Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/798

STJMPTUABY LAWS. 696 SUN. ous living; but as the love of luxury grew with the increase of wealth and foreign conquest, vari- ous legislative enactments were passed with the object of restraining it. The Twelve Tables lim- ited expenditures for funerals. Other early lawa of Rome limited tlie expenditures of women, specified the number of guests who might be entertained at a single time, and fixed the amount which could be spent on entertainments. A later law made guests, as well as those who entertained, liable for a violation of these regu- lations. Sumptuary laws found favor in England from the time of Edward III. down to the Keforma- tion. In the reign of Edward III. one act pro- hibited more than two courses at a meal or more than two kinds of food at a course, except in the principal festivals of the year, when three courses were allowed. Another act prescribed the kinds of clothing the various classes might wear, except the orders of the nobility above the knights. Similar legislation prevailed in Scot- land, France, Spain, and Italy. When the mercantilistic theories of govern- ment emerged nations endeavored to control eon- sumption by prohibiting the use of commodities produced abroad. It was held that the luxury of a people enriched other nations and impoverished their ovm. An English law prohibited the wear- ing of silk in order to encourage the manufac- ture of woolen goods in England. In France a law at one time prohibited the wearing of gold and silver embroidery, silks, and fine linens. Aside from protectionism sumptuary legisla- tion to-day comes under the head of the police regulations and is aimed to preserve the public health and morals. Under the United States Federal and State constitutions no restriction can be placed on the consumption of commodi- ties or traffic in them, save as the public hen lib, protection, and safety require it. The chief re- strictive legislation is directed against the traf- fic in intoxicating drinks, and takes the form of high license requirements for the privilege of selling liquors, or in the prohibition of the right to deal in liquors altogether. SUMTER. The coimty-seat of Rumtei County, S. C, 43 miles east by south of Colum- bia, on several divisions of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and the Southern Railway (Map: South Carolina, D 3 ) . It is known for its large trade in cotton. There are a cotton compress, cotton and cottonseed-oil mills, lumber mills, telephone factories, cofiin and casket factories, and a manufaetorv of golf sticks. Population, in 1890, 3865; in 1900, 5673. SUMTER, Fort. See Fort Sumter. SUM'TER, Thomas (1734-1832). An Ameri- can soldier, born in Virginia. He early removed to South Carolina; accompanied several expedi- tions against the Cherokee Indians ; served under Braddock in 1755, and in March, 1776. became lieutenant-colonel of the Second Regiment of South Carolina Riflemen. Until the capture of Cliarleston (1780), he served in the interior of the State again.st the Loyalists and Indians; but subsequently raised a regiment in North Carolina and engaged actively in partisan war- fare. On .July 12, 1780. he defeated a force of mounted infantry under Captain Huck, and soon afterwards was made a brigadier-general of State troops. On August 1st he made a spirited but unsuccessful attack on Rocky Jlount, and on August 6th defeated 500 regulars and Tories at Hanging Rock, but, his men dispersing, he was subsequent!}' driven back. He then by a brilliant movement cut Cornwallis's line of communications between Charleston and Canulcn, capturing a supply train with its convoy ; but three days later his fprce was almost anniliilated by Tarleton at Fishing Creek. Enlisting an- other regiment, he defeated Major Wemys at Broad River ( November 9th ) , and on November 20th repulsed an attack of Tarleton at Black- stock Hill, the latter losing 200 in killed and wounded, while the Americans lost 3 killed and 4 wounded. Here Sumter was severely wounded, but he returned to the army in February, 1781, and continued to render the most efficient service as a partisan commander. After the war Sum- ter sat in the State convention of South Carolina which ratified the Federal Constitution, was a member of Congress in 1789-93 and 1797-1801, and of the United States Senate from 1801 to 1809 and again from 1811 to 1817. and was United State's Minister to Brazil in 1809-11. He was the last surviving general officer of the Revolution. SUMY, soo'me. The capital of a district in the Government of Kharkov, Russia, situated 125 miles northwest of Kharkov (Jlap: Russia, D 4). The chief manufactures are machinery, to- bacco, and liqueurs. Population, in 1898, 26,355. SUN (AS, sunne, Goth., OHG. stinnO, sunnn, Ger. Sonne: connected with AS. sol, Goth, sawil, Lat. sol, Gk. TJXios, hclios, Ir. siit, Lith., Lett., OPruss, saulsi, Skt. svar, sura, Av. hrara, sun). The central governing body of the solar system (q.v. ), and the chief source of our light and heat. To us the sun is the most important of all the heavenly bodies, since upon it depends the possi- bility of life upon the earth. The sun's apparent angular diameter is 32' 4": diameter in miles, 866.500; density, 1.41, water being 1; mean distance from the earth, 92,800.000 miles. The sun's distance from the earth is the fundamental imit of linear measures in cosmic astronomy. The method of the determination of this distance is given imder Par.ll.x. Successive generations of astronomers have been able to gather much information as to the appearance, constitution, and structure of the sun. The theory at present accepted is as fol- lows: The visible light-giving surface, as we see it in the telescope, is called the photosphere. We suppose it to be a collection of luminous clouds, holding in suspension certain particles condensed out of the extremel.v hot gaseous ma- terial of which the innermost nucleus of the sun is probably composed. .Just outside the photo- sphere is a thin shell of gaseous matter called the reversing Jutier. This is doubtless com- posed of many substances such as we find among the known chemical elements of our earth. It is observed and its very existence is demonstrated by the spectroscope. According to Kirchhoff's theory, when light coming from incandescent sol- ids or liquids is passed through vaporized matter, the vapors absorb or cut off the light from certain definite parts of the spectrum. To each vaporized substance belongs its own series of such points in the spectrum : and these corre- spond exactlv to the positions which would be occupied by bright lines in a spectrum derived