The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-02-26
CLIPPINGS FROM OUR EXCHANGES.
STATE PRESS.

The Washingtoa Post thinks Mr..
Cleveland entitled to the 800 offered
By Ar. Bryan for a platform b Ger
tain democratic journals named by
him could agree upon. n suggests the
check for that o be sent to Mr..
Cleveland's Princeton address. For
convenience we suggest that Mr.. Bryan
need not trouble to get 4 gold as
under the policy made possible OF en-
forcement and enforced by Mr.. Cleve-
land. paper currency now Is as good
as gold. and wheat worth a dollar and
cotton II to Is cents in sound money"
Raleigh Post.
The only practical experience that
Charlotte has had with the subject OF
the municipal ownership of public untili-
ties is the transfer of the water supply
from private to public ownership. With
out considering the price that the
city Ia to pay for the water works or
he necessity Of the speedy giving up
of the old system so soon after being
purchased. the fact remains that the
city has never had such an abundant
supply of such good water, n that
the price was practically cut in half.
The management of the system has
been Sucn as to make it at the same
time q financial success. And the pros
pect is equally good for making the
new system, reaching to the Catawba.
equally successful. The lowering of the
number of typhoid fever cases almost
to zero where that disease used to
give the city a bad reputation as far as
healthfulness is concerned. is another
proof Of the excellence of municipal
management. as well as it's cheapneSs.-
Charlotte News.
The fight being made against Senator
Smoot. of Utah, is rather p~erplexing.
The allegations against him are that he
Is a high official in the Mormon church,
THAT he like the church believes in
polygamy even if avoiding the practice.
and that the Mormon church controls
Utah politics. 1t appears, moreover,
that the charges are true but what that
has to do with the senator's official
prerogatives has not been brought to
light. Senator Smoot is highly object
tionable to many people. but so are
many OF his fellow senator's. and he
cannot be turne out of the United
States senate because Of his religious
beliefs nor for n other belief. nor be-
cause the machinery of his church hap
pens also to be the machinery of his
politics. This Utah muddle has been
unpleasant from the beginning but the
state was admitted in the full light of
its control by the Mormons. and as it
cannot secede and canno be turned out
OF the union. there is but one alterna-
v dIlu lHdl i u just lake the HeOl-
cine quietly.0Charlotte Chronicle.
Governor Taft's name is mentioned
more n more in ction with the
presidency. and the Chicago convention
may find it a name to couture with, now
that Hanna has withdrawn from the
scene. The way some things are being
done by the present policy of the re-
publican party Taft would be a good
name to ring in with graft.-Durham
Sun.
The Landmark isn't more super
stitious than the average North Car
Of us have more or less
superstitions-but we confess that we
feel a little cas- about congress.
Twice recently something ha happened
In the house that has astonished the
country. The first was the turning
down Of the extra mileage grab, not
because the majority wanted to turn
1t down but because public opinion fore
ed 1t. Now a member has voluntarily
surrendered his seat when he discover
ed that his election was tainted with
fraud. These things are so unusual
that We can but think something Is go
ing to happen; and it may be that the
members of congress are only playing
good preparatory to doing something
unusually bad,-Statesville Landmark.
IndTlOlle Is III the CnrOSS OF a cam
paing against whiskey. which is trou-
bic enough, it would seem. but now
the good women OF that city have be-
gun a crusade against Coca Cola. Poor
Charlotte! But the Observer proclatms
that they still have Root Beer and Pc
runa. and as fast as one leg is knocked
out another grows. 1t is a hard matter
to down Charlotte.-Lincoln Journal.
1t looks as if Mr.. Gudger's fight for
his seat in congress is not to end his
troubles. We note that grave doubts
are being expressed by democrats as
to his ability to carry the district in the
next election.-Raleigh Times.
As far as our personal regard fol
Mr.. Bryan is concerned. we have a
certain amount Of respect for his ten
acity OF purpose; his steadfast advocacy
OF a cause which he believes to be
right He evinces a devotion to prin-
( ciple which is indeed worthy Of q bet
ter cause. But when the interests o.
a reunited party forbid the resurrec.
ton OF issues which have twice beer
r~epudiated at the polls. we say that tbs
I demands OF hat party should be re.
spected. We do not deny to any mar
the right to express his views. In fac
mistaken. But when a mar of politica
prominence like Mr.. Bryan fails, By
words and actions. to fully identif,
himself with the party which twice tool
Up his battle cry with disastrous re
suits. we feel that there is room 70
critfcism.-Asheville Citizen.