The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-01-10
GLrAkne AND CoxnExr

~ kkaie1gn or nea1 there. be
to GreenviIle. Tennessee. It il an
nounced that a great grand daughter.
Martha Landstreet, Of Richmond. Va,
r. suing In Tennessee to some
v valuable property OF the late president.
Captain Landstreet. her father. sues
for her to break a second viii In order
that a contract agreement and a pre-
vious win nay prevail. An article In
tie Richmond Dispatch states that 1.-THE
$50. coo or $4,000 of property. which in
cludes all the private papers. heirlooms
of the family. and presents given
President johnson by the American
people. is now tied up. 1t is in the
hands of a receiver pending the fnal
decision Of the Tennessee court. which
cannot be sooner than a year hence"
- - ::
The losses by fire in this country are
Indeed great There is no chance to
prevent them, but to the contrary they
grow in numbers and IN destruction Of
property. In a quarter Of a century In
the United States the losses by fire
have exceeded 81 800 GOO. 900 and of this
immense total the year 1901 contributed
losses a~ggregating over s170. 00O. 900. 1t
is further stated in the same publica-
ton that in this country nearly 1000 in
surance companies, with fully paid-up
capital. not including the mutual COM
panies nor the ~co-called Fire Lloyds.
have failed OIL gone out of business to
avoid inevitable bankruptcy.
= + x
The Messenger lately referred to the
present republican congress as being
willing If not already committed to the
old republican policy of extravaganza
in appropriating the peoples money
tina. the expenditures for a year would
fall but little below $500, 600, 900. if it did
not even exceed that great sum. Be sure
to observe the magnitude of the figures
and then watch what the congress
really expends in two years. If it does
not appropriate 81, 200. 900. 900 we shall be
glad. The Chicago Record-Herald is a
republican paper but with spasms Of in
pendence. We find the Washington Post
beginning an editorial III reply to it with
the statement that the Chicago paper
appears to have little confidence in the
wisdom, not to say the integrity. of the
republican majority in congress. "All
Ready to. Raid the Treasury" Is the
Record-Herald's condensed opinion of
the present state of the congressional
min In other words. our contempor-
rarv has convinced itself and desires its
readers to believe hat the lawmakers
6f the republic. after many months Of
more han thirteen months ago-have
decided upon "a hostile and predatory
incursion" into or against the funds"
= !. e
Sam Small is not only a gifted para
graphist and brilliant journalist, out he
has a voice for singing. In the Atlanta
Alkahest for January ne prints a sonnet
not without stirring lines and happy
rhrasing. 1t is addressed to the north
ern poet and critic, E. C. Stedman, who
is also a New York broker on Wall
Street. We reproduce the closing six
ines:
70 thee. o poet midst the madding
throng
Around the minting murd'rous wheels
of trade,
Are given the notes of lofty, lark-like
reach
TO voice the Right and pillorv the
Wrong
Great hymns, with courage n in
pathos made,
To urge the brotherhood our Lord
would teach.
- - =
1t is thought that Roosevelt cannot
bcat the presidential record by being
elected a second term from the vice
presidency, something that has e
happened as yet. But it is the unex-
pccted that is said to be always hap
pnning. so Teddy may break through all
;arriers and conditions. The Albany
IN. Y.) Argus, DEM. says
Martin Van Buren,, who was elected
vice president with, Jackson in 1882, was
elected as Old Hfckorv's successor in
tue presidency in 1886. He enjoyed the
advantage of being Il great power in
I~plitics in the Empire state, and all
that President Jackson's administra-
ton could do for him was successfully
cXerted in his favor.
"Teodore Roosevelt and today
where John Tyler. Willard Fillmore. An
OIc" SOInlSOH dIu Su6SIGT "A. Arthur
stood before him. He is president by
accident. Will he be able to attain what
neither Of them could attain; and. il he
does attain the nomination. will he be
elected to the presidency"
= :. Il
1t is the ak now that the president
does not know what to do with public
opinion. how to regard it or whether to
disregard it altogether. 1t takes an
immensely strong man to shove it aside
not go to the wall. Cleveland tried
it and was practically left without a
PARTY. The man who QUITS deliberately
against the buckler of the people is apt
to get mashed and his chances smashed
The Kansas City Star says. and it is
directly pertinent:
Mr.. Cleveland believed thoroughlyNin
the dignity and independence of the ex-
eCutive. He upheld this doctrine so ten
aciouslv that 1t brought him into open
conflict with congress. Mr.. Mckinley
was q believer in the theory that the