The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-01-27
CLIPPINGS FROM OUR EXCHANGES.
STATE PRESS.

The good people of Boston who oh
, ject so vigorously to the negro assist
ant distrlct attorney put it on tn
! grounds of incompetency. Is this not
! adding hypocrisy to race prejudice? ?
Wilson News
/ 1t is a generally accepted fact that
diversity of crops is indispensable TO
successful farming. 1t is quite true
that diversity of enterprise is just AS
essential to the rapid and vigorous
I growth Of a town. Whether or not. we
have, under existing conditions, reach
! ed the limit Of our possibilities, is only
a matter of surmise. But the fact re-
mains that we need other enterprises
; Those requiring small Investments of
capital usually contribute largely 70
the community in which they are To-
cated-GoIdsboro Headlight.
Our Washington correspondent his
morning notes the interesting fact that
President Roosevelt has asked Mr..
Spooner to supplement in the senate
Mr.. Crumpacker's efforts in the house
to secure congressional investigation
OF the I~ndianola postoffce hullabaloo.
Administrative ~seconding of such IN
intense ~sectionalist as Crumpacker IS
significant. Roosevelt is doubtless re-
sentful over southern criticism of his
severity towards the IndianOla people.
In taking this last step he has shown
an his teeth at once, and has, appar-
emily. forgotten that his mother was a
southern NOTWITHSTANDING Observer.
The merchants and shippers of Will
mington as well as those in the inter
Tor will be interested III the decision OF
court of chancery. In that court.
Judge William Bruce Martin has
In nInI 6nu-n n decision in u Cnca
against the Virginia Pilots Associa-
ton declaring that the collection OF
compulsory pilOtage from cOastwisn
vessels is unconstitutional. The case
will now be taken to the supreme court
From the standpoint Of the justice ana
equity it seems likely that this fnal
tribunal must sustain Judge Martin
and if it does the compulsory Dilotago
business will have received a knockout
hlow.-Charlotte News.
There is speculation as to the shoot
ing of Editor Gonzales by James Till
man. Will Tillman be convicte of a
high crime. The answer comes No"
Does he deserve punishment the an
swer comes yes" 1t w9s nothing less
than q form of premeditat2d murder.
It had been eight months since The
State had given Tfllman any alleged
~provOcation. The reason that Tillman
will not be properly punished is be-
cause he is a prominent figure in South
Carolina politics. and it viii be almost
impossible to get q South Carolina JurV
that will not give him a mistrial, until
the matter will be worn threadbare IN
the courts. 1t means the completion of
the destruction of Jim Tillman both
financially and OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
News.
TI,1-4 ;- ~ hIa In,,Gf in tho
minds Of Al hundred people in Pasuuo-
tank and the surrounding counties that
Wilcox murdered Miss Cropsey. TO
our mind the circumstantial evidence is
as strong and convincing as if two hon
est men hal witnessed it and sworn to
the fact. But there are not a few good
men in the state, away from the Abe
marie section. who gravely doubt
whether the evidence proves beyond q
reasonable doubt that Wilcox commit
ted the crime. Because there is some
difference of OPINION. it is perhaps best
that the verdict carries with a sentence
for thirty years Imprisonment. If
Wilcox had been sentenced to be hang
ed, there would have been a mov>-
ment in his behalf by some good men
who believe that there is reasonable
doubt.-News and Observer.
There can be but one Interpretation
of the verdict Of the jury in the Viii
cox case, and that is, the jury gave
the defendant the benefit OF the doubt.
The evidence showed thc young laGv
was killed, or rendered unconscious and
helpless by q severe blow on the head.
1t showed that Wilcox was the last
person seen with her, and this but a
little while before her absence was
noticed AMI search for her begun. It
was not positively shown that Wilcox
struck the blow which primarily
caused her death, or rendered he's 50
helpless that she could not rescue her
self from tie water however she may
have gotten into it. 1t would seem
that the prisoner was either guilty Of
murder in the first degree. or not guilty
of any crime whatever.-Raleigh Post.
Will the time come when Rocky
Mount will be without whiskey s3-
looms? This is a question that will in
al probability have to be decided fC-
this as we'll as all other towns in the
state OF 500 inhabitants within the next
SIX months. The people have hardly
realized his yet, but If the London bill
is passed by the legislature, which
I seems probable. the fight will be soon
! waging fast and furious. The bill
! provides that no whiskey shall be man
UfaCtured in q own of less than 1000
Inhabitants or sold in a town OF less
than 500. 1t also provides that before
whiskey license shall be issued a ma
jority OF the registered voters must
| declare for it. This r-vrrses the now
prevailing condition. throwing the bur-
! den Of getting a majority upon those
| advocating license Unsteady of those
! advocating prohibition. The bill also
! provides that If a third Of the register
! ed voters petition for an election on
license dispensacy or prohibition. an
election must be held with the provi-
sion that an election can b. held on !
question only once in two years
Rocky Mount Motor.
One Hundred Dollars n Box.