The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-10-04

WILLIE a, writer in Hendersonyille Times
says: "'On economic questions | am
a republican,: on international Quss-
tons l am az American These are
not h words of a politician. but OF
a statesman" Nothing but words
Pearson never held a political opin-
ion OF any kind sufficiently long for
IL to take the form OF a conviction
Asheville Citizen.
The Dockerys are not the only people
who are eating dirt in this campaign.
II we are not very much mistaken the
Butler populists are eating more OF IL.
IL possible, than are the members OF
this renowned family OF midnight ne
gro organizers n office holders. Ii
will be remembered that the Butterflies
during the session Of the last legisla-
ture. held a meeting and kicked the
Skinnerites out of he party. as they
said. But how is IL now? The Butler
ties are just simply not in it.-Wades-
boro Messenger.
We have gone badly astray in North
Carolina politics for several years past,
and in the eas the innocent along
with the guilty. are reaping a heritage
of woe. IL Is the duty 81 western
white men to so To the rescue OF those
people. and not only that, but they W
il to themselves. as a measure OF self
protection. TO work for a reversal OF
the political conditions which now ex-
list: for political. like some physical
diseases. are contagious. and this d.
sease which aflicts the east may some
day extend TO western Carolina
Statesville Landmark.
The populist convention OF this ju-
dicial district met in Durham last Fri
day and nominated w. ID. Merritt, OF
Person county. for Judge. Mr. Merritt
is quite a young man, having good
talking qualities. and is OF very re-
spectacle mental vigor. He has not
reached mental maturity. and has not
had much experience as a lawyer. He
obtained his license just five years ago.
but did not address himself TO the prac-
tice until a few years ago. Fol quite
awhile after getting his license he de-
voted himself TO football, his services
being required by the Chapel Hill
team. He is a very clever young man.
Burlington News.
Dockery brags about voting for a
negro in his county and said he'd do
it again. He made the broad asser-
tion that the democrats had put more
negroes in Office han the republicans
had. Later he threw away all pre-
tence of telling the truth, or even of
giving any semblance Of truth to his
falsehoods and said that the democrats
had put three negroes in office TO h
republicans one. IL he don't make all
the negroes in this district vote the
democratic ticket it'll be a wonder
But he split" all by concluding finally
that the negroes are not fools; they
know that the republican party il
their friend, he said, the inference be-
ing, Of course, that they had sense
enough.-Whiteville News.
In his speech here last night Captain
Kitchin proved what we have hereto
fore charged, that the ~populist propo-
sition for fusion with the democrats
was not in good faith and that Ii was
never intended by the pops. who franz
ed it hat ii should be accepted. IL
was constructed in such a n that
the committee knew the democrats
could not accept. 1t meant a complete
surrender Of one undred and fifty
thousand men to less than thirty thous-
and. Three of the committee who
framed ii told Captain kitchin that
it was constructed, purposely, SO that
it would be impossible for the demo-
Gratis to accept it. Yet so-called pop
ulist speakers are going about the
state telling the people they made a
fair proposition to the democrats TO Sc
cure white supremacy. 1t Is a lie"
says Captain Kitchin. Greensboro
Telegram.
In many of the counties the
fellow in charge OF the populist ma
chine have uqit pretending to ad-
vocate. Populist principles, and op-
emily and VIGOROUSLY show that the
republican office holders are in abso-
lutte control of the party machinery.
Take, for example, the party bosses
in Caldwell county. The county con-
vention was held last Saturday in the
p~ostoffice at Lenoir. and Nose Har-
shaw, the goldbug postmaster. was the
power behind the throne. Fusion with
the g%oldbugs and negroes was, OF
course. endorsed. Harshaw is the re-
publican candidate for solicitor as
we'll as postmaster. The Office holding
populists evidently think the entire
populist party is made up Of men who
are ready to saddle the gold standard
and negro supremacy perpetually upon
the country If they can get an Office.
They are destined TO a rude awaken
ing.-Raleigh News and Observer.
Mr.. Duke may have been actuated by
the highest motives-we hope he was
butUrinfty Is hurt. her friends are hurt,
by the transaction How does the
matter stand? Let's see, according To
Mr.. Southgate: he says Mr.. Duke gave
in trust for the college $40 shares OF
preferred stock OF the American Tobac-
CO Company, the principal of which
cannot be touched-for a number OF
years, at least. Now what is the true
state of affairs? IL the trust does not
thrive. Trinity gets less and less in