The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-07-06
PUBLIC OPINION.

The moral sense Of the country is
offended at the spectacle of s25. 900, 900
being taken yearly from the poor by
law and given TO a rich monopoly. 1t
is immora to do such a thing. Being
mere robbery, the public easily be-
lieves that a law to make it legal is
obtained by corrupt methods. The
whole prOtectionist system is immoral
and wrong in principle and practice.
The sugar trusts favors attract at
tentiOn by their evident magnitude and
few beneficiaries. but the same robbing
Of A for BIS benefit attends the work
ing Of every protectionist schedule
Baltimore Sun.
The old maxim Of find out what
your enemy wants you to do. and then
don't do t." seems 10 have been su-
perseded by a new find out what the
sugar trust doesn't want. and then go
do it," 50 repugnant has the sugar
trust grown to our people, a
which has grown as the trust has
shown its ability to secure a tariff
schedule TO its liking, and 50 inbred is
the belief that the interests Of our
people are the opposite Of those of the.
trust, that all that is needed TO gather
support from certain quarters for a
proposition is to Ia the su-
gar trust pposes it.-Philadelphia
American.
The theory that Democrats are be
coming prOtectiOnists can offer little
encouragement to any rational observer
Of conditions and tendencies. Morgan
may want a little protection for Ala
bama, McEnery may want some for
louisiana. and Slayden may want ii
for Texas wool. but the fact remains
that these states are overwhelmingly
for free trade and free silver. and
neither IF them can be of the slightest
service to the republicans. The fact is,
the sO-Called Randallites of congress
are merely giving the republicans all
the rope the latter need for self-exe-
cution. The republicans are using the
rope just as the free silver leaders
want them tO.-GaIveston News.
The gamblers Of Wall street violate
the law with ~impunity. They have no
fear Of punishment. The New York
Herald in speaking of the war on
bucket shops and discretionary pool
house says that these men may 'tbe
forced to undergo disagreeable expe-
riences in court" This, then, will be
their only punishment for violation of
the law. 1t reminds one of the tales
on Colonel Carter, of Gainesville, who
killed a Yankee postmaster soon after
the war because he refused to sell him
postage stamps on credit. In speaking
of the incident, the colonel remarked:
Il tell you, sab, if it hadn't been for
my influential friends, sab. they would
actually nave got me into litigation,
sab" Where are we at anyhow
Houston Post.
During the past ten years the south
has made rapid progress in supplying
iron to the trade OF this country and
Europe. y contemporary points out
that it was only a dozen years ago that
the first shipment of southern iron was
made to Pennsylvania. At the time it
created no small amount of surprise,
for it vas never believed prior to that
time hat the south would sell iron in
the Keystone state. Statistics on this
point show that shipments for April,
this year, amounted. to 101 al tons. OF
this the west took IS, POI tons. the east
%, 1916 tons, and Europe 32,83S tons.
Shipments to Europe so far this year
amount to more than 100, 600 tons, more
than double the abOunt exported last
year. 1t is expected hat total ship
ments abroad for this year will be more
han twice the amount sent last
BradSt1aet'S.