The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-01-17

One subject to which III legislntur,
might well address itself liz that Of III,
establishment OF q board or pardona.-
Statesville Landmark
Just as We expected. here m Mar.
ion Butler and gives notice that he VII
Introduce a amendment to the pension
appropriation bill providing that Con.
federate soldiers he pensioned by the
United States. Some other fellow Is
Introducing a bill to have ex-Confeder-
ate soldiers received into Union soldiers
home. Ii Is Just such fool thing as this
that will destroy the good effects or
President Mckinley's utterances.-
Monroe Journal.
Governor Russell has appointed
twenty-five or thirty democrats TO pub
tic position, as directors In railroads.
lspublic institutions. ETC., without excit-
ing criticism OF himself or them. and
only very recently appointed~a demo-
crat adjutant general, without bring
ing animadversion upon himself or
Captain Royster. So why he or Cap
tain Day, and especially the latter.
should be made the objects of at
tack on count OF the penitentiary ap-
pointment OF the acceptance OF IL. wa
do n quite understand. The appoints
ment OF Captain Day was certainly an
odd n on Its face.-Chariotte Obser-
yer. /.
The Citizen has several times adyer-
ted to the necessity in our mountain
districts. for the cultivation Of a great
er appreciation OF ourforests. Yea can
not o In any direction from Ashe-
vile without being impressed with the
fact that the lesson of forest prG-egva-
ton cannot be taught too soor. On
every o Yin side is TO be seer eat
scars that re more and more marrilg
the beauty OF our scenery, and unless
stopped by law or through the educa-
ton of the people up to the point where
they will realize the necessity of saving
every tree, t is only a question o. lime
with our great green mounta.rs, as
we'll as our fert.l lie valleys.-As lille
Citizen.
Certainly something should ! lone
concerning this matter of gdons.
Governor Russell in his messag, to the
legislature, says that during the nrst
two years of his incumbency Of tho
gubernatorial chair he has pardone
&AAa lIE SST=
fences of Is. Stripped, this means thar
Governor Russell has 107 times changed
the verdict OF a jury OF Il men who had
heard all the evidence as To both the
guilt and innocence OF the person. This
is so manifestly wrong as to hardly
admit of question. There may be in
stances where the pardoning power
should beinterposed, and therefore it
should be lodged with some man or
men h1t If nnEGih1A n chn,,lI ~ -.
hedged about that 1t could be success
fully invoked in the rarest instans Is
Ashville Citizen.
The St tement of the condition of tho
banks in North Carolina, by the state
treasurer, is a most remarkable one.
1t shows an increase In their resources,
during the past seventy-one days, OF
nearly half a million dollars. On Sep
ember Goth { e report OF the condition
Of the banks was as follows: Total re-
sources State banks, 7.074, 1926; total
Private banks, 1888, S54.0S;
total Savings banks, 1885,
1897. Total all banks,
$40, 526, 10000. The report issued yes
terday, showing the condition of the
banks on December LIST, was: Total
State banks, 7,433, 143. go:
total u Private banks 1870
O64.9S; total resources Savings banks,
1878, 086.4 6 Total all banks.
S11 ,02l, 295.04. This shows an increase
in the resources, from September goth
to December LIST, seventy-one days, of
$494, 394.74.-R leigh News and Obser-
yer.
1t strikes us that the poll tax require
ment and the understanding clause
will do the work in North Carolina.
We will copy again what Senator
Money, OF Mississippi. says Of it's effect
test result in the DISTINGUISHING Of the
negro!' I'm very slight degree. The
voter has TO read or understand a
clause of the State Constitution. and
very frequently the Judge Of election
helps out the voters, both whit and
colored. A more stringent barrier Is
the requirement that every would-be
Voter who is challenged shall produce
his tax receipts for two years prior to
the election. There can be no evasion
Of this provision. Either he has the re-
ceipts or he has not; and IL he cannot
produce them he cannot vote" Our
preference for the Mississippi plan Is
due to the fact that It has stood the
test Of the Supreme court, and further
more because white men pay their poll
tax and understand" more than the
negroes. The Louisiana plan is better,
but IL the Supreme court should de-
clare ii unconstitutional, we would
have all our fat knocked into the fire
Webster's (Reidsville) Weekly.