Items of Interest June 6, 1901 Issue

Items of Interest

The two Senators from South Carolina, Tillman and McLaurin, engaged in a joint debate recently, and, stung by mutual taunts, they agreed then and there to resign their seats in the United States Senate and go before the people in a campaign for renomination and election. Both are Democrats, but Senator Tillman represents the Bryan element, and Senator McLaurin represents the element which favors the present administration policy to quite an extent. In South Carolina the voters at the primaries of the Democratic party virtually choose the United States Senators, the action of the Legislature being merely a ratification. A stirring campaign was promised, but by the conservative action of Governor McSweeney, it was averted. On May 31 he notified Senators Tillman and McLaurin that he would not accept their resignations. A canvass between them, he said, would result in bitterness, stir up the people just at a period when they are trying to get together for the material progress of the State, and would be a campaign of personalities instead of education.

The Cuban constitutional convention on May 28, adopted a report by a vote of 15 to 14, accepting the provisions of the Platt amendment to the army bill passed by the United States Congress some weeks ago, by which the relations of Cuba to the United States, under the proposed independent government of the island are defined. The report, which carries with its adoption the acceptance of terms offered by Congress, does not, however, accept the Platt amendment unconditionally, but in the light of the interpretation of certain clauses, which the Cuban commissioners claim to have secured in their recent visit to President McKinley. At a meeting of President McKinley with his cabinet on May 31, it was decided that the Cuban convention must accept the Platt amendment "substantially," and without interpretation or modification, before the administration will approve the constitution.

According to a bulletin of the recent census Rhode Island, with 407 inhabitants to the square mile in 1900, is the most densely settled State, while Massachusetts comes next with not quite 349 to the square mile, New Jersey, with a little more than 250 inhabitants to the square mile, is third, and Connecticut, with somewhat more than 187 to the square mile, is fourth. Four other States had more than one hundred inhabitants to the square mile in 1900, namely: New York, 152.6; Pennsylvania, 140.1; Maryland, 120.5; Ohio, 102. Alaska has on the average one-tenth of one person to the square mile and Nevada only four-tenths of one person. Hawaii has not quite 24 persons, ranking between Maine, with 23.2, and Arkansas, with 24.7.

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