The commonwealth., 1898-02-03

VOL. XIV. New SeTleS---VOl.
THE EDITORS LEISURE HOURS
Points and Paragraphs Of Things
Present. Past and Future.
Great Britain seems to be in danger
of getting into trouble oyer the prop
ositlon to lend China $60,OOO0OO tt
ray off the last instalment of th<
Chinese indemnity to Japan. Let III
hope, in the cause of humanity and 1r
the interest of universal peace, that
there will be no war in the East.
The President and his Cabinet de
cided recently that this country shall
be represented by warship at Habana
For the first time since the insurrectlon
broke out In Cuba some three years
ago has this government a war.
ship at the port of Habana. The
steamship Maine has been sent there
but it is claimed that the sending of
the ship is in no way hostile but done
through courtecu. relations.
There has been some advocacy of
noying the United States Military
Academy from Annapolis. Md, to
Newport News, Va, which has led the
Richmond Dispatch to suggest the
necessity of a naval training school at
Hampton Roads.
There is surmise that perhaps there
may be needed an increase in the navy
and in consideration of this possibility,
the paper referred to thinks that we
ought to have more trained men. A
great naval training school so located
that the men could be trained practi-
cally as we'll as theoretically, would
seem an easy solution as to how to supply
an increase of our naval forces that
should be intelligent and capable.
It is fact much to be regretted
that many good people who are pretty
we'll educated poorly show it in CONVEX
satlon. So many persons get into the
habit of expressing themselves in a
loose, ungrammatlcal way that you can
with difficulty tell who is educated or
who is not.
It Is inexcusable in persons who
know better to use chad grammar" as
it is incorrectly termed. If an express
sion or word is incorrect it ought not
to be called grammar at all. It is just
as easy to speak correctly as incorrect
ly, If one will be carefnl until the habit
of correct speaking is formed. Many
tot learns from Its educated
mother to use incorrect words and
phrases which perhaps cling to it until
the young man or young woman of
after years shocks educated people by
careless expressions.
Every age and generation ought to
be an improvement on former ones,
and it as important to improve in speech
as anything else.
Let there be more care for correct
language amongst those who -konw
what Is correct.
Negroes give trouble sometimes in
elections by crossing state lines. The
Washington Post recently SAID
"Across the boundary line between
Virginia and North Carolina the tobac-
co working negroes pass back and
forth, and thus cause trouble for Rep
resentative Swanson, of Virginia.
Mr.. Swanson has a contested election
case on his hands, and the negroes who
wander in and out of his district are to
blame. Four years ago they were In
North Carolina, giving him 2OO or 3OO
majority. The Democratic House de-
cided that they belonged in North Car
DINA, and allowed Settle to keep his
seat. Two years ago they were back
in Virginia and Settle lost the district
by the same morrow margin. Swanson
got the certificate, despite the negroes,
- ,., - /, oIoi mod that the majority