The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1896-06-25
VOL. XII. New Series---Vol. 1.
THE EDITORS LEISURE HOURS.
Points and Paragraphs Of Things
Present, Past and Future.

side OF the ravine where stands the
monument, with lantern-hung steam
ers on the Schulky1l, fireworks and col
ored torches, with electric lights flung
oyer all. The monument stands about
half a mile from the statue OF Lincoln.
Good roads are a great necessity in
this country but the time Will never
come, we presume, when it will be said
of our roads as it has been said of Rome.
One man writes: "The Roman road
was built for eternity; and says that
the Appian Way is still magnificent
road after 1900 years of use. Roman
roads that were built in France are still
good roads, and are monument to the
aphorism, "What is worth doing at all
is worth doing we'll"
Time out of mind it has been an ag-
ricultural aphorism that .There's more
in the man than there is in the land" :"
The plain English of this is, that the
man of pluck, push and perseverance
can do something anywhere you put
him, even at farming, though thous-
ands say there is not Lying in it. So
in every other field of human endeavor,
there is more In the one who does a
thing and how he does it than there is
in what the good talker now popularly
calls "environments."
According to trade reports fewer
books are issued in the United States
than in England, Germany or France.
But Americans must not be judged as
people not addicted to reading. Our
periodical literature Is much superior
to that in those countries. It is said
that there is practically nothing in
Europe that corresponds to our daily
papers and monthly magazines. The
New York Herald's across-the-water
editions surpass any dailies made there
by native publishers.
It is interesting to note what Ameri-
cans read and write. From Munsey's
Magazine we gather that Americans
read last year 1887 new books, and of
these 1,157 were on law, theology, re-
ligion, political and social science, and
mental and moral philosophy. Amer
leans then, it seems, are not quite SO
frivolous as some are inclined to think.
OF the l,4GO novels published in this
country in 1896, 573 were the work of
American authors. The native novel
ist is writing Al per cent. of our novels
against 50 per cent. by English, French,
German and other authors.
"Debt is good MASTER" say some !;
but it is a debated question as to which
IS the stronger stimulus to men to put
forth noJle effort, poverty or plenty
Some think that the sense of abject
poverty clinging to one, quenches the
fires of ambition, because he knows he
is in front of difficulty that is hard
to overcome while another says that
absolute ease has a tendency to make
most persons careless and negligent.
We are of the opinion that it all de-
pends upon how hotly the flame OF
ambition burns. Poverty cannot
ouench that ambition that is OF the
noblest type, neither will it yield to
the embraces of luxury. If the flame
burns steadily and strong neither In
1uence can hinder.
What is the matter with "Sllver Dol
lar" Bland for the Presidency? It would
seem that in the fitness of things Rich
ard P. Bland OF Missouri is the man
for Democrats to nominate for Presl-
dent on a silver platform. He is the
father of the silver movement. He
was lost from Congress in the RepubH'
can landslide in 1894, but he is no less
Presidential possibility. He is typ
cal farmer on his tarm near Lebanon
where he oversees the work, is helpful
to his hired men and never dresses up
In "store clothes" except on Sunday
Having to shift for himself In child