The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-11-03
CURRENT COMMENT.

IL NS r " 80
Of the truth, the present campaign in
the Buckeye state is by all odds the
most fragrant in its Venality and cor
ruption known in the politics of that
commonwealth. 1t comes Somewhat in
the nature of a surprise that the easy
boss. with the and opportun-
lties he has had at his command for
insuring his election to the senate,
should find it necessary to dishevel his
hair and upset his temper and imperll
his digestion in order to bring ABOUT
this consummation; but it appears
that verify he has had to do all these
things and more-much more.-Atlanta
News.
Admiral Dewey is in favor Of the
United States adding about fourteen
war ships per annum to our present
naval outfit. In this h is voicing tie
ideas in the concrete of most AmeT1-
cans who have studied our present
national status and possible future
needs pom the high seas. This think
ing of ourselves as "a world power"
is a new experience. We have not as
yet gotten our minds and methods a.
justed to the role. But it is an enOr-
mously large and serious fact and we
will toy with the novel situation at
our peril. Common sense urges that
we accept our position at it's full Sig
nificance and prepare ourselves to act
the character with proper dignity and
appropriate Atlanta Con-
StitutiOn.
We print an extract from the Mont
gOmery Advertiser, this morning, on
Cleveland and the south, which puts
the lain Of Mr.. Cleveland on the sup
port of southern democrats in strong
and we think unanSwerable terms. We
have never believed that there was any
ground for the assumption made by
certain Bryanite leaders and organs
that the south would not support Mr..
Cleveland for the presidency. There
are reasons why the south should do
so aside from the mere fact of his be-
ing the nominee. and those reasons in
part are admirably stated by the AL
vertiser. There is no doubt that Mr..
Cleveland IS the strongest man in the
north and east that tha democrats
could nominate. and it would be evil
dence of the south's political sagaCIty
and foresight and of her right to lead
ership if the delegations from this
section went to the next national DEM
ocratlc convention demanding his
nomination. 1t would be proof con-
elusive that the south had purged her
self of the dangerous fallacieS by
which she had been infected through
Bryanism, and that she now stood for
sound finance and for sound politics.
Just so long as the democratic party
campers with Bryan and the Chicago
platform just so long will true democ-
racy remain in allegiance and the DEM
ocratic party go forth to defeat in
! each presidential election.-Petersburg
IndeX-Appeal.
A statement made by the Novoe
Vremya, a leading newspaper of ST.
= Petersburg, in n of it's recent issues,
is the subject of a good deal of conf
ment in the newspapers of this coun-
! try. 1t was that american demands
need o particularly alarm either Eu-
rope or Asia" because the American
navy, although considerable, was not
yet strong enough to be feared. 1T
expressed the opinion that until the
! United States had a commanding navy
! they would w to content themselves
with proclaiming their rights, not be-
ing strong enough to con7pel recognl-
ton of them. 1t is probable that this
Russian paper had in mind the treaty
| recently negotiated between this coun-
/ try and China, by which China agrees
to open two additional ports in Man.
churia to American trade. This treaty
! is of great Importance to this n
, particularly to the southern states,
because the cotton mills OF Ehe soueh
| market a large percentage Of their pro-
ducts in that province of China. Rus
STA, however, hasn't withdrawn from
Manchuria yet. and there seems to be
a question as to whether or not sne
will abide by her agreement to with
draw. If she hOuld decide not to do
so she might obstruct our trade there,
notwithstanding our treaty with CHINA
In that event we might have trouble
with her. though at present there
doesn't appear to be a probability OF
anything of the kind. 1t was evident
ly the possibility. however, OF trouble
growing out of d conflict of u inter-
ests and those of Russia in ManchurIa
which called forth the remark IN the
Russian newspaper, which. by the
! way. is recognized as a semi-othcial
| organ of the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
News.