The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-10-16

sons of E.ngIand-the younger broth
ers.. who. denied the hOme-heritage,
have Jared abroad carrying with them
the British empire until its tent
stakes have been driven throughout
the inhabitabIe globe and its war
drums trouble every nation and tribe.
Next week North Carolina houors her
wandering sons. who having left home
for one reason or another, some DELHI
erateIy. others because the home state
could not bear their life messages,
have given her honor throughout civ
iIization and even in the lands Of
darkness. n now upon her SoIicita-
tiOu return Tor an hour to her bosom.
They are her glory and her pride. For
it IS true hat North Cardinals best
men live and give their lives TO other
states Her wOrId-cOmmaudiug sons
live not within her borders. Her best
known son at home was but lately in
troduced by Mr.. BRYAN % q public
shat was astOnished to hear Of him as
= possibility for the presidency. But
there are r. half dozen Of her native
born that early wandered into other
regions who need no Introduction TO
the American people.
While We celebrate he achievements
OF these SONS and receive the honor
that they bring their mother state.
II We're well To take a reckoning for
North Carolina as she is at home. 10
SEEK 5u- truth about her ctudIdIy and
1Et.e-y- And let us make no apology
irr such an effort. There are. to be
sure, tHoSe Who are content with bIa-
i.at pr~pt"StItipus of their love. who
indulge q braggart patriotism to n
degree that make them and their
state Il IIughLHG stock: whose feaIty
IS tttestei wholly by their shouts
and brHyiu@ of their ostrich like re-
fIsGL To face and reckon with the
truth, ana who. therefore. render the
commonwealth no substantial service
Whatever We make such rs these no
policy The man who would serve
]" commonwealth must not daily
with them. but leave them to their
shouting. their songs and their child
ism play Patriotism is serious bust
ness
North Carolina is a state Of Anglo
saxon people The blood Of her unp-
Ii" is NOR" Of this one stock than that
OF tn" people of any other state
North Carolina record i'm all our
wars is honorable to the last degree.
.tN y .tA'F4ll|.t Elrt~ tl~t'tl LIfllll ltlf
d"~0iatio1 Of 1SG0-1STO with magnif-
cent energy ana she is now in n Pc
riHd - unsurpassed progress. The
lIt-St census reveals the fact that
North Carolina improved her reIative
rank within the last census decade
with respect TO population. a@ricultu-
raj output n manufactures by more
than any other state save one: and
that is too I'm 4 period Of wonderful
TtTOyTpCC fnVnU phnTI+ tho nation Tha,.a
Is every reason TO be hopeful of North
Carolina. Her soil is not the richest,
bat there is that in the blood of her
sons that should overcome a far more
ni@Gard soil. Her politics are rot of
the highest, but, again, the blood of
her people is bound to evolve a pure
democracy. Wrong NAV flourish On1y
q time. her course is not straight. but
her direction cannot be lost. Such
faults rs she has she viii OutgrOw de-
spite the men who WOul blind them
selves to these faults and would drive
from the state any one hat dares to
point them out. North Carolina is a
state of immense pOtentiaIity.
The North Carolina people are il
lterate- Save One-and that desert
New MeXicO-NOrth Carolina has more
llliJcrJte white people than any state;
and many hat can read and write can
DO no more. They read little. write
less and think less. Thus u advant-
age IN blood has been cancelled by ig-
rance UHintelIigence is the cause
Of poverty and Of heI0Iessness. our
state IS poor not because the soil is
not more productive. but because her
sons are inefficient: they work hard.
but Intellectually. being Shackled by
ignorance d Slpped by the uumer-
GUS offspring Of that monster. Less
than half Of Our children Of school
age are attending school. In the year
1900 We had 1Ij.325 white boys and
girls Of ten years of age OF more that
could neither cad nor Write-the
greatest number of ilI~iterates in pro-
portion 70 population in the United
States. II appears that the condition
of Our rising generation IS worse as
compared with other states than the
condition of the generation now in its
prime. since there IS one state. New
Mexico. whose proportion of adult IL
Iiterdtes Is greater h North Caro-
Ilua's. Ii accounts for the fact that
newspaper circulation IL lower in
North Carolina than in any other
state. And il should he remembered
that the president of the State Press
Association cited statistics t. show
tha there had been no real progress
i'm this respect in the state within the
last ten years. III which there has
t}'tsL 50 IllbtH kitStNEI ~ HNN '''
things. Our i~IIiteracy. our ignorance
accoul>r the fact that fewer books
j. ]. }. !: {. !. 8. y: !. Il: .. !. . ?. 6. !: 8. 3. 4: \. !. 3. !. y. \. !. !. :
are North Carolina than in
auy State of the same r''H.H-
tEonI publishing houses are r.
Iu,1 end books 10 North Caro-
LINK for review. The IGnor-
p-e1 accounts for the poor coHdl-
.sou of our newspapers: our schools.
~ 1--..l,ac Of. Of. lS We'll as tor
.-o limited returns our workers re-
...ye for their labor
IN u~olitics the people OF North Caro-
L-. re bIindly partisan. Ne mean
precisely what these words mean. They
..- .trrched nightly t. their parties
AKA il not know why. \ democrat
hates 4. republican and a republican
hates democrat while neither Of them
knows ot-es platform from the others.
Bach votes his ticket rs regardless OF
the character Of the candidates as 81
rhe merits ~ the policies proposed.