The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-12-23
STATE PRESS.

Every smallpox epidemic has its e1-
pensive side. The Wilmington Mes
senger says that 1t is costing that city
81. 600 a month to keep guards at quar-
antfned houses. A few dollars worth OF
vaccine points judiciously used, would
have saved all that expense-0Charlotre
Chronicle.
Despite the overwhelming evidence
against him., it locke for a while as
IL Judge Swayne was going to hush up
the Impeachment proceedings, The
News believes in giving credit to whom
credit is due and we must say that the
action of the house OF representatives
with it's republican majority was just
what il should have been in the matter
Of the Florida judge. Yet 1t would be
well to await the decision of the SEN
ate, which is under the constitution
the high cour of Impeachment, be-
fore we praise too lavishly. Such pro-
| ceedings have a marvellous way of GET
| ting lost.-Charlotte News.
In pursuance of this papers policy OF
presenting all sides of all important
matters, and especially for the edifica-
ton of all admirers of b~loodhounds, we
append a paragraph which appears N
The Mount Airy News under the cap
ton, "Bloodhounds Run Down Man
Last Thursday night the barn Of Bob
Blackburn, of Aaron, Va, was found
&c be burning up. The stock and tools
were saved. Bloodhounds were sent &c
the scene at once from this place. The
dogs struck a trail at once and, without
a break, followed it over fields and
| through the woods for about five miles
and caught a white man, named Tom
Snow. He proved that he vas at some
| other place and was turned loose" Yes,
sir, the bloodhound is an institution.
HI ought to be incorporated.-Charlotte
Observer.
Not many years ago bank robb.ng
was a successful occupation for crooks
and thieves. This is now comparative
ly rare owing to the improved methods
OF constructing bank buildings, and the
use of burglar proof safes and vaults.
P~ostofices have taken the place of the
old time banks and present a wid and
easy field for the burglar. During the
last fiscal rear no less tina 1883 post
offices in this country were robbed,
or at the rate of over four for each
day, In addition to these crimes $40
street and rural free delivery boxes
were rified of their contents. Exactly
how to account for this increase OF
crime may be difficult, but it is plain
that the postoffices are not protected
as the should be. Since the postoftice
is a government institution. destined TO
exist as long as the government itself
why not begin to make it permanent,
safe and secure from burglars?- Dur
ham SUM-.
Int result in Stanly county has re-
manned a great mystery until this
week. 1t was the one surprise of the
election in North Carolina 1t has been
the most reliable democratic county In
North Carolina, never "hlckerlnS
during days of Reconstruction or Popu-
lism. And yet, without warming, 1t turn
ed UP this year in the republican co.,
umn. Why? Let the Stanly Enterprlse
explain: Both liquor and money were
used in this county by the radicals,
and the statement that democratic cleo
ton officers were bought by them l;
likewise true" This is the first time IL
the history of the state that a paper
= of standing has printed that demo
5 cratic election officers were brought.
t I, is a serious charge and is the My eA'
= 3lanation of the result in Stanly. Thes'
I election officers should be landed in jail
Upon this publication in The Stanly En-
terprise. it becomes the duty of tn
3udge and the solicitor to ferret out tn
4 roscals who were bought and AN,
them in the neutrality-suspicious. an,
a OF server.
e There is good reason for the reso
u -. -L:L DanraSnntati va Living
ston, of Georgia, has introduced in tn
House, calling upon the Department c
Agriculture for the data upon whic
il based it's recent estimate OF the sl2
of the current cotton crop. There al
n MANY who do not believe that the est
II mate is found upon responsible al
thority. If not. If the returns WEI
y doctored before or after they reache
le the department, an irreparable wron
: has heen lone the cotton an
! every business interest Of the sout
10 There are also many who believe tn;
n the figures leaked before they were o
re fciauv given out, and were used /
he the gamblers who were in possessic
10 of them in advance, to fleece othe
who were not. All of which sugSes
the inquiry. Why should the COVER
ment assume it to be its business, al
how. to gather statistics of the cote
We crop while it is being marketed al
by give out its findings? We have new
heard that the farmers demanded II
of it, and do not conceive that it 7
bounds to their benefit. What ella
- other than the gamblers a this a
" vantage-Charlotte observer.
-
EjoI,t Will BE Ritter.