The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-07-05
CURRENT

the news. Even the nominee seems
to have been affected by h chill OF
the convention which made him the
party candidate. Ii there had been
any warmth at Chicago there would
have been a hot time at the White
house, and the president would have
been far from calm as he heard the
news. But it is pleasant to know that
MI. Roosevelt can be calm.-Charles-
ton Post
The presidents message to Morocco
that We want "Perdicaris alive or
the fiery queen OF "A1ice in Wonder
land" who was so apt to shout, of
with his head" "Perdicaris alive or
Raisuli dead"-doesn't it thrill you?
Mr.. Perdicaris might not approve Of
such sentiments regarding his charm
then, Mr.. Perdicaris doesn't under
stand the exigencies Of our politics.
springfield Republican.
The new militia law is n~ot-perfect.
Its advocates LAY never pretended
that it was perfect. But they main
tanned and do maintain that it affords
a practical working basis for the con-
struction of a militia system which
shall be national in fact as we'll as in
name, and that the way to correct
whatever defects it may contain is to
ANAS IN n Al oioCL kAd%
improvements nay be suggested by ex-
perience. 1t is gratifying to observe
that this broader view now prevails in
those states where the new act was at
first most inhOspftably received, INT
that there are multiplying signs Of a
general disposition to give the meas
ure a fair trial or its merits That,
We believe, is all that is needed to
make the act an invaluable auxiliary
of the national defenses.-Army and
Navy Journal.
Former Mayor Van Wyck, of New
York, has made three wagers: (1)
That Mr.. Cleveland will be nominated
~ the st. Louis convention. CD
That he will accept, If nominated.
t3) That he will be elected. in case
the other things happen. Naturally,
Mr.Han wyck wanted big odds on the
first bet. Quite as naturally, he took
even money on the second. Finally,
he INDUCED a spirit Of adventure as
regards the third. The matter Of
chief significance in this connection,
however, is that a skillful and expe-
rienced politician like Mr.. Van Wyck
should seriously broach the possibil-
ity of Cleveland at this time. 1t is
plain enough, to be sure, that the
democratic leaders are anything but
satisfied with the prospect involved in
Judge Parkers nomination. While
every one COItCeucS Ills cACSIlC-lCS "
character and his distinguished at
tainments as a magistrate, there seems
to be a profound and prevalent con-
viction to the effect that he is not the
man for the occasion, ~Supposing the
democracy to be bent upon more than
"a mere success d'estime. 1t is univer-
sally understood that the is
to be personal-for Mr.. Roosevelt and
against him. Well-informed demo-
t Gratis realize the im~possibility of de-
feating the republican nominee If the
! American people want him for their
ruler. They know also that, even if
the thoughtful and Independent vot-
ers be averse to Mr.. Roosevelt, he
cannot be defeated by an antagonist
who's name is less han an unassaila-
BILE guarantee. Platforms count for
very little at any time An anti-Roose-
welt declaration will serve the demo-
Gratis we'll enough, but only SO if &C
complished by d nominee whose estab-
lished record and notorious purposes
and convictions will command the
country's confidence. In fact. they
could dispense with a platform alto
gether provided the candidate were
satisfactory pledge and an assur-
ance in Observation-Disclosures Post.
Since the dispatch which demanded
"Perdicaris alive or Raisuli dead" VIII
be constantly cited on the stump as
the heroic act of a president who does
things, it may be we'll to look into the
chronology of the events which LED
up to Mr.. Perdicaris' release. 1t
proves that the threat had no effect
in Morocco, and vas timed not with
any view to hasten Mr.. Perdicaris'
liberation, but rather with the pur-
pose of enlivening the convention on
June 22nd. Here are the facts: Cd
On Tuesday. June 81, the ransom of
Perdicaris and Marley had been de-
raCifnA Of Tan0iar and n u-o YyoLnra1Ix-
certain that they would De promptly
released. CD On Wednesday,. June
%, about $3.50 p. M, the Perdicaris
dispatch was read at Chicago. Pre-
Sumably there had been no delay in
it's transmission, and at 4:3O eastern
time) it must lave been sent stimuli
t~aneously to Chicago and Tangier. 1t
could not, allowing for the difference
of time, have reached Consul Gum
mere at Tangier before $50 D. m.
CD But by that time it was thorough
Iy known in Tangier that the go-be-
tween, Mulai Hamet, would leave early
the next morning, with the ransom,
for his sixteen hours ride to Raisuli's
camp. Now note that the famous
dispatch could not have been received
before the late evening of the 22nd;
that Raisuli was sixteen hours by
horseback, away in the mountains;
that Mr.. Perdicaris, as he told the
representative Of the Paris Herald.
knew that the sultan had granted all
Raisuli'S demands three days before
the ministers were aware of il at
ITangier;;" finally, that Raisuli actually
brought Perdicaris and Varley to the
rendezvous appointed at the time ap-
pointed. In other words, when the
threat came over, everything was
taking its regular course: nobody in
Tangier, not eve the captives in the
mountains, had any reason to suspect
that the release would be delayed.
much less refused. The chances are
that Consul General Gummere read
the telegram, smiled as he remember
ed 1t was convention time, and turned
over and went to sleep again--New
York Post.
: That Throbbing Headache.
Would quickly leave you.i IL you used