The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1901-11-28
TIE EDIToRs's LEISURE HOURS.
Points and Paragraphs Of Things
Present, Past and Future.

Points and Paragraphs Of Things
Present, Past and Future.
Social equality is subject that has
claimed the attention of the American
| people more or less tor MANY wears
and the White House incident of re.
cent date has made the subject little
fresher. Hence our series OF articles
| on the subject which we are running
from the Bihcal Recorder.
1t will be patriotic thing to have
all the children in the public schools
make penny contribution for 9
monument to Sir Walter Raleigh tc
be erected in our capital city. The
committee appointed by the State
Literary and Historical Association
urge that these penny collections com
mence at once.
While it may be possible and prob.
able that one who says SO will be call
ed "growler," or something like it,
this paper is convinced that the ten
dency to extravaganza is becoming
characteristic OF the age. It only
needs very casual observation to reveal
the truth that in almost every phase OF
life extravaganza marks the trend OF
affairs. To point how and where and
by whom this tendency should be
curbed would be task all too great
for one and it would have no attrac.
t,ons because 1t would subject one to
the criticism possibly that he was med
ding With matters not his own. But
we are emboldened by various OBJ
seryations to say that people In almost
every walk of life are inclined to ex-
travagance. Our forefathers could
have lived on what people of the pres
ent throw away or take on as extras.
AS tho harvaStir,p of ff,o oronc o1 uon
ces and the season draws nearer and
nearer to close, 1t becomes more and
more evident that the real farm condl-
tions had not been realized until re-.
Gently. From almost every quarter of
the State there come new reports OF
crop failures and it might as well be
settled at once that people will need
to practlce economy next year, sure
enough. Col. F. A. Olds, general
newspaper correspondent In Raleigh,
recently sent the following to the
Charlotte Observer:
"Ed B. Barbee, widely-known cot
ton dealer here, and particularly well
informed and observant, said to your
correspondent to-day that he was con-
fdent the people in this section OF
North Carolina cid not realize the
condition in which the partial failure
OF crops has placed them. He says he
WILL not be at all surprised if by the
middle OF January an appeal for aid is
not made. He does not think the
State crop Of cotton will much, if any,
exceed 100000 bales, and laughs at
the long-range prophets who predict
100000 bales Or thereabouts. Two
months ago Governor Aycock, as Will
be recalled, said to the writer that he
was sure the people in the raln-devas-
tated part of the cotton belt were not
aware of their bad condition. The
fact is the crop failure has reached The
magnitude N of disaster. Tenant-farm-
ers are in deplorable condition In
perhaps 80 counties"
The Outlook, which is not very
friendly to certain election laws passed
In the South sums up the new Con-
st1tut,on in Alabama as follows:
81. DIsfranchisement for crime or
failure to pay a voluntary poll tax OF
81. so year eight months before the
election. This applies to whites as
we'll as blacks.
p. Disfranchisement for llllteracy,
unless the illitera:e has been soldier
or is descended from soldier, Or Is
thought by the registrars OF elections
to be of good character and to under
stand the duties OF citizenship. The
anfranchised illi;erate must be enrolled
as voter before 1903. After that
.,ate the l!literacy disqualification
>l;oe tn now voters OF both races