The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-09-26
CURRENT COMMENT.

Things certainly hav@ changed when
the negroes, who were thought good
enough by the republicans after the
war to be placed over southern whites,
are. now not thought good enough 10
be permitted to belong to the same
party with white repu5licans--Louis-
Vile Courier-Journal.
The incident of Hende-soD's retire
nEent is very interesting and rather
promising to the democrats If they
will have a care OF their course in steer
ing by it. TIE speaker acknowledges
the strength of the tariff revision senti-
ment. The democrats have always
stood for a low tariff and they should
impress their position strongly al the
present time and win owe the section
of the republicans against which Hen
derson protesta--Charleston Post
Just at present the sagacious Ohioan
appears to be applying to President
Roosevelt the old saying to the effect
that IL Is only necessary to give some
people a sufficient amount OF rope IN
order to induce them to hang them
selves. Mr.. Roosevelt is very much in
the public y just now. mo Mr.. Han
ma apparently thinks that he will figu-
ratively do away with himself If only
4 plenty Of time and opportunities are
given him. And in the meantime, the
senator is playing his own game to the
end that he may be ready TO step into
the breach at the proper tims.-Hous-
ton Post.
The result Of the democratic prima-
ries in this city yesterday is in many
respects extremely discou: aging. There
has never been a district campaign in
this city which for cynical disregard
of manhood and decency, could equal
hat conducted by William 8. Devery.|
Thanks to the gamblers II to theI
keepers of disreputable resorts. he has
bought his way right into the Tamma-I
ny Hall executive committee and isl
fairly headed for the leadership of that
precious Institution. Whether he hasl
sufficient brute force and sufficient cor
ruptiOn money to put himself into Cro-l
ker's place main to be seen. Every
gambler and blackleg, every traffickerl
in vice and crime in The city will up-l
hold him if it appears that there is a
chance of his becoming the actual die
tator of an organization which has sol
often controlled New York to its shame
and disgrace. The scum is getting very
GEAR h top.-New York Evening Post.
A western moralist has made q pub
lie speech in which he compared the
public men Of the present with those of
the past and declares that Cay, Web
ster and Calhoun were d~runhards and
gamblers and thereby caused Somel
sensation. The legend Is that Mr.. Clayl
did play cards for money at every OPT
portunity. and apparently there is no
doubt that Mr.. Webster was given tol
brandy far more than vas good for him.I
Probably they ~purSuaded themselves.I
as many brilliant and hard-workingl
men do-and many others VINO are mott
brilliant but believe thems elves to be-l
that liquor and the excitement of gam
ing were necessary TO develop their
best powers. Mr.. Calhoun, however,
was a living and present contradict
finr ~ e fho+ 49, IT. 1ol ILL., ~4~-, |
tation of a man OF pure personal lifel
and correct habits. A dim and vaguel
scandal rejecting on his moral charac-
ter was sprung in a strange way about
twenty years ago, thirty odd years.
after his death, but the older people,
in South Carolina who remembered himI
most intimately n had known HIM
we'll rejected it as the freak of a man
temporarily deranged.-Rlchmond NeWs.I
Senator Hanna says he is sorry that
Speaker Henderson declines to run for
congress, but that, Of course, what
Speaker Henderson does will not injured
the republican party. Senator Allisonl
says he is sorry he was not at homel
in Iowa. Mr.. Littlefield, of Maine, who
wants to step n Mr.. Henderson's
shoes. or. rather. to sit in his chair, is
surprised. There are little expressions
of personal sorrow all along the line,
but so far as the party is concerned.
all declare that it is all right And all
the party leaders are smiling Sweetly.
A great dea is said about the tears of
the crocodile, how they TOW when the
crocodile himself is in the mosr cheerful
mood. 1t may be thas the CROCODILE
sometimes smiles to make il appear
that he feels very happy when in fact
he is not feeling happy at all. 1t is
just possible that some Of the republi-
can leaders who are smiling so serenelyl
are not feeling as che erful as they
look. 1t is true that the predecessor
of Speaker Henderson-the Hon. Thom-
as Bracket Reed, who is in some re-
spects a bigger man than the present.
speaker-went off from the house in
something of a huff. But he did not
do it during a doubtful campaign and
he did not assign such awkward rea-
sons for doing it as Mr.. Henderson has.
Mr.. Henderson has raised the tariff
issue in his own party when his own
party wanted to talk about constitu-
tional amendments, the illimitable pros
perity, the gold standard and the honest
dollar, the weather and he fine cropsI
in fact, about everything but the tar
in; and here Mr.. Speaker has come!
out bodily and said that he cannot
represent n Of h most ultra-republi-
can constituencies in the union becausel
he is a protectionist and they are not,
or words to that effect.-Baltimore Sun.
Some n Of the Chicago papers, the
Chicago Tribune, if We are not mis-
taken, has taken the trouble TO notice
the action Of the Wisconsin Methodist
conference and the Northwestern Chris
tan Advocate in regard 10 inc rumorl
that President Roosevelt had notified
the vatican that the appointment of
Archbishop Ireland to the position of
cardinal would be gratifying to his adj
ministration and satisfactory to the
American people. The Wisconsin Meth
cdist conference called on the PRESIDENT
to refute the rumor and the Northwest-I
ern Christian Advocate practically re-
buked the president for meddling with
such a matter. AS yet it has not ap-
peared that the president has meddled.
There is no evidence that he asked that
the archbishop be made a cardina or
mentioned him to the vatican. That
being the case is not the Northwestern
Christian Advocate and The Wisconsin,
Methodist conference open to pretty SCI
we're criticism for practically assuming
that the president has established al
nraRo6an& in .oSAa IN rrhfnl 49,