ST : . -Nv?A A A "(1(1 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DISPATCHES LASTEDITICII 4:C0P. II Neither Torfccaat: CLEARING; COLDER,. v.,JLv VOL. XVII. NO. 10. ASHEVILLE, N. C, WEDNESDAY. AFTERNOON, FEBRUARY 21, 1912. So PER COPY HOUSTONlIS SWEPT RAILROAD WOJRK "BIG LZJSINESS AND Trir P nvrTiXTPT Af2T A TTnisJ 1 KJ JdiLUIJNi dUUJSI eOple Col. Roosevelt Tells How He ' Would Have Government Deal With' Present Day Problems. AGAIN URGES NEED OF CURBING COURTS Says He Wants to Make "the Popular Judgment Really Effective "Praises LaFollette. ' ' PATROFJAGE TRADE STIRS III URGENTS President's Move to Secure North Carolina Delegation Strongly Condemned. Columbus, O., Feb. 21. "Biff IiubI ness," the fitness of the American peo ple for self-government, the recall of Judges, and praise for the progressive legislation In Wisconsin instituted by and furthered by Senator Robert M. LaFollette when he was governor, were topics discussed by Theodore Roosevelt in un address, today before the Ohio Constitutional convention here. Colonel Roosevelt chose as his 1 subject,' "A Charter of Democracy." Of what he termed "big business," Colonel Roosevelt had this to say: The anti-trust law does good inso far as it can be invoked against com blimllons which renllv are mononolles or which restrict production or which artificially raise prices. But insofar as its workings are uncertain or .as It threatens corporations which have not been guilty of anti-social conduct It does harm. There should be a fixed governmental policy which shall clear ly dellne find punish wrongdoing and give In advance full information to any man as to Just what he can and- Jnst what he cannot legally and prop erly do." Ah to the fitness of the American people fur self-government, . Colonel Roosevelt said: Sni-8 Wo Arc Fit for Self-Government. "Many eminent lawyers believe that the Americon people are not fitted for popular government and . that it 19 1 necessury'to keep the judiciary 'inde pendent of the majority of the peo ple.' 'I take absolute Issue with all - iniiKe wnu nuiu iin wn, ,.- "The "question Is one of expediency merely. Each community , has the right to try the experiment for itself iA whatever shnpe It pleases. I do not believe In adopting the recall save its a last resort, when It has become clearly evident that, no other course will achievethe desired result." ; Senator LaFollette was mentioned but once, as follows: ."Following Senator IiFollette a number of practical workers and thinkers In Wisconsin have turned that stale into an experimental labor atory, of wise governmental action In aid of social and . Industrial justice. They have Initiated that kind of pro gressive government which means not nnlv the preservation of- true democ racy but the extension of the prin ciple of true democracy Into Indus tiiiillsm hs well as Into politics." ! Colonel Roosevelt said In- part: i "I hold it to be the duty of every . public servant, and of every man who in public or private life holds a posi tion of leadership In thought or ac tion, to endeavor honestly and fear lessly to guide hi fellow-countrymen .to rleht decisions; but I emphatically dinsent from the view that it is either wise or necessary to try to devise methods which under the constitution will automatically prevent the people from deciding for themselves what . . .. 1 Doilnn th.iv dppm lllBt ),irvci iuiiruu.1 .. v ...... - - - , and nroner.- ' Would VfMt All Power In the 1'eoplc "It Is Impossible to Invent const! mtlonal devices which will prevent the popular will from being effective ' for wrong without also preventing u from being effective for right. The only sare course to follow In this great American democracy is to pro vide for making the popular Judgment really effective. Rut It is a false con stitutionalism, a false statesmanship, to endeavor by the exercise of a per verted Ingenuity to seem to give the peoplo full power and at -the same time to trick them out of It. "Yet this Is precisely what is done in every case where the state permits Its representatives, whether on the bench or in the legislature or In exec utlve office, to declare that It has not ihe power to right grave social " wrones. or that any of the officers ' created bv the people, and rightfully tin. f.rvnnt of the people, can set themselves up to be the masters of the people. Constitution-makers should make It clear beyond a shadow of doubt that the people In the legis l live canacltv have the power to en n,-t into law anv measure they deem necessary for the betterment of social und industrial conditions. "I hold that he Is the real progres sive, that he Is the genuine champion of the ncoDl. who endeavors to shape t lie policy alike of the nation and of th wveral states so as to encourage legitimate and honest business at the : snine time that he wars against all crookedness and Injustice and unfair ness and tyranny In the business s world. This Is the reason why I have , for bo many years Insisted as regards our national government, that It Is inth fnttlA n ml tnlsrhevloiis to - en leavor to correct the evils of bi business by an attempt to restore bus Inepa conditions ni they were In the middle of the last century, before "; railways and telegraphs had rendered birgpr business organizations both in evitn-hle and desirable. nintlix-k IiOfflxlatlon." "The effort to restore such conill Thousands Homeless; Loss Estimated at Five Millions. FACTORY BUILDINGS '. Onzette-Nows Uureau, Wyatt Building, Washington, Feb. 21. Insurgent republicans are bitter in their denunciation of the methods be ing prncliced in the Interest of Presi dent Taft's nomination. Senator Jon athan Bourne, of Oregon, head of the National Progressive league, has wax ed wroth because; of the president's action i withdrawing all North Caro lina nominnuons. This flagrant mlsusago of patron age, says Mr. Bourne, ."must neces sarily receive credence throughout the country, especially In the minds of those remembering the famous Nor ton letter." Continuing Mr. Rourne says; . "The presidential withdrawal of ten nominations for the state of North Carolina, .resulting in rumors that the cause Was not theiunfltness of the in dividual nominees,: but. to leave those oflieea open for trading purposes in the securing of delegates favorable to the. renomlnatlon of President Taft, demonstrates the necessity for the earliest possible adoption by1 states of my presidential preference bill which, when generally adopted, will destroy the federal machine, so far as enab ling n president to renominate himself or designate his successor Is concern ed, making demonstrated efllciency in office the sole measure of the reten tion of the incumbent. "This rumored flagrant misuse of patronage must necessarily receive great credence throughout the coun try, and especially in the minds of those remembering the famous Norton letter. - The purchase of votes for money debauches but two Individuals, the purchaser and the purchasee. The purchase of votes for federal patron age debauches not only the Individual parties to the transaction, but the na-UiUVilJJt-Mj'liich - juMryAthoiKsJltt'til man not only deprecate, but abhor. J. E. Little, of Charlotte, was hero for several hours yesterday and visited Roosevelt headquarters In the Mnnsey building. Those, In charge said tlint Mr.-- Little reported great unrest throughout the country Mid predicted that unless Roosevelt is tlven . the nomination, the democrats are wire to elect the next president. REDUCED TO ASHES Most of the Monetary Loss Involved in the instruction of In- dustrial Plants Twenty-Five Squares of Cottages Wip ed Out Burned Area One Mile Long ; and Seven Blocks Wide. H .OHSTON, Tex., Fell., 21 . Fire which broke out at 12:.'J0 o'clock this morning in a wooden hotel building, swept by a wind blowing 35 miles an homyate its way one mile across Houston, covering an area seven blocks wide. The loss is estimated at five million dollars. At least twenty-five squares in a residence district were burned. There were no casual ties reported, but thousands are homeless and the weather is wintry. 1 Underwriters refuse to make a positive statement regarding the property loss. Most of the homes wore not of great value, as the flames swept through a district - comprising working RKW!rotfcTgM; Most -of "the property loss was sustained1 in . . n n i 11 the destruction ot lactory min ings. The fire was got under control at 7 o'clock. Anions the mills, factories and oth er Industrial plants either totally de- itroyed or seriously damaged are the McFadden Southern Warehouse company, syrup mills, Lumber Co. Compress and Dew Brothers' the Houston & Liggett Rogers Paint Co., the LEOiSLATIVE HOLD-UP BY T Gas Company Man Says Jersey Solon Wanted Money to Kill Bill. FATE OF TARIFF BILLS IN DOUBT Progressives Hold Balance of Power LaFollette's Illness Hampers Them. Washington, Feb. 21.' With the Trenton, N. J., Feb. 21. A sensa-1 pasimge of the chemical revision bill tlon was created in the legislature! """"5 l"uay , . IV: , ... , i rauu lariii measure is uuui iu mc here yesterday when the senate, in . 8enuteaiendar. The Bteel bill Is still executive session, ordered the judi-. pending In the senate, where only a pf EFFORT TO COLOR T.B.S SPEECH! REPORTS ? . - X Taft People Offer to Send Com- plete Accounts, Tolls r . Prepaid. Destructive Windstorms Rage in the Gulf States Gaiette-Newa Bureau, - Wyatt Building, "Washington, Feb. 21. An effort In President Taft's Inter. est was made yesterday to color th news ' accounts of Col. Theodore Roosevelt's speech at Columbus, O.. todav. It Is considered sensational in its way as was the president's "nurse In withdrawing the ten North Carolina nominations as a means ot vetting the state's support. Correspondents were invited to pay friendly visits to Representative mc Klnley at tno onices ot ine imi rain paign bureau in the Raleigh hotel. By way of illustrating the purpose such calls, a telegram sent by one o these correspondents to his editor last night serves: McKinley suggests If we are not represented at Columbua tomorrow night a complete account will be sup plied by Gus J. Karger, Tolls will be prepaid." Karger is the Washington orrespondent for the Cincinnati Times-Star, Charles P. Taft's paper, and has been press agent of the White House slnee 1910. . Magnolia Compress company, the Hudson Pencil factory, the Houston Packing company, Kd. II. Harrell Lumber yards, the Standard Com press company, the Co-operative Man ufacturing company, the Acme Mills, St. Patrick's Catholic church.and the Catholic school were also destroyed. AO,000 Cotton Bales Burned. : Philadelphia, . 21.: George H. McFadden ft Broa, cotton merchants, received a message, from their man ager in Houston today estimating that from &0,000 to G9,000 bales of cotton were destroyed or damaged in the Houston fire district. Two or three thousand bales were in the McFadden compress, which, was destroyed. The heaviest Blngle classification of loss involves cotton. The estimated loss on cotton compresses and the staple stored therein reaches to one million dollars. One estimate places the cotton loss at five millions. Relief work la under way and there is plenty of food and shelter for the homeless. ''. ' ' The origin of the fire has been defl- niteh' establlwtied'S, A: roaring wind UHcked p-Mk;t7Wi--hi-lingrUtent Jora neighboring, houses- and half an hour after the fire Btarted a great area was in flumes. . The greatest loss was sus tained by the cotton and lumber in dustries.- In cotton compresses 45,000 bales were burned. The burned area was a mile and a hnlf long and at liolnts a quarter of n, mile wide. It was swept clean y the flames an I nothing was savedti- v " ciary committee to investigate an al legation that efforts had been made to have money Improperly used in con nection with two bills now before the legislature. One of these bills pro hibits the use of a certain kind of gas on passenger cars and the other pro hibits the manufacture of the gus within a given di.stunce of other build ings. The bills werg" Introduced by Senator Kltxherhert of Morris county. " The bills were given a hearing be fore the senate committee on judi ciary. Oscar F. Ostby, a representa tive of the gas company and whose home is in New York, appeared in opposition to the legislation. He charged (bat an effort had been made to obtain from him a consideration for the withdrawal of the bills. Mr. Ostby's allegations involved conver sations between Senator Fltzherbert and a third party. Senator Fitzherbert attended the hearing and when it was told that conversations had been held in respect to the withdrawal of the bills In con sideration of money. Senator Edge, chairman of the committee, asked Senator Fltzherbert "was It not pret ty nearly time for you to knock some one down ?" Senator Fltzherbert denied that he had asked for any money, but said that the conversations related to the withdrawal of the bills and that he represented others who were behind the measures. , Senator Reed of Camden asked- Sen ator Fltzherbert If he considered this the proper conduct for a senator Senator Fltzherbert. replied that he meant WWrohBrnrtu thatTrT'"WW always the Innocent Who suffered. He would not disclose the names or those for whom he had. introduced the bill. ' coalition of progressive republicans and democrats can pas it. The steel bill hearing probably will lie conclud ed by the end of this month. LaFollette's Illness has Interfered seriously with the formulation' of a policy by the progressive republican senators who hold the-balance of pow er. So far there have been no real overtures between them and the dem ocratic leaders. v The house this afternoon passed the Underwood chemical tariff bill by a vote of 178 to 127. The Insurgents voted with the regular republicans against the measure. Meridian, Misst, Feb. 21. Ind- storms swept this district last night destroying thousands of dollars worth of property, killing herds, of cattle and demolishing homes. Attemnts to communicate witn Pensacolii, where a severe storm raged biet niirht were ineffectual. All wires coast. The wind's velocity reached BO miles an hour. Heavy tains are falling. Snow In Central SlatCH. Chicago, Feb. 21. The central states were visited by a snowstorm today. The mercury fell rapidly and there was a 40-mile gale. Railroad raff-in affected in some sec- TO DEVELOP THE SOUTH Repesentatives of 16 States De- r i cide to Raise Funds for the Work. IS N BLACKMAILING PLOT Dorothy Arnold's Father Has Received Numerous Threat ening; Letters Recently. ' were down at points along the Florida, Hons. TRUNIN KILLED K IN TUNNEL Freight and Express Trains Collide on the Boston and Maine. WOUNDED, ENGINEER 'FOILS TRIES TO ENTER ARMY TO JOIN HER LOVER Girl In Man's Attire Applies at lie- (Tiiltlng OfTWe for Knlistnient In Roje tetl. Louisville. Feb. 21. In the hope of joining her soldier sweetheart In Pek ing, a girl clad In male attire applied at the recruiting office here for en listment today. She broke down when ordered to submit to a physical exam- Inxtton and admitted her sex. She refused to give her name. .. , I WANT HI GILL AGAIN North Adams, Mass.. Feb. 2 1. Four trainmen are dead and Hoosac tunnel Is so effectively, blocked that it may be several days before the tracks will be cleared as the result ot a rear-end col lision between, a freight train and a Boston hound express on the Boston & Maine railroad late yesterday. The passenger train was not seri ously damaged with the exception of tho electric engine, which was draw ing It, but several cars of the ireigm were demolished and tho wreckage took fire.' The amoke, pouring from the east portal of the tunnel, drove back those who sought entrance from that end. while the heat made it im possible to go beyond the central shaft from the other end. Hours after the crash tho wreckage was still burning, The heat was so great that portions of the tunnel rock were cracked off and fell to the tracks. Pulls Open Throttle as Bullets Shower and Speeds Into Cedar Rapids, is Cedar Rapids, Feb. 21. Five men made an unsuccessful effort to hold no . o ihnund passenger train on the Chicago & Northwestern at o'clock this morning nine miles east of here. While the train was passing slowly over new construction work, the bandits signalled tne engipeer iu top. Instead he opened tne inromo. They bttgan firing. One bullet struck the engineer In tne arm, dui ne siuu to his post and brought the train into the city. ' Possees have started In pursuit or the robbers. ; COMMITTEE TO REPORT PARCELS POST BILI New York. Feb. 21. Bessie Green, a mulatto, 23 years old, was arrested lota vesterday. charged with attempt ing to blackmail Francis R. Arnold father of Dorothy Arnold, who mys teriously disappeared from her home more than a year ago. Accoraing to detectives who made the arrest, bund of six persons, of which it horii the nreen woman IB one, since last June has been sending let ters to Mr. Arnold demanding a large mim of money under threat that he would be BhoU Fifteen threatening l.-tters were received. John 8. Keith, Mr. Arnold's attorney said, all of which were turned over to the police. Following the receipt of a letter week ago demanding that Mr.' Arnold ...mi ii.iriO bv way of a letter box in a newspaper office, detectives ob tained a clue which led to the Green woman's arrest. A decoy letter sent through the newspaper office was traced to an apartment house. Ac cording to the detectives the Green woman called for the letter and her arrest followed. She was held in 15000 ball for examination. Other arrests are expected. The police said last night that one of the letters received by Mr. Arnold contained a demand for $10,000 and nnother stated that If the money was not paid In a reasonably time Mr. Ar nold's other children would disappear aa did Miss Dorothy Arnold. BIGGEST EATER DIES Early Completion of Canton Sunburst and Canton-Crest-mont Lines Indicated by Developments. AN OPTION IS TAKEN ON LAND AT CANTON Talk of Erection There of Big Band Saw Mill, and Linking Up the Greenville-Knox-ville Railway Line. Baltimore, Md Feb. 21. Represen tatives of 1C southern states, heads of railroads and ateamship lines that railroad and steamship lines that serve that section, and men who tmve studied Hons pf the south for years, met here yesterday and formed the Southern Settlement and Development organi zation. Baltimore was made the headquarters, with S. Davies Warfteld of this city as chairman and Ell Frank, also of Baltimore, as secretary. It was resolved to start at once to raise funds to carry on the work of the organization to establish branch offices where necessary and to carry on such educational or other work In the 16 southern states as may . be deemed desirable with the view to procuring desirable immigration, colo nization and settlement as the needs of the several states may require. It was further decided to recom mend to the several states ol tne south "the urgent necessity of estab lishing in each state a state Immi gration bureau for the purpose of dls- geminating reliable Information re garding the resources, the posslbilltie and opportunities of the south, to be supported by the States' macninerj and money, under the indirect super vision of the governor of each state, with a good practical business man In charge, whose duties shall De to co operate with the United States gov ernment, the transportation compa nies, the commercial bodies, the real estate men. the press and the south ern settlement and development or ganization in placing the countrj nroDerlv before the people of the world." Special to The Gazette-News. Canton, Feb. 21. It Is stated on good authority here that the Cham pion Lumber company has optiont.d the "Bert" Smothers property. Just across the Pigeon river from the WesV end of Main street, and that this waa done In order to secure rights o way into Canton for their railroad up the river to Sunburst, and that work will begin very likely next Monday on the construction of this road, the grading having been mostly done about two years ago. It is believed that the final securing of entrance Into Canton for this road means much more than is seen upon the surface. It Is said to spell the early completion of the road down Pigeon river to Waterville, the present terminus of the Tennessee & Nort'i Carolina railroad; and the erection of a big band saw mill at Canton, with a capacity of 100,000 feet per day, to gether with, some say, a plant for the manufacture of bleaching material for use by the Champion Fibre company, the big . paper pulp - manufacturing plant located here. Han Large Timber Holdings. , It will bet remembered that about COAL PRICES UP Industrial Conditions Grow Worse In United Kingdom as Miners' Strike Threatens. Mayor nxnlld IKl'ause He Made . Scntl'lo "Vlil-Oie.n" Town Ih Again Nominated. . Seattle, Feb. 21. Hiram C. Gill, elected mayor two years ago and re moved by recall In less than a year, finished at the head of the poll In a nominating convention for city offi cers yesterday. ' Hill wns recalled as the result of iris, today INQUEST POSTPONED The Coroner Awaits the Development of ICxpectcd Evidence In Asphyx iation Catte. Gazette-News Bureau," The Hotel Raleigh, . , Raleigh, Feb. 21. Pending a further conference and the developing of other testimony, the coroner today postponed the proposed Investigation of the deaths of the three Benson mors by asphyxiation. The first of five blind liter cases was won by the defendant, Tom Mt The other casps.'WV be cases, Ix fmc different' magistrates. Majority Member of Hoifse .Bod J Agree us to Provisions of the ProNKe(l Mcamire. Washington, Feb. 21. Democratic members of the house committee on Tinstofflces and post roads have agreed to incorporate in the appropriation hill provisions for the establishment of a general parcels post system. They also have agreed upon a gen eral domestic rate of 12 cents and a maximum package of 11 pounds. This is the present international par cels post rate. They would also pro vide for a rural parcels post, the rate to be five cents for one pound and two cents for each addition pound. The provisions will be Incorporated In the bill to be reported to the house come time next week, but the actual wording of the provisions has not been framed. Food Desire Fatal to Edmund Bacon, Aged 8 Had Man Appetite in Infancy. Louisville, Feb. 21,-fedmund Ba on. aged eight, died today, the vie Im of hla abnormal appetite. Since nfancy the boy had possessed a man's tppetlte and his hunger never was issuaged. Brain congestion superin duced by acute Indigestion caused his death. London. Feb. 21. Conditions In Great Britain, particularly in ine northern manufacturing districts, are hecomlng rapidly worse because of the threatened coal strike, which If brought about at the end of the pres ent month, will throw 800.000 miners, besides workers In other trades, out of employment. In London and otner cities the price of coal has Jumped to J 8 per ton. Coal mine owners conferred toaay regarding Premier Aaqulth'a Invitation to meet and arrange a basis or settlement Twelfth Week of Packers' Trial. Chicago. Feb. 21. The packers' trial entered upon the twelfth week today and District Attorney Wllkerson stated It would take the government three weeks more to conclude ita case, The government concluded Its exami nation of William E. Ehlert, Morris & Co.'a margin clerk, this mornlDg. one year agd, the Champion Lumber : ...I 'J T -L- j.!i.r&' ' ,-.' , tal stock of i5.000.00O. and that thv purchased something like 100,000 acres of land lying along the lino of these two proposed railroads, about 40,000 acres surrounding , Sunburn, rom the Champion Fibre company and 60,000 to 70,000 of the old orig inal Love grant extending almost, if not quite, the entire length of Hay wood county from the Tennessee state line to Jackson county, and possibly a small strip of the latter county. The Champion Lumber company is composed largely of Pennsylvania capitalists, William Whitmer & Sons being the largest stockholders, so it is understood. These latter are ex tensive exporters of hardwoods, as well as lumber dealers In America on a very large scale. . The road from Canton to Sunburst, a distance of lit miles, will be an almost exclusive lurr - ier und pulp wood road, the soft or ulpwood to be used by the Cham pion Fibre company for the manufac ture of paper pulp; while the hard wood lumber. It Is understood, Is tc e handled by the.Whitmers for both 'heir American and export lumber rade. Two-Fold Purpose. The railroad down the Pigeon river from Canton to Tennessee la unlor itood to be for a two-fold purpcHo; first, for conveying pulpwood to the pulp mill at Canton and hardwoods to the Whltmers' big band saw millc at both Canton and Crestmont; and secondly for a connecting link In n Interstate railway between Tennessee and North Carolina. The latter road is known as the Knoxvllle & Green ville railroad, and is projected to run from Knoxvllle via Sevlervllle to Win ton Springs on the T. & N. C. along the T. & N. C. to Waterville (or Crest mont) at the North Carolina-Tennessee state line, thence up Pigeon river to Canton from Canton through New found Gap via Leicester to West Ashe villo. . Thence through Mills River section to Hendersonville, via River View to Grenville, 8. C- Work to Begin at Once. It Is stated here that a large force of hands will be put to work at once, possibly next Monday, re-grading and atmninir nn the old grade ud Pigeon River to Sunburst, and that track lay ing will follow at once, a large lot of ties having been contracted for for immediate delivery all along the line, so that the construction of Wn 16 miles will be pushed to a speedy com pletion. It Is further said that about April 1 possibly sooner, a very large number of men will be placed on the railroad grade down Pigeon, beginning at Can ton, and that the work will be rushe 1 from both ends or the road, to a proo able completion late next fall or win ter or early In the spring of 1813. MOB CORNERS NEGROES Double Lynching Seems Inevitable at Brentwood, Tenn. Blacks Slew White Farmer. . Nashville, Feb. 21. Reports, from Brentwood, ten miles from her say fi mob has surrounded In a wood two negroes who killed a white farmer this morning. A double lynching seems Inevitable. MY CHOICE FOR PRESIDENT If I could Select the Man I Would Name Name. . , Address. Cut thla ticket oat and mall It to The GawtteNews, or hand It lit ! this office. If yon do not rare to write your name on the lwllt, y" can write It In revtstry book provided at tno oiih-p. Remits l!! be published from time t" time and In no "-o name of the voter be givu out nnlws so reqne-teil. it (Continued on pax 4 ) an anti-vice rrus.ide. t j