The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-12-07
THE EDITORS LEISURE HOURS
Points and Paragraphs Of Things
Present, Past and Future.

1 ~~AAO
publishers OF New York, have failed
The liabilities of the firm were five
and half million dollars. The bus
mess was established eighty years age
ana was in the family for three genera.
tioas.
g. y. Mcclure, a rival publisher,
| gives the following as the cause in par,
for the failure: "They haye kept on
their staff men past their usefulness
They have been too good hearted and
proud to discharge men practically
penniless."
I Commenting on Mr.. McClure's OBJ
servation, the Baltimore Sun, with
good significance, said:
EFF it is true that misfortune has
overtaken the Harpers because they
were unwilling to turn away men who
had grown old in their service, it will
add to the general sympathy for them
and to the honor and esteem In which
they are held. But, while 1t may be
true that some money might have been
saved by dlscharging men who had
spent their lives in the service of the
firm and had reached a time of life
when it was impossible for them to
get employment elsewhere, it is not
likely that the small sum spent upon
these faithful men caused the collapse
1t is more than likely that the business
of the house was undermined by cheap
competition"
Justice Walter Clark's dissent from
Justice Furches' opinion in the Bed
dIngfeld-Abbott case has been the sub.
ject OF wide and general comment.
The decision of the Supreme court as
rendered by Justice Furches ousted
Mr.. Bedd;ngfald from the Office of Cor
poration Commissioner and gave the
place to Mr.. Abbott, on the ground
that the act of the Legislature in abol
ishlng the office of Railroad Commits
sioner and establishing the Corpora.
tlon Commission did not by right de-
prive Railroad Commissioner Abbott oil
the office, as both were practically the
same.
Justice Clark dissent has been pro.
nounced a very able one throughout
the State and he has thus gained a
new hold on the peoples confidence as
an able and learned lurist.
And The COMMONWEALTH again
rises to sag its little piece about the
Railroad Commission, to wit:
4
That we believe the said Railroad
Commission to be one OF the greatest
farces that North Carolina legislation
has ever played. There has been more
useless and unnecessary litigation
over 1t than over any other question ol
as similar Importance which We remem
ber to have observed. All things con-
sidered, if there has ever come one
sclntllla of advantage to the State
through the Railroad Commission We
plead guilty to such obtuseness OF per
ception as not to have discovered it
1t has been the subject of contention
from the very first, and one OF TIT
chief features of importance has beer
all the while, Who shall hold the OF
fee? We candidly believe that it there
had been no Railroad Commission OF
Corporation Commission in North
Carolina the State would be the better
for it. After all, the expense 1t hal
been to the State has been only anothe
means of wringing taxes out OF TIT
hard earnings of the people. And many
moor man who never rides on railroad
train or hears even a locomotive Wills
tie has to bear his share OF the bur
den.
| THE COMMONWEALTH would ike u
aee the next General Assembly, or th'
session of the present Assembly whe1