The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-10-27

Is q leCIQeQ DIClllOjtI VI l4Ao ~ 49,
ease. 1t is a crime against God when the
suicide is not bereft Of his reason and one
al the insane. The distinguished statistl-
clan in insurance, Frederick l.. Hoffman,,
has so written. His statistics reveal that
$500 persons committed suicide in %
American cities aggregatmg a population
OF IA. 800. 900. The larger cities are not in
Guided in the list. Between 1880 ana 1900
the percentage OF suicides increased from
- to II in every 100000. He states that
New York before the war did not average
10 per cent. in 100000. Now it IS y, or
more than double. The percentage grows
with age. More commit suicide over 80
years and upward than among younger
risks. An English expert states that over
: per cent. Of suicides occurred III the
first year Of insurance, and more than )
per cent. in the second year. 1t looks as
if it were dangerous for many people to
insure their lives. They are so benevolent
they wish to die to bring to others more
ready cash.
The cry is in both Of the great sections
for better, surar criminal laws. The
courts fail OF duty and the laws are bad,
There is a conceded failure of law IN both
sections. Crime is not punished. The
jury system IS a practical failure and
fraud and no wonder, for compelling
twelve men to agree is absurd on it's face
The law is poor, injudicious, lenient, ia
vors the criminal and failing to punish
crime the result is that the criminals and
villains in almost every case are given
their freedom and sent out to prey upo
society and TO continue their devilisil
deeds unawed and unterrlfled, feeling safe.
Some one who is very serious and deeply
impressed not long ago III a pubic
address in discussing the failure OF law
in this country, said that yet it looked as
if it was regarded with pride. He said:
Us the arrogance and indifference OF
wealth to human need a subject Of pride -?
When we look fairly at the under side
of things, with a good, honest purpose to
know the truth. does not all our pride
melt away, and does it not seem that, in
stead Of boasting of our exalted c~iviliza-
ton, we should confess with humiliation
that we are just emerging from barbarism?
I am no pessimist. This is not 4 p~essinlis-
tic assembly, but it does appear as the
duty of the moment that we should
squarely look at our worst conditions.
Only thus can we comprehend the person
al call to service"
Ny impression is that this was from a
Northern speaker. It is worth consider
ing. It is a shame and reproach to be
badly governed, to have lax and insult
ficient laws and a failure in the admins
tration of justice. Crime unpublished Is
an unmitigated calamity and curse. Life
is very cheap. The pistol carrier domi-
mates, men are slain and their slayers
made heroes of. Justice limps. Is ban
de- ged. is blind indeed. Crime Is regnant.
Corruption is everywhere-On the bench,
at the bar, in the legislatures, in the pres
idential chair. The people are asleep prac-
tically. OF 286 homicides in our staid, well
governed. sterling North Carolina only
four or five men hanged by the courts, ]
have seen stated. That is a bllstering
shame-a positive disgrace, How long
shall partially and injustice dominate aid
criminals walk the country fearless, un-
dismayed?
Who says North Carolina is not a great
State in many particulars? | have give1
facts about it before, and many times.
have told how if you take a string anC
place one end in Currituck county on its
northern border, and taking it across The
State to the extremity of Cherokee coun
ty, and then holding your finger on The
Currltuck end take 1t directly north, and
it will put you in Lake Champlain IL
New York State-across Virginia, Mary
land, Delaware far into New York. Tn,
extreme length of North Carolina is 5031
miles, with a breadth of 1872 miles, be
ginning at the Atlantic and to the Smok.
Mountains. 1t is not far short of that t
begin at Southport and go directly nortl
by Fayetteville, Raleigh and Oxford t
the VIRGINIA line NV immersion is /
will be $50 miles, and perhaps as much a
115. 1 noticed in a report in the Charlott
Observer some time ago that at che St
Louis Fair a hunters lodge IS to be bull
of North Carolina timbers and furnish
ings. 1t was stated that 1.-The floors wi
be covered with rugs made from the skin
of animals slain in the chase IN Mort
Carolina forests and mountains. The wall
will be decorated with mounted spec
mems of all the wild animals and bird
that are to be found in this State. TIL
streams of the mountains, forest an
ocean all contribute fish from their Wa
tiers to enrich the exhibit. They are beat
tifully mounted and used for decOrativ
purposes and appear as natural as whe
they were in their native element. In
great hollow tree in front of the lodge tn
visitor may take a peep and see the de
of IN opossum with the dam surrounde
by her young"
There are 80 rivers in North Carolin;
and of all the States it is probably tn
best watered, for it has several larg
sounds, many small ones, and offers grea
opportunities for fishing and developin
a great oyster industry. Little Connect
cut has created an oyster industry reacl
ing some two and a half or three millio
dollars by obtaining the oyster seed j
the Chesapeake Bay, and planting the
on her southern border in Long Islam
Sound.
Let me give briefly an historic fact. an
most creditable. 1t is the fight of tt
North Carolinians under Col. Tazwell
Hargrove at South Anna Bridge, north
richmond Va. l once had some dat
concerning it. but have lost or mislaid i
1t was really one of the most daring, de
perate conflicts that ccurred in the fOl