davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
ANSON PROHIBITION ELECTION

AS was announced in the Sunday
papers, the prohibitionists gained a
victory in Arson county last Saturday.
This was a peculiar case. WadesbCro
had previously voted on the liquor
question under the Watts bill and the
advocates of saloons had won the vic
tory. The last legislature had be-
fore it bill providing for prohibitien
in that town Notwithstanding the
voters had, exercising the privileges
granted to them under the law Of the
state which law had also been made a
part of the democratic state platform,
declared against prohibition The
matter was compromised in the legis-
lature by leaving to the voters of the
whole county the question as to wheth-
er there should be saloons or prohibit
ton in the town. This was clearly a
reputation of the Watts plank in the
platform Which, as 1t is SClll the plat
form of the party, is supposed to gov
ern its actions The anti-prohibition-
lists in the town preferred this to a di-
rect imposition of prohibition by act
of the legislature. The prohibitionists
thoughtStheir cause stronger in the
whole county than if left to the voters
of the town only. The election was
held on Saturday and the prohibition
lists won.
The significant fact and the one 10
which we"wish to call special attention
is that the prohibitionists not Only
carried every rural precinct, but both
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
THE TELEGRAPHERs' STRIKE

Because of the precipitate manner
in which the telegraph operators put
their strike into effect they did not
receive much sympathy from the pub
lie. They seem to be gaining more
sympathy, however, because of the
persistent refusal of the telegraph COM
panies TO listen to a proposition for a
grievances claimed by the telegraph
ers to exist The public, while wait
ing for the often promised renewal of
normal conditions, has become tired of
the repeated declaration that there is
nothing to arbitrate.
Issues certainly have been raised be-
tween the companies and their en-
ployes. The latter made certain de-
mands which were not granted. There
is surely a question as to the business
of those demands If the companies
are so certain that these demands are
unjust, why should they refuse to
even listen to a proposition that the
alleged grievances be left to the de-
cision of an impartial board? These
demands may be very just or altogeth-
er unjust. That cannot be decided so
long as the companies say that their
word must be taken as conclusive
proof of the correctness of their con-
tention. The strikers, on the other
hand, are willing for a board, compos-
ed Of disinterested persons, to say
whether or not their demands are just.
AS long as this situation continues
public sentiment in favor of the strik-
ers will continue to increase. The
companies are losing public favor
through their obstinacy in refusing to
have the case brought to a hearing.
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
FREE RAILROAD PASSES

It is published that Chairman Nc
Lendon. of the Georgia railroad COM
mission, has declined a free pass sent
to him by the Central Railroad OF
Georgia.
State officials, especially railroad
commissioners, should not accept
favors from railroads, but the latter
should be required to furnish free
transportation to officials whose duties
require them to do a great deal of
travelling. We believe the corporation
commission of this state is, by act of
the legislature furnished free transpor-
tation by the railroads
of passes by state officials is that
because of the cry in late years Of rail :
road dOminatiOn-by 50 doing they
would lose their influence and create
suspicion of themselves among many
people Every action on their part
favorable to railroad, no matter how
just, would be denounced as having
been influenced by the possession of
a free pass.
This cry against free passes is of re-
cent date. In former times il was not
considered improper for judges-eyen
justices of the supreme court-and
other state officials to accept annual
passes from the railroads. The people
did not think they would be biased by
so doing. The people did not have less
confidence in such justices of the su-
preme court as Pearson, Settle, Reade,
Rodman, Smith, Rufin or Dillon, or
such state officials as Vance, Saunders,
Englehard, Worth and hest of others
We might name because they used free
passes. Were those men untrue to
their trusts? Were they less faithful
servants of the people than are their
successors in Office of the present day
because they rode on passes and the
latter do not? Can't present-day Of
ficials be trusted TO the same extent as
they were? Are they deprived of this
privilege which was without question
accorded to their predecessors of a
few years back because the people
feel they cannot put the same conf
dence in their integrity:
The crusade against passes was
started as political movement by its
originators to curry favor with the
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
THE VETO POWER

On the subject of veto power in the
hands of governors, Judge Parker, in
his recent address before the American
| Bar Association had the following to
say, which the charlotte Observer
quotes with approval:
An Illustration of the opinion of a
lawyer upon whom as governor rest
ed the responsibility of the exercise Of
the veto power as to many bills pass
ed only this year by the Legislature Of
the state Of New York. is found in the
fact that he vetoed 81, caused 1877 to-
be withdrawn, and permitted $50 to
die for lack Of his signature, making
total of 484 bills which, after pas
sage through committees and both
houses, failed nevertheless to become
laws because of the governors action.
While it is true that some whole
some and necessary statutes come out
Of such conditions ike those I have
outlined in more instances unneces-
sary nr positivel: bad ones spring
from them.
The right to veto acts is a great
power to be put into the hands of a
governor, yet it cannot be denied that
it often is the means of preventing
crude and vicious legislation. The
president of the United States has al
ways exercised this power, and it is
conferred upon the governors of a very
large majority of the states. We can
not now recall the number of those
from which it is withheld; it is very
small, however; North Carolina being
of the very few states On that list.
We look to see the change made in
this state She will come to it after
awhile, though she probably will be
the last one to do so.
Since writing the above it occurs to
US that we have read the statement
somewhere that North Carolina ana
Rhode Island are the only states whose
governors are not clothed with this
power; but We make no claim to ac>
curacy on that point.
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
THE QUEBEC BRIDGE DISASTER

The first accounts of the bridge dis
aster near Quebec were fearful enough
vt subsequent accounts show the ac-
cident to be even more appalling than
at first supposed. It is impossible to
imagine the feelings of those who in
boats pass above the wreckage at the
bottom of the river and look down
upon the mangled bodies of the victims
held down by the tons Of steel beams
and cables. The bodies are in sight,
.but cannot be recovered. What
fearful sight it must be to look down
through the water at low tide and see
the bodies swaying in the current, held
in an iron grasp that will tax mans
ingenuity to loosen. We do not See
how these bodies are to be recovered.
In course of time the heavy beams
may and, no doubt, will be raised:
but it will take a long time to make
the preparations. Powerful floating
dericks will have to be moOred over the
wreckage and, with the aid of divers,
piece by piece will be raised to the sur
face; but by the time this can be done.
what will have become of the bodies of
the poor fellows who went down with
and were caught in the clutches OF
the network of that immense structure? ?
All the surrounding circumstances
make it one of the most horrible, blood
curdling accidents that have happened
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
Charlotte Cotton Mill Strike

When we go back To work every
scab will have 10 leave the mill. de-
clared a couple Of Highland Park
operators this morning They are out
on strike with nearly 200 others
Some of the very first men who sug-
gested the strike" they declared fur
ther. have gone back TO work"
So far as settling the strike. the men
say they offered a compromise with
the mill management by working Ga
hours week on a schedule og five
minutes longer each day and stopping
Saturday at noon. The men claimed
that the schedule they struck for was
63 1-2 hours per week and by adding
five minutes on 20 each days work
they would be willing to work Ga hours
per week, two hours shorter time than
the present Observation-Disclosures News
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1907.
u LAMENTABLE FACT

What a state for brilliant men ana
leaders in all branches of Industry
and learning North Carolin would be
if all her sons of education and INDUS
trial thrift would stay at home ana
could be given the same opportunities
and encouragement here they ENJOY
in other states to which they migrate
in order to better their conditions.
Scattered over the union from Name
to Texas and from the Atlantic to
the Pacific are sons Of North Carolina
who bring honor to their adopted
states by the high positions they take
in their respective callings. Many of
the states of the union are indebted to
North Carolina for their leading men
men who lead in the pulpit, in the
political arena, in the editorial room.
in the college professors chair, in the
factory, on the farm; in fact, in every
calling of life.
Few days pass that the press does
not give an account of some former
Tar Heel who has won honOrs in his
new home, far away from the state Of
his birth and in which, perhaps, he
has lived until his majority; where lie
has been reared and educated in pre-
paration for his life work, but when
the time came to map out his life of
usefulness and to begin his career as
a man of work and energy, has found
it necessary to his success to seek
more fertile fields of labor in order to
reward those talents deserve. This
deplorable fact is brought to mind by
reading the following paragraph in the
New Bern Sun
Mr.. John Boyd Webb, who was born
in New Bern just twenty one years
ago, graduated at the University of
Mississippi in June and has been elect
ed q professor of the Mississippi State
College at Storkeville, Miss. Mr..
Webb is the son of Mr.. and Mrs. Jno.
w Webb, formerly of this place, but
now of Athens, Ga. and a nephew Of
w. G.. Boyd.
Is it because North Carolina is too
poor to offer inducements to those men
to stay at home or is it that she
has not proper appreciation of the ad-
vantages she would derive by Offer
ing sufficient inducements to hold
Them as citizens and up-builders Of the
state? Whatever the cause it is la
mentable that it exists to such an eX-
tent
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
AFTER THE TRUSTS
Solicitor Duffy Asks for Special In
structions To Grand Jury on
Antitrust Law.

During the charge OF Judge Biggs
Monday morning Solicitor Duffy rose
and requested his honor In instruct
the jury on the antitrust law and as
TO their duty in caSeas OF violation Of
said law. This Judge Briggs did with
pleasure and told the jury that they
could read the entire act at their will
and define its meaning clearly This
is a very important law and having
only been in existence for n short time
the public has probably failed to learn
much OF its Importance. II Is aimed at
large corporations that are trying TO
drive TO the wall small concerns that
are making an honest living II is
therefore one OF benefit Ia the great
masses, and only recently in New
Hanover county the great Diamond
Match Co. had an experience like other
wealthy corporations will sooner or
later have TO pass through with. So
licitor Duffy has always stood boldly
against trusts and combines and he is
doing his duty by going for them with
the law that protects the honest small
dealer and the trade and life OF our
country. This is the first time We
have seen where n solicitor has come
before the court and requ' sted a Judge
TO inform the grand jury along this
fine. II should be done all over the
country and in all superior courts for
the protection of the MASSES that arc
made poorer at the hands OF million
dollar corporations in the game OF
restraint OF our trade. He deserves
TO be commended by all men.-Ken-
ansville News.
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06

precincts In the town also, the total
majority being 603 votes This means
that leaving out the rural districts, the
voters of the town of Wadesboro have,
by a majority vote, declared In favor
of the closing of all saloons and the
shutting down of the distilleries which
have heretofore been operated in the
town This means that by an equal
contest and fair vote the people of
Wadesboro have declared against the
operation of distilleries and saloons
in their town If the anti-prohibition-
lists Of that town are the law-abiding
people they claim to be they should
make up their minds, not only 10 obey
the law, but also to see that all per-
sons inclined to disobey it are prevent
ed from doing so, The rule of the nla-
jorty is the law of this land Tne
law should be enforced in Wadesboro.
in fact as well as in theory. Both par
ties should determine to see the law
enforced. That is the only way to
work for the good of the town. Let the
yield to the will of the rua-
jority. 4 3MS
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
BETTER FOR ALL.
This Hot Weather Means Good Crops
of all Kinds

This Hot Weather Means Good Crops
of all Kinds
Every day Of weather such as we
are now having is OF inestimable ad-
vantage to the south. 1t is good grow
ing weather, the kind the farmers like
to see, and we know that upon the
prosperity of the agricultural class de-
pends to a very great extent the well
fare of the entire country.
These are the words of j. w. Fry.
president of the Greensboro Loan and
position with the Greensboro Life In
surance Company, two Of the leading
financial institutions in North CARROLL
ma. The words were spoken in his Of
flee in the trust building, within the
comforting range of an electric fan,
and while the temperature on the
street was of sizzling variety. A COM
ment had been made on the DISPOSE
tion of the thermometer to get up in
the air and cause uncomfortable con-
ditions for humanity in addition 10 its
effect and keeping people of OF the
streets on the busiest day or the week
the retaid merchants.
Those who grumble at a somewhat
oppressive wave Of torridity," contin-
ued Mr.. Fry, do not seemingly real
ze that it means decided gain for
the producers, the manufacturers and
distributors, and through all these for
every individual in this country who
depends upon his work or the use OF
his capital II the farmers raise short
crops, the rest Of us are apt TO go
short on financesi si'-Greensboro In
dustrial News.
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
NORTH CAROLINA POETICAL
GEM

The Charlotte Observer in gathering
and publishing the poetical gems OF
North Carolina should not overlook a
speech made in verse by the late Atlas
Jones Dargan of Wadesboro, in ante
bellum days, in defense Of one Billy
Brewer before the temperance society
Of that town Billy was tailor and
was given TO too frequent potations
at times. He was induced 10 join the
society, which had a sick-6enefit fea-
ture. Not long after joinins he made
application for relief on the ground
that he was incapacitated from work
by having stuck a needle in his finger.
His request was turned down with 4
hint that the injury was owing 70 his
condition which prevented his knowing
which one of two fingers he saw was
the real finger. Billy employed Gen
eral Dargan to plead his cause. The
general, as we said above, put his
speech in verse, the first two lines
being
Sons of temperance, why do you lin
ger;
Know ye not, Billy Brewer has a sore
finger?
We are sorry not to be able to give
the Observer more of that wonderfully
pathetic and poetical plea. These
are the only lines We re-
member, but if he Observer will
write to Hon. r. T. Bennett, of Wades-
boro, he will gladly furnish the poem,
for we have no doubt he has copy,
as it was from him we heard it years
ago.
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06

! term of court the docket would be
! crowded with cases Of whiskey selling,
many of the defendants, old offenders
who had been convicted at previous
courts for similar offenses. The Gus
tom Of the judges has been to impose
fines in such cases. Evidently the
profits on the Illegal business were SO
great that the offenders were willing
to run the risk of being caught and
fined
Judge Council, now holding court in
that county, is going to put stop
to this rotation of old offenders from
the courts to their blind tiger haunts
and back to the courts. There are
about one hundred whiskey cases on
the docket The judge has decided to
break up this business He thinks the
best way to do it is to substitute
chain-gang sentences for fines and he
mas announced MS purpose OF so DONG.
He has adopted the right course If
the illegal traffic can be broken up that
is the right way to do it. His expert
ment will be watched with great inter-
est. AS he will ride that circuit un-
til January and will hold one Or per-
haps two more courts in that county,
he will have good opportunity for test
ing his plan. We believe it will sue.
ceed. a
All judges in the state should follow
Judge Councils example. If one mode
of punishment won't prevent the pre-
valence of a certain crime then it is
the duty of the judges to resort to
severer means for it's suppression.
Where the majority of the voters of
city declare at the polls against the
lawful sale of liquor the judges and the
county officials should see to it that
the traffic is not carried On illegally
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
SENATOR LEE S. OVERMAN

Words of praise are always pleas
ing and to hear are especially appre-
clatlVe when coming from a high
source, from one who occupies that
position of vantage which makes the
commendation of an authoritative ma
ture. A Shelby gentleman who spent
few days not long since at a popu-
lar East Tennessee watering resort
had the pleasure of a rather intimate
association with Senator McEnery, of
louisiana. Learning that the former
was North Carolinian. the CONVERSE
ton naturally drifted into the un-
fortunate railroad controversy which
was then uppermo in the minds of
nearly everybody, Carolinians espe-
tally.
This discussion of course led to mat
ters political, and Senator McEnery
took occasion to speak in the highest
possible terms of Senator Lee S.
Overman. He said that by sheer force
of ability he had risen steadily until
he was now recognized as one of the
brainiest, biggest men in that body Of
big and brainY men. He considered
him statesman of the highest type;
of marvellous resources; of infinite tact
and diplomacy, and above all, a man
who accomplished things: who at all
times kept at the forefront the inter-
constituency not only zealOusly, but
in way that brought results and re-
f1ected credit upon himself and his
people.
Speaking of possible opposition to
reelection, he was earnest in the ex-
preston of the, opinion that the re-
tirement of Senator Overman would
be not only a calamity tc his state
but to the nation as we'll.
how
ever, that the people of North Caro-
lima, noted for their sense of justice
and fair play, could, for moment
consent to the displacement of pub
lis servant who has served them so
faithfully and with such conspicuous
ability, especially in view of the fact
that Senator Overman is only now
serving his first term.-Cleveland Star
This is a compliment, indeed that
has been paid North Carolina's Junior
senator. Considering the high and i'm
partial source whence it comes, it
must be exceedingly gratifying to the
SENATOR and all North Carolinians
should feel proud to know that he is
held in such esteem by those with
whom he has been associated in the
performance of his duties as their
states representative in the senate, and
what it still more pleasing to his
friends is the knowledge that he de-
serves every word Senator McEnery
said about him. Still there are some
democrats in the state-a fact hard to
believe-who are desirious of retiring
him at the end of his first term and
putting a new man in his place. We
feel sure, however, that a large ma
jority of our party will recognize how
suicidal, as a state measure, such action
would be, to say nothing of its unfair
ness to Senator Overman.
The only truthful reason those who
wish his retirement can give is that
they want the Office for a personal
friend, who is very anxious for the
place. The question for the democratic
members Of the next legislature 10
decide is: Shall the interests of the
state be sacrificed and her reputation
of being represented in the senate by
one of that body's brainiest and ablest
members be lost, for the sole purpose
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
OF gratifying the personal ambition
Of politician?

OF gratifying the personal ambition
Of q politician?
Few senators have won such repu-
tatioa during their first term as has
Senator Overman; and II must be re-
membered that a man never ceases to
grow In the senate If there Is anything
in him al the start. Senator Overman
will stand higher in the senate and In
the nation during his second term and
still higher during every succeeding
term he represents his state He is
one OF the kind who will continue to
grow so long as he remains MEM
Der of that body.
We have no personal interest in
Senator Overman or his reelection. II
is a matter of state pride with US
the desire TO have North Carolina rep
resented by senators who will bring
honor and credit TO her by the posi-.
tion they take among the foremost
statesmen of the nation.
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06

people They found II a good card to
play and they worked IL for all 1t is
worth. III
II has always seemed to US that there
was more cant and demagogism than
any thing else in this ant-pass COM
motion.
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06

in recent years Imagine, IL you can
the feelings of the friends and relatives
of the water, view the bodies OF loved
ones, pinioned to the bed of the river,
and realize their inability to reach
them or TO rescue them from their
grave?
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06

Paw" asked Johnny, do they
play baseball in heaven?"
Il see no reason why the game may
not be played there" answered the
father, "as we'll as on earth"
Where do they get their umpire?-
Chicago Tribune
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
TO SUPPRESS BLIND TIGERS

Ever since prohibition has been es
tablished in Durham that city has been
infested with blind tigers. At every
The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-06
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