The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-09-09

>AG y N@WS A0 avs
papers charge that L. B. Wetmore. the
populist-republican nominee for solic-
itor of this judicial district, vas very
drunk IL the town Of Monroe last
Sunday. The Journal says: "On last
Sunday he was publicly drunk on the
streets OF Monroe. and exhibited a pis-
toll in a public place. and made a gen.
eral spectacle OF himself. OF his for
mer character and ability We know
nothing. for he is a nobody. His ac-
tons are enough."-A Wake Forest
special a Y the registration of stu
dents breaks the highest first days
record in the history OF the institu-
ton. with an increase OF thirty-seven
per cent over the fret day OF last
year. Besides the old students who
have returned sixty-ive new men were
enrolled.
Nobody" said Colonel Dockery in
his speech al Huntersville Monday.
need fear | am going back on silver.
I pledged my dying father never to go
back on silver. the poor mans money"
There was never perhaps in all history
a more dramatic incident than that to
which the colonel refers. The minds
eye can picture General Alfred M.
Dockery on his dying bed. calling his
son Oliver TO his bedside and causing
him to hold up his right hand and
swear eternal allegiance To the free
coinage OF silver and gold at the i'm
memorial ratio Of l6 20 !. There may
be certain frivolous and skeptical per-
sons disposed TO regard this bedside
story as apocyphal. a Pigment OF the
colonels brain; but for our part Wa
would like II understood that We be-
lieve every word OF it-Charlotte OBJ
server.
The state must be redeemed: il must
be lifted out OF the present position in
the slough Of reputation and SANDER
and placed again upon a plane OF de-
cency and honor and good government.
The good of the state demands IL. aud
we must meet the demand Tod speed
the day when the Old North State
u state-can again hold up her head
among her sister states. her honor in
the keeping Of men, good and true:
her laws. equitable and just, admins
tered by intelligent. learned and sober
judges and her Offices, from our gov
ernor down, in the hands of decent.
capable, honest, upright men-white
men, with white skin. white hearts
and white hands; men who respect
themselves. regard thei: neighbor. love
their state and recognize the existence
OF a Supreme Being. Such men W.
have, such men must carry the dc no
cratic standards, n victory must be
ours. Speed the day of victory
Statesville Landmark.
A campaign purely on state issues Is
apparently 10 be fought with great
energy by the democratic party in
North Carolina this fall. The mistake
has been made formerly of introducing
national issues in local campaigns.
and If the campaign can be conducted
reasonably on the single question OF
state governmental actual issues can
be presented with the force of undis-
putable facts and not nullified by gro
tesque exaggeration-it is to be such
a campaign as the intelligent advo-
Gates of all political faiths should re-
joice to see. 1t must be confessed even
by the republicans that the Russell
administration has laid itself open TO
easy assault and that the mistake Of
putting large numbers OF negroes in
office has given an impulse to the issue
vi White supremacy tDdI not only
unifies the democratic party into a
solid mass but brings 10 II under this
issue the sympathy Of many who had
departed from ii or others who now see
vital cause for promoting its success.
-Asheville Gazette.
In time Of the campaign OF 90 or 80
there was a negro picnic in Smiths, a
~neighboring precinct Of Snatchet. and
his own color threatened TO mob Abe
if he undertook TO make a political
speech; but only look at the present,
to the shame, disgrace and dishonor OF
some few white office-seekers, with the
help Of Abe Middleton, To what a depth
OF degradation the county has fallen,
when the populist county convention
could not renominate the present white
silver-plated goldbug representative
because he has never received the
stamp and seal of Abraham Middleton.
the negro Boss of republican and
populist parties in Duplin county. 1t
is an undeniable fact, and something
to be proud Of in Duplin county. that
the white populists who believe in
white supremacy, and have got the
manhood to acknowledge that they
have been led astray, are returning
back to the democratic fold by the
wholesale, not only in this county, but
all over the whole state.-Z. NJ. Grady
in Kinston Free Press.