The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-08-17
WILMINGTON. N c.
FRIDAY AUGUST II 1906
A LETTER FROM THE GOVERNOR.

OOFeIuOf GIenn IN egard to a criti-
cism in last Sundays Messenger OF
some remarks he was reported to have
made in his address at Guilford college
a few nights previous. The governor
was reported in the columns of The
Industrial News as saying he objected
to local option on the ground hat the
community will not practice what it
breaches, using Wilmington as an
example.
While W. claim the right to criticise
official acts and public declarations
of the governor and Of every other
state official we do not want ever to do
him or any other official an injustice,
and Il columns are always open to
correction Of any unjust criticism we
may have made. In this case we can
not see that We nave done Governor
Glenn an injustice. We were at fault
only in not stating that he held up
some other cities in the state along
with Wilmington whose people did
not practice what they preached. The
Industrial News reporter, inadvert-
emily we suppose, omitted to mention
the other cities alluded to by the gov
ernor We cannot see, though, that
this slight omission in quoting him
has any bearing on the matter dis
cussed. 1t strikes us that if the gov
T,a u-or+oI IN n h 10 NJ r;1 ~ ooo
pie as not practicing what they preach
it should have been those who vote sa-
looms out of their towns, putting them
selves on record as opposing the traf-
fc in and consumption of the COM
modify, but still secretly patronize
saloons in those cities where such traf-
The governor says he made the sameI
argument in a speech delivered in
this city and it was not criticised by
The Messenger. There is a great deal
of difference between making such an
argument or plea to the home peoplel
and making the same charges against
them to an audience composed entire
ly Of strangers to them. People can
stand having things said to them
which they do not relish having said
about them to strangers.
One more point and We are done. The
governor says: please do not try
always to put me in a bad light before
your people. The Messenger is far
from trying always to put the governor
in a bad light before our people. 1t
has with great pleasure highly conf
.mended his action on more than one
occasion and it is gratifed to know
that ne appreciated the same.
The governors letter follows:
State Of North Carolina,
Executive Department,
Raleigh, August 13.
Messrs. Jackson & Bell.
Gentlemen: Your paper sees fit to!
c~riticise me So often that l cannot af-
ford to try and satisfy you in regard
To all you say, but after reading your
editorial in Sundays paper and beingI
unwilling that good people of our city
should think L had in any way sland-I
SlSl kiISt-1 L viii tel YOU I'D L Sdlui
in my speech at Guilford college. Il
made the same speech substantially
there that l did in your city and used
the very argument that you now cri-I
ticiSe n then did not. l was stating,
why l favored prohibition instead oil
local option: that ordinarily l would
favor letting every locality regulate it's
own business and vote liquor in or out
just as they pleased, but that the trou-,
BILE was the local optionists did not.
practice what they preached. To Illus
trate-I said Greensboro, Charlotte,'
MaXton, G~oldsboro, etc, a voted OUT
liquor and Wilmington, Winston, Sails:
bury, etc, had voted it in, and, if
those voting it in would confine their
sales 10 their own limits and would
not sell to dry towns all would be
we'll. but if they did sell to the dry
towns the only redress was to vote
II out in the entire state. mentioned
Wilmington along with my own town
by way simply of an illustration Of
my point, and especially added that,
in Wilmington they seemed to think
my point was right, for they were try
ing 70 stop the shipments of whiskey
from there to dry localities in the par
ticular community of your people.
You may say what 0 think right.
about me but please do not try to-
make your people think I am against
your city, for I am not. I have tried
and VIII continue to try to help you
whenever.I car. I was for an encamp-.
ment both at Wilmington and More
head and did what 1 could for your.
port at Southport. our people ask
ing me 1 will at any time aid you
in any way you suggest to build up
city, so please do not, because we
can't agree On whiskey matters, try
always to put me in a bad light before
people. You are gentlemen and
will do what is right and moral in the
matter. Because we differ I like you