The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-03-24

Sauuitlate Iur lrc~idcnf To succeed
Roosevelt.
Greensboro, N. c.. March 22-Three
hundred guests including representa-
tions Of prominence from North Car
olina and other states attended the
banquet of the Tar Heel Club here to-
night, at which Vice President Fair
banks and Revenue Commissioner
Yerkes were the principal guests Of
honor. On calling the meeting To Or
der, the toastmaster, Hon. E. Spencer
Blackburn read a telegram OF regret
from Postmaster General Cortelyou re-
gretting that he could not be present.
The toastmaster then delivered a short
address, in which he congratulated the
Republicans of the state upon the elm
ination of the race issue and the dawn
ing OF better political day in this
section.
Vice President Fairbanks followed
Mr.. Blackburn. He received a tremea-
dous ovation as he arose, and after n
few preliminary statements he said he
would not make partisan speech. He
told of the elimination Of sectional
lines and raised much applause by ie-
ferring to General Joseph Wheeler's
part in the Spanish war.
Republican government" he said.
was ordained to promote justice, to-
secure each and all, in the fullest pos
sibleErz Of equal right and
privileges under the law. Every Amer
lean must stand before the law, upon a
plane of perfect equality with his fell
low Americans. Our laws must be In
spired by sense Of justice; let rs
teach the love of justice at the fire
side, in tn eschool room, in the pulpit,
in the press, in the counting house, in
the factory; yes, teach 1t everywhere.
for without justice abides with us Gov
ernment is mockery
Let us safeguard the rights OF
property; protect that which honest
and patient industry has acquired. But
first OF all, and better than all, pre-
serve inviolate the rights of men OF
low and high degree. Political parties
are essential in popular government.
They have existed from the earlfes-
days Of the Republic and they Will
continue TO the end. 1t is of vital i'm
portance, therefore, that they should
be high minded and patriotic; .aat
they shbuld stand for those measures
which are wholesome and which tend
to advance to the utmost degree the
public veal. They should support
sound and conservative policies which
are the only sure foundation of indus
trial and social progress and of endlr-
ing national greatness"
The Vice President was followed ty
Revenue Commissioner John w.
Yerkes, who delivered the longest ad-
dress of the night, concluding at 11:45
amid the widest applause.
Revenue Commissioner ]. w. Yerkes
spoke on political peonage I'm the south.
After calling attention to evidences OF
prosperity I'm North Carolina. and say
ing that the new structures all bore
the sign built since 1885," continued.
Your ancestors, men and women.
broke away from servitude. religious
and political, and sought freedom OF
action, OF heart and conscience here
They flung away family ties, tra6i.
tions, inherited belief, ancestral ten
dencies, when existing conditions.
dominant and rational, demanded tie
surrender. They obeyed the call OF
their present, and met the demands
OF that present. Yet many OF their
children, men of high standing and
admirable traits today are Democrats
not because, the present demands T..
but because a phantom, a spectre. a
shade, political bugaboo made AMI
used for personal, selfish political In
terests and called negro domination.
frightens them from the path 5f
known civic duty and honest political
action. The result is political pe0n-
age-political serfdom, thraldom to ..
man of straw. That spectre, and be-
cause some say 1t is not respectable
TO be Republican I'm the south, make
some of you dishonest politically
Further on he said:
You demand that the north and
east shall keep hands OF and allow
you to work out certain problems
which. though national, effect you pr
narily. You say, have confidence Ia
us. We know best. But, gentlemen.
do you always do best7 Don't you
know better than you do Do you at