The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-10-28
CURRENT

The speech of Judge Parker. in
which he emphasizes his attitude upoa
the PHILIPPINE issue has started h ad-
ministration claquers afresh. Instead
OF endeavoring TO combat the logic ~
his argument, they follow the lead %
The Philadelphia Press. which cries
out that discussion OF the Philippine
question. indeed. any mention OF tho
name of those precious islands, will
kindle the flames OF sedition" in b
islands.-Atlanta Constitution
General Fitzhugh Lee a been Of
fered the position OF chief OF police CT
the city of Richmond, though there is
some doubt that he will accept the Of
fee. He has been a majo- general in
h confederate army, the governor OF
Virginia, consul general to Cuba, and
a b~rigadier general in the United
states army; still II would not detract
from his dignity to wear the buttons
Of chief OF police CT one of the finest
cities of the country.-Savannah News.
The construction which Mr.. Roose-
welt puts On the treaty, to sum It ali
up, is this: If the United States cared
TO do so there IS enough in its treaty
to wSrrart it in establishing a coloay
in The middle of Panama, and so ad-
ministering affairs upon the isthmus
hat even the semblance CT independ-
ence would soorbe stripped from that
republic. But the people OF Panama
can rest assured that the American
government, in its mercy, will not
take advantage of this ~undorbted
right. but will exercise the greatest
generocity n permit Panama to still
exist. This is scarcely calculated 10
inspire Panama with confidence in Mr..
Roosevelt. However Mr.. Taft may be
a clever enough talker to convince the
president of Panam- that Mr.. Roose-
velt's construction of the theaty is rot
only the proper one. but that it is
much more to the advantage of Pana-
ma TO accept MI. Roosevelt's protes-
tationS of generous. treatment, and
waive the express wording Of the traa-
ty, than it void be to mold by the
letter of the treaty.-Atlanta Journal.
In his address last evening MI. Elltu
Root quoted Judge Farker's question
whether tbs republican party would
give tariff regulations TO the Fflipinos
under which they can exist" He
then replied ~ e1k;rg the Judge
whether he lad examir q the Phillip
pine tariff law, enacted September Ii,
1901, by the Concurrence of Filipinos
and Americans, enacted with sole
reference to the interests of the Phil
ippine people. imposing tariff duties
lower than they had ever had in the
islands before" and approved by con-
greSs without criticism or objection by
any democrat. This is as pretty q
piece CT pettifcgging as has come to
our notice for a long Will What
Judge FaTker meant admits Of no
doubt. His question related not to the
tariff adopted for the islands by the
Philippine commission, but to the high
! customs duties which keep Filipln1
goods GU. of the United States. This
lodging Of the real issue is all the
mere interesting since it was this same
Elihu Root who, as secretary of war,
in his annual report for 1902. earn
estly urged" that the duties levied N
the United states upon Philippine pro-
ducts be reduced to % per cent. of the
Dingley tariff rates. He added that
the Ills which have recently Detailed
the people Of the Stands call urgently
for active and immediate measures OF
relief."-New York Post.
Two distinguished citizens, to wit.
William j. Bryan, of Nebraska, and
Thomas E. Watson, of Georgia, are
competing for leadership of the rad
lea party that is confidently expect
ed to be evolved from existing condi-
tons. The fact that Bryan is cam
pa1gnlng under the auspices of the
uemOcratlc national committee, while
Watson is on the stump as the presi-
Dental nominee of the %populists and
fully understands that he will not re-
ceive a single electoral vote, is no lu-
| dication of auy difference in their III.
Innate design. That both of them are
expecting something in the nature OF
a realigrment of PAL ties to follow tn S
campaign is clearly inferred from
their u~tterances. That either of them
is DESTROYS or expectant Of a demo
cratic victory IS not reasonably infer
able from any available data That
there is substantial harmony in the
views of the populist candidate ano
the ex-leader of the allied forces OF
democracy and populism is unden;a-
bic. Bryan is the more eloquent, but
Watson is the more scholarly. Both
are ambitious. That a notionaI party
led by one OF these radicals, will bi
in the field in 1908 is regarded as thu
logical result Of existing conditions
1t is not highly improbable that th1
competition for first place may end III
a COMPROMISE giving first place to on.
and second place to the other.-Wash
ington Post.