The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-11-08
CURRENT COMMENT.

When We asked the republicans in
1900 What they were going to do with
the Philippine islands they said we
can not talk to the Fflipinos while
they have guns in their hands. They
said let the Filipinos lay down their
arms and then We viii talk to them.
We'll. the Filipinos laid down their
arms. n then what did the repubIi-
to talk about.-Wlliam J. Bryan.
We would only call attention here
to the fact hat bets or
are not significant. The odds" against
Cleveland and Stevenson, and in favor
OF Harrison and Reid. in 1892. were
larger than they now are against Par
ker and Davis AND for Roosevelt and
Fairbanks. They remained so, up to
midnight before the election, in 1892,
and up to 8 o'clock on that election
night! Everyone now knows that
Cleveland and Stevenson were over
whelmingly elected and Harrison and
Reid Were Overwhelmingly defeated
then. The value of the wager, the au-
thority Of the better, was destroyed by
that resultant history has a habit of
repeating itself--Brooklyn Eagle.
Secretary Taft thinks that there was
a good deal of swagger and bluff on
the part OF the Cleveland administra-
ton when it sent to England it's insis-
tence upon the Venezuelan boundary
arbitration, because I'VE had not one
gun on our coasts which could have
made the slightest impression on an
ordinary battleship, and our navy was
utterly unable to cope with Great Bril-
tain's." Well, here is conclusive evil
dence that the Cleveland administra.
ton, relying upon the moral force of
right and long-established national
policy, sustained the Monroe doctrine
without a big navy or a big army. But
this administration, having no conf
oence Whatever in so unfamiliar a
Weapon as moral force, thinks it can
accomplish nothing without a demon
stratlon of lighting strength.-Phila-
delphia Record.
The Louisville Courier-Jo urflal CDem.)
speaking of the expected result-con-
tentment of Secretary Taft's visit to
panama, says: "All these great ex-
pectations may be realized. but it is
also possible that when the elections
are over there will no longer be a man
of peace to direct the negotiations on
the part Of the United States. The
agreeable fiction Of the Independence of
Panama may be respected for a time
as a concession to public. opinion
abroad, but respect for public opinion
at home viii not be very robust in the
event that the people set their seal of
approval on what has already been
done in the creation of this fy-by-night
republic. AS soon as the e~xigencies Of
canal building seem to require Ii the
mask viii be dropped and Panama will
be added to the colonial system of, the
united States. If the people decide in
favor of colonies they are likely to get
all they want"
Not a word has been heard on the
stump thus far about the "fnli dinner
pail Democrats are not disposed to
emit any calamity howls,'' but they
are pointing to the fact that labor con-
oltions are as bad for the laborer at
many points as they were inl 1902 and
worse at some. Mr.. Bryan has point
ed out IN his tour of Indiana industrial
centers that at several places it is
the full coffee pc" that republican
orators talk about, and he has added
In his own semi-humorous way that
before another campaign rolls around
they will be talking about the full
water pitcher" Careful Investigation
by an expert in Cleveland, Cincinnati,
Ptttsburg, Toledo, youngstown. st.
Louis and Kansas City reveals the
fact that there are many empty din
ner pals, thanks to the high tariff and
the trusts, and that there is by no
means enough prosperity to go
around.-Galveston News.
The letters of President Roosevelt to
General Tyner. in which the chief exec
utive insists that, in spite of the jury,s
asquittal of the former attorney gen.
eral to the postoffice department, the
old man is guilty, are good examples
1 of what Colonel Watterson calls Mr..
Roosevelt's Indifference ito the rights
and feelings of lesser beings and his.
general lack of charitable or kindly
impulse. He cannot admit that ne was
even slightly in error and so he blus-
ter's further denunciation of the man
who was freed by a jury of the charges
preferred against him., and is totter-
ing sorrowfully 10 his end. 1t can
hardly De said that the presidents
sharp correspondence with General Ty-
ner- the letters from the White house
are written in the third person and
signed by Secretary Loeb, but they are
intended as the utterances of the
president, and are only put in the
royal form of such communications
presents an edifying spectacle nor COM
ports with the dignity of the chief
magistrate of h nation, but Mr..
Roosevelt has to say something. and
since the campaign committee won't
permit him to make speeches, he takes
out on poor old Tyner all the spleen
that has been stirred by the demo-
cratic assaults upon him during the
! OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Post.
Doesn't Respect Old Age.