davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Franklin's paper the statesman., 1907-12-13
MAsoNs' CONTAMINATION

hattlnSsDurg, MISS, Dec. T.--The
Stringer Grand Lodge of Free and
Accepted Masons held its 32nd an
nual session In this city during the
past week, and over a thousand dele
gates from all parts OF the state were
present. Rev. e. W. hampton. d
D.. Of Greenville, presided He has
held the position of Grand Master fol-
number Of years, and is also Finan
cial Secretary OF the African Metho
dist Episcopal church with headquar
ters In Washington, D. c.
The Grand Lodge is one OF tht
largest. wealthiest and most aggres
sive organizations In the country
Each session was interesting ant
good advice was given the member!
OF the craft by Dr. hampton. His an
nual address was pronounced liter
ary gem by those who heard it. HI
is one OF the strongest men in thu
entire South.
The report OF Hon. T. Z. Perkins
Of Edwards. showed that over II ,00'
were in good standing and the re
ceip,s of the Masonic Benefit Asso
citation, OF which he is treasurer dur
Ing the past year had been 3i66,
3S0,l0. and had paid to widows ant
orphans sll7.4Go.27. leaving bal
anse Of 14s.slss3. He also spoks o
the 1000 acres Of land purchased IL
the Delta few years ago. being val
ued at 3&07 900.
Grand Master hampton was pre-
sented with a gold watch. purchases
In London. England. at cost of 81
000 Hon. John W. Strauther va'
chairman OF the committee which
made the purchase. and the presents
ton speech was made by Hon. l.. J
Winston. OF Greenville. II is an I'm
usual time piece. as one can tell ih'
time In the dark as well as In III,
light II strikes the hour, then tn
minutes past the hour.
The following officers were eiec,
ed: f. W. hampton. OF Greenville
Grand Master: W. A. J. Morgan, 0
Shelby. Deputy Grand Master: b. N
Lacy. OF Shiloh. Grand Junior War
den: W. W. Phillips. Of Kosciusko
Grand Junior Warden; c. 8. GOOD
man. Of Holly Springs. Grand Secre
tary: T. J. Wilson, OF Meridian. Crane
Treasurer: +. f. Perkins. OF Edwards
Secretary and treasurer OF the
Mason Benefit Association: l..
winston. attorney.
The next session will be held ir
Franklin's paper the statesman., 1907-12-13

Frank Yeiser spent Sunday In T
eblo visiting his best girl. no
Franklin's paper the statesman., 1907-12-13

Mr.. George Williams
from Pitkin Wednesday.
Franklin's paper the statesman., 1907-12-13

Andrew Medley and Leo Burnet
left for Omaha, Neb.. last week.
Franklin's paper the statesman., 1907-12-13

Mr.. G. Morrison. Mr.. Barker and
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-08-20

terial development OF the state) where
by those interested and engaged in
such development are put in the
position of the Virginia and
Carolina Southern Railroad Company,
which requires it to pay a bonus TO this
foreign corporation before it can Sc
cure the aid of state labor in the
prosecution Of such development. There
was no reason, through fear that the
state could not find contract work for
its convicts, for the authorities to
make any such blanket contract, for
every one knows hat the demand by
the railroads and other industrial i'm
provement companies is always great
er than the state al supply.
Why, then, this contract with the
Florida company, if such contract was
made? 1t is time for the administra-
ton to explain.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-08-20
THE PRESS ON MIR. KITCHIN

Mr.. W. ". Kitchin's "unwarranted
attack on certain newspapers in the
state because they criticise his ofi-
cial acts has brought upon him the
criticism of many Of the papers OF
the state which were entirely neu-
trail in the contest for the ~guberna-
torial nomination. II is plain that
Mr.. Kitchin has lost ground by his
conduct in this matter. He went en-
tirely too far in his criticism OF the
papers which he asserted were OPP
posed to his nomination. He mad no
right to criticise them at all had they
openly opposed him or advanced the
cause of some other candidate. They
have as much right to do that as
have other papers to endorse his can
didacy and urge his nomination. Has
it come to the point in this state that
a paper makes itself subject to abuse
by a candidate because Il opposes or
does not advocate his nomination?
The man who takes such a position
will be pretty apt to find himself 'On
the losing side. Even his friends
among the newspapers would not
endorse such conduct.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-08-20
IAN IT BE

The Virginian-PilCJ of Thursday
in it's account Of conditions at On
ancock, publishes a dispatch from
that place which states hat the negro
editor whose incendiary publications
in part led to the race conflict is said
to be the same man who was driven
out of Wilmington for spreading riot
and race war talk. We think this
must be a mistake. The Wilmington
negro was named Manley and he
went from here to New York. The
Onancock negro editor is named W.
zell. 1t may be that Manley has NOV
ed to the Virginia town, and it is very
natural hat he should change his
name on doing so. In fact we do not
suppose that Marley would publish
a paper in any southern town under
the name he bore when living here.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-08-20
OTHER sfDE OF THE STORY.

Frequent mention has been made
OF late OF the fact that the Southern
railroad had its rebate tickets ready
for use Immediately on the announce
ment OF Judge Pritchard's decision.
This has been commented on by some
as indicating that the company knew
before hand what the judges de-
cision would be. In reference TO
this matter Mr.. X. W. Simpson, OF
The Times-Dispatch writes his pa
per from Raleigh:
one incident has been used re-
peatedly and maEnihed bV railroad
hating newspapers in an CUurt to
show that Judge PritChard and the
southern railway lonE ago formed n
queer alliance. The fact that The
Southern had printed rebate coupons
before the PritChard Injunction was
issued, was accepted n u~ndVurtcd
evidence thai the company 'vlt sure
OF its strong power over him Half
Il lie is worse than a whole lie,
Pending announcement 1-"m the
court on the question OF continuing
the temporary Injunction. bN which
the rate law was held uD. the SOUTH
ern railway officials know that ur" 81
two thinCS-Yould happen Therefor"
TO meet either emergency two things
were done: The "a coupons
were printed and "A new tariff FOR IN
trastatc passenger business was pub
lished. showing the rates To- hr char
Eed in tn" event the Injunction Was
was dismissed. The COMPANY went
u double expense to b" prepared.
for time was limited and the con
ditions whatever they might be. had
10 Toe mot. II tn" Injunction had been
thrown aside the new tariff sheets
would have been sent from tho dis
tributing point within the hour. but
his latter fact has been men
ttDned bN those ~newsD2perS which
are still d~cnounCing Judge PritChard
in and nnt ~ season.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-08-20
TIME FOR EXPLANATION.

Can any one tell us whether or not
it is a fact that the penitentiary author
tiles of this state have a contract with
a certain nonresident firm of contrac-
tors to furnish that firm with all the
available outside working state pris-
oners' and whenever a state enterprise
wishing to secure convicts to work on
some state improvements must go to
that nonresident company to secure
state convicts and pay that company a
bonus in order to secure the labor?.
We have heard that there is such a
contract. This looks to us like putting
a. tax on state development by state Of
ficials. We would like to see a denial
of this statement by those who are in
a position to make a denial, for we
would hate to know that the state Of
fcials had placed the democratic ad-
ministratiOn in such a Questionable
position as that Of granting to a nom
resident company the entire control of
the convict labor of the state, (when
there is such a demand all over the
state for this labor to assist in the ma
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-08-20
PASSENGER AND FREIGHT
RATES.

They asked for bread and were given
a stone.
For a long time the people Of North
Carolina have been crying ont for
relief from the unjust discrimination
in railroad freight rates and from tho
worrying delay in delivery Of freights,
and with a blowing Of trumpets and
beating of tomtoms the state officials
put into force a reduction in passep-
ger fares-a thing the people of Tue
state have not demanded and do po1
care a snap of the finger about. The
politicians who are looking after Office
realize that more buncombe can be
crowded into the enforcement of d
simple enactment ordering the rail.
DAD to charge one cent a mile less
for passenger fare than in reforming
the intricate system of freight rates
and freight transportation. The
former makes a bigger show and is
easier of accomplishment. So, while
the people are demanding that the
railroads be required to spend mere
money in order that freight transpur-
tation facilities may be increased tie
legislative, the executive and judicial
departments are boastng of their
prowess in forcing the railroads to
curtail their gross receipts by reducing
the passenger rate-a reduction whic.,
will not do the people any good and
was not asked for by them. Those
people who travel on straight tickets
will save a few cents a year, while il
they We're granted the relief demanded
as to freights it would put many dollars
in their pockets annually. They had
rather pay the higher rates for pas
senger fare and have the roads forced
to spend that money in improvement
Of tracks and terminal facilities; but
there was not possibility Of a big
enough political show in that move
ment. We do not believe, though,
that the people are going TO be fooled
They know what is the relief they
want-from what they are s~unering-
and they are going to take this pas
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-08-20
LET THE SUITS GO ON.

Report comes from Washington
City that the officials of the Southern
railroad, who have been in confer
ence in New York for several days,
have come to the conclusion that it
would be good policy to withdraw
the rate suits brought in the feder-
a. courts in several of the southern
states.
We have heard no talk on the
part of those Atlantic Coast Line
stockholders who brought the suit
against that company pursuing a sim
liar course. The Coast Line suit
differs from the other IN that it is
brought against the company by in
dividuals, while the Southern is the
plaintiff in that suit. The Coast Line
Company could not take any steps
to have the suit withdrawn. That
would have to be done by the plain
tiffs.
We hope there is no foundation
for the report of contemplated
withdrawal Of its suit by the
Southern, but that both the
cases in this state will be
carried to final determination; for
there is a very important constitu-
tional question involved which should
be settled. These cases will give
tho cupromo court Of Tho J-,;+od
States the opportunity to pass upon
that question and determine in so
doing what are the rights of the
states in such matters and what are
the rights of the state and federal
courts and that their relations to-
ward each other. These latter ques-
tons will be raised in the appeals
to be carried to the federal supreme
court in the indictments of the
Southern railroad and it's agents in
the state courts in Wake and Bun
combe counties. The court will be
called on TO declare whether or not
the railway rate act is in violation
Of the federal constitution and also
whether or not a state can use its
courts TO prevent a person, believ-
ing he has a grievance, from seeking
his remedy in the federal court, and
can by Indictment in the state courts
interfere with the orderly proceed
ings of a suit pending in the federal
courts.
II the suit for Injunction is with
drawn we suppose the state will
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-08-20
TIMBER

Colonel John Temple Graves adyo-
Gates editorially in The Georgian the
nomination of a southern man for pres
ident. He says the south has the
men TO offer from almost every state.
Among the men mentioned is Hon.
c.. B. Aycock. We suppose the next
article along this line he publishes
will contain the name of Governor
Glenn also. He a OF the men in
his list-"all men high in repute
throughout the country and able 10 the
limit of presidential timber
We are glad The Georgian has ADAM
doned the idea of having Mr.. Bryan
nominate Mr.. Roosevelt. We can en-
dorse his present position. We want
TO see a southern man nominated.
although we do not think the southern
democrats should insist on a southern
man for the sole reason OF locality.
What We chiefly oppose is the conten-
ton of some that the south should
not be counted in the possibilities
when it comes to choosing the candi-
date. Our position is that the party
should nominate the best man without
regard to locality. We think condi-
ions are such that any one of several
southern men would secure a larger
vote than most any nan from any
other sectiOn-Surely more than Bryan
We would not oppose the nomination
Of Judge Gray, of Delaware, or Gov
ernor Johnston, of Minnesota, just
because they are not from the south.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-08-20
HOW CONNECTS T. OBJ
TANNED.

The RObesOnian of the 18th inst,
heading which, if we understand Its
meaning, will require an explanati III
FROM some one in management of state
affairs.
the EDITORIAL is Uvur Two columns in
length, and opens with this paragraph:
Some weeks ago mention was
made in The Robesonian of the fact
that Colonel N. A. Mclean had
made arrangements. while in Will
mington a few days prior to that.
fifty convicts to work on the
Virginia and Carolina Southern rail-
a The manner in which
these convicts were obtained and
tanned from the state certainly seem
to call for some explanation.
This is a railroad which is being
built from Lumberton to Hope Mills.
Nine miles of the road has been laid
and thirteen miles graded, so there is
no question about it's completion. Il
is a home enterprise, being built en-
tirely by home capital, and it will
open up a splendid and undeveloped
section of Robson county.
In January and again in February
the officials of the railroad applied
to the superintendent of the peniten-
tiary for convicts to work on their
road, Offering to make the same con-
tract as do other parties who secure
~convicts from the state. They were
told that no conyicts were available;
that all were hired out who could be
spared. They then asked if they
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-08-20

abandon the indictment against the
and the whole matter will
be dropped. although the indictment
could still be prosecuted and the
right OF the state to indict the COM
pany and its employees for obeying
an order of the federal court, pro-
hibiting the enforcement OF a state
statute on the ground of Its being
in violation OF the constitution OF
the federal government be pass
ed upon. These are important
legal questions and the opportun-
ity o offered Tor their
settlement by the court OF last re-
sort should lot be allowed to pass.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-08-20

brought against Ii in the state our
transferred. there can be no possible
doubt. and that right could not be
taken away BY a state law II
would have been more satisfactory
10 have these questions tested and
settled by the course OF procedure
that was started but the business Of
the company vas largely at the
mercy of the states through which its
lines run and in which much Of Its
business is done and IL cannot be
blamed for sUrrendering to a hold up
rather than be crippled or mutilated.
II not knched. II the state laws
prove injurious to the railroad. they
will be still more so TO the states that
passed them
The hediug over the Journals article,
which we have used also, is misleading,
as are also some sentences in the edi-
torial. The Southern railroad has no:
abandoned its suit. The only surrer-
der il and the Atlantic Coast line have
made is to recede from the position
that the lower rates should not be put
in force pending the suits to determine
the validity of the acts Of the legisla-
lures establishing these rates Both
companies still maintain that those
acts are unconstitutional. and the
suits involving that question are still
pending in the circuit court, n Will
be taken from there to the federal SUI
preme court. Neither railroad company
has abandoned its contention that the
laws are unconstitutional. and the!
,~o r1;-r - hoo +h,t ,n;pr eatflnl hNt
the court OF las lcsort and the only
| court which can finally determine thai
question.
There has beeu Z great deal OF crit
! suits in the federal courts instead of
in the state courts. This seemed TO
have angered some people more than
| anything else. Among the reasons why
the former courts are preferable in
such case there is one which We have
not seen mentioned and which, no
doubt, had great weight with the men
in%stituting tie suits. These cases are in
| the equity court ard ali the testimony
VII b" written and on appea. ga Up
| with the cases. The supreme court will
have all the evidence before it and 1t
, will pass upon the issues Of fact raj ed
by the pleadiTgs; whereas if the cases
wera uieG in 4 state our = jIH
| would find the facts and their findings
would be conclusive. On appeal 10
| the state supreme court and from it TO
the federal supreme court the testi-
mony or the ISSUES Of fact would not
be presented to either court. and the
latter court would be bound by tn
findings of the jury. 1t would have no
right to consider the issues Of fact
which were presented to the jury,
which issues it would consider and set
| tie in a case before it when brought In
the equity branch of the federal court.
In other words the nine judges of the
federal supreme court will act both rs
judges and jury in the case as now
constituted. 1t is natural to suppose
that the railroads would prefer to have
the facts found in these cases found
by the judges of the federal supreme
court. VINO will have the testimony DC
fore them in written form, than by a
jury in the court Of a state where there
is so much prejudice and luminosity
against railroads.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-08-20

The Virginia papers are saying that
North Carolina week brought to the
exposition the greatest crowd hat has
been present since the opening of the
exposition. We are surprised that they
should be surprised at this. Don't the
Norfolk papers know the Tar Heels
any better than that? Don't they know
yet how loyal they are to their state
in peace as we'll as in war. The Vir-
ginia papers should not have display
ed this ignorance of the character of
the North Carolina people in any such
way. We are surprised at their lack
of astuteness. They should have taken
it for granted hat Carolina was going
to take Norfolk ron North Carolina
day at the exposition.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-08-20

senger II reduction hurrah at its
real worth and not at the spurious
valuation placed upon it b. the Office
seekers who are making such a hula
baloo over the great vict~ry l-ey
have won for the people over the
..grasping railroad corporations
Give the people the relief :hey need
and are asking for. and you will have
something TO boast Of Yo1 have
done nothing tina the people should
be especially grateful for as yet-not
enough TO merit the s~enatorship, the
attorney g~ereralshiD- ~ cetera-
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-08-20
WHO WAS

Who was governor in North Carolina
last week? That is a question we would
like to have answered. The governor
and lieutenant governor were at James
town and the speaker Of the house was
in New York. Had it been necessary
for executive orders to have been l.
sued who would have issued them? 1t
is true that some time ago when the
governor was out Of the state an eX-
ecutive order was issued out of the ex-
ecutive department ordering the hold
ing Of a special term Of superior our
for the purpose Of trying certain i'm
pOrtant capital cases. The defense in
the trial raised this point and con-
tended that the court was not properly
organized because the governor or
dering the court was not really the
sion to the judge was issued in his
name, because he was outside the linn
its Of the state. The supreme court
held that the Indictment and trial was
good, because the court could not en-
terrain a motion that it was an illegal
court, holding the court could not pass
on such a question because if it were
to decide that it We're illegally consti-
tuted and bad no right to make any
rulings it was, per force of such rul-
ing, precluded from declaring that 1t
was an illegally constituted court. In
other words, that if a court were to de-
eide that it was Illegally constituted
and could not transact business such
decision would be of no effect because
made by a court which had
no right to make any decision, not
even one declaring itself an Illegally
constituted court because if illegally
constituted it had 40 legal power to
make that decision, because all decis-
ions made by it would be outside the
law.
That was a mighty fine point of law;
but still it did not decide the question
tof the constitutional power Of the
governor, while beyond the borders OF
the state, to act as governor. In fact,
we do not believe that point was touch
ed on by the supreme court in its de-
cision in that case. That is a question
yet to be decided in some case When
the question is brought up in a dit
ferent way. For instance suppose
that Governor Glenn while attend
ing thai ~"banquet' given to him
in New York by certain friends OF
the gold brick" swindlers then in
the state pententiary, had signed
the pardon of these cOnvicts would
he have recognized the validity OF
those pardons after his return to
the state? Would Governor Glenn,
while outside the borders of the
state, sign the death warrant OF
a man who had been convicted OF
a capital crime and whose sentence
had Teen confirmed by the supreme
court? We hardly think he would.
For some purposes at least, we hold
that the state was without executive
head for several days last week.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-08-20

The papers of the state are discuss
ing the question of making Wilmington
the permanent place of holding the
tournaments of the state firmen'S as
ISOLATION. We are glad to see this. 1t
shows that the firemen from AL sec
tons of the state who attended the
last annual convention and tournament
were we'll pleased with their enter
tainment here. The editors of the pa
pers have taken their cue from the
members of the fire companies Of their
towns who attended the meeting.
When those editors express desire
that Wilmington shall be made the
place of permanent meeting it shows
that the firemen were SO we'll pleased
with their entertainment here that
the want to come back again We
feel sure that every business man and
every citizen of Wilmington would well
come them back next year. They had a
good time-if We do say it, and we rs
hosts should not do sO-and they be-
haved as gentlemen while they were
here.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-08-20
The Limit OF Life.

The mos eminent medical scient-
lists are unanimous in the conclu-
sion that the generally acceted linn
itation of human life is many years
below the attainment possible with
the advanced knowledge of which
the race is now possessed The crit
ical period, that determines its du-
ration, seems TO be between so and
60; the proper care of the body dur
ing this decade cannot be too strong
ly urged; carelessness then being ia
tai to longevity. Natures best help
er after so is Electric Bitters, the
scientific tonic medicine that revival
ICES every organ in the body. Guar
anteed by r. r. Bellamy druggist.
Price so cents.