The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-04-17
CURRENT COMMENT.

The Gainesville Sun points out the
interesting fact that the fence around
the st. Louis exposition grounds is to
be six miles long. Some of the political
fences in this state must be consider
bly, longer than that, judging from the
time spent in fixing them.-F1orida
Times-Union.
While the president is rewarding
football merit with fat Federal ap-
pointments, he ought not to forget lit
tie Tuckefer Schonkchuk, the Esqui-
mault centre-rush of the Carlisle In
dian team. Surely, the door of hope
will not be shut in the a of the
Observation-Disclosures Landmark
Now comes one William Wilhelm, a
labor leader, who makes public letters
purporting to show that President
Mitchell refused overtureS hat would
have averted the mine strike and given
the men even crater concessions than
put Mitchell in a very bad light,
but it is TRANCE that nothing of it was
developed during the investigation-Au-
gusta Chronicle.
The Charlotte News says that
Dewey is about as unpopular in Ger
many as the American hog" Some Of
the more excitable of the kaiser's sub
JectS have even declared +hat Dewey is
the American hog. But the admiral
has lost none Of his hold upon the af-
fections of the people of the United
States and the Germans had better quit
saying u~nmannerly things about him if
they want US to be their friends
Charleston Post.
The inspection of the organized mil
tia of the United States by officers of
tho rao111or corUioa will no n 70 cI- 80 IN
mean proportions. The inspection off
GERS will ave to report on the condi-
ton of no less han 2.O65 organizations.
These are located in 1,165 different
places. In many instances the work
will be simplifed by making the inspec-
ton when the troops are in camp. There
seems to be no doubt that the citizen
soldiers will pass the ordeal, for nearly
all the states have informed the secre-
tary of war that they are ready to be
looked over by the representatives of
the army, to which they have become
the first reserve.-New York Tribune.
We have been somewhat disappointed
that the Richmond Times-Dispatch has
not gone more fully into the discussion
of the true inWardneSS of the southern
educational movement, and particular
ly in view of the fact thai the next
conference in III Of the Ogden move
ment'' is to be held in Richmond the
latter part of this month. We have
supposed that our Richmond contem-
porary was fully informed upon the
subject, and that it would know exact
ly what it is hat this new movement
expects to accomplish that could not
be accomplished as we'll, or better,
through the agencies which have al
ready been established in aid of educa
ton in the south. We print today some
&c.. .4~---4.~, ,o@I,~-s5 f~~-, %-rx
North Carolina papers which are giving
some attention to the subject.-News
and Courier.
Divested of all t~echnicalities, the
question presented to the United States
circuit court in the so-called merger
case was whether the union of the
Northern Pacific, the Great Northern,
and the Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy railroads, by whatever means
accomplished, was in conflict with the
antitrust law passed by ongres in
1890. If it was so, then the combination
was null and void, and was liable to be
resolved into it's original elements:
while the persons engaged in it as pro-
motors and participants were punish
able at the discretion of the court by
fine and imprisonment. The circuit
court has decided that the combination
was of this very kind. An appeal will
De taken to the supreme court, out
there is small probability that the judg-
ment will be reserved. The circuit court
rests its decision in this case mainly on
decisions of h superior ibuna in
previous cases which are considered
substantially parallel. There is one ele-
ment in the case, however, over and
above it's narrow legal features, which
points strongly to the affirmance Of the
opinion already rendered. 1t relates to
the practical results of the merger as a
part of railway development, if it goes
on unchecked. If a holding company
can bind together the three railroads
named, is there any limit to such COM
b%inations? 1t is we'll known that while
this combine was in the process of for
nation, the Union Pacific people were
reaching out for the Northern Pacific,
and very nearly acquired it. They came
so near getting it hat the opposing
party thought it best to make conces-
sions to them instead Of pushing them
to extremity. In fact, the Union Pa
cifc interest is even now represented or
the board of directors of the Northern
Securities Company.-New York Post.