Sljf Smitljftdi Herald
Price One Dollar Per Year "TRUE TO OURSELVES, OU R COUNTRY AND OUR GOO." * 8lna,? Cop|e, F|y# CenU
VOL.28. SMITHFIELD. N. C.. FRIDAY. MARCH 19, 1909. NO. 4
MR. TAFT'S TARRIFF MESSAGE.
The President Warns of Big Defi- j
cit in his First Message to Con
gress.
President Taft's message to Con
gress is as follows:
To the Senate and House of Repre
sentatives:
I have convened the Congress in
this extra session in order to enable j
? It to give immediate consideration
to the revision of the Dingley tariff |
act. Conditions affecting production,
manufacture, and business generally
have so changed in the last twelve
years as to require a readjustment
and revision of the import duties
imposed by that act.
More than this. The present tar j
Iff act, with the other sources of
government revenue, does not fur
nish income enough to pay the
authorized expenditures. By July
1 next, the excess of expenses over
receipts for the current fiscal year
will equal $100,000,000.
The successful party in the late
election is pledged to a revision of
the tariff. The country, and the
business community especially, ex
pect it. The prospect of a change
in the rates of import duties always
causes a suspension or halt in busi
ness, because of the uncertainty as
to the changes to be made and their
aflMt : LL
It Is, therefore, of the highest im- '
portance that the new bill should
be agreed upon and passed with as
much speed as possible consistent
with its due and thorough considera
tion. For these reasons I have
deemed the present to be an extra
ordinary occasion within the mean
ing of the Constitution, justifying
and requiring the calling of an extra
session.
In my inaugural address I stated
in a summary way the principles up
on which, in my judgment, the re
vision of the tariff should proceed,
and indicated at least one new source
of revenue that might be properly
resorted to in order to avoid a fu
ture deficit. It is not necessary for
me to repeat what I then said.
I venture to suggest that the vital
business interests of the country re
quire that the attention of the Con
gress in this session be chiefly de
voted to the consideration of a new
tariff bill, and that the less time
given to other subjects of legisla
tion in this session, the better for
the country.
William H. Taft.
The White House, Mar. 16, 1909.
No Tax on Coffee.
We do not wonder that protests
are pouring in upon the Ways and
Means Committee against the impo
sition of a tax on coffee. That is
a tax which would go right into the
homes. We have no doubt that ev
ery cent of the coffee tax, no mat
ter what may be said to the contra
ry, would be exacted from the buyer
at retail. It was so with the war
taxes, and it is true of every tax
which can be transferred to the
consumer.
It more revenue is really needed,
tax^s should be levied elsewhere
than upon the common people. Let
not the extravagances of billlon-dol
lar sessions be charged upon the
man and the woman who can hard
ly make both ends meet. If we
must keep up this imperialistic ex
penditure, if we must outvie the
world in military pomp and power,
let the taxes be levied upon those
most able to pay, and not upon
those least able. An inheritance tax
or an income tax would be infinitely
' preferable to a tax on coffee. Even
a tax on commercial and business
papers, vexations though it is, would
be better.
A cry has been going up the last
few years from the consumer. The
price of living has advanced faster
than the rate of wages. In the midst
of prosperity great masses of the
people have been relatively Impov
erished. What we need is reduction,
lot increase, of taxation. The con
sumer demands to be heard in his
own behalf. To meet his plea with
a fresh tax on one of the common
est necessities of life would be hol
low mockery. We do not think the
i statement responsible for the tre
mendous increase in our national ex
penditures will have the nerve to
i Impose it.?Washington Herald.
I
Ida M. Tarbell On the Thread Trust.
In the March American Magazine,
Ida M. Tarbell writes an article
which she calls "Where Every Pei^
ny Counts." It is an article which
shows how the tariff has increased
the cost of living?especially for the
poor. Here is the story of the
Thread Trust, as Miss Tarbell tells
it:
"The poor woman of today not
only sees herself cut off from wool
clothing and covering, she finds her
self pinched by the steady increase
in the price of everything which goes
into keeping the scanty articles she
can buy in order. She must have
thread. Spool cotton is as necessari
an article of daily consumption in
the household as fuel or cloth. Many
women with families, on 1500 a
year, many shops and factory girls
on $6 or 18 a week, make their own
clothes. Not frequently these wo
men in their work are obliged, when
not protected by a union, to furnish
their own thread. Miss Ainslee
found one cap-worker in New York
last year spending an average of 75
cents a week for thread for her
work out of an average wage of
$8 a week. For many years the
price of the ordinary 200-yard spool
cotton has been 5 cents, twelve
spools for 50 cents, when suddenly
in 1900 it was advanced to 6 cents,
about double the price it was sell
ing for in England. The cause of
the advance offers one of the nicest
studies we have of the beneficent ef
fects on prices of a tariff combined
v> I HI Cl LI UOl,
"The leading brand of thread
which has been selling at 6 cents
in New York and about half that in
England is made by J. & P. Coats,
Limited, of Paisley, Scotland, and
by the Coats thread combination in
this country. The Coats House is
the oldest and most progressive
thread house in the world. It ear
ly saw the advantage of establishing
a factory in the United States and
competing for the American trade
under the protection of the tariff.
Other English firms also saw the
advantage, chief among them the
Clark Jlile End Spool Cotton Com
pany of Newark, New Jersey. A
few years ago the Coats realized
that a combination of the English
concern doing business here would
be profitable and one was brought
about, the products of the amalga
mation being handled by the Spool
Cotton Company of New York City.
That is, the English concerns in the
United States trustified themselves
to all intents and purposes. In 1897
some sixteen of the EnglUh com
petitors of the Coats concern com
bined in a $10,000,000 trust, called
the English Sewing Cotton Trust.
The J. & P. Coats Company took
$1,000,000 of the stock and at least
once since has helped the organiza
tion out of trouble by lending it
$2,000,000. Thus the two concerns
are working together. The' next
year after the English combination
was formed?1898?an American
Thread Trust Company was formed
It was made up of the thirteen lead
ing American concerns?all indeed,
but one of the large domestic com
panies went into it. No sooner was
tms done uian tne j-jngnsn 1 rust
bought the majority of the Trust's
stock. Here then was an English
Trust owning and controlling the
American Trust and dictating its
policy from the other side of the
water. And this British trust was
affiliated and partly owned by the
still larger concern, the J. & P.
Coats Company. It comes down to
this, that the $48,000,000 Coats con
cern controls practically the thread
business of England and America.
No sooner was the English control
complete here than thread was ad
vanced."
Liberal Appropriation for the Train
ing School.
The Legislature appropriated $40,
000?$20,000 annually for two years
?to the Stonewall Jackson Training
School at Concord. Of the amount
$20,000 is for maintenance and the
balance for permanent Improve
ments. The Concord Times says
the amount for improvements will
be sufficient to construct and equip
two additional cottages, which will
give a capacity for 120 boys; and
that it is probable that philanthro
pists will give the school an amount
equal to that appropriated by the
Legislature.
BRITAIN'S GREAT NAVY.
No Backward Step in Maintaining
Supreme Sea Power.
The British naval estimates pro- (
vide for an appropriation of $175,
713,500, and for the construction of
four Dreadnoughts, six protected
cruisers, twenty destroyers, and
$5,000,000 worth of submarines. The
naval bill in Congress this winter
carried an appropriation of nearly
$137,000,000, and a provision for only
two Dreadnoughts, eight destroyers,
one collier, and four submarines.
A navy in the United States is j
thus seen to be an expensive luxury. '
England maintains a naval*establish
ment very much greater than ours,
and for about $40,000,000 additional
expenditure receives additional war
craft which alone cost much more
than the extra sum. American sail
ors receive higher pay, better ra
tions, and the cost of construction
and maintenance is much higher here
than abroad.
There is included in the estimates
a clause in which the lords of the
admiralty seek the power to build
as speedily as possible, in 1910, four
additional armored ships?probably
battle ships?in case of need. The
debate will rage around this propo
sal, which is designed to enable
England to meet any forward naval
policy in Germany.
The estimates for this year, not (
including the four additional armor- 1
ed craft, for which authorization will t
be asked, exceed the expenditures
for this year by $15,000,000. Whether
the admiralty shall receive the
grant for the extra ships or not,
there is no doubt that England has
decided to maintain her navy at
the highest possible pitch, for the
reason that, if the present program <
shall be followed, Great Britain will t
have in 1911 only fourteen of the
Dreadnought class to thirteen which
Germany will then have.
The world interest in England's
naval plans is due to the fact that
as England builds so will build the
powers. England sets the pace. The
pace which she is now setting means
that Germany and the other powers
will continue to build and to main
tain great navies, and that the
dream of disarmament is begot of
fantasy.?Philadelphia Public Ledger.
Ages of Supreme Court Judges.
The retirement of Justice Fuller
has so often been falsely presaged
t'.iat any new rumor must be taken
turn grano salis, for at seventy-six
Chief Justice Fuller is seemingly as
active, both mentally and physically,
as when he was appointed to the
bench twenty-one years ago. He
loves his work so well that it sits
as easily upon him as does his judi
cial robe. But in the next few years,
besides the Chief Justice, at least
three members of the Supreme Court
will retire?Justice Harlan, who will
be seventy-six in June; Justice Brew
er, who celebrated his seventy-first
birthday last summer, and Justice
Peckham, who is already past seven
ty?to that in all probability Presi
dent Taft will have these three sub
stantial plums to distribute.
The other members of the sunreme
court are comparatively young men.
Justice Moody, the last to receive
his commission, is the baby of the
bench, being only fifty-six, then fol
low Justice Day, sixty; Justice White
sixty-four; Justice McKenna, sixty
six, and Justice Holmes, sixty-eight.
?Washington Gossip.
Young Man Marries Elderly Woman.
Last Saturday there was a wed
ding in Caldwell township that at
tracted more than ordinary attention.
The groom, Mr. Lee Campbell, Is 22
and the bride, Miss Martha Cald
well, Is 60. Our informant says it (
was very much of a love affair, and
had been looked forward to for
some time. Another match in the
same neighborhood of a groom of
20 and a bride of 40 is expected to
follow in a few days. So strong Is
the marrying fever in Caldwell, that
Mr. David Drum, a widower of 90,
sends the Enterprise word that he
is going to marry a widow of 40.?
Newton Enterprise, 11th.
? ? ? ????? r
Tof>fh?r?"N(?,
mention any creature that U-.ouga t
to the brute creation?" Willie? j
"Yes'm; pa does, ' cause ma says 1
so."?Baltimore American. 11
i
SPEAKER CANNON CHOSEN.
New Members From Every State
Begin Their Careers in Congress
The opening of the Sixty-first Con
gress yesterday was one of the most
spectacular scenes witnessed at
such an event in many years. Speak
er Cannon was reelected for the
Fourth time.
Not only were there new members
Trorn nearly every State in the Union
aeginning their official careers in
the Capital, but there was added in
terest on account of the fight over
the Speakership and on the old
House rules that have been criticis
ed and even made campaign Issues
in many of the districts.
Every seat In the House was tak
en long before the hour for conven
ing, and when the gavel finally call
ed the members to order there were
;rowds in the doorways, craning
:heir necks in an effort to hear and
see what was going on.
Alexander McDowell, the clerk of
the House during the Sixtieth Con
;ress, called the members to order
it exactly 12 o'clock, and prayer was
jffered by the chaplain, Rev. Henry
\T. Couden.
Representative Currier, of New
Hampshire, then, following the in
structions of the Republican caucus
)f Friday night, nominated Speaker
Gannon for re-election. Champ Clark
>t Missouri, was nominated by Rep
resentative Clayton, of Alabama, and
... ...
iie voie resulted as ionows:
Cannon 204
Clark 166
Cooper 8
Norris 2
Esch 1
Hepburn 1
Then Mr. Currier nominated the
>ld House officers for re-election, and
;he following were elected:
Clerk?Alexander McDowell.
Postmaster?Samuel A. Langum.
Doorkeeper?F. B. Lyon.
Sergeant-at-arms?Henry Casson.
Chaplain?Rev. Henry N. Couden.
Following this, the House took up
.he fight on rules, and adjourned at
>:25 o'clock until noon today, when
;he members will be assigned to
:heir seats on the floor of the House,
rhis is usually a part of the first
lay's program at a new Congress,
>ut so much time was taken up with
he other part of the organization
;hat it could not be reached yester
lay.?Washington Herald, 16th.
Mr. Watts is Afraid of Storms.
The Senators are moving in their
lew office building, near the union
?ailway station. Bach Senator has
wo or three rooms and everything
n the way of fixtures that one
would desire. Senator Simmons has
!23 on the first floor, and Senator
Dverman 211. The Senate Office
Building cost about $4,000,000, and
s very imposing and comfortable,
'n the office of Mr. Simmons, Col.
V. D. Watts, one of the most in
cresting politicians in North Caro
ina, holds forth. William W. Lein
iter, stenographer to Mr. Simmons,
s there with him. These two young
nen are delighted with their new
juarters. Mr. Thomas J. Pence, who
las known Colonel Watts through
:alra and storm, says that the chief
pleasure that he (Colonel Watts)
will get out of the new building is
;he assurance that It will not blow
lown before a stiff wind. The old
\nnex is reported to be unsafe, and
Colonel Watts could not be entirely
lappy there if there were rumblings
n the heavens. He was seen once,
ivhen a dark cloud hovered over the
}uilding, running away. Now his
Hind will be at ease. Ralph Waldo
Emerson's essay on death does not
ippeal to the man from Iredell.?
Charlotte Observer.
Lumsden Sentenced to 18 yeears In
Prison.
Tohn C. Lumsden, the young North
Carolinian who was last week con
victed of manslaughter in the first
legree in New York city, for the
[illlng of Harry Suydam, a broker,
;RV\ 'jsqtnaoacx JI-IOJI M3M UJ
lentenced "to not less than 18 years
ior more than 19 years and six
nonths" in Sing Sing penitentiary,
rhe maximum penalty for the of
?" ? la 20 years. It is stated that
he case will not be appealed.
Learn to unlearn what you have
earned amiss.?German. 1
In Memoriam.
Mrs. Mary L. Stephenson, wife of
Mr. W. J. Stephenson,_ died at the
Memorial Hospital In Richmond Fri
day, March 12, 1909, she having un
dergone an operation for chronic ap
pendicitis 011 Monday previous. In
this passing the writer feels con
strained to note some facts of thw
life of the deceased, though hastily
sketched.
Mrs. Stephenson was the daughter
of B. T. and Sarah llarber, she be
ing one of nine children of whom
one sister, Mrs. Cassie Lee, of Ben
son, and four brothers, Messrs. Hor
ace, Bythan, Arthur and Percy Bar
ber of Cleveland township, survive
her. She was married to Mr. Ste
phenson about twenty-five years ago
and leaves behind to mourn their
loss her husband, one son and three
daughters. She was forty-eight years
of age and has lived a life of use
fulness.
Mrs. Stephenson was of a good
family, was reared at the old home
in Cleveland township. For many
years she lived at Smithfield, but
for the past several years at Wise,
Warren county, where she was buri
ed. For some years she had been
in declining health, her husband hav
ing sent her at intervals to the moun
tains and to the beach and to the
sanatorium in order to restore her
to health. Slightly rebuilding but
then relapsing she was conscious of
the approaching end and when ad
viseu ny ner pnysician .inu lainuy
to return to the hospital Hhe said to
her husband and children, "For
your sake, I will go, but it is soon
death any way." Her daughters
were with her to the last. All that
skilled operators and nurses could
do could not save her.
In many respects the deceased
was a remarkable woman. Perhaps
kindness was her predominating trait
of character. What higher traits
can crown a noble woman's life? She
was a christian, a faithful and con
sistent member of the Primitive Bap
tist church. Her faith was unwa
vering, her walk circumspect, her
life 'lovely and pure and adorned
with the higher Christian graces?
goodness, charity. Mrs. Stephenson
was very industrious, but from her
generous nature found time to visit
and minister to the sick. She was
sociable, and cheerful and wherever
known had a host of friends. Her
sweet disposition and christian life
like celestial flowers shed a holy
fragrance in the conmunity. She
could not hold enmity against any
one. Her Christian faith was strong,
and resigned to the will of her Mas
ter, often said "I am not afraid to
go."
As some final reminiscences char
acteristic of the tender mother and
wife while seeming perfectly consci
ous of her inability in her feeble
condition to survive the operation,
yet as^she went to the table smiled
and waved a good-bye to family and
throwing kisses at them. This was
the last natural act. After it was
over and at times partly revived,
with outstretched hand she would
say, "my sweet baby;" "my darling
husband;" "my precious daughter,"
"bless my son," and like fond ex
pressions. But the messenger called
and she had to leave them. She es
peciauy requesieu mai iney sncu 110
tears when she was gone. The beau
tiful casket bearing her remains la
den with fragrant flowers gently
placed with loving hands was taken
back to Wise and placed to rest in
the cemetery. Her spirit is at rest,
sweet rest.
Thus has passed from human ac
tivity a tender and loving mother, a
devoted wif?, a faithful friend, and
exemplary Christian. May those
she has left behind strive to emu
late her many virtues and her life
so eminently pure.
C.
Smithfield, Mar. 18, 1909.
Elkin Man a Suicide.
Winston-Salem, N. C., Mar. 17.?
W. B. Paul, for twenty years agent
for the Southern Railway at Elkin
and one of the town's leading citi
zens, after kissing his wife and five
children good-bye, telling them he
believed he would go to his work,
walked into his barn at 9 o'clock
this morning and shot himself
through the head with a pistol, dy
ing five hours later.
Ill-health, produced by over-work,
Is given as the cause of tlft> tragedy.
?
WORLD'S LARGEST RAILWAY.
Several Thousand Miles of Cape to
Cairo Road Unfinished.
Cecil Rhodes, South Africa's em
] pire builder, died at Cape Town sev
I eu years ago this month, his pres
tige shattered and his dreams of
j empire unfulfilled. Yet within less
! than two years after his death and
his entombment in the lonely Matop
po Hills, near Buluwayo, in Mata
beleland, Dr. Jameson, Cecil Rhodes'
closest friend, by the whirligig of
time, became premier of Cape Col
ony and set himself to work to ac
complish the greatest schema of tho
master mind of South Africa?the
Cape to Cairo Railroad. The work
of J construction was curried forward
so rapidly that the delay occasioned
by the Boer war was partly recover
ed. The main line from Capo Town
to Iluluwayo, l,3t>0 miles long, has
been in operation since 1897, and
played no inconsiderable part in the
war which determined British as
cendency in South Africa.
As to the line north from Bulu
wayo, its course has been altered
considerably from the original Rhodes
plan, owing to the better knowledge
of the country and its resources
from later surveys. Most of the
variations are due, however, to the
projecting and bufttling of feeders
to the main line. Thus a branch
runs from Buluwayo northeast to
Salisbury, the capital of Rhodesia,
and thence to Beira, on the Portu
guese coast. The main line also
has been deflected father northwest
from Buluwayo, thereby tapping the
rich Wanki coal fields and tracts
discovered by Livingstone. The val
uable copper mines 200 miles north
west of Victoria Falls have also
been brought within the scheme, and
a mail route to this region was open
ed four years ago. Its growing net
work of feeders is a natural devel
opment of the plan, and upon their
survey and construction and conse
quent development of the country
the success of the main line will
largely depend. The great Victoria
Falls bridge, linked with the sys
tem in April, 1905, marked another
great advance in the work.
Perhaps the most important fact
in regard to the recent progress of
what, when completed, will be the
longest railway in the world was
the formation last summer of the
Cape to Cairo syndicate, which in
tends soon as possible to push the
main line on from Broken Hill, the
present terminus in Rhodesia, to a
point 011 the frontier of the Congo
State near Mayaba. In all there is
a stretch of about 2,500 miles to be
completed, lying between Khartoum,
in the British Egyptian Soudan, and
Broken Hill. F. von Ghed Gilde
meester. chief engineer of the new
Cape to Cairo syndicate, estimates
that this long link lying through
Central Africa will be completed with
in three years, and then a railway
in the neighborhood of 6,000 miles
long will traverse the Dark Conti
nent, and it will be possible to go
from Paris via Brindisi by rail,
thence by boat to Alexandria and
then to Cairo and Cape Town by
rail in elevend ays.?New York Sun.
i PROPOSAL WRITTEN ON EGG.
j Man Asks fop Answers from Any
Marriageable Young Lady.
VVilkesbarre, Pa., Mar. 12.?While
employes of a wholesale commission
house here were today unpacking
eggs, they found one containing a
proposal of marriage. On it were
the words:
"Charles A. P. Ulsh, of Middle
Creek, Snyder County, Pa., a good
looking wealthy joung man, would
be pleased to have an answer from
any marriageable young lady."
The employes are keeping the egg,
but will give the young man's ad
dress to several young ladies they
know, and see what can be done for
him.
It has been figured that Mr. Taft
traveled 202,114 miles during the
past nine years. Still, he wound up
at the White House; which must
havo been satisfactory enough.?
Washington Herald.
First Farmer?"Hello, Hiram!
Where be ye goin'7" Second Farm
er?"Coin' to taown to git drunk, an'
gawsh, haow I dread it!"?Boston
Transcript.