1 XT JtL
VOL. XXX
RALEIGH, Psl. C. THURSDAY, APRIL 18. 1012
lo. 14
LOST AT SEA
Tr.e Greatest Marine Disaster!
in the History of the World j
Criminal Garelessness
TEFIBLE MISSISSIPPI FLOODS
Colonel Roosevelt' Great Victories
in Illinois and Pennsylvania The
Triumph Over Boss Machine Itule
TIi' Political Situations Grows
More Tense Wonderful Wlreles
Ttiegrapliy The Democratic House
Wants to Adjourn Early Ilaying
PoIiticN Instead of Trying to Pass
Promised Laws Progressive Re
publican Would Support Any Rea
sonable Measures.
(Special to The Caucasian.)
Washington, D. C, April 16, 1912.
Since yesterday morning not only
Washington but the whole country,
and indeed all nations, have been
sho ked at the news of the greatest
marine disaster in the history of the
world.
The Titanic, the greatest and finest
ocean liner ever built, which had just
bwn completed, was on its maiden
Toyage heavily ladened with freight
and passengers from England to New
York. The news flashed from its wire
less instruments while it was in mid
ocean that near midnight, on Sunday
night it had struck an enormous ice
berg and was badly damaged. Wire
less appeals were flashed constantly
over the waters in every direction for
help to come to the crippled ship as
quickly as possible. This message was
picked up by a number of vessels,
though, unfortunately, none were
very near. Messages were flashed
back from these vessels that they
were coming as fast as possible to the
rescue. When the first vessel reach
ed the site of the terrible disaster
the great ocean liner had sunk in the
midst of a number of floating ice
bergs, and nothing was seen left of
the ship, and less than a third of
the passengers, who had been placed
in the life-boats, all the boats would
hold, were rocking in the icy water.
It seems that the great vessel sunk
within less than three hours after it
struck the iceberg. Could it have
held out a few hours longer every
passenger on board would have been
saved. As it was, over 1,400 went to
their watery graves in icy water more
than two miles deep. Nearly every
woman and child was saved, but few
men. This is a wonderful tribute to
the chivalry and heroism of the men
who saved first the women and chil
dren and then remained on the doom
ed ship to face certain death. The
vessel had 2,200 people on board
when it sailed from England. Only
about 800 were saved.
Great Criminal Carelessness.
The Titanic was not only the larg
est vessel afloat, but was thought to
be the safest against such a catas
trophe. It seems, however, that the
vessel was sailing at an unusually
fast speed while passing through the
dangerous zone which was known to
he infested with iceberbs. It is re
ported that every life-boat which the
vessel carried was crowded with all
the people that they would hold when
the vessel went down.
This suggests criminal negligence
on the part of tke steamship line that
is almost beyond belief. It is sup
posed that every vessel that goes
across the ocean carries enough life
hoats to accommodate not only every
Passenger which the vessel has the
capacity to carry, but also the crew.
Besides, every vessel is supposed to
be equipped with rafts that are non
sinkable, and with a life-preserver
for every passenger. So far there
are no reports of any persons floating
in the water with life-preservers.
la the first place, if the vessel had
carried sufficient life-boats for the
-.200 people on board, it seema that
every one would have been saved,
fuch criminal negligence should be
investigated by our Government, and
all other governments should be ap
pealed to to co-operate to prevent
an' vessel sailing that is not thus
Properly equipped.
Besides, it was thought that the
fitantic was a non-sinkable vessel.
s builders and owners claim that it
&ad sufficient water-tight compart
ments so as to make it practically
Possible for it to sing, no matter
w many holes were made in its
null. Tn H oar it- i i j a. i a. i
the
-v, it is vidiiueu uiai il
vessel was cut half in two that
uat each part of the vessel would
oat with its crew and cargo. It now
PPears that such claims were not
e'l founded, though it is certain that
such
a nnn.Glnl7Viln 1 ,
, "uauuic vessel can ue
lo, and certainly this disaster calls
uny on this Government and all
e nations of the world to hereafter
inspect every vessel and ? that it is
ho built, or that it be condemned.
The- Wondrous Wire Telegraphy.
Had It not been for the discovery '
of wireless telegraphy, that great;
vessel and all of its human freight
would have gone down in the middle i
of the ocean, and up to this hour the I
world would have known nothing j
about it; neither would the 800 peo- j
pie who were rescued have been ,
saved. With this wonderful achieve
ment of wireless telegraphy. If there
had been proper precaution in the
building of the ship, as well as prop
erly equipped with life-preservers and
life-boats, every soul might have been
saved. The enormity of this disaster
is the loss of human life comes upon
us with redoubled force when we
realize that there went down in the
ocean with the sinking vessel more
lives than were lost in the Spanish
War.
The Danger From Icebergs.
Another piece of criminal negli
gence that made this disaster possi
ble was the permitting of this ship to
take what is known as the "Northern
Course" In Its passage from England
to New York at this season of the
year. The northern course is the
shorter route by over two hundred
miles, but it is well-known that from
this season of each year on to win
ter, that icebergs in great numbers
come down from the polar regions in
to the Atlantic Ocean. For this rea
son, safety has shown that It is wise
for vessels to take a course two hun
dred miles to the south. For the
past week every vessel that has gone
over this course has reported a num
ber of icebergs in sight, and yet in
the face of this danger the Titanic,
in order to make a world record for
the fastest trip from England to New
York, took this northern dangerous
course, and was proceeding over it at
certainly high speed while in the very
region where the icebergs were
known to be, and also at a time when
the sea was covered with fog, and it
was impossible to see an iceberg far
enough off to prevent such a horrible
calamity.
This is another illustration of the
madness of the world over size and
speed. The vessel was too large, to
be safely conducted through a dan
gerous ice-field, and its speed was too
great for safety where there is an
element of danger.
Among those who are reported lost
are Major Archibald Butts, the mili
tary aide to the President of the
United States; Col. John Jacob As
tor; William T. Steed, the noted jour
nalist and writer and dozens of oth
ers of equal prominence and cele
brity. The Great Mississippi Flood.
Next in importance to the horrible
marine disaster are the terrible floods
of the Mississippi River which have
been raging for the past week. The
w ater has risen higher in that great
river than for a quarter of a century
in the past, and the levees have been
broken at dozens of points, spreading
a raging torrent of water over tens
of thousands of acres of cultivated
and inhabited land at every point, not
only resulting in tremendous loss of
property but in great loss of life.
The good newrs comes to-day, how
ever, from the distressed districts
of the Mississippi Valley that the
floods have reached their greatest
danger point and are now subsiding.
The danger already inflicted, how
ever, has been appalling.
Colonel Roosevelt's Vistories in III
nois and Pennsylvania.
The most remarkable political vic
tory probably ever won by any man
was that of Colonel Roosevelt in car
rying the States of Illinois and Penn
sylvania in his campaign for the Pres
idency, and by majorities that were
astounding to his opponents and be
yond the expectations of his most
sanguine friends.
The masses of the people have
shown that they still admire the for
mer President as greatly as ever, but
their action has probably been more
prompted on this occasion by their
desire to repudiate machine bosses
and smash machine rule in these
States than from any other cause.
Colonel Roosevelt, in his campaign
through these States, confined his
speeches almost entirely to an attack
upon the political bosses. The peo
ple responded with great enthusiasm,
and the crowds that attended his
speakings increased in volume and
enthusiasm each day.
His victories in these two States
have already put the result of the
Republican National Convention in
doubt, and if he should meet with
continued successes in other States of
this kind, he may have a safe ma
jority In the next Republican Nation
al Convention.
On the other hand, it is claimed by
the administration supporters that
the results in these two States were
largely, if not wholly, influenced by
local conditions and that similar re
sults will not occur In any other
(Cointinued on page 4.)
2 MORE CONVENTIONS
Gol. Roosevelt Sweeps Penn
sylvania in Primary Held
Saturday
WILL HAVE STATE CONVEVTIOFi
President Taft and OoL Roosevelt
Kua About Etch in the City of
Philadelphia Keystone Party Not
Permitted to .Vote in Saturday's
Primary Woodrovr Wilson De
feats Ills Opponents la Same Pri
mary A Very Stormy Convention
Was Held in State of Michigan.
Philadelphia, April 13. At mid
night reports to the Associated Press
indicate that Theodore Roosevelt has
carried at least half of the congres
sional districts in Pennsylvania.
In addition there is a strong like
lihood that Roosevelt men will con
trol the State convention which will
name twelve delegates-at-large. If
this is the case Roosevelt will have
nearly two-thirds of the seventy-six
delegates from this State.
Wood row Wilson apparently had
little opposition in the balloting and
he will have a solid delegation from
this State to the Democratic Na
tional Convention.
Pennsylvania today elected sixty
four delegates to the National Con
ventions. The polls did not close un
til 8 o'clock and returns are conse
quently meager but enough has been
learned to show that Colonel Roose
velt had unexpected strength
throughout the State. The delegates
favorable to his candidacy were elect
ed in many of the thirty-two congres
sional districts.
The Roosevelt leaders are claim
ing not less than thirty of the sixty
four delegates for their candidate.
On the Democratic side Woodrow
Wilson was practically the unani
mous choice of the delegates chosen
to the Baltimore convention. In ad
dition to national delegates, the vot
ers chose delegates to State conven
tions of both parties which will name
twelve delegates-at-large. On the
Republican side these will in all
probability be for President Taft,
while the (Democrats are solid for
Wilson, both factions of the party
having declared for him.
In Philadelphia Taft carried the
first three congressional districts by
about three to one. The Roosevelt
managers claim the fourth, fifth and
sixth districts, but the fourth is re
garded as in doubt. The fifth and
sixth were probably carried for
Roosevelt.
The interest in today's primary
election in Pennsylvania very near
equalled that which is ordinarily
manifested in a general election.
Polls opened at 2 p. m. and closed at
8 p. m., consequently there was little
definite news in the early evening.
Rain fell generally all over the State
and this, to some extent, kept the
vote down. All reports agreed, how
ever, that the aggregate vote was un
usually large for a primary contest.
In Philadelphia the Republican or
ganization leaders were early in the
field with the claim that they elected
twelve Taft delegates from the six
congressional districts in the city.
United States Senator Penrose, the
head of the organization, surprised
his party associates by leaving the
city at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, go
ing to Atlantic City, where he board
ed his yacht for a cruise until Mon
day. Before leaving he said
"I can speak only for the city, for
the entire State. I am satisfied that
every Republican delegate selected in
this city will be for President Taft
Roosevelt may get twelve to fourteen
delegates in the State."
From other quarters the claim of
unfair treatment of Keystone party
voters was made and it was appar
ent that the Roosevelt leaders felt
that the exclusion of Keystone voters
from the ballot box had an unfavor
able influence upon the chances of
delegates pledged to their, favorite.
The Keystone party is a third party,
made up largely of citizens of re
form tendency who are opposed to
the regular Republican organization.,!
It main strength is in Philadelphia,
where it has polled a heavy vote in
the past few years. Regular Repub
licans claim that members of the
Keystone party have no right to ask
for a Republican ballot because they
did not vote the Republican ticket
at the last election. The Keystone
party, being only a State organiza
tion and having no national alliance,
has no national delegates on its
ticket.
Later Reports Give Col. Roosevelt In
creased Majority.
Philadelphia, April 14. Colonel
Theodore Roosevelt's sweeping " vic
tory in Pennsylvania at Saturday's
priary election kept growing today,
as the returns continued to come in.
incomplete returns site the for
me? President 5 of the State's 7fi
delegates In the Republican National
Convention. The RooTeli support
era are claiming 7 and Utr returns
may carry the figures to that total.
Colsael Roosevelt won 53 of the CI
district national delegates and hi
followers elected enough delegates to
the State Convention to give them
control of that body. The State Con
vection will name twelve delegates-at-large.
Governor Woodrow Wilson of New
Jersey, who had no organized oppo
sition, will have 74 of the 76 dele
gates from Pennsylvania in the Dem
ocratic Convention. In the eleventh
Congresison&l District, the two Dem
ocratic national delegates elected are
favorable to Governor Judson Har
mon, but they are not pledged.
Politicians look upon the triumph
of Colonel Roosevelt with astonish
ment. The supporters of the former
President were without a State or
ganization or without an organiza
tion in many of the thirty-two con
gressional districts.
Another element of strength of the
Roosevelt forces was the 170,000 Idle
anthracite miners in the northeastern
counties of the State, where the for
mer President ran strong.
In Philadelphia, President Taft's
adherents captured three of the six
districts and split the delegation In
another, giving the President seven
delegates to Roosevelt's five. The
delegates favoring Taft were not in
structed. Aong those who escaped
the Roosevelt storm were John Wan
amaker and E. T. Etotesbury, who
were elected as Taft delegates in the
second district.
A Riotous Convention Held in Michi
gan. Bay City, Mich., April 11. Taft
and Roosevelt men in Michigan pol
itics; refusing any basis of compro
mise after twenty-four hours of con
ferences today at the State Republi
can Convention attempted to put a
quart of delegates in a pint measure,
and in so doing precipitated one of
the "most bitter fights in the history
of the State, the birthplace of the Re
publican party.
-,Xw sets of leaders and delegates,
Taftnd Roosevelt, fought out their
Issues to the point where State mili
tia, police and sergeant-at-arms were
needed to maintain a semblance of
orderly procedure.
As a result the Credential Com
mittee of the Republican National
Convention at Chicago in June will
be required to determine whether
Taft delegates at large or an equal
number of Roosevelt delegates from
Michigan shall be seated at the Chi
cago National Convention.
After today's sensational fight on
the floor of the convention during
which former Senator Allen J. Bev
erldge, of Indiana, left the armory,
the closing Incidents In the conven
tion were comparatively tame.
At one stage of the proceedings
the convention broke up in a row.
Militia and police took charge
when attempts were made to attack
speakers on the stage. Several fights
occurred on the floor.
The convention was marked by
great disorder when both the Taft
and Roosevelt forces attempted at
the same time to organize the con
vention. When W. D. Gordon, of Midland, a
Roosevelt committeeman, sprang to
the stage and attempted to address
the convention, he was hurled from
the stage by J. F. Cremer, of Mar
quette, a Taft man. Police and mili
tia at this juncture forced back a
hundred men who sought to engage
in the fight precipitated by Gordon
and Cremer.
When finally the Roosevelt men
began withdrawing from the armory
the confusion subsided to a degree
and the Taft delegates began their
organization. Perfunctory' resolu
tions were adopted and speeches
were delivered by State leaders fa
vorable to President Taft.
"Mr. Dooley" on the Recall of
Judges.
"Ye can bet that th first law re
callin th' judges will be pronounced
onconstitutional be th entire joo
dicyard iv th counthry be a risln
vote an with three hearty cheers. If
I was a judge I wud know that a law
thro win' me out Iv a job was oncon
stituional at wanst, ex post facto, ex
propria vigore, an' de juribus non
dispythanduxn, as Hogan says. An I
wudden't have to get th Constitution
out iv th' safe to decide it ayether.
I'd decide It accordln to me grocery
bill."
Will Somebody Answer?
Greenville Reflector.
Wonder did the Allen gang (who
we understand to be Democrats) be
long to the Democratic good govern
ment gang? We' pause for an an
swer from the Democratic newspapers
who are so ready to blame the Re
publican party. Please answer. We
are anxious to know.
REAL ANCIENT HISTORY
French King Now Made SpH
i
cial Efforts to Form Peace j
Treaties !
i EKGUSfl KING GREW ALEttT
America and Franc Once Acted To
gether la War When France lluill
the First Grrat Navy She Owned
When "Potting the OukUob"
Was Abolished What Will Hap
pen if Rryanlam Should Prevail
Many Actual Facts Reduced to a
Small Space for the Ilusy Reader.
Bilkinsvllle, N. C. April 15, 1512.
Correspondence of The Caucasian
Enterprise. About the year 1775 the French
King Louis Increased biz efforts to
form new treaties ov peace. An al
liance wuz formed with Switzerland
an other warlike preparations wuz
made. The English ambassador. Lord
Stormont, soon began to question the
French ruler in regard to awl this
activity. He said that the seas were
covered with English an" American
warships, an' that France must be
prepared for war an to protect her
extensive comerce. He seemed cer
tain that either England or America,
or both counties, would likely hev
designs upon French territory. The
failure ov General Burgoyne's expe
dition an' the capture ov his army
hastened matters. Mr. Sartlne, the
superintendent ov the French fleet.
then about equal to that ov England,
wuz eager to try hlz guns upon the
English warships. To come to the
main point quickly, I will say that
soon after this England an America
got into that fearful war known az
the Revolutionary War, which start
ed in 1775 an' lasted more than seven
years. France didn't like England,
an', az there wuz no international
rules at that time to prevent one
country from aldin' another in a war,
England had. to face a prospect ov the
Americans gettln' substantial aid
from France. Dr. Franklin an' Silas
Dean, the two Americans selected by
our Government to look Into the
proposition ov France to render
America certain assistance in the war
which followed, were in Paris an'
soon made considerable progress in
getting the plan perfected. England
had been able to whip France alone;
but to flte the American colonists
an' France at the same time, an at
such a distance az it wuz to America,
wuz more than the sturdy English
cared to undertake. But the English
didn't give up -they were not built
for that kind ov a purseedln.
Franklin and Deane had acted only
az private agents at first. But now
they were acknowledged az public
ambassadors from America to the
court ov Versailles, an a friendly
treaty wuz signed between France an'
America In 1778. The French am
bassador to England offlcialy notified
that country ov the existence ov such
a treaty. The English were mad an
the Revolutionary War soon began in
earnest.
In 1780 important changes in the
French ministry took place. M. Ber
lin resigned the offis ov Secretary ov
State; the prince de Montbarey had
retired from the post az Secretary ov
War an wuz succeeded by Marquis
de Segur. But the most important
change wuz the removal ov Mr. Sar
tlne, who had shown great ability
an energy In developln' the French
navy. Hlz activity had astonished
the other European powers.
Durin' the same year the French
King made a new forward move by
abollshln' what wuz called "putting
the question," that iz, forcing a man
accused ov a serious crime to submit
to a system ov cruel torture before
the trial In order to compel him to
admit that he committed the crime
alleged by the authorities. For hun
dreds ov years this custom bad pre
vailed in French courts, an unneces
sary cruelty wuz not unusual, espe
cialy in cases where the prisoner had
no influential friends, or, that other
more or less roubust friend, money,
which could also speak the French
language sometimes. Az a matter ov
economy, for France had not yet com
pleted her payments on her vast na
tional debts, the King adopted a plan
ov personal economy an' reduced the
expenses or hlz own administration
in order to pay some thin more on
the somewhat pressln' claims against
the Government, for the public cred
it wuz rather shaky. The King dis
charged some four hundred employes
ov the palace whose labor or services
wuz not essential to the actual con
duct ov affairs.
But the high-strung French people
couldn't stand much calm weather.
In 1781 M. Necker, probably the most
popular attache or the Government,
wuz kicked out ov hiz position, un
justly, it wuz thought He had con-
lti tl 14 ca ?
by a jss at ls4 oaft4.''
III t&At re ft r 4 to ia Ut jr tf
t V sited S4! Coteries. t' r
tais FreS tatrft o?s4 laU
14 as 1005 tta& a rt ft
laugM vjws tie cat4st OfUl TV.
re ailed la hit dUetUaa! ta 1171. Ifts
jcfTor. VS. Joli 4 r!?i. t )
lor ov State, wet 3o& ftCtr4 ta
boUIV down h job Darta t& Ml
lance ov tfcr md jar tt atustioa
or Ktaec ui cntf4 npau wo
ov th work ov kr aavy ao amy
on th Acrfiraa i3 ov t& cral
ocean, for th aa!ly got lrsto or
great wir with th KaftUb A Frftta
amy ui wafted otet th a an
Joined forces u&4r our crat ttltl
tary leader. George Wahl&gloa.
though th French soldier fought
under their own oSfr, sura at
General Lafayette, an others, A
strong detachment or the J'rvac h
navy guarded th transports a?roaa
the water, ov eour, an th French
ships, at the request ov (e&. Wash
Ington an our own Secretary ov the
ftavy, were stationed oa Cheaarke
Bay an' rendered some aid la pro
tecting our eastern coaat from the as
saults ov the English fleet during
the remainder ov the Ilevolutio&ary
War. Sir Henry Clinton command
ed the English troops in the ttrintty
ov New York an Lord Corn mailt
had charge ov the army landed upon
the Virginia coast. The French
troops an' fleet got between the two
armies, or, rather, the two divisions
ov the English, at the suggestion ov
Georr Washington, an' this caused
our English enemies lo open their
eyes; In fact, they were about ready
to quit when the French landed, but
this hastened matters. Ird Corn
wall! had located at Yorktown. Va .
an' had fortified the town pretty well.
But the American an English troops
attacked the town from opposite sides
at the same moment, an no power
could resist American an' French
troops who were brave enough to
take any ordinary risks at any time,
but who. under the stlroulous ov na
tional rivalry, became soldiers Incar
nate, an' no city In the world, no
army, could hev withstood such a
flte az they put up at Yorktown. no
matter If human blood wuz "up to
the horses bridles" before the end ov
the battle, to use the words ov a too
partial historian. Cortiwallls wuz
badly whipped an' had to surrender
awl ov hlz survlvln soldiers. La
Fayette, Rochambean, Bertheir. I)u
mus an' other famous French sol
diers, mostly young men, won their
spurs at Yorktown. Hit lz needless
to say that the American officers an
men were also rite up at the front
when the great battle ended, an Eng
land must hev understood by this
time that she must give up. an she
(Continued on page 5.)
OX A BROADER PLASK.
New Democratic Publication Says the
Voters Are Thinking for Them
ielvea. The Free Lance, a new publication
at Winston-Salem, In its first editor
ial says:
In giving birth to this publication
its editor has no apologies and few
promises to offer. The Free Lance
will be what its name implies, and
whatever of virtue and mer It pos
sesses, and the favor it find with the
people of North Carolina, shall be
sufficient excuse for its existence.
It will be democratic in the light
of its editor's construction of Democ
racy, but it cannot be counted upon
either to blindly espouse the cause of
Issues or men In the name of Democ
racy, or to line-up under the leash of
party leaders. Long ago we forsook
the premises that every Democrat
was as far above suspicion as Cae
sar's wife, and. like the king, "could
do no wrong." Likewise, we have
forsaken the Idea that every Repub
lican was without honor, and. In the
eyes of Justice, should be "iolng
time" on the public roads. We know
there are good and honorable men la
the Republican party of North Caro
lina, and we concede to them the
right to differ with us upon princi
ples of government, or anything else,
we have seen Democrats stoop be
neath the honor line, not only as In
dividuals, but as a party. We know
that Republicans are particularly
fond of political "p!e,M but with the
odds even there are many Democrats
who could 'go through 'em for a
thousand yards in an effort to cross
the goal line. Much cf the difference
lies in the fact that . the Democrats
have almost forgotten the taste of
Federal "pie." Give us a Democratic
President this "go-round," and see if
Democrats of North Carolina don't
"buck the line."
It is a matter of deep satisfaction
to us that this Is more and more an
age when the voters think for them
selves. Instead of leaving It to the
political leaders. Party lines were
never so loosely drawn. Men refuse
to be whipped Into line as of old.
They want to know the whatfor and
the whereof. , They are beginning to
vote for their own Interests. -