The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-25
LIE SEMI-WEEKLY MESSENGER: FRIDAY. FEBRUARY Is, 1898.

there not other things Of more impor-
more Importance than tariff, over
which two old parties wrangled for
forty years; but VS. wonder if alliance
are willing to vote for a MAJ who
endorses one plank in their platform,
but openly ppOse other nine"
Arrivals today are: z. j. Hale, Fay
e%ttevlle; w. j. Lamb, WilfiamstOn;
w. NJ. Bond, Greenville; D. j. Black,
Washington; Dossey Battle. Rocky
Mount; Graham Dawes, New Bern;
Charles NJ Cooke, Louisburg; Hugh w.
Harris and D. NJ. Tedder, Charlotte.
M. V. Richards, land and industrial
agent Of the Southern Railway, arriv-
ed tonight, accompanied by John P.
Campbell, and w. s. Walcott.
A letter to the adjurant general to-
night from Adjurant General A. d.
Aging, of New Hampshire, says: Il
have the pleasure today in sending by
express paid, flag OF the Fourth North
Carolina Volunteers. / have previous
ly stated the flag is returned by per
mission of Mrs. Persis F. Chase, whose
brother, Colonel C. E.. Cross, command
er OF the Fifth New Hampshire Volun
teers, which captured 1T at Antietam
CSharpsburg.)
Railway Commissioner Abbott this
evening filed a statement with the
clerk Of the railway commission re-
garding his vote today ON passenger
rate question. He says he is not n of
these who believe railways the natural
enemies of the people, and that the
railway commission, to which certain
power are delegated, necessarily as
sumes responsibility of dealing justly
and fairly with railways; that over
600 petitions have been filed since the
organization of the commission but
not one has asked for reduction of
fares; that no political party has a
plank in it's platform demanding lower
rates; and that railway commission is
making his investigation upon its own
voIitiOn. Evidence all in shows that
local passenger traffic is not even prof
liable at present rates, and unless it is
shown that the railways are making
unreasonable profit or passenger traffic
in the state the commission has neither
legal nor moral right to reduce those
rates. He contends, further, that the
will be secured, not by reduction in
passenger, but in freight rates and he
concludes by saying that the passenger
rate reduction now made will SO de-
crease railway revenues as to make it
absolutely impossible to make any
freight rate reduction.
This afternoon ex-Judge MacRae
counsel for Railway Commissioners
Caldwell and Pearson, received a tele-
gram from w. H. Day at Washington
saying the United States supreme
court had heard the railway commits
sion case by brief and without oral
argument and has taken the papers.
Governor Russell and Pearson declar-
I'd they were elated at this Jews. Cald-
we'll and Pearson feared a division Of
the case.
By Associated Press.
Washington, February 21.-In the
North Carolina railroad commission
case Which came up in the supreme
court of the United States today a mo-
ton to dismiss was submitted by J.. c..
w. II. Day and A. G. Avery,
and to affirm by r. O. Burton, and
Thomas N Hill. A motion for attach
ment for contempt and to restore
plaintiffs in error to office was sub
mitted by Mr.. Burton and Mr.. Hill and
opposed by Messrs. MacRae, Day n
Avery.