Newspaper Page Text
The Georgia Record.
VOL. I.
CHARITY BILL
IS AMENDED
Porto Rican Measure Changed to
Satisfaction of Democrats.
THE PRESIDENT IS RESTRICTED
Uses to Which the Relief Funds
Are to Be Put Must Be
Strictly Specified.
/
The senate Thursday passed the
Porto Rico relief bill amended in a
•way to meet the criticisms urged
against the measure by the Demoerats
of the house. The action of the sen
ate demonstrates that the members of
the house were right in the objections
they made at the time the bill was un
der consideration there, the Republi
cans of the senate themselves indors
ing the Democratic position.
There were two points in which the
Democrats criticised the house bill
and on which they based their refusal
to support it. One of these was the
clause which gave the president un
limited power over the Porto Rican
funds, not only those now raised, but
those which may hereafter be raised.
This was insisted upon by the house
representatives, but the senate com
mittee immediately struck it out. The
other provision was the absence of
specifications as to the uses to which,
these funds were to be put. The
Democrats insisted that these should
be specified. When the bill came
from the senate committee it had not
been corrected in this respect.
Senator Bacon took it to the house,
consulted with Messrs. Richardson
and Bailey, and then gvt the senate
committee to put in the bill the exact
language upon which the Democratic
leaders agreed, so the position of the
house Democrats is in every way sus
tained.
After the morning routine Mr. Sul
livan, of Mississippi, took the floor to
deliver his announced speech on the
relations with the Philippines, but at
the request of Mr. Allison yielded for
immediate consideration of the bill ap
propriating for the benefit and govern
ment Porto Rico, revenues collect
ed on importations therefrom. The
debate on the appropriation bill devel
oped a decided difference of opinion,
as Mr. Jones, of Arkansas, offered as
a substitute for the measure a bill to
return the duties to those who had
paid them and providing for absolute
free trade between the United States
and Porto Rico. Mr. Jones substitute
was as follows:
“All duties collected upon articles
imported into the United States prior
to or since the first day of April, 1899,
the date of exchange of ratifications of
the treaty of peace between the United
States and Spain, be returned to the
persons from whom they were collected
and from and after the passage of this
act no duties shall be collected on
asticles coming from Porto Rico.”
This substitute precipitated a
lengthy discussion of the constitutional
questions involved.
Mr. Hoar then came forward with a
proposition to fix a time for a vote
the heated colloquy said no more.
There was objection to naming a date
and Mr. Hoar postponed his request
until Friday. Mr. Hoar then ad
dressed the senate on the Porto Rico
appropriation. He expressed his will
ingness to let the appropriation pass
for humanitarian reasons, but took oc
casion to repeat his views on the gen
eral question of expansion.
Before the discussion of the pend
ing bill bad been concluded Mr. Wel
lington, of Maryland, presented an
elaborate argument against the seat
ing of Mr. Quay.
At 5 o’clock the senate adjourned.
Rhode Island Democrats Meet.
The Rhode Island Democratic state
convention met at Providence Thurs
day for the nomination of state officers
and the selection of delegates to the
Democratic national convention. Na
than W. Littlefield was nominated for
governor.
FOURTEEN LOSE LIFE
Fearful Holocaust In a Newark,
N. J, Tenement House.
WAS THE WORK OF AN INCENDIARY
Nearly All of the Victim# Were Helpless
Children—House Wm a Ver
itable Death Trap.
Fourteen persons lost their lives,
two persons were seriously injured
and many others slightly burned in a
fire in Newark, N. J., at 5 o’clock
Monday morning. The firemen, after
the flames had been subdued, took
thirteen bodies from the ruins and
while they were thus engaged another
victim of the fire died in the city hos
pital. One family was wiped out com
pletely and of another only the father
lives and he is in the city hospital,
where it is believed he will die.
The building in which the fire broke
out was a veritable fire trap. It was of
frame construction and extended two
stories above the ground floor. Until
three or four years ago the structure
had been used as a church, but it was
converted into a tenement. The lower
floor, fronting on 50, 52 and 54 Four
teenth avenue, was occupied by three
stores and the upper portion of the
building was divided into twenty
living rooms.
As nearly as can be learned, the
structure was occupied by ten families,
all Italians. Two of the occupants,
Vito Credanza and one other family
kept boarders, and though the total
population of the rookery could not
be definitely ascertained during the
excitement attending the flrethere were
said to be forty or fifty persons of
both sexes and all ages in the building
when the fire started.
The police are confident that the
fire was of incendiary origin and they
have arrested Vito Credanza on sus
picion. There was a disorderly card
game in one of the rooms that lasted
well into the morning. Credanza was
a participant and is said to have made
violent tharats against his fellow play
ers. A few minutes before 5 o’clock
every one in the building was awaken
ed by the flames.
They found them burning at the
foot of the stairs leading from the first
to the second stories. The«hallway
and the stairs were burning fiercely,
cutting off the only egress from the
upper floor on which six families lived.
It also ent off the escape by the door
for those who lived in the rear
part of the first floor. Those who
could made for the windows. From
these they leaped or dropped.
The whole neighborhood was awake
in at instant and from the burning
building came agonizing screams and
calls for help. From the basement
and ground floor the inmates of the
building poured naked, or almost so.
From the upper story men and wo
men leaped to the sidewalk. By the
time the firemen reached the scene
the building was wrapped in flames
and those who had not escaped were
dead or doomed. They must have
died within a few minutes for the fire
rushed through every room in the
building within ten minutes.
There was fearful excitement about
the burning building. Men, women
and children who escaped rushed
about almost naked, looking for their
relatives. For a time it was thought
there were many more lost than the
events later proved, because several
naked were picked up by neighbors
and carried indoors. Thus fathers and
mothers missed their children and
rushed screaming about.
The fire lasted only a few minutes.
The search for the dead began within
twenty minutes after the alarm was
sounded, so quickly was the fire con
quered.
VAGRANT ACT READ.
Would-Be Negro “Emigrants” Forced to
Disperse at Athens.
A special from Athens, Ga., says:
The 300 negroes who have been en
camped at the Seaboard Air Line de
pot since last Saturday waiting for a
train to carry them to Mississippi,
were dispersed Monday morning and
quiet has been restored again.
The vagrant act was read to the
“emigrants” Monday morning, and at
noon there was not a negro to be seen
at the depot.
ATLANTA, GA,. S.
“PEGLEG” AGAIN ARRESTED.
Alleged Labor Agt-nt Is Having Plenty
of Trouble On Hand.
An Atlanta dispatch says: R. A.
Williams, better known as “Peleg”
Williams, the man who has been in so
much trouble about sending negro
emigrants westward, has again been
arrested on the fame old charge of
hiring negro labor for emigration with
out a state license.
There is also a warrant for Williams
from South Carolina, and still another
warrant which is in the hands of the
sheriff of Fulton county.
Chief Manly, of Atlanta, received a
warrant for Williams several days ago
from South Carolina, but Williams
was not in the city and the warrant
was temporarily pigeon-holed.
Saturday a warrant came to the po
lice authorities from Athens, Ga. Sun
day morning Officer Hill found Wil
liams just as he stepped from a train
at the depot, and the alleged labor
agent was arrested and locked up at
the police barracks.
Later in the day the prisoner was
turned over to the county officials, the
sheriff having a warrant for him.
In the meantime the South Carolina
warrant was brought to light, and
Williams now has three new charges
for labor hiring to answer to.
Williams was arrested on a warrant
in South Carolina last summer, and he
got out of that scrape in some way and
came to Georgia. He was arrested on
the charge of hiring negroes in Morgan
county. The case went against him,
and he gave bond and took an appeal.
He was again arrested in Greene
county and gave bond, the case being
postponed to await a decision by the
supreme court in the Moigan county
case.
The prisoner is charged with em
ploying squads of negroes for planta
tions in Mississippi and Arkansas.
There is a state ’4* in Gosrgm, he
states, which necessary for a
labor agent to haverti 8500 license for
each county in wlich he operates.
This he considers and
unconstitutional. He has appealed
his case on the ground that the law
is not constitutional and that he can
no more be taxed than any railroad
agent.
Williams does not admit that he is
working for the owners of the western
farms, where the negro labor is want
ed, but states that he is employed by
the railroads, on a salary, to induce
emigrants to travel over certain routes.
GROWTH OF THE SOUTH.
The Various New Industries Established
the I’ast week.
The more important of new enter
prises reported during the past week
include brick works in Tennessee and
Texas; a bridge construction company
in West Virginia; coal mines in Texas;
two cotton mills in Georgia, one in
North Carolina, three in South Caro
lina, two in Tennessee and one in
Texas; one cotton seed oil mill each in
Alabama and Texas, and two each in
Georgia and Mississippi; a cracker
factory in Alabama; a 8300,000 electric
light and power plant in Virginia; an
engine and machine works in West
Virginia; flouring mills in Georgia and
Tennessee; two furniture factories in
North Carolina and one in South
Carolina; a grain elevator in Ken
tucky; hardware companies in Louis
ana and Tennessee; ice and cold stor
age companies in Kentucky and North
Carolina; iron ore mines in Alabama
and Georgia; an irrigation company in
east Texas; lumber mills in Alabama,
Florida and Tennessee; planing mills
in Alabama and North Carolina; a
plaster company in West Virginia;
sandstone quarries in Texas; a stave
factory in West Virginia; telephone
companies in Alabama and the Caro
linas; a tobacco factory in North Car
olina; aSIOO,OOO water power company
in Georgia; zinc mines in Arkansas.—
Tradesman (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
FROM CHAPEL TO GRAVE.
Goebel’s Body Is Consigned to Earth In
Frankfort Cemetery.
Monday evening the remains of
Governor William Goobel were taken
from ihe chapel at Frankfort, where
they have been under guard since
February Btb, and buried in the plot
of ground west of the chapel on the
hill overlooking the Kentucky river.
The services were brief, consisting
simply of prayer and singing. Mem
bers of the legislature attended in a
body. Memorial services were held
in both houses of the legislature dur
ing the day.
TURDAY, MARCH 11. 1900.
TRUCE IN KENTUCKY
Taylor Remains In Power White
Beckham Acts Governor.
LEGISLATURE ADJOURNS SINE DIE
i Temporary Peace Patched Up at Confer.
ence Between Adjutant General.
Collier and Castleman.
The legislature of Kentucky adjourn
ed sine die at Frankfort Tuesday as-
I ternoon. A conference between Ad
jutant Generals Collier and Castleman
resulted in a perfect understanding
being reached. Governor Taylor will
continue to act as governor. Gover
nor Beckham will make no move to-
I ward securing possession of the state
buildings until after the court of ap
peals has decided the disputed gover
i norship.
The legislature appropriated 8100,-
000 for the use of Governor Beckham
in reorganizing the state militia.
This in brief was the situation in
; Kentucky politics Tuesday night.
Among the more conservative ele
i ment in each party the opinion pre
vails that the worst is over and that
when the court of appeals renders its
I decision the dangers of civil war in the
I commonwealth which has been terribly
imminent will entirely have passed
away.
To the Democratic leaders, with a
full understanding of the situation,
only one cloud appears on the political
horizon—that is Governor Taylor’s
future course.
Governor Tayjor himself will net
rontnne hfs plan or action beyond the
: statement which he made to an Asso
ciated Press correspondent Tuesday
that he would “continue to act as gov
; ernor.” Republicans in Governor
| Taylor’s confidence, however, say that
he will remain in Frankfort in the dis
charge of his duties until the court last
■ of resort passes upon the question at is
' sue. Then if the decision be against
I him he will step out at once and turn
over the state buildings to Governor
Beckham.
The Republicans will make every
effort to carry the dispute into the
federal courts in case the decision of
the court of appeals, the supreme
court of Kentucky, is against them,
but failing in this, they will consider
the question settled.
The Democratic leaders assert that
they will cheerfully abide by the de
cision of the court of appeals.
The legislature adjourned late in the
day after one of the most remarkable
sessions in the history of the state. In
spite of the fact that there was the
usual disorder attendant on the clos
ing day of the session, especially in
the house, considerable important leg
islation was accomplished, including
the passage of the Senator Triplett
resolution appropriating 3100,000 to
enable Governor Beckham to “reor
ganize, extend the organization and
I recover the munitions of war of the
state.”
The debate on the bill in the house
naturally took on a strong partisan
tinge, but it finally went through amid
wild cheering by a vote of 53 to 13,
' most of the Republicans refusing to
vote.
The bill is regarded as a “war fund”
Iby the Democrats. A bill appropri
ating 35,000 for the Covington library,
the only bill introduced in the legis
lature by Senator Goebel, was also
passed.
In the senate the bitter feeling ex
isting between the Goebel and anti-
Goebel Democrats was shown when
Senator Carter, president of the sen
ate, announced that he would certify
to the absence from most of the ses
sions since January 30th, the date of
Goebel’s assassination, of four anti-
Goebel Democrats, thus preventing
them from drawing their per diem
during that time.
The evening trains from Frankfort
were crowded with legislators return
ing to their homes, and the city is
practically deserted by politicians, and,
beyond a few soldiers in the capitol
square, little remains to show how
near Kentucky has been to civil war.
APPROPRIATION APPROVED.
Tuesday night Governor Beckham
approved the Triplett 3100,000 appro
priation resolution.
NO. 38.
BLOEMFONTEIN
IS EVACUATED
Lord Roberts Takes Possession of
Orange Free State Capital.
BURGHERS LEAVE HURRIEDLY
British General’s Headquarters
Are Now at President Steyn’s
Palatial Home.
Advices reaching London Wednes
day announced that Bloemfontein sur
rendered at 10 o’clock Tuesday morn
ing. The city was occupied at noon.
President Steyn, with a majority of
the fighting burghers, fled north.
General French was within five
miles of the place at 5 o’clock Monday
afternoon. He sent a summons into
the town threatening to bombard un
less it surrendered by 4 a. m. Tuesday.
A white flag was hoisted Tuesday
morning and a deputation of the town
council, with Mayor Keener, went out
to meet Lord Roberts at Spitz kop,
five miles south of the town, making
a formal surrender of the place.
Lord Roberts made a state entry at
! noon. He received a tremendous ova
| tion. After visiting the public build
ings he went to the official residence
of the president, followed by a cbeer-
I ing crowd, w’ho waved the British flag
I and sang the British national anthem.
■ They wrTtf .in ei xmnxllHxm
• excitement.
I On Monday afternoon previous to
the surrender there had been a little
sniping and shelling, but the enemy
j then retired.
Lord Roberts has his headquarters
at the president’s house and there are
many of the British wounded in the
building.
ROBERTS’ DISPATCH.
The following is the text of Lord
Roberts’s dispatch to the war office
announcing his occupation of Bloem
fontein:
“Bloemfontein, Tuesday, March
13, 8 p. m.—By the help of God and
by the bravery of her majesty’s sol
diers, the troops under my command
: have taken possession of Bloemfontein.
The British flag now flies over the
presidency, evacuated last evening by
Mr. Steyn, late president of the Orange
Free State. Mr. Frazer, member of
the late executive government; the
I mayor, the secretary of the late gov
j ernment, the Landrost and other offi-
I cials met me two miles from the town
, and presented me with the keys of the
public offices:
“The enemy have withdrawn from
the neighborhood and all seems quiet.
The inhabitants of Bloemfontein gave
the troops a cordial reception.”
LONDON REJOICES.
Lord Robert’s dispatch caused a
feeling of great relief in London. The
absence of the news eagerly looked for
had provoked some apprehension dur
ing the earlier part of the day that the
British had met with a check before
Bloemfontein, and anxious inquiries
were made at the office in the lobbies
of parliament.
At Windsor the news was received
with much joy. The queen command
ed that it be immediately published
and she instructed her equerry, at the
| dinner table, to send a note to the of
j fleers of the household brigade.
The battalion was on parade at 10:15
p. m. Major St. Aubyn read her maj
esty’s note and called for cheers for the
queen aud Lord Roberts. The band
played “God Save the Queen.”
Wherever Lord Robert’s dispatch
was read, his reference to the “late”
President Steyn and the “late” execu
tive was immediately fastened upon as
highly significant. The lord mayor
announced the news at a banquet to
the masters of the city companies
which was in progress at the mansion
house.
It was recesved with great cheering,
the company rising and singing “God
Save the Queen.”
The evening papers in Liverpool,
Manchester and. Glasgow published
special editions, causing joyful demon
strations in those cities.