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THE ASHBURN ADVANCE.
II. I). SMITH. EDITOR.
Till: DEAD WARSHIP
BEV. HR. TALM AGE’S SUNDAY
DISCOURSE.
‘The Peace That Passed* All Understand*
lng*‘ is the Title ot the Fifteenth Ser¬
mon in the New York Herald’s Compe¬
titive Series—Dr.Tnlmnge on the Maine.
“Seek peace, and pursue it.”—Psalm
sxxiv., 14.
These words mean that pence is an object
deed worthy of being vigorously sought, even in¬
of being hunted after.
1. There is peace which is tho opposite of
worry. The future is always uncertain.
We lay our plans us wisely as wo may, but
there are innumerable contingencies be¬
tween them mul their realization. We keep
asking ourselves, “Have I omitted any im¬
portant item from my calculations? Have
1 ; ut my money in good securities, or in an
enterprise that after all lacks promise? Is
accident or sickness going to befall me?
Have I made proper provision for my fam¬
ily or for my own old age?” There aro
lines of care upon the faces we meet. Even
though some people are careless and light
hearted, most meil know the stern realities
of life, and do not cast off cares easily. Life
brings its worriments, and where there is
worry there cannot he pence.
2. Peace is the opposite of conflict. War
desolates a land. Weary marches, fierce
battles, horrible carnage bn tho side of tho
army und desolation and sorrow iu multi¬
tudes of homes mark its continuance.
Peace meats'ft reunited Nation, business
prosperity, intellectual and social advance¬
ment, happy homes, rewarded industry-
all those good things which we sum under
tho word “progress.” .Tumultuous pas¬
sions rage in some man’s breast, envy
gnaws or avarice shrivels or anger lacer¬
ates or lust burns. What a contrast to such
a one the real saint, with the Sabbath morn¬
ing calm upon his brow and peace like a
river in his heart!
3. Peace is the opposite of a disturbed
conscience. It is unfortunately true that
there are a great many men who are not
concerned about their evil doing. It is not
peace which is in such souls, but moral
stagnation. The pretty-uniform testimony
of mankind, on the other hand, is that the
human heart is not at peace. That men
feel themselves to be somehow out of right
relations to Dicty is the thought that un¬
derlies all religions. Tho great question
that comes to the front in heathen lands
ns well as in Christian is, “How shall ft
man bo just with God?” Until that ques¬
tion is satisfactorily answered there is no
peace. - ;
The important, shall practical question now
is, How peace be secured?
1. As contrasted witli worry, tlie way of
peace is trust. Trust does not imply care¬
lessness or indifference. In our Lord’s
beautiful discourse His warning iu regard
to tho cares of life is really not “Take no
thought,” but rather “Be not anxious.”
‘-‘Youiv heavenly Father,” He says, “know-
eth that ye have need of all these tilings.”
No one fs lightly relieved of care in plan¬
ning or diligence in the work of life, but
proper care and reasonable diligence are
very different from worry.
This lesson of trust is not always easy to
learn, but it can be learned. God is on tho
throne of the universe. We do not under¬
stand His plans, but it is enough that He
rules. When we are sure of our pilot we
need not question every time He shifts the
helm. We cannot see the end from tho be¬
ginning, but the Father can. It is to be
understood that losses and failures, great¬
er or less, will still come into our lives.
But they will not interfere with the peace
whiqh trust in God brings. It is tlie peace
of tlie great ocean deops, even though the
tempest rages on tlie surface, Nor is such
peace stolidity; it is not superficial light¬
ness. It is full and true and it possesses
the soul. It is deep, pervading, endur¬
ing.
2. As contrasted with conflict, peace is
to be gained by conquest, It is the battle
fought through to victory, It was thus
that our nation gained peace in the War of
the Revolution. How precarious just now
the'conditiou of Europe, with each nation
nrmed to the teeth! It ts not a satisfactory
peace when war may flame out at any mo¬
ment. Nothing is ever settled until it is
settled right. human
In the conflict ot passions in tho
breast peace caa be lmd only by conquest.
A man must be the victor over lilmself or
the evils within him will continue tn angrv
war. The peaceful possession of truth
comes only tlirougli conflict fought to a
finish. We deprecate theological contro¬
versies, and some of them indeed are fool¬
ish enough. But even theological warfare
is better that a calm which Is tho quiet of
death. Wheu the great fundamental relig¬
ious contentions have been fought through
to victory permanent and productive peace
will ensue.
3. As contrasted with a disturbed con¬
science, peace comes through atonement.
There will be peace only when man is at
one with God. The bringing this to pass
is the atonement—through Jesus Christ.
The salvation which Jesus brings is not in
sin, but from sin. It is a work wrought not
so much for tho believer as in the believer.
It is no artifleal process binging on a legal It
nctioD. It is Something real and vital. life
is a new life in tlie believing heart—the
of God within the man, deep and high and
wide as tlie divine grace and lasting as
eternity. This is true peace—peaoe here
on earth, and peace swelling In fuller tide
out into the life that lies beyond this.
Rev. Olives A. Kingsbury,
Pastor of tlie Presbyterian Church, New
Hartford. N. Y.
THE DEAD WARSHIP.
Maine Disaster Sent to Show Horrors of
Wav, Dr. Talmage Says.
Dr. T. DeWitt Talmage spoke of the
Maine disaster at the First Presbyterian
Church in Washington. His subject was
“The Dead Warship,” the discourse being
on the text James iii., 4—“Behold also the
ships. • : stunned by the destruc¬
“The nation is
tion of our war steamer. The heart of the
world is wrung with sympathy for the
wounded und dying, and for the bereft
households. The steamship Maine has
gone down and been buried in the great
cemetery of dead ships. Woe! Woe! Woe!
Let one’united and universal prayer go up
jn behalf of the broken-hearted fathers and
mothers and wives of those who perished
amid the awful calamity. And do not for¬
get the men who are qn’manyseis'hrnaval
service.
Star of hope! beam o’er thebillow,
Bless the soul that sighs for thee,
Bless the sailor’s lonely pillow,
Far, far at sea,
Star of peace! When winds are mocking
All his toils, lie flies to thee.
Save him from the billows rocking
Far, far at sea,
“Just why this destruction of our war¬
ship was allowed was at first a mystery;
but I think I understand it now. I believe
the calamity was allowed in order to teach
this nation something of the horror of war,
so that we might keep out of it. Have war,
find instead of 260 ir.en slaipr-you will have
ASHBURN. WORTH CO.. GA.. FRIDAY. MARCH 4, 1898.
iO.OOO slain, 20,000 slain, and instead ot
200 bereft American homes, 10,000, yen 20,-
C00 homes iu blackness and darkness. Is
it not appropriate, under these elreum-
stances, tliat I show you the debt this na¬
tion owes to our American Navy and
speak of tile heroism of some of those who
have trod the necks, and express to those
who may hear, its well as to those who may
rea l these words, our gratitude and appre¬
ciation. ‘Behold also t tie shtps.''
“If this exclamation was appropriate
about eighteen hundred and seventy years
ago, when it was written can Kerning the
cru do Ashing smacks that sailed Lake
CialiiC', how much more appropriate in an
ago which has launched from the dry
cks, for the purpose or peace, the Lu
canhi, of iho cunard Line; thu Majestic
of the Wliito Star Line, and the Now York,
of the American Line; and warships like
the Idaho, Shenandoah, Brooklyn, Indiana,
Columbus, Texas; and tho scarred veterans
of war-shipping, liko tho ‘Constitution, or
the Alliance, or the Constitution, that have
swung into navy yards to spend their last
days.
“Wo will not know what oar national
prosperity is worth until we realize what
it has cost. I recall the unrecited fact
that the men of the navy in the past and in
tho present have run and are running now
especial risks. They have not only tho
human weaponary to contend with, but the
tides, the fog, the storui. Not like other
ships could they run into a harbor at the
approach of because an equinox, harbors or a cyclone, or a
hurricane, the wore hos¬
tile. A miscalculation of a tide might
leave them on a liar, and a fog might over¬
throw all tho pTuus of wisest Commodore
or Admiral, and accident might leave them,
not on the land ready for an ambulance,
but at tile bottom of the sea. Everywhere
at the mercy of tho Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans, which have no mercy. Such tem¬
pests as wrecked the Spanish Armada
anight any day sweep upon the squadron.
No hiding behind tho earthworks; no dig¬
ging in of cavalry than spurs at tho sound of re¬
treat. Mightier all the fortresses of
all the coasts is the ocean when it bombards
a flotilla.
“In the cemeteries for Federal and Con¬
federate dead are the bodies of most of
those who fell on the laud, Bat where
those dead are who went down in war ves¬
sels will not be known until the sea gives
up its dead. The Jack Tars know that
white loving arms might carry the men
who fall on tho land and bury them with
solemn liturgy and the honors of war, for
tho bodies of those who dropped from the
ratlins into the sea, or wont down with all
on board under tho stroke of a gunboat,
there remain the shark and the wlmlo and
tDo endless tossiDg of the sea, which can¬
not rest. Nothing but the archangel's
trumpet shall reaelr their lowly bed. Can¬
non hall threatening iu front, bombs threat¬
ening from the bluffs, torpedoes threaten¬
ing from beneath, and the ocean with Us
reputation of C000 years for shipwreck ly¬
ing all around. Am 1 not right in saying
it required a special courage for the navy,
as it requires a special courage now?
“It looks picturesque and beautiful to
see a war vessel goiug out to sea. Sail¬
ors in new rig singing ‘A Life on the
Ocean Wave, a Home on. the Roaring
Deep,’ the colors gracefully dipping to
passing ships, the decks immaculately
clean, and the guns at quarantine firing a
parting salute. But ail the poetry has
gone out of that ship as it comes out of
the engagement, its decks red with blood,
wheel house gone, the cabins a pile of
shattered mirrors, and destroyed furni¬
ture, steering wheel brokeD, smokestack
crushed, a 100-pound Whitworth rifle shot
having ieft its mark from port to star-
board, tho shrouds rent away, ladders
shattered, smoke-blackened and scalded
corpses lying among those who aro gasp¬
ing their last gasp far away from home
and kindred, whom they love as much as
we love ours, O, men who once belonged
to tho Western squadron, or tho Eastern
squadron, or the South Atlantic squadron,
or the North Atlantic squadron, or the
Mississippi squadron, or the Pacific
squadron, or the West India squadron,
hear our thanks! Take the benediction
of our churches. Accept tho hospitali¬
ties of the nation, If we had our way we
would give you not only a pension, but a
home, and a princely wardrobe, and un
equipage, and a banquet while you live,
aud after your departure a catafalque and
a mausoleum of sculptured marble, with a
model of the ship in which you won the
day.
“It is considered a gallant thing when in
the naval light the flagship, with Us blue
ensign, goes ahead up a river or into a bay,
Us Admiral standing in tho shrouds watch¬
ing aud giving orders; but I have to tell
you, O veterans of the Americnu Navy, if
you aro as loyal to Christ as you aro to the
Government, there is u flugship sailing
ahead of you of which Christ is the Admiral,
aud He watches from the shrouds, and tho
heavens aro the blue ensign, and He leads
you toward the lmrbor, and all tho broad¬
sides of earth and hell cannot damage you,
and ye whose garments were once red with
pain and blood shall have a robe washed
and made white in the blood of the Lamb.
Then strike eight bells! High noon in
heaven! With such anticipation, O veterans
of tho American Navy, 1 cheer you to bear
up under tho aches and weaknesses that
you still carry from the war times. You are
not as stalwart ns you would have been but
for that nerve of strain and for tlmt ter¬
rific exposure. Let every ncho and pain,
instead of depressing, remind you of your
fidelity. God forgets. He
But never remembers
the swinging hammock; Ho remembers the
forecastle; He remembers the frozen ropes
of January tempest; He remembers the am¬
putation without sufficient anaisthet'es;
He remembers the horrors of that deafen¬
ing night when forts from both sides
belched on you their fury and tho heavens
glowed with the ascending and descending
missiles of death and your ship quaked un¬
der the recoil of tho 100-pouuder while all
the gunners, according to command, stood
on tiptoe, with mouth wide open, lest the
concussion of the ship shatter hearing or
brain. Ho remembers it all better than
you remember it, and in some shape reward
will be given. God is tho best of all pay¬
masters-, and for those who do their whole
duty to Him the pension awarded is an
everlasting heaven.
“But will It not be grand when all these
scones of earthly struggle are forever
gone? I went down to the seashore very
early one morning to see the sun rise over
the sea. The night had not yet gathered
up all its shadows. Four or (fve sails
against the sky seemed like the spirits of
the night walking the billows. The gloom
of the hour and spot was so great I tried to
break it by saying aloud: “Thy will, O
God, is in the sea, and Thy path is in the
great waters.’ It grew lighter. The
elouds were hanging in purple clusters
along the sky, and as if those purple clus¬
ters were pressed into red wine and poured
out upon the sea, every wave turned into
crimson. Yonder fire-wave stood opposite
fire-wave, and here a cloud, rent and
tinged with light, seemed like a palace,
with flames bursting from the windows.
The whole scene lighted up until it seemed
as if the angels of God were uscending and
descending upon stairs of fire, and ©he
wave and crests, changed into jasper, and crys¬
tal, toward the amethyst, beach, as they were flung
made jpe think of the
crowns of heaven east before the throne of
rite Great Jehovah, I threw myself upon O
the sand ami uttered it again: ‘Thy way,
God, is in the sea, and Thy path in the
great waters.' So will come the morning
of tho world's deliverance. The darkness
will fold its touts and away. will The golden
feet of the rising morn come skipping
upon tile mountains, and all the wrathful
billows of the world's woe break into the
splendors of eternal joy. Until the day
break and tho shadows flee away, ‘turn,
My beloved, and be thou liko a roe or
a young liar, upon the mountains of
Bother.”
And one song employ all nations, and they
sing,
Worthy is the lamb that was slain;
And tho dwellers on the rock shout t*
dwellers on the plain,
Till eartli rolls the rapturous Hosannah
round.
TESTIMONY OF THE DIVERS
Show Conclusively Tlmt tlie Maine Was
Blown <T|> From the Outside.
Advices of Friday from Havana state
that the wreck of the Maine is slowly
but surely sinking into the mud.
Before the hull could he raised it
would be necessary to remove the
gnus and deck debris. For lack of
proper appliances, practically nothing
iu this line lias been accomplished.
Asine from the officers and cabin
effects, the salvage thus far has been
pitifully small. The cloudy weather
and rain, made the work of the divers
unsatisfactory Friday, and very little
was done.
The court of inquiry sat longer than
usual, the six divers being examined
more in detail than heretofore.
While, of course, the members of
the court will not talk for publication,
it is known that the evidence of Diver
Morgan as to the condition of the
Maine shows almost beyond the pos¬
sibility of a doubt that the Maine was
blown up by au outside agency. Fur¬
thermore, Morgan’s report was verified
by the other American divers.
When the court finishes its work
and proceeds to Key West to take the
testimony of the survivors there, it
will not return to Havana, all the in¬
formation as to the cause of the dis¬
aster obtainable at, the Cuban capital
having already been secured, It is
believed that a decision has been prac¬
tically reached. The witnesses yet to
be examined will hardly change the
verdict.
The court has decided against any
attempt to raise the ruined battleship.
The members are convinced that it
would he useless, as she could never
be kept afloat, and tho Spanish au¬
thorities will be informed that if
they wish the wreck removed from the
harbor they must attend to the work
themselves. This decision gives a
better idea of the terrible havoc
wrought in the Maine than columns
of description could do.
AMERICANS LEAVING HAVANA.
Consul -General I.ee’s Advice Is Being
lleeiteil With Promptness.
A Washington special says; Havana
is being rapidly cleared of Americans
and every precaution is being taken to
get them out of harm’s way, so official
advices received Friday show most
conclusively.
The exodus from the Cuban metrop¬
olis is not being confined to civilians,
hut officials are among those leaving
the island.
Both in Washington and in Havana
it is feared that immediately upon the
announcement of the report of the in¬
vestigating board an anti-American
uprising is sure to occur in Havana.
Those who aro responsible for the
destruction of the Maine are, it is be¬
lieved, in high places down there and
and have the power to stir up an out¬
break among the Spaniards, which
they would do in order to hide the
traces of their own connection with
the greatest crime of tlie century.
As indicating the desire and inten¬
tion of the officials to get all the Amer¬
icans away from Havana, a cablegram
received from Admiral Bicard Friday
is regarded as most significant. He
telegraphed that the wounded of the
Maine’s crew are being moved to Tor-
tugas. The conclusion reached by the
department from this telegram is that
the lives of the men would be more
endangered by keeping them in Ha¬
vana than by their removal, despite
the doctor’s declaration.
ON BURNING TRESTLE.
Train Dashes Into Unging Flames.—One
Passenger Killed.
Tho northbound vestibule from Jack-
sonville, 11a., into . , , burning . tree- ,
ran a „
tie twelve miles south of Waycross,
Ga., Friday afternoon. Three cog eh es
next to the engine weie wrecked i,„,i
burned, but the remaining coaches
were not damaged-
The forests on either side of the
railroad , . the ,, vicinity . . ,. of , the ,, trestle , ,,
in
were burning, and the air was lurid
with smoke. The negro watchman,
who , discovered ,. , the ,, , burning . trestle, ,
attempted to signal the engineer to
atop. The engineer could not see the
signal on account of the smoke until
the engine came upon tho trestle anu
passed over.
The engineer looked hack and saw
the coaches falling, and without wast¬
ing a minute to investigate the acci¬
dent, Engineer Henderson hurried to
WaycroBs for assistance. killed,
One passenger was another
dangerously wounded and five or six
were slightly hurt.
THE SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR MARCH 0 .
Lesson Text: “*Josus ami the Sabhuth,”
Matt, xll., Text: Matt,
xti.. 8—.(’onmientaiW on tho Lesson ot*
the Day by the Kev, 1>. M. Stearns.
1. “At that time J»sus went on the sub-
Vmtil iliiy through the corn, ami ills disci¬
ples wore mi hungered and began to pluck
the ears of corn and to eat.” The lesson
to-day touches the Sabbath question, the
olio which, according to all tho gospels,
determined the Pharisees to kill Christ.
See verse 14 immediately following our
lesson, then Mark ill,, <i; Luke vl,, 11; John
V. , 10. Dr. Weston says that the Sabbath
was the Jewish national ling; other nations
practiced circumcision, o(Vorod snerllleos
and had temples and religious rites, Imt in
the Sabbath the Jews olnimod a peculiar
relation to God as their Creator, Redeemer
and Rest. As the nation grew in national
feeling and pride and in the thought of
separation from and superiority to other
nations, they became more and more
tenacious of their Sahhnth. If wo keep in
mind that It was their national honor they
were thinking of and not tho honor of I heir
tlod and His Word, we shall understand
many things otherwise dark.
2. “But when the Pharisees saw it they
said unto Him, Behold, Thy disciples do
that which is not lawful to do upon the
Sabbath day.” The Sabbaths were a sign
between (lod and Israel, not to show how
holy r.nd honorable t hey were, but to honor
Him and delight in Him and magnify Him.
If eating a little corn, even fresh from the
Held, would quiet the body that the soul
might the better commune with God, it was
well so to do (See Ex.xxxi., 13, and Isa.
lvtll., 13).
8. “But lie said unto thorn, Have ye not
read what David did when ho was an
hungered, and they that were with Dim?”
They with would hardly wish or dare to whom Mud
fault David, tlieir great king,
they praised so much, even If they were so
unwilling to recognize tho Son of David
and David’s Lord in Him with whom they
now And fault.
4. “How Ho entered into the house of
God and did oat the siiowhread, which was
not lawful for Him to eat, neither for them
that wore with Him, but only for tho
priests.” God would have us consider tho
spirit of His law rather than the extreme
letter of it. He would have us to know
Him and His great heart of love. It is
better to know Him than to bo wise, or
mighty, or rich. Ho delights in loving
kindness, judgment and righteousness
(Jer. ix„ 23, 24).
5, G. “Or have ye not read in the law how
that on the Sabbath days the priests In the
temple profane the Sabbath and are hlame-
less? But I say unto yon. That in this
place is one greater than the temple.”
Tims He directs them to their king and
priests as both doing that which by the
strict letter of the law was forbidden, and
yet they are blameless. In verses 41 and
42 of this eliaptor He says lie is greater
than Jonah ami Solomon. Ho now says
He is greater than tDo temple, and implies,
what is elsewhere taught, that Ho is great¬
er than David or Aaron. In Hebrews we
read that He is greater than angels or
Moses, or tabernacle, or snerilice. He is
our great Priest King.
7. “But if ye had known what, this
meanetl), I will have mercy and not sacri¬
fice, ye would not have condemned tho
guiltless.” What a comfort and that we Judge are to
have righteous judgment, our
will not decide by what He secs or hears
plsa. si., 3, 4), and will never without cause
condemn either a person or a work! Let
ns have more of His Spirit, remembering I
Cor. iv., 5.
8. “For the Hon of Man is Lord even of
the Sabbath day.” As Hon of Man He is
Lord of ail earthly institutions and the
direct object of ail earthly allegiance.
All lliiugs were created by Him and for
Him, anil Dy linn all things consist all (Col. i.,
1G, 17). He shall yet subdue things unto
Himself, even all nations serve. Him (I Cor.
xv., 28; Ps. 1 xxii., 11 ). We feel like saying,
“Oh, that these people had known Him,
tlmt they might cheerfully receive Him and
submit to Him instead of judging Him!”
9. “And when He was departed thence
He went into tlieir synagogue, II He
could not get good, Ho would he whore He
might do good. The Hcriptures wore read
in the synagogues, and there is nothing on
earth like the Word of God. Whether those,
who read see much or little of God in His
Word He is in every page of it and opened
eyes and ears will see and hear Him.
10. “And, behold, there was a man which
had his hand I withered. And they asked
Him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sab¬
bath days? that they might license Him.”
The impotence of tho man was very sug¬
gestive of the spiritual condition of the Na¬
tion, but ho knew his condition and they
did not. They were blind, and deaf, thought arid
lame, and palsied, and leprous, and
that nothing ailed them, hut that, on the
contrary, they were tho only righteous peo¬
ple on earth. them, What
11. “And He said unto man
shall there be among you that shall have
one sheep, and If it fall into a pit on the
Sabbath day, will he not Jay hold on it and
lift it out?” One has well suggested that
He did not say see a sheep, but iiave a
sheep; the point Is that of ownership. The He
is the Lord of tho Sabbath day. law
commanded to help trouble creatures (Deut. not your xxii., own 4j.
it you saw them in
12. “How much, then, is a man better
than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do
well on the Habbath days.” Better than
many sparrows, better than all beasts,
God’s own property every day, and, though
oft in rebellion against Him, yet loved Dy
Him und watched longingly to see if ho
will turn to His good and loving God, God
is good to theunthnnkfiil and to the evil,
but how little !they ’think that His good¬
ness is intended to lead thorn to Him.
]:i : "Then saith Ho to tho man stretch
forth thine hand. And he stretched It forth,
an( j q was restored whole, like as the
other.” The man could not help himself,
and ho knew it, but Jesus healed him in-
stuntly. The Pharisees wore as helpless to
themselves as this man, hut they did
no t know It and would not believe when
they were told, so continued helpless, and,
| lmy « avo to tlm devil.
This lesson must include verso 14, for it
HPltH forth tl)eir determination because of
Christ’s conduct on this occasion, and also
gives the reason for some changes in His
teaching, *’ or, j rather, L His manner of teach-
, ng< H wil not ye break theg0 bruised
reeds, hut the time will come (verse 20).
Let verses 24 to 28 give some light upon
.YT S
r iohly” (Col. iil., 18) and may verse 50 give
us a constant “Halleluiah!”—Lesson
Helper,
IN THE SCHOOL-ROOM.
‘There is but one kind of rock that
grows,” said the professor, “ (Jan
any of you mention it?”
“Yes, sir,” replied the student
from Dublin; “the sham-rock.”—
rVoirue.
VOL. VI. NO. 30.
NEGKO FARMERS MEET.
fTold Seventh Annual Convention In Tui-
koftfee, Ala.
At ihe seventh annual negro confer¬
ence held in ihe Normal school pavil¬
ion at Tuskegee, Ala , Thursday, about
2,000 colored farmers, representing
nearly every southern state, were pres¬
ent. With them were many promi¬
nent men and women engaged in the
various branches o{ negro education.
The speech of Bishop Grant, of the
African Methodist Episcopal church,
was greatly appreciated. Hooker T.
Washington presided. To encourage
gardening a free package of seeds was
given to every one present.
The result of the conference was
the unanimous adoption of the
following declarations:
“Wherever our people have been
reached by outside influence wo be-
lifeve there is constant growth in ac¬
quiring education, building school
houses, extending the school term,
developing Christian character, im¬
proving and purifying the ministry,
securing land, diversifying crops,
raising fruit and poultry, replacing
the one-room cabin, ceasing to mort¬
gage crops, getting out of debt and
living more economically.
In saying this we would not be mis¬
understood, but emphasize the fact
that wherever the rank and tile of our
people have not been touched by
some outside intlueneo tlieir condition
us to property, education and morality
is most unsatisfactory and will de¬
mand for a long time the earnest help
and thought of tho best people of our
country. Tho possession in larger de¬
gree of the elements of strength enu¬
merated above, we believe, will con¬
stitute the foundation for all the high¬
er rights and privileges of citizenship
which every race should enjoy.
"Since 85 per cent of our people in
the gulf states live by agriculture, we
strongly urge that, along with other
forms of education, special stress be
laid upon training in agriculture. We
earnestly urge all to buy land, if only
in small tracts, while it can bo secured
at a low price. We would especially
call attention to the large amount of
government land in the south open to
settlement. We deem it of vital im¬
portance that the educated young men
and women bear in mind that they owe
it to the race to give to the most un¬
fortunate the benefit of their education
in every way possible.
“We urge that local negro conference
or other organizations with the same
object lie formed throughout the state.
We believe the holding of annual
oouut.y fairs throughout the state would
prove most helpful. We strongly be¬
seech our people not to be satisfied
with their present condition, but to
reach forward to something higher and
better.”
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
Corbett’a Jtiglit t« Neat Championed by
8 poo ner.
A Washington dispatch says: A
feature of the senate session Thurs¬
day was the speech of Mi. Spooner,
of Wisconsin, on the right of Henry
W. Corbett to a seat in the senate
from Oregon under the appointment
of the governor, Mr. Spooner made
a constitutional argument in favor of
seating Mr. Corbett and had not con¬
cluded when the senate adjourned.
An effort was made to obtain con¬
sideration of the Alaskan homestead
and railway right of way hill, but on
a technicality it went over.
The resolution offered Thursday by
Mr. Allen of Nebraska, to appoint a
committee of five senators to investi¬
gate the Cuban situation, was with¬
drawn by its author when it was fuid
before the senate.
When Mr. Spooner secured the floor
to advocate Mr. Corbett’s right to a
seat in the senate, he said that the
primary from power to fill seals in the in the legisla¬ sen¬
ate any state was
ture of the state, but in the reading of
the constitution it ought to be remem¬
bered that this very matter was one of
dispute in the constitutional conven¬
tion. He pointed out that the consti¬
tution provided that each state should
he the peer of every other state, not
in population, not in wealth, not in
area, hut in the number of votes in the
senate.
Mr. Hansbrough then endeavored to
get before the senate the Alaskan
homestead and railway right of way
bill. The senate was about to proceed
with the bill when Mr. Rawlins, of
Utah, made the point of no quorum.
A roll call developed the lack of a
quorum and Mr. RawlinH moved to
adjourn. Division was demanded and
the senate adjourned at 4:3(1 p. m.
LEGISLATOR 1N DI UT E D.
Hon. Joseph FelUer Charged With I’er-
Jury In Insurance Cate.
A new and sensational chapter in
the celebrated Dr. J. J. Poore insur¬
ance case was developed Thursday in
the returning, by the grand jury of
Walton county, Ga., of an indictment
against the Hon. Joseph H. Felker,
representative from Walton county.
This indictment is based upon the
discovery of a written contract, alleged
to be in his own handwriting, made, it
is said, by Colonel Felker with Dr. W.
H. Moss, in which Colonel Felker
agrees to pay $500 to Dr. Moss, pro¬
vided lie would keep the matter a se¬
cret anil aid in the collection of the
policies on the life of Dr. Poore.
TAKING DEPOSITIONS OF SURVI¬
VORS OF THE MAINE.
WILL RETURN LATER TO HAVANA.
Tile Ollliinl. lit Warhingtoii llo Not Ex¬
pect tl Final Kc|i»l*t For
Some llreka Vet.
A telegram was received at the navy
department lute Monday afternoon
from Admiral Hieard, at Key West, in
the following terms:
“Key West, February 28.—To the Score,
tary of the. Navy, Washington: Court of
Inquiry will commence session at Key-
West today. They must resume session
at Havana to obtain evidence of diver?
after further work upon the wreck.
“SlCABD.”
The important feature of this com¬
munication is the declaration that the
court will return to Havana.
it sets at rest rumors that have been
afloat for some days past that the
court was not to return to Havana for
the reason that it had discovered the
cause of the sinking of the Maine,
which was not an accident, and that,
consequently, they had no further bus¬
iness in Havana.
One important deduction to be drawn
from the message was that the report
of the court of inquiry can scarcely he
expected for several weeks to come.
The court will he occupied at Key
West for some days at least in taking
the testimony of the survivors there.
Then upon the return to Havana it is
expected that a good deal of time must
elapse before the divers can get
through tho mud that now encom¬
passes tho lower part of the wreck of
the Maine and examine the bottom.
After this is done the court must de¬
liberate in order to seciu'o an agree¬
ment upon their findings. The preva¬
lent. belief at the navy department is
that up to this moment the court lias
not once undertaken to compare notes
and endeavor to reach such an agree¬
ment.
ASKS FOR TWENTY MILLIONS
For Strengthening Our Navy—ICenolutioii
Wii h KoffrriMl,
A Washington special says: The
house passe*! the sundry civil appro¬
priation Dill Monday after a four days’
debate.
The Cuban question was injected
into the session by Mr. Bromwell, re¬
publican, of Ohio, who presented the
following resolution;
“That ihe secretary of the navy he,
and he is hereby authorized whenever
in his judgment it shall become expe¬
dient for the best interests of the
country to do so, to secure options up¬
on and consummate the purchase of
such battleships, cruisers, rams, tor¬
pedo boats or other form of naval
vessels as are of the modern type and
ready for immediate use; together with
the necessary armament and equip¬
ment for the same us in his judgment
are necessary to place the naval
strength of the country upon a proper
footing for immediate hostilities with
any foreign power with which the
same may he threatened; and that for
the purpose of consummating such pur¬
chases there is hereby appropriated
the sum of $20,000,000 to he immedi¬
ately available.”
It was referred to the naval com¬
mittee.
CORBETT LOSES SEAT.
8«hirIc, Dy an Kmpliatle Vote, Hetties the
Matter For (»ood.
A Washington special says; By a
vote so large as to settle forever the
principle involved, the senate Monday
refused to admit II. W. Corbett to
membership in that body as a senator
from Oregon. The vote against ad¬
mission was 40 to 19—lurger than ex¬
pected and so decisive in its character
ns to he a notice on the part of the
senate to legislatures having had tlie
opportunity to do so and failing to fill
a vacancy in the seriate, that failure
will lie taken as prirna facie evidence
that tlie state does not desire to have
her vacancy filled and the appointee of
tlie governor after such failure to elect
will not he recognized by the senate.
The effect of this act will be to put
an end to juggling and manipulation
for the purpose of creating deadlocks
and giving governors au opportunity
to appoint.
ENGLAND WILL “HANDS OFF.”
London Paper Says That ISrlton* Cannot
Help Spaniards.
The London Daily News comment¬
ing editorially on the relations be¬
tween the United States and Spain,
says: expect support,moral
“Spain can England no against
or otherwise, from
the United States. She has ruined
Cuba, as she has ruined or lost every
other colony, by the grossest corrup¬
tion, cruelty aud maladministration,
and she must be left to settle the ac¬
count for its policy with those whom
it may concern without auy aid or
sympathy on our part.”