Newspaper Page Text
ss}y>■ | *r>T . " ■ ■■ " »» ■ ' . .. - : wS ifc .... (MM -- - .'— 11 1,1 ^ / / / / f y / / / ft / * / y/ . I / / y/ ' / WJTa \ // l Q /T / / % / / ^ I / J THE PROGRESS-ADVERTISER. . Largest Circulation—Guaranteed—of An/ Country Weekly Published in the State of Mississippi. VOLUME LXVI. LEXINGTON. HOLMES COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI, THURSDAY, DEC EMBER III, 1903. NUMBER 39. HOW AND WHY The Romans Became Masters of the World. When one thinks of th* Immense historical significance of the word ' Rome," when one reflects upon the *ordly city that c^jwned the Seven Hills, and upon the imperial facts and forces of which that city was the cen ter—the emperors aid their splendor, the senate and its dignity, the forum and its eloquence, the legions and their victories—and when, Anally, we be hold the mighty establishment tremb ling and failing, we are naturally moved to ask, first: What led to the upbuilding of the great domain? and, secoid: What led to its fall? Why was it, then, that the Romans were able to build up that marvelous empire of theirs? In the first place, the early agrarian laws were such as to foster and main tain the most perfect love of country. The lands of me republic were divided among the citizens in equal shares. All had land, and each one had the same amount. The inevitable result of this was a double iicentive to pa triotism. All had an interest in the republic, and all had the same in terest. Owning their country, the Roman people were only too willing and glad to fight for the advancement of its power and glory. Then, again, all through the loig period of laying the foundations of their splendid dominion, the Romans were an exceptionally temperate and moral people. Morally clean and phy sically robust, they were able to en dure any amount of hardship—loss of rest, cold, heat, hunger, thirst—any thing and everything that came along. The man who transformed the little camp on the Palestine Into the capital of the world was every inch a man. Behold him—the Soldier of the Le gion! The contracted brow declares that storms of battle have beat upon it often. The glare of that overshad owed eye throws contempt on death. The inflated noBtril breathes a steady rage. The fixed lips deny mercy. The rigid arms and the knit.joints have forced a path to victory through bristling ramparts and triple lines of shields and swords. There is a gen eral hardness of texture that seems the outward expression of an iron strength of soul. A natural born soldier, you say—a conquerer by the very caste of his physique! And the splendid physical fitness was reinforced by the finest disci pline. The ancient Roman believed in law. and, what was better still, he belieeved in obeying tne law. The celebrated legion, the wonder ful organization that broke to pieces' the mighty Macedonian phalanx with which Alexander the Great had marched from victory to victory, was as perfect in its movements as any machine. Each man in that marvel ous organization had his place, whlcn place he kept, no matter what came, insubordination was unknown. The obedience was perfect. Hence it was that the legion march ed to victory with the orderliness and precision of a planet rolling along its orbit! But discipline Is impossible without a certain amount of character behind it. You cannot discipline a pack of constitutional weaklings and cowards. Behind the discipline that endures there must be a plenty of true soul courage. This the Roman soldier had in abun dance. He was a machine, it is true, but he was a machine with a soul that was ablaze with enthusiasm. He had great faith in himself. He firmly felt that he could whip any man on earth. Fate might fling at him her blackest frown, but he still believed that Rome, with her Romans behind her, was in vincible. Many readers of this article will re call in this connection the sublimest page in all history. Over and over again we have read the story of Hannibal—how he ei tered Italy, from the north, and, in battle after battle, beat down the-ar mies of Rome. That supreme military genius—the greatest that the world has ever seen—seemed to be in a fair way to wipe the republic from the map of the world. That he would do so seemed almost certain after the dread day ot Cannae —the most crushing defeat in history. Eighty thousand Romans—the flower of the youth and manhood of the re public—annihilated at one fell swoop, and the awful Carthagenian at the very gates of the city! It was the darkest day that Rome ever saw. But under the black cloud they looked into one another's eyes and said: "Nil desperandum"—there is no cause for despair! -With a sort of ironic magnanimity Hannibal offered to treat with them, but the senate voted to entertain ao proposition from an enemy so long as that enemy stood on Roman soil! Then, braeiqg themselves, they went out after the terrible Invader; fought him for thirteen years on his own soil; pushed him into the sea, followed him across the sea, aid in his own land, at Zama, annihilated him! Such was the spirit that animated the Romans, and such was the spirit that made them unconquerable. But we must not forget the main fact of all. The three centuries from the secession of the plebs to the close of the second punic war was a virtu ous period. There was no divorce in Rome through all that time. The home life of the people waB clean and pure. Men and women respected the moral law and respected it because they venerated it. Throughout this long period the life of the Roman people was one of temperance, frugality and simplicity. Rufmus was degraded from the con sulship for possessing ten pouids of silver plate when the law allowed him no more than eight ounces. Atilius received the consular dignity behind the plow. Regulus, though twice con sul, possessed no more than one lit tle field. Fabricius and Aemelius pre pared their simple meals with their own hands. Cincimatus. once consul and twice dictator, after delivering his country from her enemies, retired to ids small tract of land, upon which he main tained himself by his own labors. Fab ricius, consul and victorious general, cultivated his own little field with his own hands. OUR COUNT OFFICIALS J. E. STANFIELD, Sheriff. J. h. Stanfield will enter upon the duties of Sheriff of Holmes eountv for Ihe second time on next Monday, January 4, 1904. Mr. Stanfield tv.u- born in Brooksville, Fla., May Hi, 1851, and moved into this county when quite a young man, and has made it his home since. He is u man of fine executive abilities, possesses a genial and sym 'V-;' i pj&y SfiKS ■ ■»: ', v 1 Eg i 'Mm I \ mms i'M m-m it. . |M i lie will pathetic disposition, and is popular with all who know him. bring four years' experience to aid him in his second term, and having made e good officer his first, he will make a slili better one during his second four years in office. PARHAM WILLIAMS, Chancery Clerk, \YY.s the choice of the people of Holmes county for the office of Chancery Clerk, and comes of an old Southern family. His grandfather, Bolin Williams, came to ibis State from Abbeville district, South Carolina, in 1828, and he is the son of Jeff W. Williams, who for several terms served his county as a member of the Board of Supervisors and was president of that body for two terms, l'arham Williams was born February 4, 1858, and like many other men who have attained success in life, was born and routed on the farm, remaining there until lie arrived at manhood's tnte. He used every effort to upbuild his father's fortunes that had been swept away by the Civil war and never allowed a spare moment to pass without endeavoring to improve his own educational advantages. During his early manhood lie was engaged in merchandising at Franklin, being associated in business with Col. J. I). Powers, afterwards engaging in farming five miles southwest of Lexington. For the benefit of h. es is own / - ' \ <• .1 * i? n 'ite interest, ns well ns the community in which he lived, lie added a complete ginning system and saw mill to his farming interest, and improved the condition of his own country home, as well as those of his fellow farmers of the same vicinity. Owing to the continued ill health of his family, and for the con venience of better school facilities, he moved them to l/oxington three years ago, and takes an active interest in every movement calculated to build up its moral and material welfare. He is a Mason and a mein tier of other fraternal orders, and with his family are members of the Methodist church. He feels proud of the position to which his fellow citizens elevated him, and will manifest his appreciation of the honor conferred by devoting his entire time and best efforts to the execution of every duty pertaining to the office of Chancery Clerk. \ i CA8CARA BARK Has Become So Valuable as to Be Worth More Than Gold Ore. The sudden advance to 14 cents and better for cascara bark, which a few years ago sold at 1% cents and that last year was 2% and 3 cents, has made transactions very lively and in teresting in Corvallis, which is some thing of a center for the product. Local dealers will ship this season ten car loads or more of the bark. It goes in car load lots to Hamburg, Ger many. to London, to the East and San Francisco. The present scramble for it is intense, and it has brought buy ers into the field from all parts. Early in the season a Salem drug gist contracted for six tons at 4 cents, and turned over a check to bind the bargain. That was at the rate of $80 a ton. and he can close out now at any time at the rate of $250 or more per ton, realizing $1,500 from an invest ment of only $480. A man on Big Elk, west of Corval lis, sold the bark the other day from his own ranch and with the proceeds bought his neighbor's ranch. Charles Overlander, in the same vicinity, with his partner, contracted to slash the brush thereon for the chittim bark on the Dalaba ranch. In Toledo the oth er day they sold eight tons of bark for a little less than $2,000, which is acounted more than the ranch is worth—and the, bark sold is only a portion of what they will get from the place. Two small boys appeared in Elk City the other day with a few sacks of chittim bark in the bottom of their boat. They rowed back up the river with $63 In their pockets, the proceeds of the sale of their little jag of chit tim. The cash looked almost as big as the pile of chittim, and suggests that the fashionable may yet wear chittim rather than diamonds for jew elry. Less fortunate than either of the above was the case of a man who bought a ranch on Nestucca. He was an amateur in the business, with di version and experiment as his mo tive. He stocked it with 230 goats, purchased at a high price, and with visions of future prosperity sat down to wait for his profits. One day the news came to him that all his goats were dead. When other brush and pasture gave out they ate chittim bark in overdoses and died from the effects. Various stories are afloat as to the occasion for the sudden and enormous jump in prices of cascara. One is that chittim brokers have sold short, and are now forced to bid up to get the supply they have agreed to fur nish. Another is that the native sup ply is fast nearing exhaustion. In either event the nnpularlty of the bark for medicinal purposes is fast grow ing. Once it w if? m'erely an ingredi ent of patent nostrums. Now in tinc tures, tablets and other forms it has a place on the shelves of every up-to date pharmacy, and all physicians use it extensively in prescriptions. Prop erly applied it is said to be a positive cure for chronic constipation.—Port land Oregonian. Why His Marriage Was a Failure. He regarded his children as a nuis ance. He did all his courting before mar riage. He never talked over his affairs with his wife. He never had time to go anywhere with hsi wife. He doled out money to ljis wife as if to a beggar. He looked down upon his wife as an inferior being. He never took time to get acquaint ed with his family. He thought of his wife only for what she could bring to him. He never dreamed that there were two sides to marriage. He had one set of manners for home and another for society. He paid no attention to his personal appearance after marriage. He married an ideal, and was disap pointed to find it had flaws. He thought his wife should spend all her time doing housework. He treated his wife as he would not have dared to treat another woman. He never made concessions to his wife's judgment, even in unimportant matters. He thought the marriage vow had made him his wife's master, Instead of her partner. He took all the little attentions lav ished on him by his wife as his by "divine right," and not as favors. He always carried his business trou bles home with him, instead of lock ing them in his Btore or office when he closed.—Orison Swett Marden, in October Success. Finest Home in England. If you were to ask: "Which is the finest, country residence in the United States?" no one could give answer. If you ask: "Which is the finest cas tle in Great Britain?" those in the know will say "Alnwick, the home of the duke of Northumberland." This is stated so positively that I suppose there can be no doubt about It. Aln wick Is 600 yqars old, and was a ruin till 1854, when the present owner's father sumptuously restored it and bestowed upon it its ancient char acter. Its massive walls bristle with turrets, embattled and machicolated and support no less than sixteen tow ers. The barbican at the entrance is guarded by stone effigies of men-at arms In various warlike attitudes, which from a distance have the ap pearance of living sentinels. There is a wonderful well let into the wall. A magnificent marble staircase, the steps of which are four yards wide, leads to the upper floors. The castle also possesses a famous library an Egyptian museum, a museum of Brit ish and Roman antiquities and a rare collection of ancient and modern arms. Its gardens are of great beau ty.—New York Press. Miss Kidder—They've only been married six months, but whenever her husband goes away on a business trip she's delighted and prepares to have a good time. Miss Meanley—Aha! Do you know I suspected something like that. I always said—. Miss Kidder —Yes. You see. he takes her with him.—Philadelphia Ledger. JOHN H. McBEE, Circuit Clerk. Mr. John H. McBee, Circuit Clerk of Holmes county, was born Aug He received bis education in this county and is one of the list Ih, 185(1. best Circuit Clerks in the State. His father, Col. J. T. McBee, commanded the 28th Mississippi cavalry regiment, as fine a body of cavalry a- the . e A : ■ V South hail in the service. Mr. McBee. the subject of this sketch, married Miss Alice Cunliffe in July, 1880, and was elected Circuit Clerk in 18811, and has held the office continuously since. He is a prominent and popular member of a number of fraternal orders. HON. SYDNEY M. SMITH, Representative. Hon. Sydney M. Smith was bom in Lexington, Holmes county, Mississippi, on April 9, 18(19. He attended the public schools in Lex ington until he was graduated from the Normal College here with a good record for scholarship. He was then admitted to the law department at the Cniversitv of Mississippi, where lie spent two years in law, grad uating in that department in June, 18911. After being admitted to the 1 bar, he formed a partnership with Hon. J. W. George, of Yazoo City, where, under the firm name of George & Smith, he did well. In 1895 Mr. Smith returned to Lexington, where he formed a partnership with Hon. W. P. Tackett under the firm name of Tackett & Smith. This partner ship has continued to the present time and enjoys a splendid practice. On April 9, 189(3, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Mattie Smith, of Crystal Springs, one of the most charming and cultured women of Mississippi. In the fall of 1899 Mr. Smith was elected a member of the legislature •WCf; •v ;; * 7 , f 1 i / from Holmes county, and although ho lmd previously had no experience as a legislator, he at once took high rank in that body, and by liis con servatism, hip devotion to duty and his splendid ability, he soon became one of the acknowledged leaders of the house. He is faithful, pains inking, industrious and accurate as a lawyer, and these qualities were soon recognized in the house, and lie at once took a prominent and distinguished part in shaping the laws of (lie State, In November last, he was again returned to the house and will take his seat in January. He is a prom inent candidate for the speakership, and his friends confidently expect him to be elected. We learn that most of the old members will support Mr. Smith, and as he is a young man of magnetism and aliBity, he will atlml a following that will put him in the speaker's chair. He pos sesses all the qualifications necessary to make a model speaker, and we sincerely hope to see him triumphantly elected to that honorable and re sponsible position. ,, % PRIVILEGES OF WOMEN. They Are Not Losing Them as They Gain Legal and Other Rights A while ago a woman pretended to have a child, in order to secure a for tune. She was acquitted, but two male accomplices were convicted. "Who had that child, any way?" shouted a bystander. Time and again women on trial for murder go free on evidence that wsmld hang a man. If a woman assumes the privilege of walking up to a window and buying a railroad ticket, while twenty per sons wait their turn, it is an excep tional clerk who will tell her to take her place at the bottom of the line. "When lovely woman stoops to folly" and divorce results the husband fre quently assumes the guilt. Women are gaining rights without losing priv ileges. Men now treat them as equals intellectually, but they do not in re turn demand social equality for them selves. They still hold open the door for them to pass. The part of the Servian tragedy which aroused most indignation in this country was the murder of the woman. The cause of this fine treatment is not to be sought alono in chivalry. Woman's modern privileges are due less to her physical weakness than to her physical charm. A portrait of a pretty woman sells for more than double the price of a male portrait by the same master. Mon walking for pleasure on our streets look at the women, and the women, instead of re ciprocating, observe their own sex. Pretty girls are the persuasive inter est on the stage, in the street, in the illustrated press, in art, or wherever there is an answer to the public taste. Whatever may have been true of oth er times or places, the most charm ing object to an American of today is woman's beauty. The professor and the man of action discuss it, as well as the college boy and the other women. No wonder, then, that, the rule of force being abolished, this con quering charm subdues juries and renders docile husbands and all man kind. The only male who consistent ly resists this fascination is the judge. If evidence were estimated by the court, instead of by the jury, sex sym pathy would give place to rigorous equality. More women would see the scaffold or jail, and such a lovely com edy as the aforementioned trial would be lost to the annals of human folly. May the spirit of chivalry flourish for ever in the hearts of male America— but not at the expense of justice.—• Collier's Weekly. Getting at the Facts. The street car company had been sued for damages in a personal injury case, and the president of the corpor ation was on the witness stand, says the Chicago Tribune. "Now, sir," said the attorney for the plaintiff, in cross-examining, "in order to determine just how far you consider your company liable for dam ages in any action of this kind, let me ask you—do you aim to t un you* road to please yourselves or to please the public?" "Hold on!" exclaimed the attorney for the defense. "You needn't an swer that. I object to the question, your honor." "State your objections," said the judge. The lawyer rose. "We object, if the court please, on the ground that it is immaterial, irrel evant, entirely aside from the point at issue, foreign to the matter in hand, and has nothing to do with this case. We object, your honor, because it has no possible bearing on this action. What difference can it make, one way or the other? It is purely an academic question. It is a point that was not brought out in the direct examination. Asld^from all this, your honor, we ob ject for the reason that the question is not pertinent. It is wholly extra neous." Here he sat down, and the other at torney rose. "We insist, your honor," he said, "that the question is entirely relevant. It is a part of the res gestae in this case. We want to know, your honor, whether this man thinks he owes any duty to the public, or whether he owes no duty to anybody but himself and the stockholders of the road. We have a right to establish the fact if he holds the one opinion, and we have a right to establish the fact if he holds the contrary opinion." "You may answer the question," said hte court. "Now, then, sir, I will ask you again: Do you run your road to please yourselves or to please the pub lic?" "We don't run the road at all, sir," replied the witness, wearily. "We run the cars." 1 Obliging Highwayman. Ex-Congressman John Beil tells a story of a time when he once got into a grave peril on account of his nose. He was going to I^eadvllle in the early days on a stage coach which was held up by highwaymen. The passengers were ranged in a row outside with their hands up, the familiar attitude being enforced by a gun in the hands of one of the gentlemen of the road, while the other went through the va rious pockets at his leisure. In the midst of the ceremony Mr. Bell's nose began to itch with that maddening persistency calculated to drive to insanity or the grave if not relieved. Involuntarily began to lower itself to the seat of trouble. "Hands up, there!" called the man behind the gun, sternly. Bell's hand shot back into place, but in a moment began to lower itself again. "What's the matter with you?" in quired the bandit. "Are you anxious to become a lead mine?" "My nose itches so I can't stand It any longer," said Mr. Bell. "I've sim ply got to scratcn It." "No, you baln't," replied the road agent, "because I'll do it for you." With which he proceeded to scratch the prospective congressional nose with the muzzle of his shotgun.—New York Times. "Telegraphing without wires is no new thing," remarked the gray-haired passenger. "Isn't, eh?" queried the drummer. "Not by a jugful," contin ued the old man. "Why, sir, when I published a country newspaper forty years ago I got nearly all my tele graph news that way."—Chicago Dal ly News. his right hand