The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-02-13
CURRENT COM MENT.

Rooert u. Lee IN the capltol at WASH
ington, instead of a statue of Jefferson,
why should the north obiect?-Boston
Globe.
1t is safe to say that under a local
option system there will be less drink
ing in Vermont than there has been in
the last half century. When men can
drink as they please. inOsi of them
will not want to drink.-Philadelph.a
Record.
In the end, Hayes incendiary speech
at Washington. D. c.. probably will be
productive of more good than harm.
1t not only will show that a majority
of the colOred people are opposed to
anv such nonsense. but teach a few
white people the danger of encoura gins
such characters as Hayes to take them
selves too seriously.-New York Press.
Print the news and tell the truth
IS the engaging motto which the Rev.
DR.. Parkhurst has selected for the
model newspaper which he thinks he is
going to publish in New York. with the
aid Of some of his millionaire friends.
Well. if DR.. Parkhurst does not sue
coed in telling the truth in his paper
any better than he succeeded in tell
ing 1t when he slandered the south in
his pulpit a Sunday or two ago. he will
have one of the yellowest journals in
the country.-NorfOlk Landmark.
The United States senate has honor
ed itself by the clear indication tina
1t Will not ratify the Alaskan boundary
treaty. That treaty is clearly a sur
render of American territory for no bet
ter reason than that Canada has seen
ut to be truculent and peevish in the
negotiations. 1t is about time that it
should be made clear that our %neighbor
to the north cannot play the role of a
spoiled and irresponsible child in it's re-
lation to the United States.-Virginian-
Pilot.
Henry L. Dawes was one of those
men whose public services have COM
manded the respect even of the oppo-
sition. He wrought with so much fair
ness and intelligence, and with a pur-
pose so magnifcently sincere, that
those who differed with him were yet
able to pay tribute to his fine charac-
fer while those who agreed with him
were glad TO be in his company in a
contest. His years were many and
all of them useful, and his death will
revive recollectiOns of the important pc
riod during which he was a prominent
actor on the political stage. .-Washin-
ton Star:
it Is not necessary for DR.. Parkhurst
and his wealthy Pensioners to expend
their energy and their money in an eff
fort to regenerate the newspaper press
OF the country. A large majority of the
daily ~eWspape stand in no need
NJ such regeneration, and tho small and
minority which practices the
arts of the muck raker and the side
show barker will shortly be out of
business through lack Of a constitu-
ency. The IF the United
States take their tone from the peo-
Die that support them. and the people
of the United States are neither gap
ing clowns nor moral degenerates.-
Chicago Chronicle.
The Rev. F. P. Bachelor is a partic-
nlarly thin-skin led preacher who, I'M
til a few days ago, was pastor of q
church at Hocknum, Conn 1t trans
pireS that the chief industry about
Hocknum is the production OF tobac-
80. and practically every one of Pastor
Bachelors church men hers was en-
gagged in that industry. Now he good
pastor is of the opinion that tobacco
is an invention of the evil one, placed
III AHAS Cd II NY ilIl U Liz pIlDOSE
of undermining souls and sending them
TO eternal perdition. For a year or
more Pastor Bachelor wrestled with his
congregatios in an effort to get it's
members to give up the wicked and
sinful occupation of planting, cultivat-
ing. harvesting n selling tobacco. But
thew. finding money III the business,
perversely refused to heed his admoni-
tons. Therefore, in order to cut him
self loose from any such debasing as
socia TONS. he resigned his pastorate
and will leave the Hoaknutn atmos-
phere of tobacco and damnation.-Sa-
vannah News.
The railroads of a country are a
pretty good index of it's business con-
dition, and this fact lends significance
to the statement that s270. t0n. 00J will
ne expended by the railroads of the
United States during 1903 in improve
ments of one kind or another and in
The increase Of rolling stock and mile
age. According to figures quoted by
The Philadelphia Public Ledger, 5000
miles Of new track were laid last year,
not including sidings and the like, and
$4,000 cars, nearly all of them design
ed to carry freight, were added to the
rolling stock during the same period.
This umbe does not includn those
cars turned out by companies owning
their own manufacturing plants. Dur
ing 1902 400 locomotives were built, an
Increase of 6S6 over 1901. N0twiLh-
standing this very excellent showIng
for last year the increase of railroad
facilities has not kept pace with tbs
growth Of business. the result being ar
almost unparalleled congestion OF
freight traffic. 1t Is to be hoped and
expected hat the railway manage
ments, with a better comprehension OF
the situation confronting them, will be
able during the present year to cop
With the augmented business which thu
general prosperity of the country ha
created.-Columbia State.
General Miles wore full court dress
at The dinner party given in his homo
by King Edward. We are sure the