The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-05-20
CURRENT COMMENT.

The Baltimore News advances the
contention-and Ii would appear a
weli-founded one-that the heavy
sums OF money some Of the leading
railway systems have borrowed or ar
ranged TO borrow in the past sixty days
initiates against the idea tina the
railroad interests are disturbed over
the recent ~shrinkage in business.
While a part of this money, il Is not
ed. will be used for the purpose of re-
firing maturing obligations, the bulk
of 1t is intended for improvements,
extensions and the acquisition OF new
equipment in order to handle the in
creased traffic which they confidently
expect will follow the lull. In this
connection 1t is gratifying to learn
n a the southern systems as a rule
nave experienced less shrinkage of
business than the northern. Indeed,
1t was stated in a railway article the
other day that the Iull had hardly
struck the south yet, and the prospect
was that practically it would not
strike it to any great extent--Rich-
mond News Leader.
Not even the sense of humor is to
be left free at the Chicago convention.
apparently. The administration has.
The Tribune announces, kindly pre-
POANN ia liiC pAalIcIi SIIuOES
ing the administration. 1t is a relief
to know that the administration thinks
so we'll of itself. 1t defines itself as
both conservative and fearless, eau
tious yet bold, wise, pure and strong.
This must be true, for the admins
tration itself has said it, and Lodge
stands ready to swear to it. Con-
gresham Williams told the republi-
cans that they were not going to hold
a convention, but a meeting to ratify
whatever the president had said or
done. But he did not foresee that
even an inspired platform would be
issued by the administration. Had
he done so, he would probably have
warned it against what he once
called h "ungentlemanly vice" of
taking itself too seriously.-New York
Post.
eve have a candidate" the repub-
llcans are yelling, and they dance for
Joy. They have found a man who is
willing to TAX h nomination for
vice-president as a running mate with
Roosevelt. He is Representative
Hit, of Illinois, and he is not only
willing but anxious for the second
place on the ticket. He can have it,
say the leaders, and many of them
jump for joy. Cannon and Fairbanks
and Shaw and all the others are more
lildh -liSIle 10 nave IOun0 q
scapegoat to say them from the sac
rif1ce, and Roosevelt himself, who
wants an Illinois man very badly, as
that state is mighty veal in it's dis
position toward him, thinks it is a fine
thing to ave Mr.. Hit hung on, as
a balance, to the tail of his kite. The
Illinois state convention, which was
presided owe by Speaker Cannon,
very promptly endorsed Hit as the
candidate for vice-president. No
doubt Mr.. Cannon had a good deal
to do with that action, to insure his
own escape. And in Washington
they seem to have taken the nomina-
ton of Hit as a final solution of the
administrations troubles in it's search
for a yoke mate with Roosevelt
Charleston Post.
This persistent talk Of 4 dark
horse" candidate for the democratic
nomination for president which comes
out of the west can be traced largely
to the ~fatuousness and foolishness of
David B. Hill in attaching Judge Par
ker's political fortunes to the Bel
Observation-Disclosures interests.
Mr.. Hill seems to have deluded
himself into believing hat western
democrats were so DESTROYS of seeing
the party dragged from the slough of
populism hat they would be indiffer-
ent to the men or methods by which
the work was DONE. AS usual, Mr..
Hill ~bIundered. The democrats of the
west have even less regard for the
populists of Well street" than for the
populists of the prairies. If the party
must be turned over to either, they
prefer the former, and The World
cannot blame them. Mr.. Hill, by his
too great cunning and his too little
care, has subjected the candidacy of
Judge Parker to q tremendous load
under which it is still staggering.
Once the democrats of the south and
west become suspicious hat the party
is again being exploited in the inter-
ests of Wall street, it will be a waste
of breath to plead for the nomination
of Judge Parker or anybody else from
the east.-New York World.