The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-05-16

HAIL O. Az d@l&Ol OF the
road, but ali this talk of a boycott is
tommy-rot. Business and not sent
men1 rules b business world, and the
road that gives the best service will
always get its share of business.-Dur-
ham Herald
We are Informed that it = the in
Ien1on OF the county commissioners
TO carry on the good work inaugural
ed by the former board, and that all
the money and labor possible will be
used m making macadam roads. This
comfy was a little slow in taking up the
subject OF good roads, but after the
people once See the benefits Of better
roads, there Will be no opposition 10
the movement and II is only a matter
Of time until all of our most important
roads VIII be observation-disclosures
Herald.
Fusion papers are vigorously oppos-
ing the ratification of the proposed
amendment TO u state constitution.
And it is I that they should do
so, because their editors are dependent
upon b negro vote for whatever pie
they get. They oppose the amendment
not becaus Of their love OF office. They
know fun well they cannot get any of
fees without the aid Of the negroes.
They know that a majority Of their own
white people-regard them as
selfish III office-seeking demagogues,
and would not trust them with any
ofice.-Pittsboro Record.
The democratic party in wiping out
the last Vestige OF the federal election
laws that numbered the statute books
in 1894, voluntarily surrendered a great
advantage it had over the republican
party in the south. The republicans op-
posed the repeal of these laws. vet
pathinp hQffar Gould Iax.1 =
them. The threat or possibility of fed
eral interference with our elections had
been a most effective agency in solidi-
flying the white people of the south. So
long as that danger threatened, tine
republicans were bound hand and foot,
AIT the first election held after these
sectional laws were repealed they made
substantial gains in the southern
states.-Webster's (Reidsville) Weekly.
We print elsewhere today the full
text OF a constitutional argument by
Major William A. Guthrie on the pro-
posed amendment to the Constitution
ranks with h ableSt lawyers in the
state. His mature opinion upon any
legal question would have weight with
any court. He came to the cOnsidera-
ton and investigation of the consti-
tutionality of the proposed amendment
without any prejudice for or against
it, n was prompted to the ~investiga-
ton solely by a desire to satisfy him
self as to its cOnStitutiOnality. Like
the honest and fair-minded lawyer that
he is, when he finds the truth he follows
it to it's logical conclusiOn.-Raleigh
News and Observer.
The republican party in North Caro-
lima never has faced an issue thai so
fills it with utter dismay as the consti-
tutional amendment framed by the last
legislature. If THE republicans make
a fight against the measure, it at once
becomes the issue Of the campaign, and
the color line will be drawn against
them with greater fierceness n force
than in the last election. They thus
see the utter hopelessness Of opposing
it. But if they had a hope of winning
they do not look upon it as an inviting
hope, for what would be gained? They
would still be in North Carolina,
nothing but the same old niger par
ty." This is the view reported to be
taken by a hanger-on ait Raleigh, and
there is no denying that it appears to
be the correct one. Any white repub-
lican in North Carolina who wants to
earn a better title to the censure of
his race than he now enjoys can carr
it by opposing with might n main
the constitutional amendment.-Gas-
IOmd Gazette.
Now comes the tug of war between
Captain Bill Day and the department of
justice at Washington. The captain is
to be investigated His treatment of
federal prisoners is the particular
branch of his administration to be put
under the official microscope. Grave
charges have gone up to Washington
sent by the federal prisoners.-Ra-
leigh News and Observer.
The possibility of misleading and
poisoning the minds of enough litter
ate white vote S to defeat the democrat
ic party and get a few paltry Offices
seems to outweigh the welfare Of the
state in the minds of these short-sight-
ed politicians Now suppose the re-
publican and populist leaders should be
able to defeat the amendment by the
campaign of misrepresentation they
have inaugurated. And suppose they
should defeat the democratic party in
the next election. Their victory would
be as short if not shorter than that of
1894. Why? Simply because the negroes
would rise up and demand a share of
the Offices and would be atisfied with
uOlulAG iCSo SAoh lHC NOhIioi III e"~
eastern counties, which would produce
another revolution. The democratic
party would be called on to deliver the
state again as sure as the sun shines.
Never again could it be accused of
using the negro as political capital,
seeing it had suffered defeat for the
sake of removing that issue from poll
tics.-Webster's (Reidsville) Weekly.
The bill to be introduced into the
Georgia legislature to prevent lynch
ing, by representative Morris, which
provides for the trial of the accused
within five days after his arrest, and
upon conviction publicly hanged not
later than five days afterwards. But
there is one provision of the bill that
we especially desire to notice, and that
is, the provision that admits the I'M
happy woman to be examined in pri-
vate and while the trial is in progress.
While we do not now remember TO
have seen in an discussion of lynch
ing its causes and remedy, any refer
ence 20 the -lanner the unhappy victim
was examined in open court and the
questions put to her as one of the
aIses Of lynching. Yet we have for
some time entertained that opinion.
1t is only necessary for one to refer TO