The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-03-04
GOVERNOR RUSSELL


"A Miniature Edition OF the Car of Rus.
saA'-Noe On Speaking Terms with Many
western EePublfcans-Russell Wants to
Drop b Lease Bnn-Republieans Tryins
20 Placate the Negro-Ths wounded
Burglar CaPtured]. L. Graham In.
dicted-The Distress Signal Over the
Capitol.
Messenger Bureau. Park Hotel.
Raleigh. N. c., March 2.
There are many republicans whose
desire to see Governor Russell step
down and out OF the executive chair is
great. They want him to become a
federal Judge. One Of the republican
organs says he is "a miniature edition
Of the car of Russia" 1t is said by
some western republicans to be a fact
that Russell does not speak to them.
1t is a fac that there are both eastern
and western republicans who do not
enter his office.
1t is declared positively that Governor
Russell ardently desires the question
Of the lease Of the North Carolina rail-
way left unsettled now, SO as to taken
it into politics in 1898. One of his bench
men sal SO yesterday on the floor of
the house.
The republicans are trying hard to
placate the angry negroes. In the re-
publican caucus last night one western
republican said the negroes had best be
satisfied, or else they would get nothing
at all. Hancock, Of New Bern, made
a special effort to get them in line and
stop a bolt. but could o prevent it.
Now there is talk of r~ewarding the
negroes who did not bolt and ignoring
the others.
The populist majority will hold fire.
quent caucuses now to keep their peo-
pie in line. The republicans and boilers
have made up their minds to crush
them. The boilers know the populist
party is split. They know this is their
chance. The odds are that every
of the twenty-one boilers will get an
office.
The legislative session by law ends
next Saturday. No person can now say
whether there will be a quorum re-
naming next week without pay or
whether there will be ar extra session.
OF course the latter would be bad poll
tics. This legislature has made In
many respects an ~unenviable record.
The staff Of the governor and the
Governors Guard left this morning for
Washington, to attend the Inaugural
ton.
Tom Burt, the negro store-robber who
was shot early Sunday morning. was
found by the police today. One of the
bullets struck him in the back of the
head. His wounds are serious.
J. L. Graham, the clerk to the state
superintendent of public instruction, is
in & most unpleasant predicament. A
true bill is found against him for burn
ing his house at Newton. A number
of citizens of his town have issued an
address in which they attack him-re-
publicans. democrats and Independents
signing it. Graham is here, and says
he is gratified at the finding of the true
bill; that the case is one Of persecution.
The national flag was displayed on
the capitol this morning, with the
union down"-the sign Of distress.
This caused quite a laugh. The legis-
lature is certainly in distress and so is
the state for that matter. 1t was re-
marked today hat no man who had
any property knew what would become
of it.; tina the legislature was trying
to pass bills aimed at nearly every
thing, and nobody felt safe until it ad-
iOurned,