn a complete supply of law blanks for lawyers and magis? trates. All correctly printed on good paper. Ostcen Cub. Co., IS West Lib : ci ty Street. There is serious need for reform of lour present bankruptcy laws. They are framed too largely in the interest of the lawyers and have too little re gard for the Interests of the creditors. They work a great hardship too, by reason of the fact that they hold out too much temptation to the lawyer to force an embarrassed debtor to tho wall before there is any real necessity lor such a M<;>. As a rule the people who get most out of a bankrupt estate are the trustees, tin1 attorney for the trustee and the attorney for the bank* rapt. Prom the standpoint of exp.n siveness, wreck and ruin the bankrupt law that was in force for several year* following the ?'i\i! war, is hardly a circumstance to the law now in opera? tion.? Vorkvllle Enquirer. In district I of the forest service, with headquarters at Ogden, Utah? llifrhtntnej caused per cent of thin ><-,rs 11 res and campers 27 per cent.