The semi-weekly messenger., 1901-01-15

II is said to be no secret that Sena-
| tor Pritchard forced Governor Russell
| to appoint Furches as chief Justice
Kinston Free Press.
| The states legal annex Is one of the
| expensive features of states govern
| ment. Some ss. 5o1. - has been paid out
for lawyers fees In the past few
! months.-Raleigh Times.
The North Carolina legislature might
take the courage from the laudable ex-
ample OF the Salisbury aldermen The
latter worked up nerve enough to tackle
and dispose Of the yaller dog problem.
Salisbury Truth-Index.
Judge" Linney's few broken remarks
In congress in support Of the olmstead
resolution looking to the degradation
OF the white people OF the south were
worthy of him. but would have been
q disgrace 10 his colored colleague
George h White.-Raleigh Post.
| Meantime he himself (RusselD had
| the endorsement for the position OF q
large number OF the most eminent DEM
| ocratic lawyers OF the state and this
was doubtless an exceedingly agreea-
| bic incident in the closing days OF his
| rather stormy administration Of the
| executive ofiice-Chariotte Observer.
With Russell on the supreme court
| bench there will be room for all sorts
OF guessing as to what his decisions
| may be. He may have judicial ability.
| but judicial temperament Is wofully,
| lacking. II Russell gets on the bench
| some OF the democratic lawyers who are
| endorsing him so cordially may have
| sufficient time and opportunity 20 re-
pent In sackcloth and ashes.-winston
| Sentinel.
| North Carolina built 43.i0 miles OF
| railroad last year. The era OF railroad
| building has passed away. Nearly
| every section of the country Is now
| supplied with all the railroad lines that
| are necessary for the moving of goods
from place to place. and the new lines
| constructed are mostly feeders" run
! out into territory that has developed
| since the main lines were built This
is time of railroad consolidation. rath-
| er than contraction. The roads OF the
| south, which were once owned by num-
| erous companies, are rapidly being
| gathered into two or three great sys-
| tems.-Raleigh Times
| We did not expect to see the Kilgo
| papers take kindly to the verdict in the
libel case at oxford. None OF them VIII
| confess IL, but we have an idea that
they were not at all pleased with the
| jury selected TO try the case. 1t was
| composed of men who were sworn TO
pass upon the facts. regardless OF the
| personal fortunes Of either the plaintin
| or the defendants. No man who had
| made UP his mind was competent to SIT
| in the Jury box. To have pleased XII
| go and his partisans IL would have been
| necessary to have selected the jury
| from the trustees of@Trinity college
| webster's (Reidsville) Weekly.
The legislature. which meets next
| week, will be called on to tackle the
school book question again. In 1895 the
legislature substituted county adoption
for state adoption, and the result was
that an expensive lobby was maintain
ed by the rival book companies in most
of the counties OF the state, until the
matter was settled. Indeed. quite
number of the members of the legisla-
ture that made the change ~ere EN-
ployed by one of the companies. one OF
the said members. hailing from the
| western part of the state. spending
some time in Wadesboro. This paper
is for state adoption every time
Wadesboro Messenger.
Through thick and thin, through evil
| as well as good report-(mostly the for
| mer)-Charles Austin Cook, Esq, OF
Warrenton, has been the staunch friend
of Governor Russell. He led Russell 8
fights in the legislature against the
Southern railway and when the Govern
or went over bag and baggage TO the
Southern, it was Judge Cook who had
charge of the retreat. Such loyalty
deserved we'll of the governor. and his
gratitude TO Cook as shown in tne ap-
pointment shows in this instanc at
least he possesses the virtue OF Grati-
| tude. Justice Cook does not rank /. 9 a
great lawyer though his friends say
| that he is q far better lawyer than is
generally supposed. They predict tAat
he will make reputation on the bench,
will not be partisan I'm his opinions, and
will do equity. Let us hope so.-Ral-
eigh News and Observer.
In Sunday mornings Post, Mr. T. T.
Hicks. lawyer of Henderson. pub
| lished a whole column denouncing the
News and Observer because ii called
a halt on making Russell chief justice.
Mr.. Hicks had signed a resolution which
closed thus: Resolved. That we re-
| cognize in the person of the Hon. Daniel
l.. Russell, retiring chief magistrate OF
the state, a lawyer Of pre-eminent abil-
ity in his profession. a citizen Of the
highest personal integrity and a man
| we'll qualified to be a successor TO those
great lawyers who have added dignity
and renown to the supreme court Of
North Carolina" Mr.. Hicks advocacy
of Russell surprises nobody who knows
how he voted in the August election.
state convention that nominated Ay-
| cock and endorsed the constitutional
amendment, and yet in the August eIec-
ton Mr.. Hicks did not vote for Mr..
| Aycock or the amendment.-RaIeigh
| News and Observer.