The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-04-20
PUBLIC OPINION.

We believe the consensus Of opinion In
this country to he that President McKin-
lev could not do a wiser or more popular
thing than TO request General Lee 10 re-
main for the present at his post So Tar
as our relations to the Cuban struggle are
concerned. we are crossing a stream. and
are in that position where. according TO
Mr. Lincoln, IL would scarcely he prudent
TO swap horses. That President Mckinley
holds this view is apparent from the Sc
lection OF his friend Judge Day as q spe-
cial commissioner TO Cuba The extra
ordinary conditions have warranted this
appointment. II is due to the president
that he be enabled TO secure the fullest
and most accurate information from a
source in which he reposes absolute con
fdence. It is not a case OF party or OF
politics. but one of individual privilege
New York Mail and Express
The most vociferous for prohibltory
taxes or wool Ito make dearer the cloth
ing. n and fanrels of the people,
is Senator Warren. of Wyoming. This
benevolent statesman is a ranch owner.
who pastures his sheep for next TO moth
ing on the free anges belonging TO the
government Yet Notwithstanding the
large prices he is receiving for spring
lamb and mutton chops. he says he will
be content with nothing less for the pro-
! lection of himself and his sheep than 5
cents a pound duty on the coarse carpet
wool which is not produced In this coun-
try He anticipates that this high duty
on carpet wool would compel the manu-
facturers of Pennsylvania. Massachusetts
and Rhode Island to pay enormoI tri-
butte to him and the rest of the ranch
owners of the Rocky Mountains.-Phiia-
delphia Record.
The proposition referred TO was that a
deal of trouble in tariff legislation
trouble to parties and trouble to the bust
ness of the country-might be avoided 10y
a change in the plan of framing tariff
bills. Under existing conditions all reve-
nue. bills are party measures. No plan
has been devised. and. we believe. no plan
ever will he devised that will take the
tariff out of politics. But it is not need
full that the party responsible for a tariff
bill should demoralize itself and wreck
business by a clash of interests and a
fight of factions. Most of the conferrIn ne
that is now done by committees of he
two houses at the last stage of legislator
after long delay and great disturbance in
trade and industries might well take place
at the inception. If the leaders in botr
houses would get together and frame q
bill that would be sure of the party sup.
port, a vast deal of embarrassment. OF
harmful agitation. of acrimonious debate
and injury to labor and capital would be-
avoidance of the risk of jobbery and cor
ruption incident to the present plan Of
shaping tariff bills in conference at tht
! close of a session. But the Mail and Eek
press does not take kindly to this sug
Observation-Disclosures Post.
But. without going into the question
broadly, it is generally agreed that hu
mOrists are successful in proportion t.
tie amount IL III GUS tHt ulItA
pected, the sardonic, the inconsistent, an,
the ~extravagant they put into their pro
auctions. 1t is on such grounds as these
at any rate, that Mr.. Dingley can deman'
a place among the most effective hu
mo- lists of the lay His work of crea
tive art, the tariff which bears his name
may or may not be a success as a fSca
or political measure, but as a cOntribu
ton to the literature of humOr it deserve
TO he classed with the master pieces o
that kind. One whole Schedule-the agri
cultural-is as rollicking a bit of fun a
was ever w itten in a law. Mr.. Dingle.
is a solemn man. but how he could haV
read this part of his bill to the hOuS
without bursting into outlaws, we d.
not SEQ. With admirable gravity he an
n0Unced a tax of - cents a bushel OF
all corn imported into the United State
and one of . cents a buShel on wheat
Rye he left off with 10 cents. which look
ed as if the fun Were tagging. but it wa
not. Few of his auditors. however. say
the point of his joke, which lay in TN
fact that the imports of corn in 1896 wer
4.33S bushels exports, %, 992. S35 bushels
of wheat for domestic consumption POO
bushels! The humor of sOlernnly pro
claiming such taxes in an act ito prOVid
revenue for the government" is master
ly. And the hulnor of Solemnly proclaim
see it.-New York Evening Post.