The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-03-14
CLEANING AND oMMENT.

The outlook now as to canal buying
or constructing is that no bill viii pass
this session Of congress. Morgan's com-
mittee in the senate recommended TIE
passage Of the house measure. but the
senate will probably reject II. 1t is
though. Morgan. Mitchell. Foster I'D
Turner. Of the senate committee on in
ter-oceanic canals. voted against the
Panama proposition, which is the most
popular and democratic. ard the sem
ate is likely TO vote against Morgan's
favorite. the Nicaragua route.
- - e.
Germany is not hostile to the United
States as it is often reported. 1t is not
hostile to having trade with 'it." IL
upon fair. equitable rates. That IS GER
tain. They favor W. there Just, equal
terms in business relations. The Balti-
more Sun says at this point:
1.-The Kaiser desires lis people to deal
with the United States and urges that
in return they shall have an opportun-
itv 10 sell US their products or reason
able terms. That opportunity ought
not to be denied them if We desire 10
increase our exports to Germany. A
ldlI otllC IICdIy "Oulo NC VI lAC
greatest advantage to the United States
in its future trade relations with the
German Empire. Way shouldn't we
have such a treaty."
.r r
Frye puts UP a pitiful plea for subsidy
steal is unsubstantial IS a dream. The
poor American producers would be Sc
cured in case of a war between Great
Britain and Germany, Cor in that even,
there woul be warships to carry
American produce. and, therefore. ships
for Americans and -vned by Ameri-
cans must be built. The Philadelphia
Record punches this bladder in a jiffey
by saying that Tin that remote contin-
gency of such a war Great Britaln's
ascendancy on the high seas would not
be seriously disturb.d by Germany's
naval power. Besides international law
forbids privateering and ~discounten-
ances warfare on peaceable merchant
shipping. And again. in case of war
the mercantile tonnage Of both belliger-
ents would be largely transferred to
neutrals. Senator Tryc's warlike argu-
ment for steamship subsidy is not up-
worthy Of Mr.. Toodiss."
- - =
Football is being closely observed ID
the north. 1t is studied in its compli-
cations as we'll as in results. 1t is be-
coming more circumscribed and less i'm
portant as a college educational factor.
Harvard enlarges in attendance and i'm
proves in scholarship as it leans less
on athletics. The game is narrowing so
that President Wheeler. of the Univer-
sity Of Wisconsin. declares that it is "be
coming more and more restricted 10 the
specialists. that it tends to exclude even
the average healthy man, and that it,
on the whole, encourages roofing
rather than physical development" The
fetish still prevails and a great many
Institutions cling to foot ball in spite OF
bad reputation for brutality. as if it
were the very life-blood of education.
The New York Evening Post comment
ing on President Wheeler's views says:
when games become so complicated
that the mastery of its elements re-
quires long study and training, its gen
eral utility Immediately DECREASES. No
collge, for example, would spend tens
OF llOuSdlUS IL QOlldiS d year flllu SeilO
excited throngs to encourage its fenc-
ing team. And quite aside from the
danger of the game. the growing COM
rleXity Of signals and formations ZEN
der it year by yea more difficult even
10 follow inteliigently, still more to
play. We may yet ccme to the pass
where u~p-to-date colleges will offer
compulsory courses in the strategics Of
football. just as already NE students in
certain colleges rehearse the college yell
before a great gam"
e :. =
Speaker Henderson las news from the
great northwest. There is dissatisfac-
ton among the men of his own party.
All is not serene. Mr.. C. P. Birge is a
prominent republican n merchant AT
Keokuk. He writes to the speaker
plainly and tells him that things grow
worse out there. He writes after being
a wholesale dealer Ill sugar for a half
century, that it is "a fair proposition
that the entire tariff OIL raw and refined
sugar can safely be reduced 33 1-3 per
cent. without harm "a either the refn-