The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-12-11
CLIPPINGS FROM OUR EXCHANGES.
CURRENT COM INTENT.

1t is not the purpose of The News 20
assume to advise Its readers what they
shall buy or sell or do with their mon
ey, for we presume they know as we'll
or better how 20 look after their own
affairs than we could tell them, but we
do desire TO call attention 10 the pres
ent wild craze Of speculation in cot
ton into which the public have plunged.
Unless all history Of the game :ui!s
TO repeat Itself, there will likely be an
extensive ''shear:ng Of the lambs"
and the dear people will awake to
find themselves poorer, if not WISER.
1t is so easy for people to forget not
very ancient history.-Atlanta News.
There is CONSERVATION and dis-ur-
bance among the republicans OF Bos-
ton because of the nomination Ct i
negro of bad character at the paTty's
primary for the important office of
street commissioner of the city. The
nomination came about through ig-
norance and prejudice. There were on
~ two candidate for the place before
the republican primary, one by the
name of Sullivan and the other, the
negro, of the name of Allen. Among
DOSlOLl IcpuDA4Cdlto lIlSIe IL great III
tired Of the Irish. and many of the par
ty voters, Judging by the name tha;
Sullivan was an Irishman, voted for
the other candidate. They did not
know that he was a negro with a crin-
inal record. Allen secured the majo.-
ity of the votes and is the legal nomi-
nee of the republican party for the
place and cannot be displaced. Where
. fN-- +I~~N
The Democrats are laughing at the
predicament of their opponent and arc
in very good humor over the situation,
as the election of their candidate is
now assured, it being certain that the
Republicans Will not give general sup
port TO their own nominee, since they
have discovered him to be a notorious
character and a negro at tina Great
stress is laid on the fact that the man
has an ugly record.-Charleston Post.
In h current number of Wolld'S
Work is a paper by Serene S. Pratt,
editor of the Wall Street Journal, OIL
the topic. Who Owns the United
States that should be read by every
thoughtful citizen. So many of us
are apt to dismiss as idle vaporings
OF the radical, the demagogue or the
a any estimate, however Sc
rlous. OF the power organized wealth
mas come to exercise in the affairs of
the country. Mr.. Pratt, as the editor
OF one of the leading and most con-
SerVatIVe OF the cOuntry'S financial
journals. is not open to the suspicion
OF demagoSy or socialistic bias. His
paper, therefore. IN a we'll command
the respectful attention of every man
of open mind. Mi. Pratt begins his
paper with the statement that one
twelfth of the wealth of the United
States is represented at q meeting OF
the board of directors of the United
States Steel Corporation. if all the
tWenty-four members of the board are
present. These men represent 2Os
other companies with a capital Of &c.
DOC, 900, 900 that operate railroads having
half the country's total mileaget. The
writer points out that while the Stee
Trust has So, 1855 stockholders. it is con.
trolled by the board of directors anG
virtually by the president. He says
that there are ten railroads with a cap
ital of 2,411,11G $50 and having 1879. 09t
stockholders, but they are neverthe,
less really controlled by less than TWEEN.
ty men. Mr.. Fratt takes the GROUND
that those who own the United State
must virtually control it, and tina
such control by a community CT in.
terests." is exercised by a small grouI
of men.-Virginian Pilot.
: Apparently President Roosevelt anc
Secretary Hay ha We been reading tn
Art Of Political Lying" One of it.
maxims is that pcO'ic men are unde
no necessity Of evcn appearing to be
| lieVe in their own fi-tionS. At an.
rs te. the Administration 1eems to TAX,
a CYNICAL delight III making its choic'
invention, It republican form OF gov
} ernment' in Panama, appear more
: hollow and IidiculOuC every lay. The
solemn signing o: a treat Yesterday
: by the three-m@n-pOWer republic,
) treaty drawn by i Frenchman and al
:. American, in which Panama had 40
sOlutely no Voic-, and watch was wit
ten only in a foreign language under
stood with difficulty by at least somI
Of the signers-puts the finishing toucl
; of absurdity upon a business which hct
l been. throughout, conducted with al
~uneXampled disregard of the pIoprie
: ties and decencies.-New York Post.