The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-02-18

innuence CT both OF the old papers,
and Is manifestly the best advertising
medium In Sumter.
The majority in favor of the Main
street paving bonds was greater than
expected. The people realized that
Main street could not remain in it's
preseYt condition.
should be carefully planned and prop
erly executed by contract under the
most watchfui and rigid supervision.
1t will never do tc have a patch work
or botch Job.
Governor Blease's threat to do
something desperate IL the legislature
refused to a .cept his construction Of
the constitution and the law relative
&c tne appointment of special jndges
failed to intimidate the Senate. He
said he had put 1t up to the legislature,
and the Senate and House having
stood pat It is now up to him to show
his hand.
The great timber trust may put into
operation a system OF forest conser-
walton that Congress has been too
short sighted TO adopt. A timber
trust may not be an unmixed evil,
although desperately burdensome on
the public at large and enormously
profitable TO the members of the
trust. IL the trust finds it more prof.
table 10 conserve the forests and
make them a perpetual source OF in
come than to make one big clean up
OF all the timber. they will adopt that
policy. Thus the public will derive
the benefits incidental to the preser-
walton OF the forests. while the trust
Will garner the direct profits from the
sale OF lumber.
Ine frequency OF suicide In South
Carolina Is becoming alarming.
twenty years ago suicide was of such
rare occurrence in this State that
when a man took his own life 1t was
matter OF Statewide comment, but
now a suicide is handled by the news
papers as an item of little importance.
There are no suicide statistics avail
able but our impression Is that there
have been almost as many suicides i'm
the State within the past twelve
months as homicides. We are at a
loss TO account for the growing ten
dency for self destruction, but 1t
must proceed from a weakening of
the moral fibre of our people, a lack
Of courage to meet and contend with
adversely and the hardships OF life 1t
also indicates decline In the in
huencc OF religion over the minds OF
the people and lack OF faith in and
reliance upon the love, mercy and
justice Of an all wise power that doeth
all things well.
The bill to create the Appalachian
forest reserve has at last gotten
through the senate and will now be-
come law. as President TAFT is on
record In earnest advocacy of the
measure. IL the real objects OF the
law are not lost sight Of in the
scramble TO sell land to the Govern
ment at fictitious values. the creation
OF permanent forest at the head
waters OF the rivers of the atlantic
slope, will. a hundred years hence. L.,
reagrded as the most notable and
valuable achievement OF the present
congress. The creation OF the reserve
Will call for the expenditure of n
great deal OF money and its orderly
administration will call for large
annual outlay for many years before
thu income from the gale OF timber
can begin TO approximate the cost of
maintenance. but this Is a work large
~ for the benefit OF posterity and
congress will necessarily have to take
brOad-gaugeG and statcsmanlikc
view of the undertaking,
The act regulating the working OF
coHvicts on tn" public roads Is framed
TO exempt whit, cOuvicts from
doing time on tho ciain gangs
OF the several counties. This is not
set forth In the act In stated terms.
but the clause requiring tho separI
tiOn Of the races will he fully as Of
fcctive I'm accomplishing this resuu, as
N rnnRlsIrnira and inhnnn mara ~