The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-01-29
A HUGE
eien 20 be It's Headquarters-Inter-
esting Discussions Before Legisla.
tive Committees-How Cleveland,s
Attorney GeneraI Protected "a Trnst
Especial to The Messenger

Especial to The Messenger.)
raleigh, n. c., January "A corpo-
ration is to be chartered with head
quarters here with at least $500. 900 can
ital. Ii will be of cotton
mill men, and the plan is to have it
make investments of their surplus.
making Raleigh the clearing house for
that line Of business in the state. II
is an important movement.
mus far about fifty legislative acts
have been ratified, nearly all private
laws.
Gathers bill to repeal the divorce
law was discussed at length before the
house judiciary committee this after
noon. The bill was strongly advocated
by Rountree, Connor. Graham, Gather,
Hayes, n Du1s. and oppose by
Craig, Winston, Gattis. Greene and
Spainhour. No vote was reached by
the committee.
There was a long. lively and inter-
esting discussion before the house Judi
ciary committee this afternoon of the
bill to amend the causes of divorce not
in force in the code. 1t was shown to
the surprise OF many members, that
the act of 1893. as amended by that of
1899 makes the term of abandonment
only n year, instead of two years.
Earnest speeches in advocacy Of HI
bill We're made by Rountree and Con-
nor and. against it by Craig. Conner
declared there ought to be no divorce
in North Carolina save for the cause
named in the bill. He said he would
like to see a law providing that no
marriage should occur ntil at least
lien DAVIS t9ft41s tho iSS1Ia of liapnca
lGattis said he was sorry such a law
was on the statute books as that of 1899
land that he did not know it was law,
as he thought the bill had been defeat
ed; in fact, it was defeated and how 1t
got into the bills ratified he did not
know. Craig said abandonment was
certainly a proper ground for divorce;
that only one state (Missouri) did not
allow abandonment as cause for abso-
lutte divorce.
There was an interesting discussion
Of Wards ANTITRUST bill before the
senate judiciary committee. His bill Is
| a copy of the Texas law. with an add
ton specially designed to strike at the
lumber trust. The discussion too a
wide range, n was participated in by
Ward, FOushee. Woodward, Hender-
SON, and others. Question at issue was
whether any state aw would or could
reach trusts.
r. B. Glenn, by request. addressed
the committee. He said that in 1893
people of his town (Winston) had op-
posed the antitrust bill. because they
thought it would drive capital from the
Estate, but now they all favor it: that
during the past ten usts
crippled Winston; that instead of fifty
tobacco factories. there were now six
or seven that the American Tobacco
company has. only one buyer there. He
1 said tho tTn11hln VIC in orotfinr owl
ldence to convict trusts. Then ne told
an exceedingly interesting story. say
ing that in 1893 while he was United
Estates district attorney he conceived
the idea of indicting the American To-
baco Company, and asked Attorney
General Olney for leave to bring suit.
Leave was given. witnesses summoned
and on h morning of the day set for
trial a telegram came from Washing
ton ordering pOstponement. At the
next term Of court Glenn said he was
telegraphed to go to Washington.
There Olney made him mol pros the
case and never ave him the slightest
excuse for such step. Glenn said: II
think We ought to have a state law
which will prevent our having to ask
leave Of anybody. We know people will
say capital will be driven out, but w.
don't want capital which comes to
North Carolina with death on Its
wings"
Woodward said: Our hostility to cor
porations had driven out the American
Tobacco Company, the Virginia and
Carolina Chemical Company, both Of
which were originally North Carolina
corporations: that our policy is alIit-
eral and unwise and gives us an empty
treasury. We mo control trusts
when Incorporated outside of the state.
Glenn said the American Tobacco
company is planning to establish an
Immense cigar factory. with three or
-four thousand employees at some point
in North Carolina, perhaps Durham
or Winston.
Foushee. Of Durham. made an inter-
testing talk about the way the American
Tobacco Co. operates. He said it buys
one-thsrd of the tobacco on our home
market. ices not control the trade;
Ibut has hurt the farmers by CONTROL
ing the bidding. The Wells-White-
head Cigarette Company. of Wilson.
now sells 90 per cent of the cigarettes
used in Durham and so per cent of all
used in the state; that this a ad-
vanced the price Of cutters"
Ward SAID his law answered the pur-
Ipose perfectly in Texas and had driven
trusts from that tate.
Foushee said frankly he did not be-
llieve the bill would affect the Ameri-
can Tobacco Company. but made a
motion that it be reported favorabiy.
Morrison wanted longer time for dis
lcussion and consideration. He de-
Iclared he thought state legislation
;could do little towards getting rid of
years ago had been absolutely result
Hess.
Ward said there had been one indict-
ment Tin Granville or vance, under the