The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-02-14
CURRENT COMMENT.

II AC@ IoFk tribune SIrOngfy
condemns the sentiment that a muir
deress Shouts not suffer capital pun
ishment In states where murder is 50
punished just as a murderer does.
The argument that sentiment should
have no part in the furnishing of crime
Is a good one. The woman who Is
herself so heart1ess as to commit muir
der cuts herself loose from the pro-
lection that a just chivalry casts about
her. Murder is murder. no matter by
whom committed, and the legal pun
ishment for the crime should he WIS.,
tied on the person that commits it.
be that person man or
vannah News.
The Philadelphia Record
of the San Domingo affair, says: This
precipitate and unwarranted action of
the administration without consent of
the senate is doubly Objectionable be-
cause of the danger of involving this
government in the political fortunes
of President Morales, IN u%nscrupuI-
Gus adVenturer Of a type so familiar
to Spanish-America. 1t would be a
pitiable diplomatic ~predicament IL the
government al Washington should be-
come the grand ally of Morales in a
struggle of the people of Santo Do
mingo to throw off his
The collection of Santo Domingo's
debts would be a poor excuse for get
ting the country into such 4 dilemma.
If the acquisition of per makes
the negro a iaw-abiding citizen. he
will have all the rights under the law
tn which he &c antitto1 l.,
with citizens of other races. If, even
without property, ne is a l~aw-abiding
citizen, and there are many such in
the south, he will be protected in
every right which the law gives him.
Property is not all that a man, black
or white needs to make him a good
citizen. The principle of Tuskegee
institute might we'll impress upon his
race. just as white men who profess
to be teachers of white men do upon
their own race the vital importance
of living honestly and decently, re-
framing, whether poor or prosperous,
from criminal acts.-Baltimore Sun.
Despite the denial of the Russian
charge d'affaires in London, cabled
today, there are signs in the air that
unmlstably indicate a distinct move
ment among the powers for the resto-
ration of peace between Russia and
Japan. The activity in this city among
the ambassadors and ministers who
would be directly involved in any
such project and their conferences
with the president and the secretary
of state give color to the persistent
that both Russia and Japan
ara n0u Wi1irC fo ho I'D ;p+o
In st. Petersburg the peace talk has
become insistent since the massacre
of January 20 and the subsequent de-
feat of General GripeYfberg-Wash-
fngton Star.
There are unprecedented observers
Of the political trend who profess to
believe that at the end of his new
term in the presidential office, MI.
Roosevelt will be just about as popu-
lar with his party as MI. Cleveland
was with democrats at the end of his
second term. It may be such Of these
observers as are republicans-and
very many of them are-permit their
prophetic judgment to be warped by
pessimism; just now Mr.. Roosevelt is
not as popular with some very strong
ASbNoAl1ou CiCIiiSlllS DIS LIS InlSnJ# De,
However, it will not do to blind our
eyes to certain features in the present
political trend; and it does not require
any very great stretch of the magma
ton to seec louds upon the republi-
horizOn.-Atlata Constitution.
There is no disputing the fact hat
Theodore Roosevelt is a strong man.
He is a person Of intellectual force.
a person Of decided convictions and
strength Of character. But it is not
his strong personality alone that has
forced upon congress the question of
regulating railroad rates: the real
strength Of this movement is in the
people themselves. Mr.. Roosevelt is
representative. the personal agent
of the masses. He is backed by an
overwhelming public sentiment, and
tina is a force which not even the
powerful corporations of the and
can resist. 1t is true that Mr.. Roose-
welt has done much to c%rystalize this
sentiment and to bring his force into
action. But the force itself comes
from the observation-disclosures.