The semi-weekly messenger., 1904-03-15
STATE PRESS.

making headway. A democratic coun-
ty convention in Illinois. Monday.
broke up in a. free fight over a minor
nomination, and the factions separat-
ed and he'd different conventions But
both endorsed Hearst The Rhode
Island democratic state convention
was held yesterday-the first state
convention OF the year-and Ii Spdi
into two factions on the question OF
instructing for Hearst 1t will pres
emily be seen that those who have
been charged with excitability because
of having pointed to this young man
with his cheek and his check book
as a real menace to the democratic
party, no longer to be ignored, and
his boom" a thing to be no longer
sneered at, were not so wrong after
all.-Charlotte Observer.
The Atlanta News prints as head
line, Georgia Weeklies for Hearst"
Wonder if he did not mean Weak
lies" Seriously, this is the real secret
of the Hearst boom. A man by the
name of Edwards was in charge of the
democratic headquarters in Washing
ton as a sort of press agent. A letter
was sent every week from Washington
with good political news in it and the
democratic papers generally used 1t
during the dull season. With the
assembling of congress the papers
own special representatives at the ma
tional capital. The Edwards News
Bureau letter suddenly changed to a
sly Hearst Propaganda and some
weeklies, also weaklies, have imag-
ined that the democratic headquar-
ters were still responsible for the out
put. They have totally misconceiy-
ed the true situation. And the news
paper men will not always be fooled.
Charlotte NeWS
I 1t really appears that there was
something loose about the way the So
called anti-jug law was made to ap-
ply to the whole state. We don't know
from either experience or observation
just how exacting the duties Of leg
islators are, but it does look as If
| they could find time to read at least
those bills which affect so vexed a
| question as the whiskey question:
| Greensboro Telegram.
Mr.. Ihmsen, of New York, manager
| of the campaign bureau of Hon. w.
| r. Hearst, has honored Raleigh with
visit and was fortunate in having
| several distinguished gentlemen to
meet and consult with him. The OBJ
| ject of Mr.. Ihmsen's meeting was to
| see if delegation or how many dele
gates can be secured who will co-op-
crate or fuse with others to constitute
| the one-third of the convention de-
| sired by Mr.. Bryan and Mr.. Hearst
by which the nomination may be die
| tated. 1t is not understood that dele
gates with such an end avowedly in
| view will be chosen, but as many with
| such predictions as may get ap-
pointed as democrats will do so anu
then do the work after they get to st.
Louis. If the rank and file of the
| democracy Of the state who are more
n tod vi t1n 1-in n
| fusionists of late years and the disas-
| ters these have brought on the party
| and country are not on their guard
i this state will contribute to the
| scheme by which the party will march
| again through a slaughter-house to
an open grave. ve."-Raleigh Post
In a plea for party unity The New
| ton Enterprise says: I'VE are for
| opening the doors of the party, not
| only to all democrats, regardless Of
| their views and votes since 1894, but,
| to all former democrats who have left
/ us at any time since the split of 1890.
| Roosevelt's administration has made
| 1t palmer than ever that the right
place for southern voters, especially
| all who were democrats before the
| wedge was driven home, is in the
| feel at home" Well, we'll. Now what
| will William Jennings say to that:
| Here is a little old North Carolina ed
| itor inviting democrats to return to
"the party and saying nothing about
| sackcloth and ashes: Williams is
| apt to hear q reading of the riot act.
Charlotte Chronicle.
1t was stated in this paper some
| days ago that so far as we had seen,
| tor Smoot that could justly deprive
him of his seat in the United States
| senate. The only thing against him,
| so far as We see, is that he has fellow
| ship with that crowd whom the COM
| mittee has upon the grid iron" in
! Washington. This, in the minds Of
| some of our esteemed contemporaries
| is sufficient cause for his removal, es-
pecially. as they urge. he had not put
himself in active opposition to Smith
| and others of the much married DEL
| egation. The prosecutors Of Mr..
Smoot may be satisfied in their own
| minds that he believes in the practice
of plural wives, and yet, IL he has
not, in an overt manner. violated the
been enacted to stop this practice, he
| Is clearly beyond their reach in th1s
! contest. A man may believe what he
pleases, and nobody has any right to
interfere with him, until he so ex-
presses himself as to interfere with
the rights and privileges of others.
This investigation makes a dirty page
in our congressional records. and ev-
cry one feels that it ought. every line
OF 1t. to have been thrown in the pot"
before it was ever linked. But a worse
record than this might be made,
which would be for congress to adopt
a course OF procedure against Mr..
Smoot. unsupported by the princi-
Piles OF this government as set out in
the constitution, guaranteeing every
man equal rights before the law and
protecting him in his religious and