The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-01-05
VOL. XIV. New Series Vol. 3.
THE EDITORS LEISURE HOURS
Points and Paragraphs Of Things
Present. Past and Future.

Senator Buffers effort at cheap no
torlety by Offering a resolution that
Confederate soldiers be placed on the
United States pension list with Union
soldiers, has called forth storm OF in
dignation in many parts of the South.
Many newspapers have denounced it,
saying that the South does not wish
the manhood of her citizens thus
brought into question. Mr.. Buffers
stroke was very unfortunate one.
Last Saturday at noon the Coleman
cotton mill in Concord, owned and
operated by colored people, was started
as an experiment hitherto untrled. 1t
is said to be the only cotton mill in the
world owned and operated by colored
people. The capital stock is $50,
and the success or failure of the enter
prise may mean much to the colored
race. The people of North Carolina,
and of other States as we'll, will watch
with interest this lone experiment in
cotton milling by the African race.
"Small pox follows war" has become
to be sort of aphoris1n that is borne
out this winter by the prevalence of
the disease in quite number OF places
in North Carolina and elsewhere. Re-
Gently it was stated that there were
cases near Marion and in Wilmington,
and perhaps at some other points.
Also it has been given out that the
disease had made its appearance at
Newport News. There are some palpa-
BILE reasons why small pox should fol-
low war. The mix anc trayel of SOL
diers and others to and from various
points make it easy for the disease to
be communicated.
Henry Ward Beecher once defined
"bad luck" as man standing on the
street corner with his hands in his
pockets waiting for something to turn
up, and "good luck" as man with his
sleeves rolled up at work turning up
Doubtless many of us have thought
with the close Of the old year and the
beginning of the new that we had bad
luck last year. We have come out be-
hind, 1t may be, or we have failed to
accomplish what we planned for year
ago, and now feel dlspirited and half
to start again. Let us roll
up our sleeves ana do our best to turn
up something whether the wind and
tide set with us or not. There is moth
ing half so helpful as good resolution.
Despite the tact that Mr.. Edward
Box and many others do not believe
in New Year VOWS and resolutions, peo-
pie have been so long in the habit of
making them that the year 1899 was
ushered in with the usual number of
such avowals and resolutions. We
have sometimes thought that the very
thought and desire for reform which
lift us high enough to cause us to
make solemn VOWS for improvement
make us that much better for the
Time, at least anu is III IlOt UeGI6r 10 D0
good one day and have an approving
conscience once in year than to have
none at all? Yes, let us make strong
VOWS for positive improvement and
see to it, that by the help of the Great
Helper, we keep them.
To those who live In communities
where all can find employment all the
time, it sometimes seems strange that
people should anywhere be forced to
beg for employment. And few of the
persons in any community who find
constant employment at the hands OF
others fully appreciate the fact that
where they have mind to labor they
can do so and receive pay for it. In
the large cities many persons who are
cold and hungry in these winter days
would be glad, indeed, to have the op-