The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-01-05
CURRENT


Extracting sunshine from cucunb1s
is easier than extracting comfort for
the republicans from the New York
state vote Of last November The
state committee, however. Ia equal to
the task Taking h votes for assem-
blymen outside OF Greater New York.
and the vote for mayor in this metro
politan district. It finds a plurality or
27.647. and concludes, The showing IS
fattering to republican prospects next
year" The fattery lies In assuming
that upstate countries can be reliec
Upon. II IS believed, to increase ma
terially the majorities which they gave
last November" Exactly who holds
this pleasing belief is not revealed:
certainly not the members Of the COM
mittee; certainly not the Tribune.
which displays the statement. These
eminent political authorities Know that
though the upstate vote will be
heavier. b democrats LIZ nor tnan
likely to best it by swinging into line
thousands OF their party who have
been supporting fusion here. In brief.
the figures compiled by the republican
committee are prima alicia evidence
that the situation in this state Is deg
perate. To overcome these heavy ODDS,
the republicans are busy Quarreling
over the leadership and the distrlbu-
ton OF patronage. Playing chess when
the house is on fire Is wisdom COM
pared with such a performance.-Ne1
York Post.
In the midst Of the selfshness and
cold materialism OF the present day
1t is absolutely refreshing and inspir-
ing to turn aside for a momen and
reflect upou the heroism Of such a
mar as the conductor on the Du-
quesene limited, recently wrecked near
Connellsville. Pa. The harvest OF
death has perhaps never been greater
in any railroad accident in recent
years. the number Of victims reaching
between three and four score: wkile
the sanguinary scene was one OF the
most grewsome and revolving in the
annals OF the road. The ground was
strewn with the dead and the dying.
n the cir was made hideOus with the
shrieks Of the mangled. Volumes OF
escaping steam got in the usual dread
full work and contributed to the CON-
sternation and agony OF the occasion.
But clear above the clamor and con-
fusion, like a ~steadfast star thrugh a
rifted cloud, came the voice of the con-
ductor. manned and pinioned on the
bank though he was. For Gods
sake said Lewis Helgoth, IT am
scalded to death, but some one OF you
get a red lamp and flag AZ, or she will
be on us."-Atlanta News.
Here's a pretty howdy-do,-Iowa
trying to take the lynching honors
A Thousand men tried to get at a
couple of negroes up at Council Bluffs
last night. to lynch them for the crime
against society for which negroes are
usually lynched. But the thousand in
expert Iowans failed to compass their
purpose. Had this thing happened on
the eastern side OF the Mississippi or
on the banks Of the Wabash, not only
would the two negroes themselves have
paid he penalty of their crime, but the
chances are that every negro in the
community would have been chased
out. For in Illinois and Indiana the
usual thing is not only to punish the
guilty negro, according to the system
in vogue in this part of the world, but
all his black neighbors are made to
chase themselves into ~obscurity, pick
ing buckshot out Of their exposed
But perhaps we should not rebuke
Iowa o ths sins If Indiana and NJ
nois. Only we trust that the unrea-
Soning blood-lust Of Indiana and Illr-
nois will not spread across the river
and contaminate the whole of he
Corn Belt. The nance are that no
one would say much about the way
Indiana and Illinois punish their me-
o If the people In those states
punished only the guilty ones, as they
do in the Cotton Belt, in the rest of
the Corn Belt; i'm the Bean Belt, In the
Pie Belt, in the Nutmeg Belt and So
on through the rest Of the Belts. But
the race prejudice. that breaks loose
in those depraved states whenever q
fearful to contemplate. And. as we
said before. we hope that It won't cross
the river into I~owa.-AtIanta Journal.
Saws COllier's
Weekly, is gaining IN most of the
leading countries in Europe the most
conspicuous exception being where we
should least expect it, In England"
Where is there, in Europe, IN America.
or on any other part Of he globe a
proach to actual self-government than
the inhabitants Of Great Britain? Is
1t strange that England. being in the
van n having a long Lead in the
very essence OF r~epublicanism, IS not
gaining in this respect? In no other
country is the control of b govern
ment by the people so direct, so
prompt, and 30 comuiete as in Great
Britain. In no other constitutional or
representative government are there
SO many and such carefully devised
obstacles between the. declaration and
the execution of the peoples will as
in this great and m~agnincently success
full republic. Neither OF these two
propositions will be questioned by any
intelligent student Of the history and
institutions OF England and the United
States. The Post is not complaining
or regretting the extreme conservatism
of our government, nor is it envlo1s
of Great Britain's superiority in dc
mocracy. 1t is probable that. if our
fathers had created a system of direct
control by the people, it would have
proved a failure.-WaShington POSt-
Exposure to a sudden climatic
change produces cold in the head and