The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-08-18

" was
up a few nights ago over h appearance
Of a comet o. some other strange
heaV emily body. Next thing wilmington
will be seeing snakes or serpents--Dur-
ham Herald.
Mark Twain should hurry home and
hustle IL he wants TO retain his posi-
ton as the great American humorist.
Some republicans wrote an antitrust
plank for the Ohio platform.-Durham
IN
The attempted tobacco warehouse
trust In North Carolina failed. This is
n thing TO be thankful for. III this
trust had succeeded on top OF the to-
bacco trust, the condition OF the farm
ers raising this weed would indeed
have been pitiable.-Asheville Citizen.
The democratic party % North Car
DINA a suffered no little at the hands
of aspirants for office. Every man has
the right TO aspire TO office. but no man
is justified In INDUCING his ambition to
such an extent as to jeopardlSe the
success OF the party.-Raleigh News
and Observer.
Me de mortuis nisi bonum-say MOTH
ing but good OF the dead-is a maxim
that Is generally observed among the
newspaper fraternity, especially in
writing obituaries OF their local con-
stituency. While We do not believe
that an editor is called on 10 lie about
a man simply because he is dead. w
think that as a rule the faults Of the
deceased should be touched as lightly
as possibie.-Statesville Landmark
The action of the trustees Of the
agricultural and mechanical college
in resembling their former action OPEN
ing its doors 10 women is approved by
the general public-wilmington Messen-
ger.-So Ii should be. The opening OF
the doors OF a college or this kind to
women was a foolish thing In the first
place. Girls do not var to learn me-
chanics. blacksmithing. or other trades
for which the physical strength of men
alone is suited. There are some limits
TO what women should do ana here Is
an example where a line Is properly
drawn, IL ii is the result OF second So
Der thought.-Clinton Democrat.
The question OF the application OF the
Jim Crow car law to certain trains Is to
be tested in the courts. Two suits have
recently been entered at Raleigh
against the Southern Railway for not
only a fragrant disregard of the laws
spirit but an improper observance OF
its letter. The Southern seems to have
a very determined contempt for the
Will OF the people On this separate ac-
commodation matter, and IL is hoped
the great system will be taught that,
howeve great II has grown. IL Is not
greater than the ow Of North Caro-
lina-Greensboro Telegram.
One OF the arguments used against
the adoption OF the proposed suffrage
amendmen is that there would then
be taxation without representation,
and that no man ought to De taxed I'M
less he is above to vote. Those who
use this argument allege that IL would
be very unjust and a great hardship
on any negro 10 make him pay tax and
not allow him to vote. And yet these
men who think this SO unjust, never
say a word against making white men
a taxes toeducate the children OF ne
roes, who pay no tax! There are many
persons now who pay taxes andyet an
not vote. There are many widows and
other ladies who own property. who OF
course are not allowed to vote. There
are also thousands of young men be-
TWEEN eighteen and twenty-one years
old who cannot vote and yet have TO
pay a tax by working the roads-Pitts-
boro Record
The Observer published Sunday, in
its Marion correspondence letter from
a soldier at Manila VINO told how we
XIII 'coons," as he calls them, at Ca
loocan and other Philippine battlefelds.
He tells what a rush his command had
been in; how they didn't get to AXE
on thelr shoes for days at a time, Bow
they got sleep by grabs and the same
way with eating" This energetic chas-
ing OF Philippines, the soldier wrote.
was called by the boys hiking" And
just before he closed his letter he NOT
ed the fact that 100 rounds OF extra
ammunition had been issued to his COM
mand for another hike This brings
us TO the point OF noticing that the new
secretary OF war, Mr.. Elihu Root, not
content with 10000 new recruits for the
Philippines, Will send 46. 600 before the
year closes. Evidently Mr.. Root has
got a hike on h~im.-Charlotte OBJ
server.
Democracy does we'll 10 protest
against the expressed hope OF The
Charlotte Observer that the negro NAV
succeed as cotton mill operatives. In
our opinion there is very little proba-
Dllty OF such a thing, n even II they
have sufficient intelligence, their unre-
and unsteadiness would render
their employment as mill operatives
Improbable. But in any view of IL.
when all the facts are considered. the
success OF the negro as a mill opera-
1--WE would be a contamination deyout-
~ TO be dreaded. In the first place. the
negro does not need this new field az
employment. They already have SO
many avenues Of ordinary labor omen
TO them that their help is Bile.
Ihey can quit A tonight and without,
any trouble get a job with Il I'm the
morning. But not SO with the thou-
sands of widows and young girls who
now spin and weave the cotton goods
OF the south. Our southern manners
anu CUSTOMS nave closed the doors OF
every line OF employment To tho
poor white girl. The negro IS given a
monopoly OF the common labor The
COTTON mil Is almost the only opening
the poor white girl to make her
llving.-Rockingham Anglo-Saxon.