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6
TflE CONSTITUTION
CLARK HOWELL Editor
ROBY ROBINSON Business Manager
the Atlanta FeetafTice ae .<*eead
Claw Hlail Matter, sav. 11, 1573.
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The Canal First Criticism Later! I
The exact situation of the Panama '
Question as it now stands cannot be !
put more tersely and truthfully than ;
it is by Congressman William M. How- I
ard, the brilliant eighth district eon- j
pressman of this state, in an inter
view sent by our Washington corre
spondent as follows:
Mr. 'toward, ol the eighth dislriet. who
Is a mt <>f the •’•i'-uin all'll.' com
mittee of th.- hm: a . took tic posit! in that,
the ricngnition of the new republic estab
lishes it upon a plane where it is perteet
ly jpro; et tor this government to negotiate
a canal treaty with j- !!■’ is strongly of
t ■a. t 111 < '.’.man ro:. 0 is de
bitter route, and that however much
•a use titer.' may be lor criticism of the
precipitate action of President Roosevelt
towart the revolutionists the democrats
will assume no share os’ responsibility tor
that iclicn i; th-j- vote to ratitv the canal
t! aty.
Senators Bacon and Clay occupy
practically the same position as does
Congressman Howard. In other words,
they are able to realize and ac t upon
the broad principle, that the acts of |
the president personally, and the at- :
tittide of the government upon a great ■
public occasion may lie easily differ- |
entiated. If the president shall have j
been found to have done wrong, uncon- j
►t Rational ami usurpatory things in j
the processes of an international situa- i
lion of which the United States is '
the major part, there are times and I
ways to deal with his acts without go- ;
Ing to the fooiish length of condemn- <
Ing the entire course of events and 1
repudiating the things we desire that '
nave subsequently and naturally come ■
to us. without national taint of dis- 1
honor.
Such should be the position of all 1
patriots. This Panama issue is one •
of too broad, and national a scope to ;
lie im; "tied and disci" lited. even it
there was —which is i>y no means yet \
proven -a lack of dolibei sit ion ami eti- ■
quette on the par', of the president in
doing what th- nation womd have sub- ,
sequently demanded and which is |
-von now in the process o' doing
The queer part of the opposition
thus far voiced is that no man has yet i
put his linger on a single instance that ;
in any court of common or interna- I
tionai law would condt inn or annul or 1
give just cause for crticism of our
action in this Panama case.
The fact that Panama had declared
her intention to secede on the failure,
of the Hay-H<rran treaty was known,
in every chancellery of the great na
tions two months a.to. Wet. we alone
to ignore it. and tr< a. the threat a;
hot air?
The sending of a war ship to Colon
was not a hostile art Its presence
was precautionary and called for by
our treaty obligations to enforce fret*
transit across the isthmus. As it was
our ships did not get. to Panama in
time to prevent tin- Colombian gun
beat from projecting shells into the
town and blowing up a couple of Chi
namen who were no* good dodgers. .
In all this where is titer, a point of
evidence that our government was in ,
ollusion to produce the revolution and
the < reation cf the republic of Pan- .
Because Jose Marti organized in
New York the revolution of 181*4 in
Cuba, was it. ever laid to our ■ barge
that ho government of the United
States aide i and abetted that revolt!- .
tion in which we afterwards inter
vened and secured the fre . dom of
Cuba? Not even Spam ever h r ,night
that charge against us.
But whether our government's par
ticipation at that time was right or
wrong, the great central fact stated
.... Congressman Howard must he kept
in view by democrats, and tuat is that
voting in favor of a canal treaty with
Panama does not involve any democrat
a conclusive approval o: 'I , acts of
President Roosevelt that may later ap
pear to have been wrong.
The treaty t< be submitted to the
t.-nyte will embody the results at
tained, by whatever means. In Pan
ama. and that are now accepted as in-
-national res adjudicata by other na
tions than our own. On that treaty a
democrat can vote “yea” without in
tiic slightest degree assuming a share
in anv wrong action hereafter to be
discovered. and he can so vote without
In -he lea. t impeaching thereby his
right to criticise Mr. Roosevelt or any
•jijdy else who may be considered lia
ble to criticism.
The canal matter is one of supreim
business moment to us and to Pan
ania! Both countries are now in a
position to treat upon that issue.
T'nore is no chance here for quibble
a;-d (liidish complaints because the
' v.iis not properly scolloped before
It-'c l,thing of it. The duty of the hour
to' r-i-k up the government, ratify
the tieat'-’. go to digging on the canal
umi talk about the if and bitts of
», 0 < as*' while the cutting is going on
3* Panama.
Giving Colombia a Square Deal.
Our government has gone very far in
sympathy with Colombia to offer its
u-mi offices in amicably adjusting the
relations between Colombia and the
new nation of Panama.
, Colombia, of course, would like to
-e'ai.i Panama and make now the bar
she refused with contempt a lit
tle more than a month ago. But that
sort of settlement is now out of the
question. Colombia is no longer to be
trusted in any detail of the Panama
canal question.
But there may be a question of Pan
ama’s responsibility for her pro rata
share of the Colombian public debt of j
$15,000,000. English and Holland bond- <
holders would like to take Panama st
bonds for $5,000,000 and cancel that j
amount of Colombian bonds. But Pan
ama does not owe that much of the
debt —probably does not owe morally a
cent of it—-but the United States is
willing to act as the friend of both in
reaching an adjustment of their mu
tual claims and interests.
That is more than tills government
would do in the case of the two Vir
ginias. It helped W< st Virginia to se
cede from old Virginia and old Vir
ginia is sti’l carrying the whole debt.
West Virginia refusing to pay a cent >
of it, or allow’ it to go to arbitration.
\nd tl'.- United States is making this
offer in the face of the fact that in
February, 1902. in the conference of
the Pan-American republics in the city
'of Mexico, Colombia refused to agree
to and be bound by an act. establishing !
arbitration a rule of American in
ternational law.
Under the circumstances we think
Colombia is being given more than a
fair deal in the present ciri umstances
of the Panama afiair.
—■
Republicans Abandon Nee.lo Suffrage
The Constitution feels bound to con
gratulate the republican leaders, in
cluding the president, Congressmen
Dick and Crumpacker, upon falling in
with Hie Gorman and general southern
contention tor “white supremacy in
thesi states where only the negro suf
frage is a source of danger to good
government.”
The only difference left between
democrats and republicans is one of
methods. The general principle that
the negro ought to be politically elim
inated is admitted in the bills intro
duced by Messrs. Dick and Crumpack
er from the republican side of the
house.
General Dick wants an investigation
to show what number of congressmen
the states of the south would be enti
tled to upon the basis of a strictly
white suffrage and Mr. Crumpacker
wishes, by his bill, the consent on the
part of the republican party that the
negro shall be disfranchised, provided
the south gets no representation in
congress on his account.
With them the question is not one
of defending the right of the negro to
vote because he is both a negro and
a republican, but the question is how
to concent to his disfranchisement
and get something in return for it—
that is, » larger pro rata representa
tion from the northern and western
states on a pro rated white basis.
Here in tl.c south we resist that
tricky method of republican repudia
tion of negro suffrage. Since these
republicans l:av< come to the point
wh- te they consent to his disfranchise
ment, they should go back to their
ovn prime mis'.alu in the matter and
consent to the abolition of the consti
tutional amendments that have caused
the tr> v.’ le am! have now so greatly
bsm comh.muied .'V high republican
authurii.it:;.'
Th<? iiiv« stigation sought by General
Dick should not be resisted, however,
by democrats, it is our best and only
chance to get the real facts and fig
ures of the negro sulfrago question
before the American people. If its
scope is made '.vide enough to admit
what the south can otter of the facts /
which inhere in negro suffrage, its ,
menaces to honest and safe govern
n nt and its u.s< 1< ssness to ev< ry '
beneficial and enduring interest, of |
the negroes themselves, the investiga- I
tion should not be feared —provided. ■
of course, it is to be conducted in a ■
.iii-ctly impatiial ami non-partisan
manner.
So far as the Crumpacker bill is
concerned, it is a bruttim fulmen.
( ongress will never pass it. It would
t;*'\. the wisdom and alacrity ol the
angels, good or bad, to enforce it, 1
Given its full effect, it. would make ,
gashes in the shields of northern ;
states quite as broad and deep as in j
southern - scutcheons. When it comes i
into the arena of debate it will be rid- ■
died with such revelations of its folly j
as will make its author ashamed of his j
own inanity.
But the main point to be established :
by either or both the measures is now ;
inescapable. It. means the nailing of
the republicans to the Issue that since
tlu y cannot get political profit out. of
the negro vote they are willing to sup
press it and only ask in return that
!!:.■ democrats ./ the smith also forego
any prefit from it. But to do this will ,
require another amendment to the con- I
: stitutlon taking away the rights 01 I
! states to be represented in the house 1
01' congress on the basis of inhabit- I
ants. Can that be done? Will even |
Massachm etts. Ohio and Indiana con- j
sent to it? ’s’e think rot.
Our Interest in Cuban Trade.
The Cuban reciprocity treaty having
I passed the lower house of congress on
I fhursday is now before the senate.
; There it will have to run the gauntlet
’ of some dilatory tactics, but it will lie
i i-.'.iiied and probably the new rates
i will not be delayed longer than the
, new year.
Tlte effect of the treaty will be to
i establish many profitable, and perhaps
; permanent, lines of trade between
Cuba and this country. With few ex
ceptions we make or produce here all
that Cuba needs as staple articles of
. n'mmeree. Nearly the entire value of
her sugar, tobacco, hardwods and
other native specialties will be ex
changed here for our goods.
I For some strange reason, our south
■ ern people have not, seemed to realize
. tb*- value of Cuban reciprocity to our
| own section. Wc have been consumed
1 with a tear that our Florida fruits,
seaboard vegetables, sugar mills and
i tobrweo fields would wither and perish
i under the baleful competition witli
i Cuban products ol the same sort.
Such fears are utterly groundless,
i So far as sugar ami tobacco are con
cerned, we certainly will not get the
• domino brand for our coffee or pana
tellas for helping down our case noir,
1 any cheaper than we are getting them
; now. As for the other articles, they
! will not count heavily against our bet
ter cultivation, packing and refriger
ator shipping. The real point, is to get
the sßo."bo,U .0 to SIOO,OOO,- 00 of Cuban
trade done ,‘n the American mar
kets.
Why should not the south get a very
THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION: ATLANTA, GA., MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1903.
AN ISSUE OF DO, DIG OR DEFEAT.
The citizens of the country who have kept informed as to Isthmian
canal matters know that the canal is purely a business and not an in
ternal partisan affair.
Any endeavor to make it sound in the latter terms will not be a labor
j of patriotism by the leaders of either of the great parties.
Botn parties are equally committed to the trade necessity for tho
construction of the canal and for the representatives of .either party to
foment a partisan breach over the project, which at the furthest can
only extend to the methods of procedure, would subject all of them to
a clean-cut charge of tin-Americanism and poker-playing politics.
The common people of this country, who have come to understand
Us value to our commercial expansion want the canal.
Colombia had an opportunity to have the United States construct it
under marvelously advantageous terms and spurned with contempt the
effort of this country, in its mad rush for blood money.
All Europe is bound by community of interests in which the United
Slates alone can be relied upon to hold a neutral hand to sanction the
American ownership and control of the canal.
Panama wants the canal and in order to secure it has repudiated al
legiance to a grafting recalcitrant, government and proclaimed herself
an independent state with international contractual powers.
In the midst of these things, which are unquestioned facts, having
due recognition by our administration and the chancelleries of nearly
all the great interested European nations, it seems our plain duty to go
ahead, using the powers that be for (he moment, and making good tho
canal!
From the Ohio, Missouri and Platte rivers to the South Atlantic and
gulf coasts the canal is now of paramount importance. The transconti
nental railways combine are even now coercing tho southern people by
unbearable freight discriminations and are putting the strangling cord of
thugs to the necks of our growing industries, most of which are being
operated with tlte ultimate end of supplying South Pacific and Oriental
markets.
Here in the south we cannot stand for such an inimical policy.
To permit mere sentiment and political checker-playing to deprive us
of the advantages o£ a speedily bu.il interoceanic canal will not be suf-
I iered by the south with patience and supine subserviency.
This is a supreme and God-sent occasion lor southern statemanship
to assert its wisdom, seership and practical usefulness to this section
and the nation at the same time.
If this Panama occasion is allowed to become a partisan bone of
contention the confusion so creat d between men of all parties will bo
worse confounded than any crisis ever forced upon the count./ and it
will be then extremely doubtful whether any man now livin', will sur
vive to see an interoceanic canal in operation.
the republicans, of course, are doing till in their power to urge
the democrats of the country to oppose the present canal com e of tho
administration. They are sensib eto the tempe” of the country and
are shrewd enough to discover tho sign that, a course of obstruction of
canal legislatioi or contract, with ■ auaman authorities will give
them great advantages in fighting the democracy next year.
The time has come to the demo, tats to follow the old commander’s
counsel who said: "First find out what your enemy wants you to do
and then —don't do it!” To raise technical points and insist upon mere
ly constructive conclusions as to the facts in the case will result in
putting the democratic party in the attitude demanding a canal for
fifty-five years and then refusing it when the getting of it is made pos
sible!
The fiction about treaty obligations and international law principles
of variable interpretations need now to be swept to one side as pure
rubbish. The United States are today invited by reasons and nations
to stand on the facts of the canal case —to act and not debate —to do
and let the tribunal of nations fix tlte sentimental issues and liquidate |
the damages ol any dereliction hereafter.
Senator Clay, of our own stale, is right when he says: “If Panama,
in a legal way, shall become a republic, then we can treat v ,th her to
build a canal.”
And when Panama shows that she is free and independent, that no
Colombian authority abides with h r, that she has a governr:-nt, even
though provisional, but looking to a constitutional organiza on, and
against which status no Panaman protests or rebels, this g- '■ rnment
can treat, will, that extant sovereignty through its executive, of what
ever form, and it will be the duty of our president and senate to ratify
and enforce any acceptable treaty so made.
That canal must be dug; or else the digging will begin in the
cemetery of sectional and factional politics!
large share of this Cuban trade? Our '
I southern cotton mills make just the •
; sort of cotton goods that are needed
' by almost every man, woman and half- ,
■ grown child in Cuba. The goods mad© j
. here in Atlanta the finer grades of i
.Macon, Griffin, Augusta and Columbus ’
are just the stuff the Cubans will buy :
enormously. Our mill men will lose
the chance of their lives it they do
not at once extend their markets into ,
Cuba.
Take our great flouring mill here I
■ in Atlanta and ask any man why it j
i should not ship all its possible output •
ito Cuba? Why should Minneapolis, i
j shipping through New Orleans and Mo- :
i bile, monopolize the flour trade in ’
i Cuba?
We have, leather, furniture, candy,
1 cracker and a score of other fixed in- \
: Austrias of our city that could easily .
| show advantages to Cuban buyers that '
i cannot be excelled by any other Amer- !
j ican center of trade.
Here is a magnificent chance tor the ;
Atlanta chamber of commerce to take i
up an opportunity of the richest value ;
to the export trade of Greater Georgia.
The Cubans are a tenacious people and
if we can once gain their confidence ;
| and patronage we can hold both in-1
! definitely.
i The value of Cuban reciprocity is
* surely a thing that should not be over-
I looked in Atlanta.
Statehood For Oklahoma.
Single or double statehood is always
a burning issue in the territories of
Oklahoma and Indian Territory. Th©
Washington politicians of both parties
have from the beginning favored single
statehood for both while in the terri
. tories themselves the prepondent sen
timent in each has been for double I
> statehood.. The best interests of both \
' seems to lie logically and strongly in |
! that direction.
j Oklahoma has over 400,000 people,
j ten times more than Nevada, while
' the Indian Territory has nearly GOO,-
000, or fifteen times the Nevada popu
lation. It seems, at first blush, that tlte
people of the two territories ought to
be homogeneous and contented as
I citizens of the same state, but they ;
are not. themselves of that mind. The
Oklahomans are independent pioneers
who invaded their land under Captain
Payne and fcrced the government to
divide the territory and give them a
territorial autonomy, and a delegate in
1 congress. Indian Territory is owned
by the Five Nations of Indians, while .
men are there by sufferance and such
as own land are squaw men. the hus
t bands of Indian women. They know
nothing fiy study and experience of
, any other than t’ ibal governments and
! Indian customs, but there aie plenty
of white men there who would run a
- state government all right enough.
Oklahoma would have been a state
: ten years ago had it not been forGro
i ver Cleveland who swore with a great.
- big D that he would never put his flsh
| line autograpn to a bill that would put
’ | “two more silver lunaHcs in the United
j States senate.” That objection being
i no longer valid Oklahoma, at least,
’ deserves speedy statehood
The Sanitary Doll Weevil.
It is a wise provision that when
j men persist in stubborn follies Provi
dence seems to finally take a fad out of
! their pride aud bring them down to a
. cold compliance with the common
! sens© they should have used without
I being whipped up to it.
Heretofore tn the south th. cotton
raisers' gospel lias been comprised in
the commandments plough umi plant,
hoe and weed, pick aud pay the negro,
' the supply man and th*; 1 .tilizer
’ agent. All advice to use better ineth
. oils has been sneered at by the farmers
\as “the monkey-tali, of m.-Filers.”
■ Reasoned articles that urge them to
! raise cotton by scientific and intensive
I methods are treated as eqaalt? funny
1 in words as arc the serio-comi antics
i of Alphonse ami Gaston in cartoons.
Now the boll weevil has been sent as
i a messenger of Divine wisdom to wake
the old-fashioned farmers out of their
old-fashioned ways. Secretary Wil
; son and the agricultural experta say
I that ail the im.ney in th© national
treasury will not exterminate these
omniverous pests of the cotton field.
The boll weevil is the body louse of
the plant, and the on y way to keep
; him off is by the proper cultivation of
! clean crops. A dir.y c-op will be de
stroyed by this scavenger of t •) cotton
j fields, so that, the lazy, do it Hke-dad
! always-did sort of farmer will also
i wind up as dad used to do a bank
' nipt, a sheriff-shaved old r ;at and the
hired man of his neighbor who worked
. his brains as often as he did his bull-
■ tongue plow.
, Only the fittest are fit to farm in
j cotton these days and the s nth may
: yet have reason to thank God for send
i ing the boll weevil to put the cotton
slovens out of business.
Free Trade with Our Colonies.
The business men of the Philippine
islands are putting up a strong de
mand to be given the same tariff
treatment that Porto Rico Ims receiv
ed. They ou:,ht to make a. case, as
the Porto Ricans did. and get from
the supreim' court of the Ini' d States
a declaration of the unfairness and
trade rascality of the Philippines tar
iff. And they had better get that de
cision quick, ritei’i is no telling when
some one of the present court will ad
venture into tin? e'err.al shades and
I somebody else will get upon the su
preme bench with imperialist:? notions
of how to deal with colonists.
It is one of the most inexplicable
things to Ute ordinary American mind
wire there should be any tariff be
tween countries belonging to us and
our home continent with its great need
for the trade of those islands. Nearly
half the time allowed the Spaniards
for equal trade advantages with us in
the Philippines is past, and there are
no signs that they could beat us off
the archipelago on a free trade basis.
We think the Manila board of trade
men are right and that congress ought
to give them the relief they so co
gently ask.
Why General Wood Is Opposed.
It Is gratifying to be informed by
well-advised correspondents in Wash
ington that the able committee on mil
itary affairs in the senate, made up en- ;
tirely of old veterans of the civil war,
will make short shrift of the crusade
against the confirmation of Major Gen
eral Leonard Wood.
The committee will probably hear
patiently what Rathbone and other
witnesses may offer and it will bo
well for General Wood, the future good
of the army and the satisfaction of
the country that it. should record their
testimonies.
It will be well for the country to
know that Rathbone was the cause of
his own troubles. When General
Wood became military governor of
Cuba, he called upon all departments
of the government to submit their re
ports, estimates of receipts and expend
itures to his office, to be examined by
his chief of staff, and to have their
departments supervised by the regular
inspectors of his military department.
All department of the Cuban mili
tary government submitted to these
orders implicitly and gracefully, ex
cept Rathbone, director general of
posts. He had refused to recognize
his subordination to General Brooke
and he would not do so to Wood.
The more so because he had been in
triguing industriously to end military
supremacy in the Island government
and have himself appointed the su
preme authority under the title of civil
governor of Cuba.
General Wood referred the matter
to the postmaster general, to whom
alone Rathbone claimed he owed re
sponsibility. The postmaster general
tentatively sided with Rathbone. Gen
eral Wood then appealed to President
McKinley, as president and command
er in chief of the army, who had. erect
ed the military government of tho
island.
Here was the issue at headquarters.
Where was Hanna then? Was he not.
regarded everywhere as the fidus
A< bates and alter ego of President Mc-
Kinley? Could he not, if any one,
have settled the case there and then
for Rathbone’s contention? But he
did not. President McKinley saw
clearly that Rathbone’s claims were
untenable and persistence in his acts
would be insubordination. In his
view there could be no divided author
ity in dealing with the whole sum of
Cuban governmental affairs. He sus
tained tho orders of General Wood,
and right there began the fall of Rath
bone.
Inspector General Burton had
scarcely turned ton pages in the postal
records until frauds began to pop up
, like jacks in their boxes. General
Chaffee, limn chief of staff, found them
galore in the official figures ol the de
partment of posts. Then followed
Bristow and Fosnes, the exits under
arrest of Rathbone, Neely, Reeves et
id omne genus.
The courts were not packed to con
vict these culprits. The same judges
tried them who wore on the bench
when the Rathbone-Neely bunch were
rolling around in rubber-tired car- I
riages as the leaders of the American j
official elite. The claim that General !
Wood persecuted them is balderdash! i
But for his act, when leaving the |
island, in persuading President Palma
to issue a general amnesty to Ameri
can offenders in and out of jail, Rath
bone would today be doing a fourteen
! year convict term in Las Cabanis in
; stead of posing as a martyr and de
! manding of the United States senate
j the humility of an honest and able sol
idi or.
The Transcontinental Rates.
■ It. is always well to have proposi
i tions clearly understood before tho
i conflict over them begins. Tn The
Constitution of yesterday we have it
stated by authority that the transcon
tinental railway rates that are strang
ling southern industries and sucking
our commercial blood are to lie con
tinued.
No reductions are to be made in i
order to foster southern trade >
with Pacific ports and the Orient. If >
any change is to occur it is to be j
more strongly against us than for 116. ;
.XII our enterprise, employment of cap- i
ital and increase of products are to ,
be piled upon the altar of the. greed
of the transcontinental lines.
What is the excuse? There is no
excuse! Simply a declaration that
our cheapness of manufacture must
be loaded with extra freight tolls in
order to make our prices at the Pa
cific ports equal to the prices demand
ed by our New England and northern
competitors. That is the whole story
in a nutshell. It admits that we can
produce cheaper, but it announces
that we snail not ship on equal terms
with our competitors. It is a hold-up,
I pure and simple.
i ’ The south has to deal principally
with the connections made with the
Southern and ’he Union Pacific rail
ways. These are the roads whose
representatives say that they have
been carrying southern goods at a ,
loss. But in the American Almanac,
for 1903, in which the summary of all
the important lines in the country is
made. what, do we find? Here are the
figures:
Name of Road Operat’K Ex. Net Earn.
S(- "hern Paeif1c..548.093.0/7 $23,146,871
l-nion Pacific.. • 23.738,604 18 950,230
What do you think of that? Docs
that showing from official figures
prove io you that our two main lines
for the shipment of southern goods to
the Pacific have been doing a. losing
business? ’magine their chief spirits
sweating across the plains and the ;
Rockies carrying our goods at. a dead i
kiss! ■
But the end of this nonsense is nt |
hand. The Panama canal treaty will I
be ratified and the canal built and
hen these sharks of th" transconti
nental roads will be found in every
■ of the south, down on their mar
row bones, begging for freight at less
than canal prices!
All for the Nominee.
(From The Columbia State.)
Apropos of the prophecies that this >r
that candidate cannot carry the south,
one is reminded of the answer once made
by old David B. Atkinson, the wheel
horse of Missouri democracy, when ask
ed whom Missouri wished for a candidate.
“Gentlemen.’’ said ho. “the state of Mis
souri will give 60.000 majority to any
goldarned democrat you put up.”
PORT RECEIPTS EXCESSIVE
Figures to Date Exceed Last Three Years and
indicate Heavy European Demand
For the Great Stapie.
Secretary Hester s crop statement for
the current week shows the port receipts
for the present season have to date ex
ceeded the port receipts for a similar
period last year and for the three years
preceding It.
The November receipts of cotton this
year for tho first twenty days show a
gain over last November’s total receipts
of 273,000, a gain over year before last of
247,000 and over 1900 of 374,000. A great
deal of this gain has been made during
th© past week, the receipts for the week
showing a gam over last year of 107.000.
over the year before of 133,000 and over
1900 Os 176,000.
For convenience the subtractions are
mado as follows:
Total port receipts for 1903 show a
gain of 59,1 16 bales over the same period
last year, a gain over year before last of
297,076 bales, and over 1900 a gain of
318,225 bales.
In spite of the enormous gains in the
receipts, both total and port receipts, the
total movement of cotton for the eighty
one days that have elapsed of the present
season shews a loss of 240.000 bales from
last year, a gain of 74,000 bales year be
fore last and a gain of 45,000 bales over
1900.
The Indications are that the present crop
is not being taken by American spin- '
tiers. It Is believed that American mills
have less than sixty days’ supply ’>f cot- ;
ton and tho reports from the New Eng- i
land manufacturing districts say that I
business is bad because of high-priced ;
cotton, that they are unwilling to pay ths
current price for cotton because they
think they ought to buy It cheaper. In
the faco of this tho European prlco for
cotton Is very strong, prices rule high
and tho cotton naturally seeks the rorts i
for shipment aoroad. This fact Is clearly |
established by the enormous increase in i
the pert receipts over previous years. A ;
greater number of bales reach the [Tirts
than in the years when the total move
ment was larger than the present season.
Now the receipts of cotton at all United
States i’< rts will be of vital interest to
Constitution subscribers on account of tho
great SIO,OOO port receipts contest that
is now in its greatest Interest. Estimates |
were sent earlj- in the season with ap- ;
parent reason, showing the total port ra- ;
Plunkett’s Letter
AN old man told me yesterday that
a very great majority of game birds
hatched this year have fallen by
banter’s gun or the trappers who sell to
tho towns.
It was a knowing old man who told me
this —only a few weeks of the hunting
season now past and the birds all gone. 1
1 This shouid stir eve. 1 y thinking man to
I the preservation of our birds. Tho poets
| even should turn their rhymes and their
‘ sentiments to tlte end that our birds be
j preserved. Brown is more than willing
! to do his part—like many another poet,
lie Is glad to spout, and I auk. that we
let him spread himself. Here hs goes;
God made the seasons—made them righty
It is man’s bad conduct if there's bligtit.
The leaves may sear,
As frost draws near.
But there is always ha.ppy cheer
Somewhere in sight.
From budding spring through winter’s ice,
In every land tliero is something nice,
if we but strive
To keep alive
Such things as God would have to
thrive,
There’d be no vice.
These seasons all have each their birds,
As sure as spring increases hsrds,
And every place
Is but a grace
By songs and beanties sweet to trace,
Idk’e cheering words.
I Then shame it is that man finds fun
i In dealing death by trap or gun,
And sToops to st. al
1 O’er wood and lieid
j With dogs along o help reveal
| Where sweet birds run.
! \h cruel man, your point of view
I Claims all things of earth tor yotf.
But you will miss
Full many a bliss
By standing on such creed as this
Till birds are few.
Could I find words that would Impart
The cruelty of such a heart
As feels not pain
When it has slain
A poor sweet bird tnat only came
The season’s part
Then 1 am sure that men no more
Would shoot th ■ birds theey shot before,
But full and free,
In jovful glee.
They’d sing for you and sing for me—
Th-y'd sing iTdm door to door.
Thev’d sing bv day and sing by night,
And' never cease their singing quite,
fill al! would say
God bless the day
That gave us birds to sing tins way
Like ”dld-Bob-Whitc.”
The cabbage serpent that there Is just
now so much scare about is simply one
of the fruits of killing our birds. Ts birds |
were here as they used to be there won id !
be no vile serpent In tho cabbage to keep '
neonle from eating them and spending
Loney to help along the farmer that
raises them. So it is with many another
thing. They tell me that out west there
has appeared an insect which promises
to make cotton raising in that section a
failure This is all from kilting the birds
and no telling what calamities will be
fall us If we keep on in this slaughter. It.
Is not country people wito kill the great
majority of these birds. The town hunr
-1 e s are the ones who slay them without
i mercy and without thought of their use
■ fulness. Let a crowd of these town hunt
i ers get a sight of a drove of partridges !
I and they follow them to extermination. ,
i An intellig' nt farmer told me that fruit !
trees would go to blight in Georgia if <
there was not greater effort made to ■
save the birds. Already market garden- ;
ers have discovered that the birds are j
necessary. One of these gardeners is now
feeding hogs on as fine cabbage as you '
ever saw just from the scare I '.’.at lias i
arisen over the poison worm. No worm ■
could exist if birds were as plentiful as I
they used to b<\ The bird laws as they |
s'.tnd today are of very little benefit to
the saving of birds. The season for hunt
ing is only d< layed to make a grand rush
when the time does arrive. What we need
is a prohibition of killing birds for a I
number of years. There will be a great
many killed in spite of tjie law. but a
big part of the town hunters could be I
ceipts figured less than 3,000,000 bale*.
The present condition indicates that the
port receipts this year to January 12 will
exceed the. past years, which have been
respectively, 1900, 5.315.879; 1901. 5,279,-
507; 1900, 4,846,741 bales.
This Is tho time to file your estimate.
It should reanh us during November. W«
I hava a. special prize of S2OO up for tha
best estimate received during Novem
ber. This prize will bo awarded with
out any reference to tho nearest prize
(estimate for the contest, but
only to estimates received during Novem
ber. It will bo given in addition to any
other prize such estimate may take, or if
tho best November estimate should not
take any other prize, the S2OO will be
awarded alone to that estimate.
The price of cotton In all the markets
is approximately lie. This is kept up in
tile face of tho heavy receipts for No
vember. It appears that estimates mads
earlier in tho season on the total crop
must be excessive to warrant the state of
affairs.
You are directly interested In Tho Con
stitution’s contest, and in its subscrip
tion list. Should a circulation of 200,000
be reached before the close of this con
test, not only the offer takes up the
entire SIO,OOO. but the offer will be
doubled. The 200.000 mark could b»
| reached In one week by concerted action.
; If every Constitution agent should send
la (dub of five, ti'e line will be crossed
and the prizes will be doubled.
• Should one-half The Constitution agents
Send t.m subscribers the Brunei ‘•fßwtft
would be produced. Should every sub
scriber to The Constitution send a new
subscriber the 200,000 mark would be
greatly exceeded. It Is the opportunity
for an to profit largely by persistent,
j concerted action. The streets of Jeru
: saleoi were kept clean by every man
i sweeping before his own door. The
prizes can be doubled by every man
doing his own. part.
Let us have your subscription orders,
estimates and remittances all sent in the
same envelope to reach us before next
Monday. We will t a care of every or
der and estimate that may come and
t give instant attention thereto.
: Address all orders plainly to The At
| lanta Constitution, Atlanta, Ga.
suppressed by making the law strenuous
enough.
I am sure that a great number of
young men kill these birds without a.
thought of the Importance of keeping
them hero. Another great number think
that this effort to save the birds is only
a whim of a few old “fogies.” I am
sure that old people do look upon the
matter with more seriousness than young
people would bo expected to do, but It
.s a knowledge among the old of how
the birds used to be as compared with
today. Any old person can toll you the.t
birds used to come through Georgia in
November In such numbers as made them
seem like a great cloud in tha distance,
and they roared like a storm. In those
days droves of pigeons and of black
birds and swarms of ducks and geeaa
came till tin y broke the trees in light
ing. These fed in every field and In the
woods till there were precious few of
vegetable destroying Insects left. An old
man that has seen the day when he could
step out any morning before breakfast
and return in an hour loaded down with
ducks, turkeys, pigeons or birds, just as
ho choose to hunt, would be expected to
feel the extermination of birds more than
the young people who never saw such
things, but these young people should
profit by the knowledge of the old and
give their every effort to stop this ex
termination.
Just a little while longer and there will
be no birds. If I was a candidate my
platform would be to stop all hunting of
birds. Tlie little game that is secured
by these hunters is a matter of no profit,
and it strikes me as very sorry “sport”
to kill as the town hunters do kill. A
young fellow went by yesterday and it
pleased him to show his partridges and
'brag on the fact that he killed every
one of tho drove. These pointer dogs
are nearly too much for the rabbits, much
less tho birds. The negroes had much
rather have one of these pointers than
a hound. The old hound gave varmints
a chance, but these pointers “set” 'em
in their beds and tho negro gets In his
work. Tha other trouble Is that with
these pointers trained the hunter may
hunt rabbits, but you may ba sure that
they will kill birds also, if any come in
the way. So, 1 think, it would be a good
notion to entirely stop all hunting' with
firearms. PARGE PLUNKJ*l r £T.
A Diagnosis of Kentucky.
(From The Chicago Tribune.)
Kentucky’s hills ate full of rills.
An i all the rills are lined with stills.
And all the stills arc full of gills.
And all the gills are full of thrills,
And all the thrills are full of kills.
You see, the feudists dot the hills,
And camp along the little Ills,
Convenient to the busy stills,
And thir Ing for tho brimming gills.
And when the juice his system fills.
Each feudist whoops around, and kills.
Now, If they’d only stop the stills.
They’d cure Kentucky's many ills;
Men would bo spared to climb the hilla
And operate the busy stills.
However, this would mean more gills,
And that, of course, would mean more
thrills.
Resulting in the same old kills.
So all the hill.-- and rills and stills.
And all the gills and thrills and kills
Are splendid for the coffin mills.
And make more undertakers’ hills.
The Ultimate Absurdity.
'1 h R \
Air. ( i ,ker has introduced a bill
requiring nelsons charged with lynching
to be. tried in fed« ril court. His next
bill siiouiu be ,i bill to bv entitled an
act to wipe out all state lines, abolish
all except f loro! -oui'is, and give the
negro control of th " southern colonic /.
Unc’e Mark’s Rooters.
(From Tiii '..’hattanooga Times.)
Is the large:.! office in the gift of th'
people of th" l i lted States teally chas
ing ['m e Marl: iiaan-? -Jt. Douis Bost
Di patch.
No, it not; ini that is the i:npr< --
sion bi miter El.-.nn.i seems to be sedu
1< usly trying to spread abroad. Th. oniv
people wh. > . img M r . Hann;. ~i"
tl’ ’ I'l-eo’kd ’’lily Whit-s” in the south,
vi o li.-.v- be. n turned down bv the pr< ~-
lci< r.t.
