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

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Mr.. Rockefeller is a generous man
and a pious class leader. but we re-
specially suggest that he take a Sum-
day off to consider the question wheth-
er he could not do the poor a little good
by restoring oil to its old price and de-
ferring q few contributions to the Chi
cago University ?-Durham Sun.
The legislature is TO meet week after
next, on Wednesday, January eth and
will elect a United States senator on
the 10th. AS near as the date is, there
is not a man in the state who would
bet on the result. except from a pure
love of gambling, as two men will put
two Jumps of sugar on a table and
made a bet as to which one a fly will
light o first.-Charlotte Observer.
1t is seriously to be feared that the
amendment recently passed by the
house Of representatives increasing the
length Of time cattle may be deprived
IF water. food and rest in transit from
twenty-eight to forty hours, may be-
come a law by the concurrence of the
senate there with, unless the friends of
animal life throughout the country
protest and individually and collectiv. :
~ request their senators to defeat the
Observation-Disclosures Star.
President Roosevelt declines the for
NAL request of the European allies to
act as arbitrator in the Venezuelan
controversy, and the case will be sub
mitted to The Hague. When n con-
siders the situation, the decision of the
president in this instance is not to be
wondered at. Under any circumstances
the office Of arbitrator in such affairs
is not ar enviable one. but in the case
Of President Roosevelt he would /
confronted with a particularly delicate
situation in administering it's duties.-
Asheville Citizen.
President Roosevelt has escaped a
very eXacting and ~laborious, if not
perilous, understanding in not acting as
arbitrator of the Venezuelan Difficult
ties. So long as the United States up
holds the Monroe doctrine and defends
this great principle it seems to us that
it would be manifestly laborious to act
as arbitrator of disputes betWeen the
governments of the old world and the
republic of America. This government.
under the Monroe doctrine, is compelled
to be more or less of an interested
party.-Raleigh Times.
The prices of wood. meat, lard and
other necessities of life are too high,
considering the average earnings or
incomes of our people. But it is easy
to accoun for much of the trouble. To
begin Will and to end with too few
people are engaged in producing the
necessities of life. Right here is the
seat of the larger proportion of the
trouble We do not make enough meat
and bread in Wayne and adjoining
counties, and we need not hope to be-
come happy and prosperous until we
get down to business and go after it
Goldsboro Headlight.
The Asheville Citizen does we'll to
say that whatever else the legislature
does or fails to do it must face and
solve the problem of the insane; and
n Raleigh Times, commenting, says
that the highest moral obligation de-
mands that North Carolina shall album
dainty provide for every one of these
unfortunatns. They must, it says, be
resCured from every Jail and poor house
It is true hat the state owes more 70
these people. to the deaf and dumb and
the blind, than to any other class or
classes. and we have faith TO believe
that the legislature soon to meet will
take care of them.-Charlotte Obser-
yer.
The text of the treaty negotiated by
Colonel Bliss at Havana goes on Cuban
products imported into the United
States preferential rates one-fifth less
than those Of the Dingley schedules.
On American products entering Cuba
preferential rates reducing the Cuban
tariff 20, 25, 80 and 40 per cent. on diff
ferent classes of goods is given. This
reciprocity is to last five years, and
thereafter until one republic gives no
tee of Il desire to terminate it. The
news from Washington indicates that
another fight is probable. While the
senate alone ~ratifies the treaty, it does
not go into effect until it has been ZAP
proved by congress" 1t differs little
from the tariff reduction on Cuban
sugar that died in the senate at the
last session of congress-. That bill was
allowed to die in the senate because
the sugar trust was not willing to Civ
up it's bonus. and because the beet
sugar people demanded their protection
Ven unto the pound of flesh nearest
the heart.-News n Observer.
Why should the negro migrate to the
Pacific islands? In the Philippines he
would have to pay about $1a per head
tax before he could vote, and as to
"holdin' office" his chances would be
as good as they are today in the Dis
trict OF Columbia. We do not know
the qualifications for citizenship in
Hawaii, but the prospects of office
holdin'" are no brighter than in the
Philippines. So all he could expect
would be to compete with Chinese
cheap labor and make it cheaper.
There is certainly a class of negroes i'll
the cities and towns hat could we'll
| be spared, and the race itself would
be the better for their going. These,
however, are not likely to go; only the
very ignorant and easily misled but
! otherwise tractable and useful labor
ers would be beguiled into the scheme.
These the south does not wish to lose,
nor is 1t to the interest of the south
or this class Of negroes that they should
| cave the section. If these northern
busy-bodies YOU only leave the south
and the southern negro alone-leave
the southern whites and southern
blacks to settle their w affairs, politi-
cal as we'll as other, all interests would
get on much better, both races would
| soon reach amicable terms, and both
races would grow up with the coun
try" each contributing its share to the
prosperity Of the whole as the Lord
| and Creator intended each hould do