(2 ' nJVo
(
- There lun't much on thin old earth
But hate and frrrd and atrlfe
Unlen yon look for Joy and mirth
And the thing worth while In life t
ClirMnm rnniftt lint otire a year
Tin Mur.v'N olil, hut true
Kt'iNfiiihfr. Ilkkfr iMi't I'hfer,
II multm h mun fel blue
V
Tin ih'M miii'iitnjr.
BY AL FAIRBROTHER
MBSCIIIPTION 1.00 A VKABl SINUI.K COPY S C'KNTH FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, I9I3. US S.H.K AT TIIK NMVS STANDS AM' ON T. ilNS
ESTABLISHED MAY 1902.
MENACE OF PULL
BRITTFOR GOVERNOR
THE NOBLEST ROMAN
THE "LOAN SHARK:
-
Social Standing" Lib
erates Criminal.
And sometimes pity for the human nature
that is in us. Too bad that "social promi
nence" "good fellow" and "regard for his
family" three graces endowed with fiendish
cupidity, and traveling on a nerve that is al
ways sublime to behold, step in too often, and
snatch from justice a bird that should be caged
Too bad that the ' man with the pull" i: always
somehow in evidence and that he can walk
the streets a free man when he should, in all
justice, be inside the penitentiary. But we all
arc weak that way we all want to be merci
ful, but sometimes it looks like we go too far,
According to the Richmond papers there
was a man living in Newport News named
Hancock, an erstwhile druggist, who import
ed cocaine from Memphis, confessed that he
did; that he sold it to nigger peddlers, and in
this unlawful traffic made a tremendous profit.
In other words he was deliberately engaged in
employing agents to debauch and degrade his
fellow brothers; he was the fountain of crime
which slashes with razors defenseless women ;
he was the source of countless trouble. Nig
gers who sold the poison for him arc said by
the Richmond papers to be ;n the penitentiary
-because they were his agents and finally he
was caught by the police and sentenced to a
year in the penitentiary.
And before he had donned his stripes, before
he had left the city jail, Governor Mann shock
ed the officials and the sensibilities of all law
abiding people by granting the criminal a par
don. The Times-Dispatch in a front page story
says no numerous petitioners had asked the
Governor for the pardon ; that a few citizens of
Newport News, the first bung a newspaper
man had signed a petition, and the Governor
had acted and Set free the Cocaine King the
gentleman who bought it in large quantities
in Memphis, handed it out to poor, ignorant
negToes and had them dope their natrons and
go
go to trie' penitentiary for doing it.
lhe only reason for letting this criminal
loose, a criminal who in all candor should have
been sent up for twenty years, was the fact
that his mother-in-law was socially prominent
and it was his first offense. Small wonder
that people justly rail out and laugh when you
talk of the even-handed justice you read about
in books. .
The Governor of Virginia offers no excuse,
presumes, perhaps, he needs none, for turning
loose on society an offender, a greater menace
than a highwayman or a burglar. The man
who kills another in cold blood may plead it is
his first offense, yet he is guilty of murder.
Sam McCue had never killed any one until he
murdered his wife but they hanged McCue
and they turned Hancock loose turned him
loose when he pleaded guilty to being an im
porter of a deadly drug a drug that crazes
men and makes them fiends. The victims of
the drugs he sold are doing time, no doubt,
and the agents he employed are also doing tim
and yet this high toned gentleman because
he, was prominent socially goes free. The par
doning power in the hands of one man is a
most dangerous thing. If the story printed
in the Times-Dispatch is correct, and doubtless
it is there never was a greatetr travesty on
justice than the official act of Virginia's Gover
nor which set loose a man who made a busi
ness of dealing in a drug that is the most dan?
gerous known. But, what are you going to do
about it? Do ? Why send the first poor white
man or nigger up for ten years and thus give
the law a chance to assert its supreme majesty !
Knocking Hammer
We have talked so much about this Hammer
matter, and now comes Henry A. Page, of
. Aberdeen, according to Parker Anderson, in
the News, and files charges against the Ashe
boro, man. It is to be regretted that these
charges had to be made, but it is perhaps best
that they come now, and give all a chance to
, investigate. For the last three weeks or more
. we have heard it whispered that "grave charr
i .; ges" were to be made, Those who know Ham
mer say they cannot be sustained while those
who do not like him insist that he is not the
man for district attorney. It is claimed that
- the charge is broadly made that Hammer isn't
' heavy enough to handle the job, That all de
pends On how much weight is wanted. We
. all know that no man is going to handle it like
, Holton handles it. If a federal court visitor
during Holton's term were to go back after
Holton is ousted and his successor attemots to
1 do business, you would hear him, ask excitedly
"Where are the rest of thfm?" He would
lcnow there was something missing. Holton
has filled the place full. He is the one smooth
1 lawyer who goes in to win because his heart
is; in the case he undertakes. He isn't today
for the defense and tomorrow for the prosecu
tion, i He always prosecutes if he has a case
and he goes the limit. -, Hammer might make
a gopd district attorney but he cannot com
pare in any : way with Holton. As to the
charges we know nothing and care nothing.
The game is politics and it i3n't;who is best
fitted but who will take care of this and that.
The Mountain Rad is Being
Freely Mentioned
The news is wafted down from the moun
tain country that J. J, I'.ritt will perhaps run
for Congress to succeed Representative Gud
ger. Mr. Britt one time ran for Governor; he
lias been third assistant postmaster general,
under Taft, and is a lawyer of marked ability.
Just what the G. (). P.'will offer as a way of
consolation to the mountain people we are
not informed, but if a republican is to go to
Congress from North Carolina a cleaner man
or an abler man than J. J. I'rilt cannot be lound
We have never known whether Mritt fell into
the Roosevelt movement, but take it for grant
ed that he did not. Those posted insist that
Roosevelt is still strong in North Carolina,
and that by the nest election there will be no
republican party it will be the Progressive
party. But we are of a different opinion. We
think that the republican party will borrow a
few progressive ideas, perhaps nominate a sane
progressive and have but one ticket in the field
against democracy.
0-
The Court Satisfied
And from now on the. Christmas essence
will commence to circulate. It takes longer
to penetrate some bones than others but as
a general thing it soaks through before the
Day of Days arrives and that is enough to
satisfy this court of the Divinity of Christ !
O
t
Too Much Whiskey
J. R. Anderson, aged 47 years old, a detec
tive for the Atlantic Coast Line railway and
living at Rocky Mount deliberately took a
pistol and blew out his brains in the presence
of his son. It was claimed that too much whis
key Thanksgiving Day, the remorse that fol
lowed, the despondent feeling caused the rash
act. He left a wife and seven children. Pret
ty hard lines, that but they happen in this
old world. Perhaps on Thanksgiving Day
when this unfortunate man first commenced
to tank up, John saw many things in his mind's
eye. The first drink and the world looked
cheerful. The second drink or two and an
army of noble thoughts and impulses galloped
before his eyes great things, grand things
that he was going to do. He could see all these
things as his brain was being set on fire, and he
lived, for the nonce, more things than he had
ever done before. Then after he woke up with
a seal brown taste in his mouth, and his held
aching and the picture of what really was,
before him, he became despondent. He doubt
less brooded over his misfortune and in a mo
ment of depression did in a hasty minute what
he would not have done for all the world. Too
bad that some good earth angel could not have
happened by just then ; too bad that he put out
his lights and left to hustle for themselves a
little family he had reared and doubtless loved,
Those who haven't wrestled with John Barley
corn ; those who haven't taken the thirty-third
degree, and experienced that strange insanity
which alcohol brings to the brain do not know
they do not understand. But Anderson who
killed himself had suffered God ! he must
have suffered all the agonies imagTiia"bie, or
else he would not have had the courage to end
a life in such a way.
. - O
A Little Hasty
There is nothing like being Johnny on the
Spot if you are a news gatherer, but some
of the dope the Washington correspondents
send out is altogether impossible. They have
a pipe dream in order to fill a column one day,
and the next they get a chance to show that
"new developments" change the program.
The Washington correspondent who has a
string of papers to serve must add a little local
color to each section and each state,, but this
thing of preparing the copy for a whole week
the Saturday before is growing painful. Why
not at least put in Mondays and Wednesdays
on the job, as this would save so much asser
tion and denial. v
-0
The Asheville Cases
v A traveling man informed us the other day
that just when the Asheville excitement, was
highest; just when the guilty ones were pre
paring their bonds and paying their fines; just
when the streets, figuratively speaking were
running red with the likker emptied by the po
lice after confiscation, he saw another traveling
man walk up to a negro and give him a half,
dollar and the nigger wasn't gone ten minutes
before he returned with a half pint of liquor.
We asked him why he didn't proceed to give
Judge Carter the information and make it mer
ry for all concerned. He said he wasn't an in
former, in the first place, and in the second
place he knew neither the traveling man's name
nor the negro who secured the poison, But that
fool nigger is walking on dynamite and doesn't
know it. , . : :.:
O
If Secretary McAdoo has his way about it
there will be 1 many public "buildings erected
in North Carolina "enduring" this democratic
administration." . , . .
O-
It used to be that Mexico furnished us much
speculation as to what was de facto and de
jure regarding the presidency down there, but
just now it is a question of drunk" or sober.
j . ;..; - .
-si ' i ' -I "H -i!
r 1 : -r t ,''"V
'1 here was a discussion the other evening
among a party of gentlemen about the Old
Guard of North Carolina, and it was unani
mously agreed that the Honorable Cyrus Wat
son, of Winston, should have been sent to the
United States Senate along back some fifteen
or twenty years ago when he had political am
bition. But we all see things too late. There is
not in North Carolina a more unique character
than Cy Watson. There has not been an abler
lawyer there is not a better citizen. As 3
United Stales Senator Mr. Watson would have
taken his place among the biggest, and he
would not have been in Washington two years
before he would have been a national character.
He can tell the funniest story. He can take
a common-place yarn and after he has em
belished it and "told it" it is the funniest
thing you ever heard. He is a student and a
deep thinker. He wouldn't have been a Till
man or a J. Ham Lewis but he would have
been a rugged, brainy, honest, brilliant United
States Senator one of the. kind we used Jo
have along in the days when old Zach Chandler
stirred up the animals.
North Carolina missed it in not sending him.
But maybe she gained in keeping him with us.
Wc all must grow old, we all are growing
older, and Mr. Watson is no exception to the
rule. In the sunset of life no doubt he is phil
osopher enough not to want any office now.
As he looks back and sees that as a piivatc
citizen, as a successful lawyer; as a considerate
neighbor he has made his name known all
over his state, perhaps he feels just as good
over it as though he had won the same distinc
tion because of the political game. Perhaps
he feels better over it.
. 0- '
That Was Too Bad.
Mrs. Pankhurst, with twenty thousand dol
lars of good American money in her pocket
was arrested before her ship landed. That is
too bad. Mrs. Pankhurst is simply a woman
of the Carrie Nation sort? Just a little bit too
militant. Just a little too progressive. We
were struck the other day by a sentence in a
paragraph written by Mrs. R. R. Gotten.
Speaking of a prominent club woman she said
she "was sanely progressive." Now that is
worth thinking about. Some of the very pro
gressive folk these times arc not sanely so
and Mrs. Pankhurst seems to be one of them.
Congressmen Must Pay
And it has been decreed that the Congress
man must pay ai income tax. Sure, Mike.
Why not a Congressman as .well as a news
paper editor. At first we thought that to pay
an income on all over fifty thousand was a
hardship, but after figuring it out concluded
that we would like to experience the feeling
of having an income sufficient to be dignified.
So we want to list our income at a million a
year.' and prove by the tax books that we made
such returns. In doing this ne value our
vinegar recipe at $999,999.99. Of course the
vinegar recipe might not bring it at auction,
but when you can take a barrel of rain water
and pour in the secret dope and make a barrel
of pure apple vinegar for 2 cents, why isn't that
worth a million dollars? It is. And there is no
use for any man to attempt to prove the con
trary. At first it felt a little funny to be worth
a million, but We are used to it now, and wc
sleep just as soundly as we did when wc had
onlv ten thousand dollars.
0
Will Change It.
It seems that the farmers arc getting wise1 as
to the reason of the bird law in the several
counties which prohibits the sale of birds.
Heretofore the farmer could kill a few birds
and sell them, finding them on his own place.
Now he may kill them but can't sell them.
He sees the point. Because he can't get ready
money for his birds he takes a small sum for
his lease, and lets the sportsmen do the shoot
ing. But by another legislature this will all
be changed. ' . -
O
Blease still insists that he is going to the
Senate, and hundreds and thousands of peo
ple hear him talk and applaud him. .
Is He A Necessary Part Of
Business World?
I )urhaiu i ha ing Minn
ii terms its "luan sharks."
trouble W illi u hal
The blind ii") t is
an animal thai
Imi e. 'Hi 1 In
blind pig-. 1'
makes a man a
the "loan shark
i's mi booze and li ;vii-i--.
Panl'ir nasi they call ihun
-i'dy because the blind
I'nl 1 he animal K 1 1 ,vn a -1-
a icMow who loans , ,u ien
dollar and charge- ou about S
barge- ou about S.i.S; for
trouble of loaning ii. Whether there are anv
rial loan -harks m hurhani we do not know.
In fact ule tlur there are any mar loan -i.ark-
in Ihirham we d 1 know but mice in .1
while, the si, -,-alled "loan shark" is a mighty
good in-ntution to haw around. Thejv an
limes when a man can afford to pav a inn-i
liberal rile of ii'ten-l. He hasn't real estate
lie hasn't credit- but he may have a little per
sona! property and the loan shark, so-called
helps him out. 't rue the shark gets the lion's
share- he lakes all the meat and leaves only
the bone, but he has served, in manv cases, a
useful purpose.
We are acquainted with a-man, today pros
perous, who one lime received a message to
conn, at once to a city - that an opportunity
awaited him. He had several suits of clothes
and a diamond ring. He needed fifty dollars
and he needed it to beat the band. His per
sonal property was worth perhaps two hun
dred and fifty dollars. He went to a loan shark
and that obliging gentleman took all of his
goods, loaned him Slixi on them, charged fifly
dollars for his trouble and took a note drawing
six per cent, for Si 00. The aiote was due in
,V days. The man paid it, anjl told us that he
secured a right in a patent that had paid him
$JO,foo and he expected to get rich off of it
and he regretted that we dkVt loan him the
money on a proposition he made to "divy" if
the scheme turned out all right. We were
afraid he was touching us for S50 would have
gambled on it. But that shark, that grasping
thief calling himself a money-lender, who took
no chances, and who actually robbed the man
of $50 was the means of putting a good citi
zen on the road to fortune. You may say this
is an isolated case. But it seems true to us
that there should be some fellow willing to
lend you money when you were up against it
and if he takes chances he must be secured.
However this is no defense of the Durham
people, nor is it an indictment of them. Wc
are talking about the general run of money
lenders known all over the world.
O
THE RIGHT MOVE
A Way For Women to Lower Price of Food
Stuffs Everywhere
Since an editorial was in type we note that
the women of Kansas City have entered into
a warfare on the high price of eggs. Dealers
claim that scarcity of eggs is what made the
price go to forty cents. The women of Kansas
City, hundreds of them, have joined forces and
placed a boycott on eggs. They have highly
resolved to use 110 eggs until the price goes
down.
This means that if the consumption of a
million eggs is stopped, naturally there will be
over production, and rather than see them spoil
Mr. Dcalerwill be obliged to lower his prices.
But who is hurt? The dealer will hang on to
his old stock and the farmer who has eggs to
sell will be told that the price is down, there
is no demand. After the price goes down then
those who have been fasting will again
commence to eat eggs, and being hungry
will want many of them and again up will, go
the prices. So the boycott means nothing un
less the Women of the .whole United States
organize and go into the scheme to boycott
everything that is unnaturally high.
Tnasniuch as there is no politics in it; inas
much as there could be no money in a treasury
,of this kind, how is such an organization t3 be
started, and how maintained afier staiting?
-;'"- 0 I-;.'
Getting Fierce.
And now they are telling that the postmaster
at New Bern has charges preferred against rum
and that he must walk the chalk within a very
short time. Indeed, while democracy claimed
it -wasn't very hungry, it seems to insist on
having the pie passed.
0- :
A Slit Skirt Heroine
F.stelle Wilson, a decided brunette of Dan
ville so briinettish that she is as black as a
raven and as dark as the night, undertook to
wear a slit skirt in an evening promenade, and
the police called her into court and Hizzoner
fined the coal black five dollars and the trim
migs.. .. -..
And this is the stinging inequality of the age
the victory of wealth over poverty. It shows
that Nature gave the racoon stripes around hh
tail and left the possum's tail entirely bare.
It shows that when a lady of color wants to
dike in the latest fashion she is thrown into
jail because the slit in her skirt was too con
spicuous while her pale sister highballs up
Main street without any skirt at all.
But it was ever thus.
o
When we finally get around to it and estab
lish & parcel post that will ship a ton of lum
berwell that will be when Uncle Sam takes
over the freight cars. , ,
WILL THEY GO?
Said Pie Eaters Must
Give Up Ghost.
I lie rad- a li.l'le oliice had
1 1 '- recoinpeiiNt wa - d e.igh -
And pay da alwax- made t h in glad.
'I bey didn't want "in g' 1."
I'.ul ii-'.n Hiriied iliem out ode day
lb- c I j 1 " t ju -'.
He - bon';.! :'. ed rail- and give iliem pay
With ! 'ii mill hh - want ing pie.
Ii' new- cm. - mii from a-hinglon
I 'll'iii. loil;er. l.ogan. -ewall--m:ir-
i,
! -ha'- and dl-trict attorneys, be inviled to walk
i "h plai.k. ii i- -a'd that in. appointment can
I be mad.- iinu; there is a a.-.,!..-;, and the date
I -.-1 lor the vacaiky to occur is iJeceniber
i ;tli- nct Monday.
1 ;. . . : ,1 . 1. . . i'i . -ii . 1 , . ,
11 s,ou in, u iiaminer iil i.iKe Motions
place and Webb asks the seat of Logan. In
the ea-1 Winston will be attorney and Dortch
marshal.
The question arises, and has been discussed,
what il Mr. Holton refuses to give up the ship'
Mippose he says his commission is not yet
expired -lie has made a record to which'he
points with pride, as do also his friends, and
he proposes to remain until he completes what
he has undertaken?
Of course there is precedent. But Holton
is a wonderful man. He is as bright as a dol
lar and as honest as they make them. He has
made the best district attorney this section
has ever had perhaps ranks with the very
best in the whole country. Holton isn't a man
who regards precedent. ' A man w ho takes off
his coat and rolls up his sleeves and proceeds
to address a jury with his neck-tie riding his
collar, isn't a man to regard precedent. What
he regards "are the facts in the case" and if it
please your Honor and gentlemen of the jury,
if there are any facts in the case Holton sees
them and presents them.
It may be that he will come into camp. He
may not vveii linger near. He may say to the
Attorney General "here is what 1 have take
it and let Hammer have it." Or, he may
balk. You can't tell when a horse is going to
balk, and you can't tell what is Holton's next
move. He can have more things up his sleeve
at one time than a Chinese gambler and it
is said by truthful James that Ah Sin had
twenty-four packs of cards up one sleeve.
However, we shall see what we shall see. But
we await with anxiety, and no pain, the result
of the tender of the resignation. Before these
types are cold, aye, before this article is finish
ed, the resignation may be in'. Washington,
and again it mav not be in for many months.
' -O
Santa Claus and Parcel Post
It is gratifying to those who believe in the
idea of a Parcel Post and advocated that idea
for years before Congress saw fit to create
that great institution to observe the reports
that the receipts have far exceeded the "most
sanguine hope" in fact that the receipts are
double what was expected. The great express
companies of the United States drew down a
lot of money and had so many rules that the
Parcel Post is a decided convenience for the
people besides being a most satisfactory econ
omy. We saw a package the other day shipped
across the continent via Parcel Post. It was
silver and silver mounted mirrors. The mir
rors were packed in separate packages and
were delivered in perfect condition. If the Ex
press companies had been doing the stunt, they
would have charged double for Such service
because it necessitated two parcels. Uncle
Sam don't care how many parcels you make,
he goes by weight and charges accordingly.
Santa Claus has written the Department at
Washington that he has at last decided to
abandon his reindeer and use the Parcel Post.
Any letter directed to him care of the Post of
fice in any city or town will be delievered to
him on account of this. Herctofere when San
ta Claus insisted on using reindeer to deliver
his presents the many letters addressed to him
by little children were not delivered because
he could not be found. But now that he is
connected With the Post Office Department
at Washington and intends to use that great
Department, Uncle Sam will deliver all letters
It is certainly a great improvement and many
children will no doubt hear from him if they
write a letter that pleases him and it the ki :
will send along proof that he has been "good."
O
Wait And Then Wait
The Winston Journal speaking of the case
of Sphinx like stillness of R. G. Glenn, asks:
"Will he run or not run?'' Well, if he thinks
he can make it, he will run. But for his own
good, we hope he will not be fooled, y We saw
in a paper the other day a statement to the ef
fect that a man who went into a business of
which he had no knowledge "stood no more
chance of succeeding than a celluloid hound
stood in chasing an asbestos rabbit through
" And R.jG. stands about as much chance
of defeating Overman as the aforesaid cellu
loid 'hound would stand. :
O
, . Is Thirteen Unlucky ?
Is thirteen an unlucky number? 1
have our birthday the 13th of thi
tomorrow maybe unlucky to hav
but pretty lucky to have lived f
joyed so much fun.
V