The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-15
CLEANING AND

Inc lTg1nlaDS are nay1nE trouble |
with b suffrage law. They are much
divided as TO what - best 10 be done.
They know that the negro power has
been blasting I'm that state and they
are anxious for relief, but are not yet
persuaded as to what IL is best TO do
under the p~erplexing circumstances
The convention dealing with ii is a re-
markedly able state body. II is almost
certain that the constitution will not
permit negro suffrage 10 continue with
out abatement or restriction OF any
kind. Fear OF the northern republicans
and their construction of the federal
constitution Is probably the lion in the
path. The Richmond Times sees the
danger and writes with plaI,1ness. Wa
copy \ small part of what it says:
ION the other band is the organic
law OF the land. which Eirginians do
not desire to violate o. evade. for they
are a ~law-ahiding people; on the other
side is unrestricted negro suffrage.
which has proven 10 be a curse to the
people OF his commonwealth. and
which has brought Generalization far
worse thar the decentralization OF sla-
very. It is not the negro who has been
hurt by the methods employed TO sup
press the negro vote; the hurt has been
TO the whites"
Mr.. Evan P. Howell. of Georgia. is
perhaps another McLaurin. He tells
the president that the white folks in
his section are just hot for high pro-
lection. hat will be news TO most OF
the real democrats in the south. While
many republicans have changed faith
as to high tariff protection and robbery
and the late Mr.. Mckinley. had much
modified his protection views, since he
coached that very high tariff that bore
his name, it is not a good time for re-
calcitrant. half and half democrats to
be croquetting with the Rob Roy sys-
tenn of pillage and wrong doing. Mr..
Howell tells the president that he can
build up a republican party in. the
south on the tariff. IL the tariff man
ayers and expansionists and friends OF
trusts and a gold standard among DEM
ocrats are right then nave but one party
the great. grim, grasping. selfish, law
less republican party. 4 republican SUI
preme court has decided that Il high
protective tariff was unconstitutional.
But what do the robbers care for that?
That court calls it robbery"
There are bad conditions all about
and in all sections Of this country
lawlessness, anarchy. crimes multiplied
and rampant. In Philadelphia there are
kidnapping, robbery and blackmail,'
says the Record. The bad thing is that
the perpetrators of many crimes are
not what is disregarded as profession
ais. Lately we have noticed in eX-
changes on two occasions that robbery
was attempted by two young white
men, of fair character, in both in
stances. The Record says that 1.-The
young men who conspired to kidnap,
rob, abuse and blackmail a. wretched
woman of their acquaintance, and who
w been caught in the act and held
to answer for their crime, are not pro-
fessional criminals. They are hangers
on. go-betweens and rumor-mongers
who ind employment as connecting
links between protected vice and sa1able
sensation. In this instance they have,
in a private venture, apparently over
stepped the limit of safety and fallen
into their own trap. The law will deal
with them according 10 their deserts"
General Alger, who was one Of Nc
Kinley's first cabinet, Is in retirement,
but not idle. He has 4 book in press
in which he shows up things" during
the term he was in office. He discus
ses much that will interest the public.
He pays his respects to Sampson at
length and shows him as antagoniz-
ing the army. AT one point he says
this. and it is good October reading,
and particularly as the Schiey perse-
cution is in progress. General Alger
says:
1T is difficult to account for Admiral
SIMPSONS seeming attitude toward the
army during the operations before San
tiago, as well as to excuse him for his
contradictory statements, subsequently
made in his official report. After July
3rd, the Admiral's conduct may be due
to the keen disappointment resulting
from his non-participation in the en-
gagement with Cervera's squadron.
Possibly he felt that Skaters request
for a conference on the morning of July
3rd, innocent though it a was respon-
sible for his being deprived of the honor
Of actively participating as commander
in-chief in one of the most remarkable
victories in the annals of naval war
fare"
The lies OF hostile witnesses do not
bamboozle or blind the ex-secretary.