The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-02
Ghe Messemger.


counter-charges of corruption and
failure when his own bad doings and
the conspicuous failure of his W
party are brought under the search
light. The old, old dodge is played"
now in North Carolina. The sane,
sensible, honest people will not be de-
ceived by the Russell cry of wolf,
wolf" For four years the combine
that rare make up of populist silver
men and earnest reformers with the
rag, tag and bobtail remnant of effete
robber tax and the single gold stand
ard-have had full sway in North
Carolina, and ali know from the high
est to the lowest what has resulted
from this combination of antagOnizing
elements agreed really in but W
things-"to beat the democrats n
to get a grip upon swag. A state that
was prospecting and cOntented under
progressive, wise, economic and just
uCulOCl dLlC 6oNCIIlliChC Ado CtCifCu
a severe blow in it's varied interests,
its reputation has been damaged, its
best people have become respondent,
capital has retired or refused to enter,
and negrodom has been flattered and
played with until Russell is once more
in full fellowship with his "savages,"
and Anglo Saxonism is at a discount
81 far as black radicalism and But
lerism can make it to be. To paint
ing would demand the pen of a Ruskin
or a Macaulay, or the brush of a
Rembrandt.
So to rail at democratic misrule and
to hedge when driven to defence by
saying, 1--WE are black, but you are
another" will not meet the case or
pay. Governor Russell is believed to
have written the acrid, personally
abusive letter addressed to Mr.. F. VI.
Simmons, chairman of the democratic
state committee that appears in
this issue of The Messenger. The
Raleigh Post of Wednesday. The
governors style is so extraordinary in
its characteristics-all aflame with
~vituperation and personal thrusts and
plausible pettifogging-that any one
familiar with it can not mistake it
when it appears signed by another
man. The fat governor cannot de-
celve any ordinary critic of style at
this point. He is given to such work.
1t Is not the first time since he was
governor that he has used the slime
CT malice and stiletto of the hidden
~%5sassin, and the mud of the shambles
II his eagerness to outrage decency,
- crafty his Unsuitable hatred and to
give violence to his violent, calumni-
rating statements.
The democratic chairman addressed
inquiries to Mr.. J. M. MewbOOrne rela-
tive to certain matters connected with
the management, ETC., of the peniten-
t1ary. The governor in his reply
makes a personal assault upon the
character of the chairman in which
very grievous charges are made. The
Inquiries of the chairman are answer
ed by an attack upon the honesty and
character of MI. Simmons, and by GER
tain charges brought as to the man
.agement of the democrats before the
combine came in with their outrages
and failures.
AS to the charges brought by Rus
sell against the democratic govern
ment in the matter of the Halifax
farm land, the Arson plantation, the
Castle Hayne lease, and any other
complaints, they should be met with
'denials and facts if Russell is not tell
ing the truth instead of romancing,
or sounding a counter charge with his
big brass horn. Because connected
with personal vind%ictiveness and
mud-slinging it is nc good reason that
~ Shoi SOS hIouC w oUfo
cate in the governors chair should go
unnOticed and unanswered. Let the
truth be stated plainly in answer to
Russell. A reply in the spirit of the
assailant will not do. All know his
high gifts of Safeguarding and his
utter recklessness when hit. So the
way is to meet his assaults with facts.
A plain statement offsetting his
charges or refuting them will be
worth a a of criticisms upon Rus
sells general and particular mean
ness.
Since the above was in type we have