The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-11-17
SITE PRESS.

We heard one OF the most PROMINENT
Republicans who owns n OF the laIE-
lest farms in Wilkes county say 2
.other day 1ha he wanted 10 sell his
farm at a sacrifice, for IL rs impossifne|
to make anything farming now and ne
proposes going into some other bust
ness. This Is different from what the
Republicans are want To say about the
great prosperity which they say has
struck the farmers so extensively. But
this republican is about right There
is plenty OF prosperity anon h trusts
and war contractors aud this has given
a kind OF spurious giimmer Of prosper
Ifty to h whole country. But II s. just
a geimmer, not reai--wHkesboro
lChronicle.
Durham gets h cheapest water
rate Of any town IN the state excepting
OF course. those that own their own
water works plants. Considering that
some OF the other owns pay twice the
Iamount charged in Durham, We have
mo right to complain: out In All towns
where the municipality OWES the water
system the rate b lower. and In VII
son it is less than half. The fact in
every town which operates ITS own
plant the rate is much lower than in
towns supplied by a company Is a
strong argument Il favor of municipal
wv al ~ 49, k
that most towns in the state now put
ting in water systems are doing II by
Issuing bonds and are under obligations
to no outside company or corporation.
Durham Herald.
But the fertilizer trust is no better
nor worse, than other trusts. What IL
lis doing. in the matter OF robbing the
people. others have done. and others
still are preparing TO do. The truth
Iof The matter is that all trusts-we
mean trusts that are strong enough
TO amount to practical monopoltes-
are a menace to our civilization and,
liz not curbed, viii destroy it. Let the
Imasses-the great middle class OF our
lpeople-once make up their minds that
Irapacity and greed are TO be the per-
manent dominant forces in our govern
Iment and there will be such a reou-
ton as he world has v seen. But
right here, We want to say that we do
not think affairs VIII reach such a de-
plorable state as his. On the contrary,
we believe that there is still enough
Wisdom and craftsmanship left in this
~lcountry to cope with this great prob
lem, and settle it right.-Wadesboro
Messenger.
Their is a conspicuous failure to ans
Iwer the questions asked by Mr.. Settle.
Settles letter was a column in lengun-
Iberse, clean-cut knit and comprehensi-
bile; Linney's reply occupies near three
columns, is diffuse, .evasive, ~incoherent
and calling for study in order to be un-
lderstood. No ~disrespect is meant by
this characterization, for its writer is
an able man and easily capable OF a
better intellectual effort than he has
made in his instance. AS a reply 1t
is inadequate; a. an argument, insult
lficient. We believe that this wild be the
Judgment of the public upon it, but
The Observer does not ask for the &C
lceptance of it's opinion Of it, but asks
that it be read. In our Judgment IT Is
not such an argument as any friend
of the amendment need be afraid to
ihave circulated. MIR. Linney in
his letter to Mr.. Settle makes the point
THAT 1.-THE largest percentage OF white
voters are IN Mitchell and Wilkes coun-
tiles, where the largest republican ma
l~jorities are given" He might have ad-
lded that in Madison county, where the
population is almost entirely white, the
tvote is almost entirely republican; and
The might have gone still further and
said that there is more crime OF a serl-
lous nature, and perhaps more Hitter
lacy. i'm these three counties. than in
ANY other three in the state OF the same
Ewhite population Wherever in the
south you find a large white county
that is, year after ear, largely repub-
trican, you will find that there is some
thing else the matter with t.0Charlotte
lObserver.