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The Banner Will Hire Ton All The News of Conyers and Rock dale County. VOL. XXV. KENTUCKY ROW IN HIGH COURT Supreme Tribunal of the Land Will Settle the Contest. DATE FOR HEARING IS SET. Attorneys File Documents Mak~ ing the Situation Plain and Ask For Early Decision. A Washington special says: The cases involving the Kentucky gov emorship were docketed in the United States supreme court Monday. A brief statement in which counsel for both Taylor and Beckham joined was filed at the same time, asking for an early hearing. The court advanced the case to be beard on the 30th instant, and allotted each side four hours for arguments. The agreed statement sets out that both Taylor and Beckham, as gover nors, John Marshall as lieutenant gov ernor on the Republican side, and L. H. Carter as president pro tem. of the senate, and John B. Castlenwn as ad¬ jutant general on the Democratic side, are each and all claiming the right to and are actually attempting to exer cise the powers of the respective offi ees severally claimed by them, thus producing great confusion in Ken¬ tucky by reasou of the doubts as to which of the persons named has the lawful right to exercise the authority pertaining to the several offices named, all to the great injury and detriment of the people of the state. The agreed statement then continues as follows: “Thus, under the constitution and laws of Kentucky, the governor of the state, in addition to being charged generally with the duty of seeing that l the laws are faithfully executed, is also I 1 wpedaMy charged with the duty and I invested with the power of filling many important offices in the state by ap r f pointment, some by original appoint ment and others by appointment to fill vacancies, and also with the power t© issme commissions to many officers, whether appointed by him or elected by the people, and also with the power to issue pardons and to remit fines and forfeitures. “Both plaintiff in error, William S. Taylor, and defendant in error, J. C. Beckham, are claiming the right to perform all functions of the aforesaid office of governor, and each of them is attempting and has actually attempted toperform many of the said functions, Bueh, for example, as issuing pardons and filling offices by appointment,etc., “Some of the officers of the state recognize the acts of the plaintiff in error, William S. Taylor, as tlie lawful acts of the governor of the state, and refuse to recog¬ nize similar acts by defendant in error, J. C. \Y. Beckham; while other officers of the state recognize the acts J. C. W. Beckham as the lawful acts of the governor of the state and refuse to recoznize the acts of William S. Taylor as such governor. ‘Among other officers whom the governor is authorized and required to appoint are the officers of the eleemosynary sad each institutions of the state, of the said two claimants to tie office of governor has attempted to ffii said offices and some persons rec¬ ognize the authority of the appointees °f one of said claimants to the offices sad refuse to recognize those of the others, and vice versa. By reason of sli these facts and others which might ”o enumerated, it is of the utmost im¬ portance to the people of the state of nght Kentucky that the question of the to office involved in the aforesaid htigation be determined. The __ ques ‘ions of law involved in said causes are of very great and grave interest ,a 'j extent importance, of the involving of the election nature wntest tribunal powers an judiciary and the powers of the with relation thereto.” ^ r - Louis McQuown appears as attorney for Beckham and other of ike Democrats, while Holm Bruce ‘Ppears as attorney for Taylor and K “ er Republicans. adder is SYMPATHETIC. tl-Sec ret »ry of War Says He Is Sorry For Admiral Dewey. of ai > interview. “It looks though tile as ^ ^ealth of praise showered on the J °'ral since his return from the east turned . his head. It is harder to 1 Prosperity than adversity. I sorry f or bim, for his ambition eer f a inSy be unfulfilled. His ac jjV ..‘ 13 8 P *‘l-advised. re ^zd I predict for him IEr ) en t:al aspirations a mel °‘y disappointment” k^'ore spamsh cliams. iV* - l Hay Sends the Dons a Note I I,’facial ^“Sardingr Certain Islands. to the New York Herald I Hay says: notified hjT^rid has formally government that the United ^v.f. accede to its claim that ls -® a d and Cagayan Snlu, of ^ '-Ppine archipelago, belong to The Rockdale Banner. ATKINSON CONTROLS PAPER. Majority Stock of The Atlanta Journal Disposed of By Hoke Smith. The majority interest in the Atlanta (Ga.) .Journal has become the property of H. M. Atkinson, Morris Bran¬ don and James R. Gray. This means the retirement of Hoke Smith from the newspaper business. George H. Dickinson, a Sew York newspaper man well known through¬ out the country, will take charge as general manager. He has been in At¬ lanta for some days under a contract which provided that if the deal should be made he would take charge of ths entire plant. A few weeks ago it was announced that a well founded rumor credited Hoke Smith, who owned 530 of the 1,000 shares, with disposing of his stock. This announcement drew a negative from The Journal, but de¬ spite the denial from headquarters, the rumor was generally believed. After considerable negotiations os the subject, a contract was entered into by which Mr. Atkinson and his usso ciates secured the right to purchase Mr. Smith’s stock, at a stated figure, any time up to and including April 10th. On last Friday Mr. Smith was notified that his stock would be bought. It can be stated positively that there will be no immediate changes in the force, business or editorial; that is,un¬ less there are voluntary withdrawals from the paper. NVhat may develop in a month or a few months is a matter for the future. H. M. Atkinson, one of the three new owners of The Journal, is proba¬ bly the best known young business man in the south. He is at the head of, or connected with, a tremendous variety of enterprises. He is president of the Georgia Electric Light Company, which holds the city’s contract; ho is president of the Southern Banking and Trust Com¬ pany; president of the Tifton, Thom asville and Gulf railroad; president of the Union Lumber Compauy; presi¬ dent and treasurer of the Atlanta Sub¬ urban Land corporation; secretary and treasurer of the Collins Park and Belt Line; treasurer of the Georgia and Carolina Plauters’ Company, and vice president of the Third National bank. In addition to the foregoing, ho has charge of the large real estate interests of T. Jefferson Coolidge, Jr., of Bos¬ ton. Messrs. Brandon and Gray are prom¬ inent and well known Atlanta attor¬ neys. PARIS SHOW OPENS. The Crowning Exposition of Ail Countries—America Is Lib¬ erally Represented, At noon Saturday Prance opened to the world the crowning exposition of all countries. The most favorable weather conditions prevailed and in¬ numerable bright colored domes and minarets glistened in the sunshine. Paris was early astir with people wend¬ ing their way toward the Elysee and in the direction of the exposition in the hope of witnessing the presiden¬ tial procession at some part of its journey. buildings and All the public decorated nnm berless private houses were with trophies of flags, chiefly the tri¬ color. The neighborhood of the ex¬ position was especially gay with bunt¬ ing while most of the pavilions them¬ selves were surmounted with floating banners. Within the exposition grounds all wns bustle and animation, in a su preme effort to clear away all unsightly obstacles in order to leave an unob¬ structed road and an external appear ance of completeness to the palaces for the presidential party in its passag* through the grounds. the The unfinished condition of ex¬ position on inauguration day is regret able and perhaps misleading. It will be at least a month before anything but the buildings is to be seen, The day’s ceremonies were a peculiar mix¬ ture of sumptuous splendor and wide¬ spread confusion elsewhere. Americans, especially, will be proud of their country’s display at the world’* fair, for the United States stands sec¬ ond only to France herself in number of exhibitors, which treble those of any foreign country. number America has three times the of exhibitors that France had at the world’s fair in Chicago. She occupies 339,052 sq uare feet with her 47 dis tinct exhibition spaces, 33 in the main exposition grounds, 14 in the Vincen¬ nes annex, excluding the ground cov¬ ered by onr eagle surmounting the na¬ tional pavilion on the Qua d’Orsay. American enterprise, however is not only shown in the size of her repre¬ sentation, but in the preparedness of ber installation as compared with that of most of the other countries, and it can safely be said that but for the dila toriness of French workmen and meth ods the United States exhibits would have been exposed in their show cases on the opening day. CIVIL GOVERNER OF PORTO RICO Charles H. Allen, Assistant Secretary of Navy, Gets the Pla«c. A Washington special says: Charles H. Allen, at present assistant seore tary of the navy, will be the first civil governor of Porto Rico under the bill just signed by the president. Thurs day afternoon Mr. Allen spent several hours with the president, when the formal tender of the post was made ; and his practical acceptance was given. * CONYERS. GA.. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 1900. BOYCOTT REQUESTED Head of Striking Telegraphers Seeks Outside Assistance. AGENTS ASKED TO D1YERT TRAFFIC Hallway Official* Still Insist That Busi¬ ness Is not Affected In the Slightest Degree By the Strike. An Atlanta dispatch says: President Powell, of the Order of Railroad Tel¬ egraphers, who is conducting the tel¬ egrapher’s strike against the Southern railway, has officially notified the tick¬ et and freight agents of all of the other railroads in the United States of the existing strike on the Southern, and asked them to route passengers and freight via other lines than the Southern pending the present trouble. He has also asked the American Fed¬ eration of Labor to boycott the South¬ ern until the existing troubles are set¬ tled. Mr. Powell declares that his request to the Federation of Labor to boycott the road will put 800,000 workingmen against it and that his request to the ticket and freight agents will prove more effective than the telegraphers’ strike. President Powell has also stationed “scouts" at a number of the principal points on the Southern system to keep him informed as to the progress of events; to hearten and encourage the strikers and to enlist the sympathy and good will of the citizens at the various points at which these “scouts” are stationed. The telegraphers say that the law forbidding the movement of frieght trains in Georgia between midnight Saturday and midnight Sunday will prove of material benefit to them. From a local standpoint the boycott declared by President Powell was the only development in the strike situa¬ tion. Southern railway officials say that the business of the road is not affected in the slightest degree, and that they have no personal knowledge of the ex¬ istence of a strike save the reports in the daily papers. They say that so far as the road is concerned the strike is over and they are as busy as can be carrying passengers and freight. At Assistant General Superintendent Thompson’s office it was said that nu¬ merous applications were being re¬ ceived daily for positions as operators and agents from competent, expe¬ rienced men. None of the Southern officials ap pear disturbed or alarmed over the situation. They declare that not only all passenger trains, but all freight trains are running on their usual schedules and on time. THEY WELCOME DEWEY. Democratic Press Bulletin Issues a Greet ing; to the Admiral. A Chicago dispatch says: Bryan Democrats have decided to welcome Admiral Dewey into the Democratic party. Such is the position officially outlined in Saturday’s issue of the Democratic press bulletin. “We may accept the admiral’s dec¬ laration of his political faith as indi¬ cating that he is with the Democratic party at Iea*t on an overwhelming ma¬ jority of the issues it has taken up,” runs the article, which is written by Willis J. Abbott, head of the Demo¬ cratic literary bureau. “This is a most gratifying fact,” the article con¬ tinues. “It indicates that should the Democratic party, after mature delib¬ eration, deny the admiral the nomina¬ tion which he seeks, it may, neverthe¬ less, count on his co-operation and his influence in behalf of its efforts to end the evils of McKinleyism by ending the reign of Emperor William I,” In commenting npon the purport of his article, Mr. Abbott says: “We are naturally delighted at the prospect of such a distinguished ac quisition to our ranks as Admiral Dewey, but of course we expect the admiral to ‘play fair and to accept the good old Democratic doctrines. Americans . „ ep , _ nay. | Reports of encounters between the American troops and the insurgents continue to be received at Manila from many points. MORGAN THANKFUL. Old Senatorial War Horse of Alabama Expresses Gratitude. Monday Senator Morgan, who is in Washington, wired' the Birmingham Age-Herald as follows on the result of his almost unanimous indorsement af j the hands of the Alabama Democracy ! in Saturday’s primaries: j “The very remarkable vote of so | many counties gives a safe assurance future strength and harmony of tte Democracy of Alabama. The con fidence thus expressed toward me as one of the senators from Alabama ex c jt es my gratitude to the people and I w jj[ increase my devotion to their in terests and prosperity. “John T. Morgan. ” SHIPPER PAYS THE TAX. Supreme Court Renders Decision In Favor of Express Company. The 6npreme conrt q{ the United gf a t es Monday decided the cases in v 0 jvj n g the stamp tax as it applies to express packages, the question in vo i ve( j being whether the shipper or tbe carrier shall pay the stamp ebarg-j on packages. The opinion was handed ^ own by Justice White and was favora- ! ble to the express companies. BY DIRECT VOTE Qp PPQPPP United States Senators May Be Elected Henceforth. THE HOUSE PASSES RESOLUTION Contemplates Important Change In the Constitution—The Vote Was Unanimous. A Washington special says: The house Triday by a vote of 240 to 15 adopted a resolution for a constitu¬ tional amendment providing for the election of United States senators by direct vote of the people. Fourteen Republicans and one Democrat voted against it. By the terms of the reso¬ lution the amendment to be submit¬ ted to the legislatures is as follows: “The senate of the United Slates shall be composed of two senators from each state, who shall be selected by a direct vote of the people thereof for a term of six years and each senator shall have one vote. A plurality of the votes cast for candidates for sena¬ tor shall be sufficient to elect. The electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislatures, respectively. “When a vacancy happens, by death resignation, or otherwise in the repre¬ sentation of any state in the senate, the same shall be filled for the unex¬ pired term thereof in the same manner as is provided for the election of sena¬ tors in paragraph 1: Provided, that the executive thereof may make tem¬ porary appointment until the next gen¬ eral or special election, in accordance with the statutes or constitution of such state-.” The remainder of the day was de¬ voted to tho consideration of private pension bills. Several sharp attacks were made upon Mr. Talbert, Demo¬ crat, of South Carolina, for his course in delaying action upon bills. There were two joint resolutions on the popular election of senators when the house adjourned Thursday. The majority resolution of the committee left it optional with the states wheth¬ er their senators should be elected di¬ rectly or by the legislature. The mi¬ nority resolution made it incumbent that each state elect by direct vote. The minority resolution which was of¬ fered as a substitute was voted upon first and was carried by an overxvlielm ing vote—ayes 135, noes 30. Mr. Corliss tried unavailingly to get an aye and no vote, but only nine mem¬ bers seconded the demand. The vote was then taken npon the adoption of the amendment, the whole house ris¬ ing in support of the demand. The resolution was adopted, 240 to 15. The negative votes were cast by Messrs. Allen, of Maine; Burleigh, of Maine; Calderhead, of Kansas; Ford ney, of Michigan; Gardner, of New Jersey; Hedge, of Iowa; Henry, of Connecticut; Lane, of Iowa; Lester, of Georgia; Littlefield, of Maine; Mc¬ Pherson, of Iowa; Mann, of Illinois; Russell, of Connecticut; Sperry, of Connecticut, and Thomas, of Iowa. Mr. Hepburn, of Iowa, asked unan¬ imous consent to set aside May 1st for the consideration of the Nicaraguan canal bill. “I object,” shouted Mr. Burton, of Ohio, emphatically. Mr. Hepburn then took steps to overcome this opposition and a peti¬ tion to the committee on rules was prepared, requesting that body to fix a time for taking up the canal bill, Mr. Hepburn circulated the petition on the Republican side, and up to the time ° f adjournment secured sixty-one signatures. Mr. Adamson, who circulated tho pe tition on the Democratic side, said: “There is no opposition whatever on ^bis side, and every man present today has signed the petition. The number exceeds sixty.” Notwithstanding these efforts, it was intimated pretty strongly in well-in formed quarters that the committee on ru ] es wag no t likely to bring in a spe c i a j rule. The members of the com D2 m eg declined, however, to make any definite statement on the subject. BAKER BOUND OVER. Atlanta Wife Murderer Held For the Crime Without Bail. The first step in the prosecution of James L. Baker, on the charge of wife murder, was taken at Atlanta Monday afternoon at a commitment trial before Justice Bateman. The prisoner was remanded to the Tower without bail, Only one witness was examined and he was Charles P. Pittman, the man whom Baker charges with alienating Mrs. Baker’s affections and upon whom he seeks to cast the whole blame for the killing. Witness Pittman was held in a $1,000 bond for his appearance as a witness for the state. CONGRATULATIONS GALORE. Senator Morgan Overwhelmed With Tele¬ grams and Betters From Friends. A Washington dispatch says: The more definite news from Alabama, showing the overwhelming character and extent of his victory in the sena¬ torial primaries, has brought a great volume of congratulatory telegrams and letters to Senator Morgan. These have come from all parts of the union, many from Georgia friends, but, more, of course, from Alabama. JOHNSTON SATISFIED Alabama Governor Is Grateful to Friends and Accepts Defeat. HE ACQUIESCES IN THE RESULT. Says He Ha* No Unkindness For Senator Morgan and Will Continue In the Go ,>d Old Way. A Birmingham, Ala., dispatoh says: Governor Johnston, who met his po¬ litical Waterloo in Saturday’s prima¬ ries in his race for the United States senate against John T. Morgan, gives out the following statement: “It is manifest that the Democracy of the state has declared for the re election of Senator Morgan. I am a Democrat in victory or defeat, and shall acquiesce in that result, as I have always done, without a murmur. “I know there were a very large number of gentlemen who were my personal friends, and would have been glad to support me, but felt that they could not turn their backs on a senator who was so illustrious. “I am glad that I can look back in the canvass with the consciousness that I have indulged in no filth or mis¬ representations, and that today I have no unkindness in my heart for the distinguished gentleman who has won. “I am deeply grateful to the friends who have so liberally supported me in this contest. I hope that I shall live long enough to show every one of them that my gratitude will only cease when I shall ‘cross over the river and rest in the shade.’ “I congratulate myself that in Ibo contest with one so distinguished and beloved as Senator Morgan I hive polled nearly 40 per cent of the vote in the primary and that a change of less than 10,000 votes would have giv¬ en me a majority in the legislature. “The reforms secured during my administration have aroused no little resentment, but I hope that when the passions of the hour pass away the people will see that these reforms will be of lasting benefit to them and that in the end all will come to acknowl¬ edge that the good of the people and the glory of the commonwealth has been nearest my heart. “I had hoped that if electod to the senate I could be of substantial service to may people, among whom I have lived so long, and with whom I have shared all the perils of war and strug¬ gles of peace. “I have done something, I hope, to reunite our people, and to compose the differences that so sharply divided them, and I shall continue to strug¬ gle to accomplish that end, whether as a public official or a private citizeu. “We must all stand together to build up our state, develop its re¬ sources, improve its educational facili¬ ties and to give the people the bless¬ ing of a just, impartial and economical administration of their affairs.” ROBERTS SPREADS NET. He Is Hopeful of a Haul of Boers When It Is Drawn In. A London special says: Lord Rob¬ erts has spread his net far and wide to catch the adventurous commandoes that have been making mischief in the southeastern part of the State. The net has not yet been drawn in; but, at the headquarters of Lord Roberts, the impression exists that the power of the Boers is decreasing. A Daily News correspondent has them fleeing to the southeast; a Stan¬ dard correspondent reports them flee¬ ing northward; a Daily Telegraph correspondent says that some are go¬ ing north and others south, while a Morning Post representative says it is not known what the Boers are doing. Evidently the feeling at Bloemfon¬ tein is that the dispositions of Lord Roberts are such as to enable him to concentrate a large force rapidly at any point. The Boers, being aware of this, are presumed to be thinking now chiefly of retreat. Miller Convicted of Grand Larceny. A New York dispatch says: William F. Miller, of Franklin syndicate fame, was found guilty by a jury in the county court in Brooklyn Monday night of grand larceny in the first de¬ gree. Trying to Settle Boundary Dispute. Governor McMillin, of Tennessee, was in Washington Thursday to nego¬ tiate a settlement of the boundary dis¬ pute between Tennessee and Virginia. He will ask that the supreme court ap¬ point a commission to investigate the boundaries and the claims of the states and recommend a settlement by which both will abide. McCall Slated For Governor. A Washington dispatch says: John E. McCall, of Lexington, Tenn., has been slated for the Republican nomi¬ nation for governor of that state by Brownlow and Gibson. Representa¬ tive Brownlow makes this statement authoritatively. COULDN’T STAND PROSPERITY. Bricklayer Inherits Fortune. Goes Crasy and Commits Suicide. Julius Roster, a bricklayer of New York, who recently inherited $300, 000 from his brother’s estate in Ger¬ many, was found dead Sunday swing¬ ing from a rope in an empty water tank on the roof of his house. Koster had recently recovered from a long spell of sickness. The sudden eliangt from poverty to riches left his mind permanently affected. Official Organ of Rockdale Conn ty. Has Largest Circulation in The County. RELIEF 10K WEPENEK. “Forward Movement Has Been Checked,” Says “Little Bobs ’ 5 at Bloemfontein. A London apecial says: “The for¬ ward movement is checked,” says Lord Roberts. This is taken to mean, not by fighting, but by dispositions to head oft their advance and bar their way to vulnerable points in the line of British communications. Relief is on the way to Wepener. The Boers in Natal appear incapable of developing an aggressive move at Elandslnagte. Zwartkop Lord Methuen is at the fontein, twelve miles east of Beshof, and is sending small, swift columns through the adjacent country. Lord Chesham, commanding one of these, encountered a small commando about ten miles southeast of Zwartkopfon tein. He found most of the farms ocoupied by women and children only. An editorial note in The Daily Mail avers that Mafeking iB in a very bad way, and that hope of relief is far off, ns no force is advancing from the south. The war office announces that 4,000 horses will arrive at the Cape this week. It is well understood that the animals are not fit for work until about ten days after the voyage. Two thous and more are due at the Cape within a few days. The war office has called out the reserve companies of several infantry battalions which will be sent to South Africa forthwith. The Boer peace envoys have docu¬ ments, the Rome correspondent ad¬ of The Daily News says, that urgent vances to the Transvaal to wage war were originally made by Germany. The correspondent also asserts that Count von Buelow, the German for¬ eign minister, who was said to have gone on a visit to a sick brother, real¬ ly went to Milan for the express pur¬ pose of conferring with the delegates. MURDERED HIS WIFE. Bloody Tragedy Resulted From a Separa¬ tion and a Quarrel. At Atlanta, Ga., Friday night James L. Baker shoved a pistol into his wife’s face and fired four shots. With a groan the -woman fell to the floor, the blood gushing from two wounds in her head from which she died a few hours later. Mrs. Baker had separated from her husband a week before, and had gone to live with Mrs. Martha J. Payne, at whose house the tragedy took place. The inmates of the house were at supper when Bakor walked into the dining room, and with the remark, “You have turned the old dog out, have yon?” shot straight in his wife’s face. There was so little said, and the shooting was all doue so quickly, that it was some moments before it was realized what had happened. The affair has some very highly sensational and dramatic features. Baker claims, first of all, that his wife and himself disagreed on account of her son by a former husband, and he also claims that he shot his wife be¬ cause of Charles A. Pittman, a young carpenter, wbo is a son-in-law of Mrs. Payne. He first admitted shooting at his wife, but later in the evening he changed that statement and said he shot at Pittman and, missing him, bit his wife accidentally. of Pittman and all the other inmates the house state that Baker shot point blank at his wife, after addressing a remark to her. The wounded woman said her hus¬ band shot her because she refused to live longer with him. Baker is a meat cutter by trade. He is said to be addicted to drink, and was under the influence of whisky when the shooting occurred. Pittman was arrested at the same time with Baker, and the charge against him was booked as “suspi¬ cion.” Baker was charged with as¬ sault with intent to murder. FUSION IN OREGON. Democrats, Populist* and Silver Repub¬ licans Join Tlielr Fortunes. The state convention of the Demo¬ crats and Populists of Oregon, after being in session for two days in Port¬ land, effected a fusion of the two par¬ ties and adjourned. joined The silver Republicans also they in the fusion movement, though held no convention. Both the Demo¬ crats and Populists indorsed William Jennings Bryan for the presidential nomination, but the Populist delegates were instructed to vote only for a Pop¬ ulist for vice president. OREGON REPUBLICANS MEET. State Convention Selects Delegates to Philadelphia and Indorses McKinley. The Oregon Republican state con¬ vention in session Thursday nominated C. F. Wolverton for justice of the su¬ preme court, J. W. Bailey state food and dairy commissioner, and elected four delegates at large to the National Republican convention. The platform indorses the gold legislation of the present congress, President Mc¬ Kinley’s administration in the Philip¬ pines and favors the immediate con¬ struction of the Nicaraguan canal un¬ der governmental control. Nothing was said regarding Porto Rico. The delegates are uninstructed. Report Nearly Complete. The grand jury which has spent the last two weeks at Frankfort investiga¬ ting the assassination of Governor Goebel will make a report very soon. It is understood that nearly aH of the witnesses have been heard. Hanna Reported To Be III, Senator Mark Hanna is said to be ill with la grippe at Old Point and that he may not be able attend the Ohio Republican State at Columbus next week. NO 14. TELEGRAPHERS ORDERED OUT Employes Of SOllthem Rallwaj _ AT6 LililCU Oil tO StFlKfi. A MAJORITY VOTED TO QUIT. Railroad Officials, However, De¬ clare Move Will Not Prove Serious. The telegraphers on the Southern railway system were ordered to strike afc n 0 , clock last Thursday morning by President W. V. Powell, ,, of .n the Or der of Railway Telegraphers, The order was issued as a result of f,b e controversy which has been wag ing between the telegraphers and the Southern, and was not entirely unex¬ pected. President Powell is person ally directing the strike from his head quarters in the Kimball house in At i ftn ta. His order to the operators follows: Atlanta, Ga., April 12-—To All Telegraphers Employed on the Southern Railway — Turn your board red and quit work at 11 o’clock today, Thursday, April 12th. Perform no service of any kind. Stand firm and victory is ours. W. V. Powell, President Order Railroad Teleg¬ raphers. President Powell claims that at leasl 90 per cent of the men quit work, and the officials of the road say that only about 10 per cent of the telegrapher* on the system obeyed the order aud ■went on strike. CIRCULAR ISSUED. President Powell issued a circular approving the strike he had ordered, in accordance with the constitution of Order of Railway Telegraphers. The circular defines the purposes of the strike as follows: 1. To secure the reinstatement of it* members who were discharged by the Southern railway without just cause. 2. The right to be heard through committees in the adjustment of their individual grievances. 3. A set of rules and rates of pay to govern train-dispatchers, telegraphers, agents and other station employees, in their employment, discipline, eto. 4. Twelve consecutive hours work per day where one or two telegraphers are employed, including one consecu¬ tive hour for dinner; ten consecutive hours, includiug meal hour, in all re¬ lay, dispatchers’ offices and office* where more than two telegraphers are employed, except that this rule will not make working hours more than those that may now be effective. 5. Eight consecutive hours for train dispatchers. telegraph¬ 6. Pay for overtime for ers, dispatchers and others in excess of the above hours pro rata on stated salary, but nothing less than 25 cent* per hour. 7. To abolish the practice of com¬ pelling agents to load cotton, to care for and put out switch lights, to hire additional help and pay for it out of their already meager salary, and the performance of other menial labor. 8. A minimum wage scale of $45 and. $50 per month, according to ter¬ ritory or location, and the raising of individual stations to conform to the amount of work performed or the re¬ sponsibility of the service. 9. One hundred and twenty dollars per month for track dispatchers. and 10. The securement of fair equitable rules regarding promotion. While President Powell and the other strike leaders are jubilant and declare that they have the entire sys¬ tem tied up, the Southern officials in Atlanta do not appear disturbed or alarmed at the situation. MB. HARDWICK TALKS. Assistant General Passenger Agent Hardwick, who began his railroad ser¬ vice as a telegraph operator, said in regard to the strike: “The public may be assured that the Southern Railway Company thor¬ oughly appreciates its duty to the public in every way, and it gives the assurance that there has been no serious interruption of traffic and there will not be any.” STRIKERS READY TO FIGIIT. Italian Workmen Are Causing Trouble at Croton Lamllug, N. Y. A dispatch from Croton Landing, N. Y., says: While everything neighbor¬ was quiet and peaceful in the hood of the Cornell dam Sunday night, where Italians are on a strike for in¬ creased wages, nearly 300 armed depu¬ ties guarded the works and each one of them was guessing what would hap¬ pen next. The striking Italian labor¬ ers, whose homes are in the vicinity of the works, are behaving quietly, but are doggedly determined. The strikers swear that if outside labor is brought in they will fight tooth and nail to prevent it. THE PROGRAM STANDS. Place and Date For Democratic Conven¬ tion Will Not Be Changed. There will be no change in data or place of holding the Democratic na tional convention, previously set for Kansas City July 4th. The sub-committee of the national Democratic committee met the local committee on arrangements at Kansas City Thursday and after going over the situation thoroughly drafted and sign¬ a statement to that effect.