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

Not IN a long time has so great a
loss OF life been caused by a railroad
accident as that which occurred at
DAWSON, western Pennsylvania, on
Wednesday evening. Scarcely fewer
than sixty deaths are already charge
able TO the disaster. and the number
VIII doubtless be increased during the
next day or two. Lamentable as such
an event would be al any time In the
year, it is in peculiarly sombre con-
trast to the joyous spirit of the hoi-
day season or the eve OF which II
happened. Again it is impossible to con-
ceive Of a more agonizing mode of
terminating mortal existence than by
that by which most Of the victims met
their fate. The immediate agent was
escaping steam from the wrecked To-
connective, and nearly all Of those who
/ were killed were in the smoker, which
was lodged on top of the engine.-New
York Tribune.
Railroad disasters have become so
frequent in this country that it is a
question as to whether the general pub
lie Is not a little callous about them.
n public could be forgiven If his
were the case, for it is seldom that a
week goes by in which 1t o not be-
come the painful duty of the newspa-
pers to print a more or less lengthy
list of dead and wounded who have
been killed and MANNED In some big
railway accident Continual repetition
Of a horrible affair is apt to blunt the
edge of public pity and indignation. 1t
Is a matter OF fact that there are more
fatal wrecks on American roads than on
those OF any other part OF the civil
lied world. 1t is very seldom that the
English people, for instance, are killed
and injured in such wholesale fashion
by thei carriers. There is a reasOn
for everything; and it is difficult 20
dodge the conclusion that the reason
for so many railroad accidents in this
country lies with the officials Of the
railroad corporations themselves. The
employees are generally trustworthy
and capable men; but it too frequently
happens that the employe is over
worked. There comes a time, no matter
If a man be built of iron, when human
nerves reach their limit of endurance.
and refuse to respond to extra demands
put upon them. Another reason I'm
doubtedly lies in the well known hes
itation of certain roads to spend a
sufficient per cent of their profits TO
keep their rolling stock and their road
beds in such a condition as to readily
handle. without ~endangering life or
property, a sudden increase OF traffic.
With overworked men and with over
worked stock of all kinds accidents
are almost inevitable. 1t is without
doubt true that the men who actually
operate the various systems are just
as careful of the lives and the proper
ty entrusted to them as they can pos
sibly be with the material which they
must work with. And, in h end, the
blame for a large part of the fatal &C.
cidents of which we are always read
ing is to be traced to the somewhat
cynical desire OF those who control the
corporations to get as much out OF the
men and stock as possible, with the
least possible expenditure Of money
Atlanta Journal
Is h revival of the Olney boom at
this a more than a holiday jolly?
Do the Massachusetts, democrats really
mean it? Are they to press their fav-
orite upon the party with yigor and
sincerity? Mr.. Olney's strong points
are not political. He ranks high as a
lawyer and possesses force OF charac-
ter. He would be his own man in the
White House But in the political
sense he is out of the line geographic
ally, and as a candidate would be han
dicapped in certain sections of the
country by his connection with the
second Cleveland administration
Washington Star.
The court in ST.. Clair county, Illi-
nois, imposed a fine of fifty dollars
and costs on each of eleven men found
guilty Of lynching a negro in Belle
willie. The costs in each case
to fifteen dollars, making the amount
exacted from each Of the lynchers s65.
h total money damages in this a 8
amounted to Sis. The lynchers have
appealed. The louisiana supreme court
recently imposed a fine OF 5000 on the
rioters in Union Parish for whipping
a man and threatening him with lynch
ing. The New Orleans Times-Democrat
asks that a comparison be made be-
tween the northern and southern spirit
as manifested in these two cases. The
point that we have always insisted up
on. however, is that we shall not be
bad or good by comparison with the
people of Illinois or any other north
ern state. The crime Of lynching is
not relative but positive.-News and
Courier.
Perry S. Heath continues as buoyant
and impudent as ever. In his latest
o%utgiving he asserts hat President
Mckinley had hoped to see Hanna
next in succession. Heath knows this
because Mckinley, recognizing in
Heath those sterling qualities of heart
and mind which make his name today
a household word, chose Heath as con-
fidant Mr.. Heath who poses also as
repository of Senator Hanna's secrets
!; tells US that the senator's business is
now SO arranged that he "can serve IN
any capacity in the government"
: Moreover Hanna does not want the