The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-08-26

and Chief Justice Fuller will be eligible
on February 18th next. and Justice
Harlan IN June Ist. Retirement at the
age of 40 not being compulsory. ius-
tees usually continue to serve years
beyond that age. 1t is believed. how
ever. that if The democrats should
carry the next presidential election
both Shiras and Harlan would retire
before March 4. observation-disclosures
Age-HeraId.
To the abandoned farms of New En-
gland there is to be AIDED what will be
practically ar abandoned village New
Hartford, Conn, is being depopuated
because Of the closing of the Green
God mills, where 700 people have been
employed in making cotton-duck goods
The only fiourishing business remain
ing is that of the truckmen who are
moving people and belongings away.
The mills company will resume in Ala
bama. 1t IS said In a general way that
manufacturing can be done more
cheaply there. In very specific fashion
the charge is made that the cheapness
will come rom child labor. which is not
available under the strict laws of Con
necticut- What Is one sections loss IN
a shifting Industry is usually another
ones gain IT ann be permanently
so, however, if IN the new location the
wheels are kept turning through the
prematurely employed efforts of little
ones whose strength should be saved
for growing.
In discussing Ine question of south
ern men in national politics, The
worlds Work Magazine, for the cur
rent month, asks why there is no great
national political leader furnished by
the south. Tha1 after declaring that it
would be novel. interesting and whole
some If strong southern leaders should
again appea in that field. and tndi
such an advent would be welcomed, to-
Worlds Work secs on to say: But
the southern men now in public life
have not risen to the national occasion.
They seem never TO lose sectional con-
seriousness" S~ectionalism provokes Sc =
tlonalism. If southern public men have
been sectional since the war between
the states. the sectionalism of I'll.
north is large v responsible for IT..
Take, for instance, displays of sec
tonalism by southern men in congress,
and it will be seen that in nearly every
case they were in the nature of repeli-
ing sectional attacks from northern
men But that apart. There is nue..
truth in he statement that southern
men have not risen since the war t.
the national Occaslon-which is anothe.
way of saying that they have not mad
d record as great leaders on national
questions. There is , however, a NOR
potent reason foI this than is found ia
sectional consciousness. Southern pub.
lie men have been compelled to devotc
their time and talents. in the main, to
the work of safeguarding the south
from the effects Of the constitutional
amendments and republican legislation,
which fOisted the negro on this section
as d political factor that threatened
the very foundations of our social and
| governmental institutions. In short,
the vital question has been the negro
question. But, dt last. that question
| is being in great measure eliminated,
| and with the process has been opened
up the way for southern men to become
| leaders in great national issues. There
is an opportunity for southern public
men to forge to the front in connection
| with two national issues of tremendous
| import-the tariff and the banking and
| currency issues.-Richmond Dispatch.