North Carolina Newspapers

l.OO a Year, in Advance. ' "FOR COUNTRY, FOR GOD, AND EOR TRUTH." Single Copy, 6 Cents. VOL. XL PLYMOUTH, N. C., FRIDAY, MAY 25, 1900. NO, 22. l ' i ' - : . 1 1 1 t. X OCR WASHINGTON LETTER. Special Correspondence. - The administration cannot guess where this Cuban business will end nor whose skirts will be smirched be fore it does. At first it was announced that the whole thing was to be dug up by the roots, but when it was found that Neely wasn't the only one, the administration began to' draw back and seek to minimize the affair. But then it was too late and a second change of base was taken and it was again insisted that no guilty man should escape. But the scandal is so far reaching that the President and Mark Ilanna are quaking for fear of its results. Yet the disclosures are only what might have been expected from the character of the men chosen for such responsible posts. Major Rathbone, for instance, was selected not for his ability, but because he was a henchman of llanna. Years ago he was associated with Col. Dudley in the hitter's "blocks of five" episode in Indiana. Much later lie was largely in evidence in that patriotic move . ment in the Ohio Legislature which culminated in the return of llanna to the United States Senate. When a committee of the Buckeye State Senate investigated the alleged finan cial character of that election, Rath bone could not be produced as a wit ness, and absented himself from the commonwealth until alter tne com mittee adjourned, Therefore Ilanna rewarded him, and he in turn re warded other heelers of similar stripe by appointing them to responsible posts and by ignoring their operations. The roots of the whole scandal, how ever, lie deeper even than this. They are found in the criminal neglect of Secretary Root and Postmaster Gen eral Smith to properly oversee the operations that went on under their administration Will it be believed that today the only information that either Department has as to the post- ofhee salaries paid in Cuba, is that their total for six months is about $97,000. Absolutely no detailed in formation is on file either for Cuba or for any of the other possessions. Yet the regulations prescribing the duties of auditors and treasurers of the re spective islands, which were promul gated a year ago or more, require trie auditor to forward to the Secretary of War, hot later than ten days after the expiration of each month,-certain re- . ports, among which was an "itemized statement of all disbursements." Both of them were also required to transmit certified copies of the state ments to the Governor-General, with out whose signature of approval no warrant could issue. Four months ago a resolution was passed by- the" Senate "asking for detailed, itemized information in regard to the finances of the island. To one of these only a brief evasive answer has been re turned, while the other has been ignored altogether'. The Department should have this information at hand, and even if they had not they ought to have been able to get it in four months. Why have they not done so? Is it because the items are too pecu culiar to bear the light of publica tion? . -- Secretary Gage has informed Con gress that inquiries made by him show that the stock of gold in the United States is $400,000,000' less than it was supposed to be. Calculations based on supposed stock of money, placed the per capita circulation of the United States at about $26. A loss of $400,000,000 in gold to say noth ing of a probable corresponding loss in silver and paper means a loss of nearly $0 per capita, reducing the cir culation to about $20 per capita. This is less instead of greater than that of many important commercial coun tries. If this fact had been known in 1896,it might have changed the re sult of the last Presidential election. It is not surprising that errors should have been made before, when the foolish system is considered. The first official estimate to be made oi total stocks of gold in the United States was in 1872 by Dr. Linderman, director of the mint. Since then all other estimates have been reached by addinr to the stock of coin at that date the annual coinage and supposed amount of domestic coin imported, deducting the supposed loss by re coinage of United States coin, the supposed amount exported and .the .supposed amount used in the indus trial arts. The amount carried abroad by travellers has been considered to oll'set that brought back by them a most amazing caculation, as every American who goes to Europe un doubtedly takes out $100 for $1 he brings back. How the error occurred is not so important as its effect. It certainlj gives force to the contention that the money of the country has been contracted far beyond what was supposed and shows the cause of the depression Jof 1S9G. With a circula tion at that time of not more than $18 per capita, it is not wonderful "that the country should have suffered. It is certainly somewhat amusing to read the remarks of the protection newspapers on the subject of the Pai, per Trust. That combination re cently tightened the screws and raised the price of paper and caused a tre mendous howl. The American News paper Publishers Association, which includes most of the large Republi can papers of the country, has suM mitted a memorial to the Ways and Means Committee and to the Finance Committee of the Senate, earnestly requesting "remedial" legislation. The memorial recites the wrongs in flicted upon the newspaers of the United States by the Paper Trust, and states that the price of printing paper has been arbitrarily increased without reason or warrant. There is no claim that the paper trust is any other trust All are the offspring of the Dingley tariff, and are just as arbitrary in their charges, just as grasping and just as determined to exact the last farthing from the consumer as is the Paper Trust. The only difference is that they attack the pocket book nerve of the Republican newspapers and hence these forget for this occasion only their rhapsodies on protection and their declarations that it increases the general prosperity. The very minute that the shoe pinches them they come to Congress begging for relief. Adams Degraded Himself. Chatham Record. The main feature of this black and tan Republican county convention was the speech of ex-Judge Spencer B Ad am 8, and it seems almost incredible that a man, who had ever been elected a judge eyen by Fusionists, could bave eo far degraded himself by making speech so full of falsehoods and misrep resentations. Among other false state ments made by him was the deliberate assertion that the Democratic party in North Carolina would not allow a white man, who did not own land, to vote for Senators until after the war, and that then the Republican party gave them that right! Judge Adams either did or did not know this statements to be false. If he did not know it to be false, then he ought never to make another speech, for any man so ignorant as that should never attempt to teach other people. And if he did know it to- be false, he ought to be too ashamed to show his face again in public! The fact is fas every intelligent man knows), that the Democratic party was the advocate of "free suffrage ' and in lbo4 carried this State on that issue, electing David b. lieid uovernor over his Whig opponent, Governor Charles MaDly. Judge Adams thought it necessary to state that he is no office-seeker and "wants no office. But he did not state (as is the truth) that he has been holding office nearly ever since he was old eucugh and is now holding an office that pays more in proportion to the work required. than any office m this State! The ex judge had memorized a pretty peroration to his speech, but forgot part of it and was as badly confused and "frustrated ' as a school bov in his first attempt at declamation. Tlie Danger of Over-Conlldcnce. Charlotte Observer. We see in various esteemed contem poraries, within the past couple of weeks, warning to Democrats against over-confidence with regard to the fate of the constitutional amendment. An Asheville lawyer, who is nameless, says in a private letter to a friend in Wil mington : "I am afraid our people are too confident. We will have a hard right, but I believe we can win." Ex Judge W. R. Allen, member of the lower house of the legislature from Wayne, said in Raleigh, a few days ago, that the danger to the Democratic party is in being too cock sure. Candidate for-Governor Aycock is speaking much the same way. We note this kind of talk with satisfaction in it lies the safety of the amendment and the Dem ocratic ticket. Months ago, when every body else was joyous and jubilant, The Observer assigned to itself this position on the firing line and on account there of established some reputation as a croaker. But it remains a truth that a political victory is never won until it is won, and while the end of this cam paign is in view, it will not be attained unless the means are employed. There is work and a great deal of it close, systematic, diligent work ahead of the Democratic party? and it stands it in hand to look the facts squarely in the fce. Pointed Paragraphs. Chicago Daily News. Walking in one's sleep is a peculiar tranceaction. Some men believe in djowning care in the flowing bowl. Tbe happiest women, like the hap piest nations, have no histv ry. The helm is but a little thing, yet it govern j the course of the ship. A fur cap trimmed with lace is like a hot plum pudding with ice cream sauce. Probably the dog didn t want to get into the ark because he had a bark of his own. Three dangerous courses the course of time, the course of true love and the race course. S.iys a rural editor of a rival : "He is a reservoir of falsehood and an aqueduct of ignorance." If a man is unable to say nothing and sa w wood, he can at least try to do either one or the other. An old bachelor commenting on the ring cure lor rneumatism says tnat wedding rings have been used to cure love for ages. ,TIIE SOUTH A Fit I CAN WAR. Baltimore Sun, 14tli. . British troops have not only entered Kroonstad, the second Boer capital of the Orange Tree State, but have pushed on beyond it. The entry was made Saturday and a dispatch received last night states that General Frenche's cav alry has already proceeded five miles north of the town. The Boers are re treating to the Vaal river, 80 miles be yond Kroonstad, where intrenchments are being prepared. Fighting may occur at Ileilbron Road an important town on the railroad 50 miles north of Kroonstad. The Free State capital has been temporarily re moved to Undley, 40 miles east of Kroonstad. General French tried to cut the railroad north of Koonstad so as to prevent the Boers from escaping, but the last train had left before he sue ceeded. Stories of dissensions between the Transvaalers and Free Staters, which were so numerously circulated in March when the British occupied Bloemfon fein, the first Free State capital, are re viyed simultaneously with the occupa tion of the second seat of government It is said that the Transvaalers declare they will no longer fight on Free State soil and that the Free Staters accuse them of deserting. Some of the British dispatches go so far as to say that the whole Boer resistance has almost col lapsed. President Steyn, it is alleged, used the sjambok a rawhide whip on Free Staters who had declared their in tention of ceasing holtilities. A dispatch received in London states that Mafekine had been relieved but there is nothing official to confirm it The British relieving force is expected to arrive at the town Tuesday or Wed nesday, at the latest. Baltimore Sun, 15th. Gen. Sir Redyers Buller again comes to the front on the stage of the South African war. After a long period of in action he has advanced on the - strong Boer positions in theBiggarsbergmoun tains and bas carried them. Though he began his movement last Thursday, it was kept secret until yesterday, when success had been won. After coyering 45 miles in three days, marching from Ladysmith, General Bul ler arrived in the neighborhood of Ilelp makaar and Pomeroy. Then the at tack began. It is expected that Buller will push on to Dundee and possibly to Lang's nek, where he may try a flank movement. The Boers were making a stand Monday evening at Bleskoplaakte, seven miles from Dundee. A western column of Buller's troops, it is believed, will try to join Roberts by way of Van Reeuen'8 pass. The Boers in Natal are believed to be fighting a rear guard ac tion to cover their retreat. In the Orange Free State Lord Rob erts is anxious to push on north of Kroonstad, but is compelled to wait for tbe concentration of his army. The railroad is being repaired and other preparations for an advance are in progress. Several hundred Free Staters in the neighborhood of Kroonstad have surrendered. The seat of the Free State Government has been established at Ileilbron, 55 miles east of Kroonstad. A Pretoria cablegram states that the Boers have again attacked Mafeking. The Kaffir quarters is said to have been destroyed by flames. In London news of Mafeking's relief is hourly expected. The Boer peace envoys, Messrs. C. II. Wessels, Abraham Fischer and A. D. W. Woluiarans, are expected to arrive in New York today. A letter from Pre toria, dated March 25, says the state ment is made on the highest authority that the envoys are empowered to ask the United States to assume a protecto rate over the Boer republics, this pro tectorate to tend, if desired, toward eventual annexation as territories or states. B:ltlmore Sun, 16th. Mafeking in the last few days has been the center of the hardest fight ing in the South African war. A dis patch from Lorenzo Marquez says : "Pretoria reports that Mafeking has fallen," but this report is not con firmed from other sources. It is known that the crisis began last Sat urday, when the Boers made a detcr misd 'vttaek.-probably their final ef fect to capture therylace before the arrival of the British relief column. The . Boers, according to Lorenzo Marquez advices, managed to ger-jnto tne town oi juaieKing, wncrc iney oc cupied the Kaffir quarter. Lieuti Col. Robert S. S. Baden Powell, British commander, attacked ti there, and, it is said, the Boers themselves surrounded, lhe 1 nnnaiilfirnViln nil tlflfll SH1(S. X the developments since Sur fragmentary. One report sta Baden-Powell captured a lar. of Boers. A telegram sent by Baden' to Lord Roberts under date of before. the attack began, report the garrison's food would last about June 1U. lhe arrival o southern relief column, under Sir Archibald Hunter, is expc hourly. The northern relief colun under Colonel PI unier, appears pew crless. General Buller continues to. move fast in Northern Natal, meeting little opposition. The Boers have recently been retiring from all of that section, and such lighting as has occurred, lias 1 V been confined to minor rear-guard ac tions. General Buller has gone as far north as Dundee, which he occupied unmolested yesterday. This place, it will be remembered, was the scene on October 20, 1899, of one of the most important battles of the war, in which the British repulsed an attack by the Boer?. The few men who are retreating before Buller are going in the direction of Laing's nek and Van Reenen's Pass. In the Orange Free State the Brit ish are also having things their own way. ine entire isoer army is re ported assembling at the Vaal river 1 art of General Brabant's horsemen have occupied Ladybrand, thus com pleting the- chain of British posts from Bloemfontein eastward to Basu- toland. Messrs. Abraham Fischer, C. II Wessels and A. D. W. Yrolmarans, arrived at New York from Rotterdam and and w ere given an enthusiastic reception. A parade was formed with them as the central figures, and it passed from the steamship pier to their hotel amid cheering crowds vnairman luscher said, the envoys would seek an audience with Presi dent McKinley. If the Government refused to help them they would try to arouse the American people. The Mayors of GO cities and towns have sent invitations to the envoys. Baltimore Suu, 17th. .London wonders it the garrison in the little town of Mafeking, out on the African veldt, is saved or lost Interest in Mafeking's fate has reach ed a high pitch in the metropolis Accurate and definite information about the stirring events of the last few days is not yet at hand. But London hopes and finds comfort in some straws which may show how the war wind blows. The chief cause of this hopeful feel ing is that the fall of Mafeking has not yet been announced directly from Pretoria. The decisive fighting, it is known, took place last Saturday and Sunday. From the Transvaal capital has come no official announcement of the result, and this is taken by Brit ishers to mean that the Boers have met defeat. It is believed that the Dght was not so much with the garri son as with the relieving column. A cablegram from Lorenzo Marquez says the relief column had a-- fight with the Boers at Braal Pan, 32 miles soih of Mafeking, on Tuesday. The result is not stated. A dispatch from Pretoria received in Brussels says the relief column has been checked, but that Commandant Eloffand 90 Boers have been captured by the Mafeking garrison. Lord Roberts remains at Kroonstad, in the Orange Free State, collecting his forces for the march to the rugged Vaal. In Natal General Buller con tinues to advance unopposed. He has occupied Glencoe, but the Boers got away with all their cannon and transport outfit. It is believed that the burghers will not make a stand south of Laing's nek. Cotton Spinner' Convention. New York Commercial. The convention of the Southern Cot ton Spinners' Association at Charlotte, N. C, has been a good thing for Ameri can cotton manufacture. One direction in which it has gone to a telling extent is that of comparing the actual propor tion of the export trade in cotton goods which falls to this country with what we are entitled to in view of being the greatest source of the world's supply of raw cotton. It seems an absurd state of things that we who raise the cotton should manufacture a quantity of it which would make a mere fractional part of that manufactured in great Britian; and even more absurd is the fact that, with every facility in the world in the way of machinery and skill, we should be bo slow as to send our raw cotton to Eu rope to be made up for us and relumed, we paying the freight both ways. It is without doubt the real absurdity of this unintelligent and wasteful way of doing business which led the South to discover that the true place for the cotton factory w,as alongside of the cot ton field. The enormous disproportion"which still exists between what we really do and what we actually are entitled to do in the line of cotton manufacture points surely to the fact that the order of the isvja the South forryears to come will of new cotton mills. to be any cessation entirely by our r CiIding fiF--- ufacture of (C Smanu- ... I A, V 6chov eru mi oftextileV "REPEAL TUB FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT AND KILL VOTE OF COLORED MAN, Declare) Hon. A. M. "Waddell, of Nor tli Carolina. Special to Atlanta Journal. Montgomery, Ala., May 9. Hon. A. M. Waddell, mayor of Wilmington, N. C, and one of the most prominent Democrats in that state, opened the dis cussion at the race problem convention today by a sensational speech in favor of disfranchising the ignorant negro vote and in support of the Louisiana and the proposed North Carolina amend ment. Mayor Waddell will be recalled as the leader of the revolution in Wil mington some months ago, when the municipal government of the city was snatched by force from the white Resublicans and negroes. One striking feature of the speech today was a dec laration in favor of a repeal or modifi cation of the 15th amendment. Mayor Waddell spoke in part as follows: ''Granted the power, and admitting the necessity for some restriction, the question is: what is the farest, wiBest and most just arrangement that can be made in regard to the franchise under existing circumstances. In the solution of this question is wrapped up the future of the southern states for weal or woe, and therefore the welfare of the whole country. And when I say the solution of this question, I mean con stitutional methods. So far as the actual exercise of the franchise by tne mass of negroes is concerned, it is already settled, at least for some years to come, but such a condition is abnormal and must be a scource of perpetual trouble and discontent. "Unrestricted negro suffrage in the southern states, if the right be fully and freely exercised, means the most ignor ant, corrupt and evil government ever known in a free country. It means more than this, for there can be no social security where it prevails. Amongst white men, political party ascendencies are never utilized to affect social order. Social disorder invariably follows negro political ascendency. The negro has had nearly 40 years of free dom and citizenship, and opportunity for education, and yet, with many hon orable exceptions, he is quite as inca pable of understanding the meaning of true liberty and of intelligently exercis ing political rights as he was when first emancipated. The southern people, amidst all the calamities that have be fallen them, have expended about $100,000,000 for the education of the negroes since the year 1870, and yet, with every succeeding year, they have become, as a race, less fitted for the duties of citizenship and more and more a menace to civilization and good gov ernment. These are not wild and ex aggerated statements, but facta capable of proof. I unhesitatingly say that unrestrict ed negro suffrage is disastrous to good government and to the peace and wel fare of society, and I go further and de nounce the legislation which accom p ished it as the greatest political crime that has been perpetrated in the history of this country. It has been, and will continue to be, made of no effect by methods which are of themselves neces- earily injurious and demoralizing, and therefore it is doubly disastrous. The true remedy for it is to be found in the repeal or modification of the fif teenth amendment. I know that this suggestion will be regarded by most persons as one the realization of which is beyond reasonable hope, but there oan be little doubt that the mind of the country north and south, especially since the acquisition of Hawaii, Porto Rico and the Philippines is in a more tavorable condition to consider such a proposition than ever before. The re peal of the amendment would not necessarily mean the total disfranchise ment of the negro, lhe Iquestion of suffrage would be remitted to the states where it rightfully belongs. And 1 vejily believe that the good people of the south would eveutually accord to the better class of negroes the right to yote. They, as you well know, cherish no ill will toward the negroes. On the contrary, the only hope he has is based upon the foundation laid in the days oi slavery, and this foundation he has been iguorantly undermining at the in stigation of the only real enemies he has in the world. For his own sake, as much as for the white man's, it is earnestly desired that the process shall cease and the kindly relations between the races shall be re-established. The troubles that have afflicted the south in this respect, except In the rarest in stances, bave not originated or been ouraged by the o'd heads among vho remember the past and de- j fnt. But those kindly r be restored while ffrage continues Fraud who registers as a voter before Decem ber 1st, 1908, but applies an educational test after that date. - It disfranchises every negro who cannot read and-write any section of the constitution' except such as are descended from the old free negroes who voted prior to 18&3 in' North Carolina, or such as have -come into the state from other states where negroes could vote prior to 1867. , TART) TERSE AND TIMELY. The Newspaper correspondents pre dict the immediate submission of the Boerc, but inasmuch as submission. has not been a Boer specialty, it will be just as well to wait for something more sub stantial than prediction. If the administration does not prompt ly punish those thieving Cuban postal officials, the people will punish the ad- ' ministration. Mr. McKinley 's Indian name is Old-man-afraid- of - the - Nicaragua - Canal. His name will be Dennis, after the election. Now that New England mill owners are importing Japanese coolie weavers, the question of Japanese labor is likely to become a live one, and if the Repub lican Congress adjourns without adopt ing legislation against Japanese labor ers, similar to the anti-Cbinese law, it may figure in this year's campaign. B s? Hanna used cuss words when a newspaper man asked his opinion of the wholesale stealing by postal officials in Cuba, which doubtless reflected his real sentiment; but which will not be accepted by the people as an explanation. Dr. Talmage's latest syndicated ser- , mon describes life in heaven; but the good doctor and his family are at pres ent enjoying life in Europe. It is estimated that tub -QAzifttf"1 crop will be 80,000 tons less than, that of last year. Can it be possible that Republican officials haye been, stealing sugar cane as well as money? ' " Southern people have hospitality in abundance to bestow on Admiral Dewey, but their Presidential votes will' be otherwise disposed of. JoMeplius Daniels In Louisiana. Atlanta Journal. - -. Mr. Jos'ephus Daniels, the able, editor of The Raleigh News, and Observer, was in Atlanta yesterday on his way home from Louisiana. Mr. Daniels spent a week iu that State studying the working of the new constitution. He visited the French parishes, where little or no Eng lish is spoken, the black counties, the "one gallus" counties and the cities of New Orleans and Baton Rouge. He states that he found that the suffrage regulations are giving perfect satisfac tion to the intelligent population. Mr. Daniels will embody the result of his observations in newspaper articles and in speeches which he will make during the present campaign in North Carolina. A constitutional amendment is pend ing in that State which restricts right of suffrage to citizens who are able to read and write with certain qualifications. The amendment is very similar to the Louisiana law. Tbe election will b held in August. The campaign is now. on an I it is being very hotly waged. jMrj Daniels states that the amendment will be carried and that Mr. Aycock, the Democratic nominee, will be unqueB5 tionably elected governor. The Demo crats are making a fight on the 'same lines that they fought in 1S98. ' If you examine the eieerlintr eirl closely you will generally find that she has a gold tooth, through which- floats her silvery laughter. The Coming of Baby brings joy or pain. It's for the mother to decide. With good health and a strong' -womanly organism, motherhood but adds to a woman's attractiveness. FtlcELREFS" Wine of GmsdiMi takes away all terrors by strengthening the vital organs. It fits a mother for baby's coming. By revitalising the nerve centres It has brouchr rhnhhw crowing youngsters to thr" V.la.of i weak women who "i4j ? barren. It ST"'- ! - n i