Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-07-08

The postmaster general has just called
attention to the fact that according to
the Revised Statutes of the United
States this is illegal, and if the prac-
tice is kept up all of sudden some
body is going to be punished. The
statutes make it unlawful for railroads
that have contracts to carry mails, to
carry any other mail matter except it
be properly stamped.
- The silver Republicans of Mime
sofa have issued manifesto in which
thew declare that the country is con-
fronted with the greatest issue with
which it has had to deal since the set
Element of the slavery question, and
that the interests of the laboring and
producing classes require that this
question be settled by the establish
ment of the free coinage of silver at the
ratio of 16 to 1. Therefore, they, an
nounce they will not support McKin-
lev for president. or any other man on
a gold platform. The silver sentiment
among the Republicans of Minnesota
is very strong, and that the state can
be carried by the Democrats there is
but little doubt.
The total enrolment in education.
al institutions of all kinds in the Unit
ed States for the school year 1S93-94
was nearly 100000, according to
the report for that year just promulga-
ted by United States Commissioner of
Education Harris. Of these all but
100000 were in the regular schools,
an increase of about 100000 for the
year. The percentage of total popu-
iation enrolled in the schools was
2O.53. School property gained in val
ue during the year over $4,000, 600
and ], ,1O3 more schoolhouses were in
operation. The report further says !:
"In the past 20 years the south has
increased 81 per cent. in population
but its school attendance has increased
13O per cent.-more than twice as fast
as the population. In the 20 years
from 1874 to 1894, the value of school
property in the south increased from
$16,OOO,OOO to S51, 900, ,000-an addi-
ton of $35,OOO,OO0 or $1,75O,OOo a
year. Higher education has also made
q good record.
During the last six years there
have been 4S,9O2 homicides in this
country, and averaging 1917 per year.
Within the same period there have
been 1923 executions and 1,11S lynch
ings. In the last year 10000 persons
were killed, whereas in 1890 there
were only 4,290, or less than half as
many. The figures prove that homi-
cidal crime is increasing at an alarm
ing rate. The ineffective administra-
ton of the criminal law is blamed for
this state of affairs. David Dudley
Fields says so; Justice Brewer of the
United States supreme court says so,
and Judge Elliott Anthony, of Illinois
is of the same opinion. Judge Parker
also agrees with the other exalted ex-
Founders of the law and dwells on
the false sympathy that is always
awakened for the criminal and finds
no tender expression for the victim
few days after the crime has been per-
petrated. Judge Parker notes the in
difference of the community at large
to the enforcement of the criminal law,
and points to the outcome of fraud and
perjury.
"A ludicrous situation was witness
ed in the Midvale, n. j., Methodist
church few days ago. The building
had just been overhauled by the car
penters and painters and the congrega-
tion was eager to give it warming.
Rev. I. C. Starr, the pastor, had in
vited the presiding elder, and in honor
of the occasion an unusually large
audience turned out. Shortly after
the services commenced several men,
bers of the congregation were noted to
move uneasily in their seats. The
preacher did not know what to make
of such conduct and it worried him.
Presently lady attempted to rise to
her feet. The effort was accompanied
by a tearing sound. The preacher
went to the pew to investigate. A
portion of the lady's dress was sticking
to the newly vanished bench. When
the result became known, all the men,
bers of the congregation began. trying
to work themselves loose. By the
time they succeeded, the damage to
clothing ran up to something like 5000.
But it did not break up the meeting.
Newspapers were spread on the bench
es and the services were concluded.
In the event that Senator Teller
should be nominated for president by
the Democrats at Chicago this week,
nobody need be seriously surprised.
1t is true that the we'll known silver
leader has been Republican for years
but he has not always been so. Up to
1860 he was a Democrat as had been
his father before him. He went into
the Republican party on account of the
slavery issue; but in his votes in the
senate he has always been Democrat.
He voted against the force bill,
has always been against high pro-
lection and stands for tariff for re-
vene only. Many Democrats would
rather have full fedged Democrat
for the nominee; but if it should be
deemed advisable to nominate Teller
so as to make sure of the six Republi-
can states that he led out of the St.
Louis convention, it will take the
whole Democratic party but few
weeks to get into line. Free silver is
what the people of the United States
are now after, and they are not going
to allow political or other prejudices
to stand in the WaY Teller will not