17
OUR
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t36? COUR.IER
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VOL XXXIII.
ASHEBORO, N. C, THURSDAY, April 2. 1908.
No 0
WASHINGTON LETTER
Do-Nothing Policy Still Rules Re.
publicans
SOME "TEASERS" FOR PRESI
DENT PASSED.
But the Legislation Urged by the Demo
crats. President Roosevelt and the
People Will Be Left On Table
What Has Happened.
Special Correspondence,
Washington, D. 0., April 20
Our Republican friends in Con
gress are so much behind the times
as to still continue to be doing
business at the legislative - stand
under the, "continuation of the
legislative day of Monday, April 6",
as the Congressional Record puts it.
That day is, therefore, the longest
legislative day in the history of
Congress and is still continuing.
This is part of the plan to prevent
the wicked Democrats from forcing
the Kepublfcans to pass some of the
reform legislation recommended by
President Roosevelt and approved
by tha Democrats. Uuder the
continued strain of the do-nothing
policy, which is producing remon
strance and protests from their
constituents, most of the Republican
congressmen, especially the leaders,
have lost their tempers if not their
usual foresight and political cun
ning. They are making history that
they -feel is not to their political
advantage and yet cannot contrive a
Way of escape. While President
Roosevelt fire special messages from
the White House at them the
Democrats have them beleaguered',
and although the gag rules prevent
the miuority from discussing legU-j
latioa to any great extent, yet the
Democratic leaden find opportunity
to tell some unpalatable traths.
Aldrich Bill.
The Republicans of the House
are considering the question of
holding a caucus on the emergency
currency legislation, so that the
Aldrich bill can be forced through
under a special rule, without
amendment or debate. This bill
has been so changed in the Senate
that it will bean entirely different
measure from what it was when
introduced in the Senate, and many
declare it is now practically worth
less. But something must be done
towards emergency currency, if only
to point to with pride as a Republi
can accomplishment.
Struggle for Early Adjonrnnent.
Another struggle going on is to
reach an agreement for an early ad
journment, without getting a lec
ture from the Presidenfand perhaps
an extra session called to consider
the bills recommended by him.
The date for adjournment agreed
upon by the Republican leaders of
both Houses is Hay 10, but I am
informed by a leading Republican
Senator that he does not think it
possible to get through with the
necessary business before a month
later, but then this particular Sena
tor is inclined to back up the Presi.
dent's recommendations and 80 may
be comm'tted to the consideration
of such legislation.
The Seuate seems determined not
to be held responsible for the do
nothing policy of the House of Re
presentatives, for the Army appro
priation bill was passed, carrying
over $100,000,000, in about eighty
minutes, ana tne Jmpioyers liabiutv
bill without amendment, as it came
from the House of Representatives,
although the La Follette bill and
others on the same subject were
pending. It is currently reported
that tne .Employers liability bill as
passed is unconstitutional like the
termer bill passed at the last aes
sion.
State of legislation.
The present state of legislation is
that three cl the biz appropriation
bills have passed both houses and
gone to conference. These are the
army, the fortifications, and the
legislative bills. There are u-
merous items of disagreement
between the two houses on each of
these bills, especially with regard to
the army and the legislative bills.
There are numerous items of dis
agreement between the two houses
on each of these bills, especially
with regard to the arnfy and the
legislative bills. The Indian bill
is now a law. The agricultural,
' the District of Columbia, the Pen
sions, and the Poskoffice appropria
tion bills have passed the House and
are now in Senate committee and j
will be reported and passed very
shortly.
lbe principal measures in the
House which remain to be disposed
of are the sundry civil appropriation
bill, the diplomatic and consular
appropriation bill,' the Military
Academy appropriation bill, and
the Aldrich currency measure, and
all these will be acted upon without
much difficulty, as recommended
and urged by President Roosevelt.
From the present disposition of the
Republican leaders they will proba
bly turn down the increased number
of battle ships in spite of all the
influence the President can bring
to bear.
As showing the strained condi
tions between the Wnite House aud
the Capitol the usual nppropriatiou
for $25,000 for the expenses of the
President and his friends in travel
ing has been omitted from the legis
lative appropriation bill and as free
railroad trains are no longer leg.nl ly
available, the President will have to
pay his railrotd fare and the fares
and expenses of those who accom
pany him like the balance of us
after June 30.
The Republican presidential
situation is still unsettled. The
virtual failure of the fiu-mls of Gov.
Hughes t) coutrol the New York
delegation, aud the split in the
Massachusetts delegation, evidently
helps Secretary Tafi; but I am
assured by Republicans who should
be well informed, that tue nomina
tion of Taft is still in doubt. I am
also told by those interested in the
nomination of Senator Knox that
if Taft is not nominated on the first
ballot the reactionaries will finally
center on the man for whom the
Republicans of Pennsylvania have
just declared.
DEATH OF MR. WILB0RN.
Well Known Citizen Passes Away KU
ter Lingering Illness.
Mr. John W. Wilborn, a native of
Randolph county, and a prominent
business man of High Point, died
at the home of Mrs J, R. Reitzel, at
High Point last Thursday, aged 4H
years. Mr. Wilboru had been in ill
health for several months.
Mr. Wilborn was a graduate of
Trinity College and for many years
was a minister of the M. P. church.
When his health failed ' be devoted
his time to school work, and during
15 years was the head of important
schools in North and South Caro
lina. He was a member oi the Jr.
O. U. A. M. and at bis death was
Grand Prelate of the Knights of
Pythias of North Carolina.
He is survived by bis wife and
many relatives in this section of the
State.
York-Johnson.
Lest Thursday evening at the
home of the bride's parents, Mr. and
Mrs. A. F. Johnson, of Jamestown,
their daughter, Miss Iva Bell, was
married to Mr. O. F. York, the
popular assistant ticket agent of the
Southern at Greensboro.
Friday morning Mr. and Mrs.
York left for Bristol to spend sever
al days with relatives and friends
Mr. York is well known ' in Ran
dolph county and formerly lived in
Columbia township.
Murchlsoa Hanged.
Sam Murchison, the negro 'mur
derer of Chief of Police Benton of
Fayetteville, was hanged in the
Cumberland connty jail last Thurs
day. Befere the execution Murchi
son aeciarect mat ms mind was
fired by "blind tiger" whiskey and
he did not realize the awful deed he
committed on February 23d.
Moore Comity for Good Roads.
At a meeting recently held at
Pinehearst a Good Roads Associa
tion was organized with Leonard
Tufts as president and G. H. Hum-
ber secretary and treasurer. A good
roads rally and barbecue was held
at rinthurst last Saturday.
Boy Gets lO Years.
Morris Leans, son of Atha Leans,
of lxui8burg, was last week senteno
ed to 10 years in the penitentiary
or robbing bis father of $ 5000 a
few weeks ago. The boy acknow
ledged his guilt but refused to tell
where tbt money was hidden.
Met In Blacksmith Shop.
The Anson county Republican
Convention met in 11. C. Sailor's
blacksmith shop at Wadesboro Sat
nrday. The body stood "pat" for
Taft aud Adams.
Congressman Webb 's
Speech
Speech Made In Congress and Reported
by Mr. Bryant In the Charlotte Obser
ver. Representative Webb, of North
Carolina, made a speech on the
liquor traffic in the House last week,
lie was thorough, conservative and
concise. A number of people com
plimented him on the way in which
he acquitted himself.
In beginning his remarks Mr.
Webb quoted Robert G. Ingersull's
famous parngmph on the curse of
whiskey. Continuing he said:
The problem of the regulation
of the whiskey traffic and absolute
prohibition has agitafd the iniudu
of the. people of the United States
for the last fifteen yeais more than
any other one question.
No careful observer of the time3
will deny that public sentiment
against the whiskey truffle is grow,
ing stronger and stronger every diiy.
Will any member sitting before me
deny tine? Has not ;his mighty
sentiment agiiinst the tiaffiu ami
suloou reuched this capital city anil
this legislative hall? Only a few
years ago oar rooms were uuiuiaiued
in this Capitol Building. Now not
a drop of whiskey is allowed to be
sold anywhere withiu its mighty
confines. The Congress took this
step against the traffic. A few years
ago the army canteen flourished
among our soluier boys, but not so
now. mis Congress has forbiddeu
it.
In 1906 Congress passed a law
requiring the collectors of internal
revenue to place conspicuously in
their office; for public inspection a
list of all persons who have paid a
special license tax in his district
and they shall furnish a copy of
inch, list of persons to any prosecut
ing offices of any- Stato connty or
municipality upon demand by such
officer.
The Helpbnrn-Doliver bill passed
this House by almost a unanimous
vote on January 27th, 1903, and
died in the Senate. I verily believe,
sir, that if a vote can be secured on
that measure by the membership of
tnis House, it will pjss again by
practically unanimous vote; and if
t does so pass, it will not die so
easily at the other end of the Cap
itol. Saloon Has no Defenders.
The minister of God thunders
against the traffic because it destroys
morality and blights human souls;
business men oppose it because it
retards prosperity and undermines
business ability; the economist con
demns it because it destroys two bil
lion dollars annually an drives noth
ing in return therefor, Jiven the
owners or. saloons demand sober
men for bar-tenders. Great .labor
organizations are against the traffic
because it brings poverty to so
many of their members and UBhap
pmess to so many homes. In fact
there is scarcely a class of men that
will now defend the open saloon.
Those individuals who defend the
saloon do so largely on the ground
that it is the only way to control
the traffic; not that the saloon is a
good thing, but that it is the best
solution of this vexing question. I
have no fault to find witn the, man
who honestly and sincerely believes
this, but I do think that his judg
ment is faulty. The courts of the
United States, almost universally,
have condemned the whiskev traffic.
I have only time to quote from one
judicial tribunal, and that is the
Supreme Court of the United States,
the greatest law body on earth.
supreme Court View.
"We cannot shut out of view the
fact, within the knowledge of till,
that the public health, tbe public
morals and the public safety is en
dangered by the general nse of in
toxicating liquors; nor the fact
established by statistics accessible
to evetyone, that the idleness, dis
order, pauperism and crime existing
in the country are largely traceable
to this evil."
Let it be understood that no man
has the inherent or natural right to
sell whiskey. The right to sell it
depends upon the will of the people,
for the United States Supreme
Court in the case of Crowley vs.
Christeusen,.137 U. S. 86, has de
claied: ''There is no inherent fight in a
citizen to thus sell mtoxicatine
liquors by . retail; it I not privikgeStates government for a whole yen-
On Prohibition.
of a citizen of a State or of the
United States."
Therefore, no barkeeper can cry
that he is deprived of any inherent
or natural right when the people,
by their votf, tell him that he must
not and shall not sell whiskey within
the borders of a county or State.
I believe that the number of
cotton mill owners who favor the
liquor traffic in the great Srstte from
which I come and it has more
cotton mills than any other State in
the Union can be counted on the
lingers of one hand. I am equally
nincere in the belief that less than
five per cent of the honest, indus
trious, honielmilding cotton mill
opeialives in North Carolina are in
favor of the liquor traffic. It is
the one great curse among them and
they are using their best efforts to
siauip it out of existence.
John Hums' Opinion.
The famous labor leader in Eng
land, John Burns, member of Far
liment, recently declared to n great
audience of working men in London,
in discussing the liquor question:
"I deem it my duty to say that
but for drink and its concomitant
evils our problem would be smaller
and our remedies more effective."
No one knows better than the
laboring man the blighting, deso
latin g effects of whiskey or to what
depths of misery aud shame it will
drag him.
The merchant opposes the whin,
key traffic not only on moral
grounds, but because he has learned
that the saloon in an inveterate foe
to thrift and industry and lessens
the capacity ot his debtor to meet
his obligations.
'if The : farmer is opposed to the
liquor traffic. He takes the high
moral ground that be has no right
to license a -ystem whose chief busi
ness it is to destroy character, in
crease crime, enlarge the pauper
class and darken homes. He oppos
es it on another ground out in the
rural districts, far from the protect
ing hand of policemen and sheriff,
he knows the danger of his wife and
daughter from th drunken negro
whose blood is heated and whose
brain Is unbalanced by the use of
bad liquor. The negro seems to
have inherited an appetite for in
toxicants, and, like the tiger when
he tastes blood, the negro likewise
when he becomes intoxicated, be?
comes enraged.
Let the farmers consult their
wives and daughters as to whether
r not any open saloon should exist
in any county district of our fair
State. For that matter, if you will
leave the vote to the women of our
State as to whether or not the sa
loon should exist in town or country,
1 guarantee the whiskey traffic
would not have one ballot in its
favor.
Prohibition Territory.
More than one half of this great
republic ot eighty millions of peo
pie have already adopted prohibition
la8. I he following Common
wealths, aggregating a population
of more than nine million people,
have adopted absolute State prohi
bition, to-wit: Alabama, Georgia,
Kansas, Maine, North Dakota and
Oklahoma.
The people of the United States
are waking up to the fact that the
whiskey traffic is the most wreck
less destroyer of property, character
and life that exists in our midst
Hon. Carroll D. Wright, while Uni
ted States Commissioner of Labor,
said:
"I have looked into a thousand
homes of the working people of
iiiurope; 1 do not know how many
in this country. 1 have tried to
nnd tbe best and the worst) and
while, as J say, tbe worst exists,
and as bad as under anv svstem. or
as bad as in any age; I have never
had to look beyond the inmates to
find the cause; and in every case, so
tar as my observation goes, drunken
ness was at the bottom of misery
and not the industrial svstem or the
industrial conditions surrounding
the men and thiir families."
Intoxicating liquors each year
cost the people of the United States
more than the price of their annual
product of wheat, cotton, gold, sil
ver, led and precious stones. J he
tariff taxes collected bv the TTnired
would scarcely pay the liquor bills
of our people for sixty days.
The speaker gave figures to show
kow much is spent by the people
of the country for liquor.
A Score of Crime.
The whiskey tariff, he said, is a
faithful source of crime. In near,
ly eighty cases out of every one
hundred crime has been committed
where the defendant was uuder the
influence of intoxicants. Someone
will say I am opposed to prohibi
tion because it does not prohibit."
Such a person might as well siy
he is opposed to the law against
homicides and theft, because these
do not prohibit such offenses.
Furthermore, the argument that
prohibition does not prohibit is not
a sound one, as is shown by the
experience of those States that have
adopted prohibition.
Mr. Webb backed this statement
with statistics and quoted noted
authorities.
Fioip high testimonials, he con
tinutd, we can easily gather that
prohibition is a blessing aud a bene,
tit morally aud industrially to those
States that have adopted it. Then
why should net the voters and citi
zens who love peace, revere the law,
hate crime and weep over sorrow,
unite in one grand phalanx and on
May 26th drive the saloon forever
fiom the borders of our beloved and
fair Carolina.
Iu concluding Mr. Webb quoted
Henry W. Grady on liquor traffic.
MAY WIN ON FIRST BALLOT.
Prominent Politician Declares State tor
Craig With Large Majority.
A recent interview given out by a
prominent politician on the nomina
tion ot a candidate for Governor at
the Democratic State Convention in
June, declares that Mr. Cra g will be
nominated on the first ballot, from
all appearances of the primaries
held so far in the State. The fol
lowing table dhows his strength in
ten counties whose delegates have
been instructed:
Craig. Kitchln. Home.
Graham 2 0 0
Polk a 0 0
Buncombe 22 0 0
Yancy 7 0 0
Mitchell 3 0 0
Bnrke 6 1-2 1-2 0
Ashe 5.0? 3.37 .56
Alexander 4 1-2 0 1-2
Iredell 12 1-2 114 14
Stanley 3 13
McDowell 6 0 0
Swain 3 0 0
Wilkes 1.98 6.16 .86
Watauga county instructed unan
imously for Mr. Craig since the
above waa printed.
Mr. Craig now has more than 100
votes and no other ennui date has
more than 15.
Unusnal strength is expected in
the central and eastern part of the
tare, and though Mr. Craig should
not be nominated on the first ballot
he will finally be nominated by 100
majority, says tne interview.
Mysterious Suicide.
Phillip R. Meade, son of Rev. W.
il. Meade, rector of the Episcopal
church, committed suicide at Chapel
uii oaturuay. lbe deceased was
35 years old and was a perfect speci
men of physical manhood and i
noted ball player. Mr. Meade had
been despondent for some time and
it is believed that he had troubles
of which no one knew.
Ruined by W reckless Gambling.
Clarence Mohler, manager of the
Union News Company branch at
Raleigh, disappeared last Friday and
an investigation of his books slows
him to be short in his accounts about
$300.00. He came to Raleigh from
btannton, Va., and for several
months he has been known to be
wreckless gambler.
Surry County Apples.
j . d. sparger, or. Mt. Airy, re
ports chat in Surrv county the pros
pect is good for an iirmense apple
crop this year. He thinks the sea
son too far advanced to suffer from
frost and the heavy bloom warrants
the prediction of the heaviest crop
in ten years.
State Fair In October.
The Forty-Eighth Annual State
fair will be held at Raleigh iu
October. The Fair will open Mon
day the 12th, and close Saturday
me run.
CLOSE OF SCHOOL.
Program for the Closing of Graded
Schools.
REV. T. M. JOHNSON TO PREACH
ANNUAL SERMON.
CloNlng Concert by Pupils Dr. Cran
ford Will AddressGraduating Class
u the Evening of May 81h.
The Asbeboro Graded Schools
will close Friday May 8th. The
program for the commencement sea
son is about completed.
The annual sermon before the
faculty and pupils of the Asheboro
Graded School will be preached in
school auditorium at 11 o'clock a.m.,
Sunday, May 3d, by Rev. T. M.
Johnson, of Asheboio, N. C. On
Thursday following. May 7th, at
7:30 p. m. an entertainment will be
given by intermediate and higher
grades. The regular graduating
exercises will be held at 7:30 p. m.
May 8tb. Following these exercises
the literary address will be delivered
by Dr. W. I. Cranford, of Trinity
College, Durham, N. C.
lbe exercises of the colored school
will be held on night of April 30th.
and May 1st, with literary address
on Monday night following.
rrogram for closing exercises of
colored'graded school has been ar
ranged as follows:
Ihursday uight April 30th pri
mary grades entertain.
Friday night May 1st Intermediate
and grammar school grades enter
tain. Sunday May 3rd Annual sermon.
Monday night May 4th Annual
address by Dr. J. D. Chavis, A.
& M. College, Greensboro. N. C.
Strong programs have been prepared.
runic is invited to be present.
COUNTY CONVENTION.
Number ot Vote to Which Each Town
ship Is Entitled.
In another colnmn will be found
the call of the Democratic Executive
Committee of Randolph county, for
tne couoty convention to be held at
the courthouse at Asheboro on Sat
urday, May 2nd, at 11 o'clock. It
will be interesting to know the num
ber of votes to which each township
is entitled. Below is the list of
townships, the convention vote and
the number of votes recorded by
Hon. R. B. Glenn for Governor ia.
1904:
Township.
Votes Cast. Conv. Vote.
Trinity 171 7
W. New Market 66 3
. New Market 17 1
Providence 107 4
Liberty 149 6
Tabernacle 147 6
Back Creek 74 3
Randleman 264 11
W. Franklinville 67 3
. Franklinville 125 5
Columbia 228 9
Concord 126 5
Cedar Grove 56 2
Grant 46 2
Coleridge 123 5
New Hope 140 6
Union 93 4
Richland 99 4
Brower 46 2
Pleasant Grove 52 2
Asheboro 213 9
DANVILLE, VA., "DRY".
Eighteen Saloons and Two Breweries to
Cease Business May 1st.
The town of Danville, Va., waa
voted 4,Dry" in an election held last
Wednesday by a majority of 45 ont
of 937 votes cast. It was tbe most
enthusiastic election ever held and
only eight votes remained to be cast
when the polls closed. The election
means that eighteen saloons and two
breweries must cease business on
May lit
Col. W. P. Wood for Lieut Governor.
Having seen the name of Col. W.
P. Wood mentioned in various news
papers for Lieutenant-Governor, I
want to call attention in this way to
the fact that I believe he is, the man
for the place. Having served two
terms in the House and one
in the Senate and having served as
chairman of the Finance Committee,
the most important committee in
the General Assembly, his experience
and ripe wisdom and souud judg
ment would especially fit .him for
the position of president' of the
Senate.
J. A. PARKS.
Ramseur, N. C, April 21.