The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-01-02
THE SENATORSFiIP CONTEST.

1t is evident from the reading of the
state papers that the friends of Hon.
Lee S. Overman. Hon. Locke Craig and
one or tWo.others are fixing to do" the
Hon.. Cyrus B. Watson. The Hon.
Julian S. Carr is a candidate for the
United States senate and the way the
old confederate veteran vote is being
worked for him is a sight. The idea no
doubt is to divide this vote with Mr..
Watson, thus throwing him behind. for
both General Carr and Mr.. Watson are
old veterans. There is method in ttis
manner of political warfare and it is
likely to work great detriment to Mr..
Watson. Under the circumstances Cen
eral Carr should not become a party to
it. We do not pretend to say that he is
helping it along by any means, but for
him to stay in the race is to give the
others undue advantage. Under ordi-
nary circumstances no one could blame
General Carr. but if he will pardon US
he has had his day in court" that is
to say he was a candidate against Mr..
SimmonS.twO years ago and was daf0a+-
ed The Record supported him at that
time and would be glad to do so again
were there IN chance to elect him..
but for all practical purposes he is as
good as out of the race and his contin-
uance in its can only work detriment
to Mr.. Watson, himself a confederate
veteran with a record Of a high private
tE the rear ranks from the beginning to
the end Of the war. We esteem no m
higher than General Carr and we non
estiy believe when he comes to see how
his candidacy is being used ne will
withdraw from the contest. He should
do so by all means.
The above from the Greensboro Re-
cord. 9
The legislature will meet on January
7th, the first ballot for United
States senator will be taken by the two
houses separately on the Goth. Unless
there is a bolt among the democrats
| this ballot will elect. The candidate of
| our party will be named in q caucus
held some days prior to the Goth, and
he will be elected on the first ballot un-
less we hav a repetition of the Merri-
mon-Vance affair Of 1872, when a few
democrats bolted the action of the eau
Gus which had nominated Vanc and.
with the aid Of the full republican
strength of the legislature, elected his
opponent, the Honorable A. G.. Merri-
mon. But we do not IDOL for any such
action by this Legislature. We do not
I'LL olS oAS vi SNS NSAA
didates now in the field would accept
the election under such circumstances.
The question as to who the democratic
nominee shall be has been left entirely
to the personal preferences of the mem
bers of the legislature of that party.
save those Of only two counties. These
two held primaries at the same lime as
the general election in November and in
both Hon. c.. B. Watson received a
plurality of the votes. The democratic
state convention of last July, after a
heated debate, declared against holding
a primary to select a candidate for the
senate. thus taking from the people an
opportunity of expressing a preference.
So the matter is left entirely to the con-
science and judgment of each individual
legislator to make his choice.
The Messenger favors no n of the
candidates above the others. 1t is
working in the interest Of no one of
them. It has no axe to grind and no
| special favors to ask. AS matters
| stand it believes in the press standing
| hands off and allowing the legislators
to act with a free hand. as the party
| convention has declared they should 10.
| We do not know into whose mouth the
| plum will fall, and into whose ever it
| does drop will cause US no d%isappoint-
ment or feeling Of regret. We cannot
| agree, though, with The Record in it's
contention that Mr.. Carr should with
draw. The state convention made it a
free fight for all and Mr.. Carr has as
much right to run as any body else and
he surely has the right to play his
| strongest card. Nor do we think that
Mr.. Carr or his friends are conducting
| his candidacy for the purpose Of taking
strength from Mr.. Watson. Mr.. Carr Is
working in his own interests and In
those of no one else. There may be
] some of his so-called friends who are
working for him for what there is to
be made out of it. as it is pretty gen.
orally believed was the case during the
last senatorial campaign. We have no
doubt Mr.. Carr is as confident Of his
election as he was the day before the
primaries two years ago that he would
run clear ahead Of Senator Simmons;
but that is Mr.. Cars affair and no
one else's. Some men learn by expert
nee less quickly than others.
The campaign so far has been a clean.
open. fair one, free from examinations
or personalities Of any kind. and it is
to be hoped it will SO continue to the
end. We do not want to see any
charges or even i~nsinuations against
any of the candidates Of pursuing un-
derhand methods. None of the men
seeking this high honor at the hands of
their state are Of the class given to
such methods. and their past records
should shield them unless there is posi-
tive proof that they have departed from
their former course Of honor and in
tegrity. Let all the candidates who
wish to enter the race and each one
Stay in il as long as he thinks he has a