Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-03-26

WoTuS, ChuuOG well duoTu W uiaho tHo PeCu0
mary sacrifice which is required. I made up
my mind when entered political life never
to 90 so far as to feel for moment that de-
pended upon any office or any popular favor
for livelihood. That moment should lose
my Independence fear, my integrity. He
is miserable whose happiness hangs on princes
favors.' But he is not only wretched, but in
6nitely degraded, whose means of support de-
pend upon the wild caprice of the ever-chang-
ing multitude. I cannot become slave to
such master"
Mr.. Weed remarks upon the letter that it
contains lesson which might be usefully
learned by those who fall into the too common
error of seeking or depending upon political
Offices, instead of relying upon some per-
manent occupation for livelihood. Moth.
ing is more pitiable than to see, as we do, a
generation of young men growing up depen-
dent upon temporary and precarious means of
support.
The Liquor Traffic.
The liquor traffic seems to have become
an evil of such magnitude that Congressional
legislation has been deemed necessary, to which
end the following bill has passed the Senate,
providing for the appointment ofa commission
to investigate the evils complained Of:
Be it enacted, &C., That there shall be ap-
pointed by the President, by and with the ad.
vice and consent of the Senate, commission
of five persons, neither of whom shall be the
holder of any Office of profit or trust in
the general or State government. The said
commissioners shall be selected solely with
reference to personal fitness and capacity for
an honest, impartial, and thorough investiga-
ton, and shall hold office until their duties
shall be accomplished, but not to exceed one
year. 1t shall be their duty to investigate
the alcoholic and fermented liquor traffic and
manufacture, having special reference to rev.
enue and tsxation, in distinguishing as far as
possible in the conclusions they arrive at be-
tween the effects produced by the use of dis
titled or spirituous as distinguished from the
use of fermented or malt liquors, their econo-
mic, criminal, moral and scientific aspects, in
connection with pauperism, crime, social vice,
the public health, and general welfare of the
people and also inquire and take testimony
as to the practical results of license and re-
strictive legislation for the prevention of in
temperance in the several States, and the ef-
feet produced by such legislation upon the
consumption of distilled or spirituous, and of
fermented or malt liquors, and also ascertain
whether the evil of drunkenness has been in
creased or decreased thereby; whether the
use of opium as stimulant and substitute
for alcoholic drinks has become more general
in consequence of such legislation, and wheth-
er public morals have been improved thereby.
1t shall also be the duty of said commissioners
to gather information and take testimony as
to whether the evils of drunkenness exist to
the same extent or more so in other civilized
countries, and whether those foreign nations
that are considered the most temperate in the
use of stimulants are so through prohibtory
laws; and also as to what degree prohibitory
legislation has affected the consumption and
manufacture of malt and sprituous liquors in
this country.
Sec. 2. That the said commissioners. all Of
whom shall not be advocates of prohibito-
ry legislation or total abstinence, in relation
to alcoholic or fermented liquors, shall serve
without salary; shall be authorized to employ
a secretary at reasonable compensation, net
to exceed two thousand dollars per year,
which, with the necessary expenses, incidental
to said investigation, not exceeding ten thous-
and dollars, of both the secretary and COM
missioners, shall be paid out of any money in
the treasury not otherwise appropriated, upon
vouchers to be approved by the Secretary of
the'Treasury. and for this purpose the sum Of
$4,000 is hereby appropriated. 1t shall be
the further duty of said commissioners to re-
port the result of their investigation, and the
expenses attending the same, to the President,
to be by him transmitted to Congress.
Almost Murder.
MIR. j. Patrick Palmer, who is native
of Yorkville, but has been residing in Colum-
bia for several years past, narrowly escaped
death in the latter city, Oh Tuesday night Of
last week, at the hands of white woman
named Jane Smith, who cut him severely with
a knife. The deed was committed in an old
house on Bull Street, just above Blanding.
The Columbia Union furnishes the following
particulars of the affair:
"The building is old and somewhat dilapi.
dated, having a piazza running the whole
length, and stands with the side to the street.
In this house live, it is stated several families.
Among them is Mr.. j. P. Palmer, the victim
of this tragedy. Mr.. Palmer is a white man,
about thirty-6ve or forty years old, has wife
and children, and is machinist, working in
the shops of Major Alexander.
In one of the rooms Of the same house has
lived, up to this time, white woman by the
name of Jane Smith. This woman had re-
ported, or repeated, something unpleasant
about Mr.. Palmer. Last evening, he went
home, and meeting the woman in the passage
or one of the rooms, demanded her authority
for what she had said. As she gave him no
satisfaction, he told her he should hold her
responsible for having started the story, and
says, calling her "a lying bitch," or something
of the kind. Upon this she sprang upon him
with concealed jack-knife, striking him un-
der the left ear, and completely severing the
exterior jugular vein. With the blood stream
ing from his wound, Palmer took seat in
the hail. and the alarm being at once given,
DR.. Hydrick, happening to be near at hand,
was called in, and held the vein until Drs.
Trezevant and Gibbes arrived. They then
tied the vein in two places, and when we saw
the man he was not bleeding at all. He be-
came very weak from loss Of blood, and for
some seconds did not seem to breathe at all.
He had, however, rallied considerably when
we saw him, and could talk quite freely. He
was lying on couple of tables in one Of the
front rooms. Although his case is quite crit
ical, the fact that he has rallied has led to
some hope that he may possibly recover.
Not much could he learned of Jane Smith,
the almost murderess, except that she is wo-
man of violent temper and sometimes ipdul.