The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-07-24

American consul who is not well in
structed in the history and resources OF
his own country and ia the requirements
and language OF commerce in the cOun-
try to which he Is sent. The Same rule
should be applied even more rigidly to
/ the secretaries Of legation in our diplo
matte service. The people have the
right to the most efficient agents in the
discharge Of public business, and the
appointing power should regard this as
the prior and ulterior consideration.
THE PRACTICE OF PoLYGAMY.
Religious liberty is the right OF every
citizen of the republic. Congress is for |
hidden by the constitution 70 make any |
law respecting the establishment OF re-
ligion or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof. For century under this guar
entee Protestant and Catholic, Jew
and GENTLE, have worshlpped God
according TO the dictates of
hgious liberty must not be perverted to
the justification of offenses against the
law. A religious sect strongly intrench-
ed in one of the territories of the Union
and spreading rapidly into 9TH
er territories, claims the right to destroy
the great safeguard and monument of .
social order and TO practice IS q relIg-
ious privilege that which is crime,
punished with severe penalties IN every
state of the Union. The sacredness and
unity of the family must be preserved,
as the foundation of all civil govern
ment, as the source of orderly admins
tratIon, and the surest guaranty of moral
purity. The claim of the MormOns that
they are divinely authorized to practice
polygamY should no more be admitted
than the claim that certain heather
tribes if they should come among Us, to
continue the right of human sacrifice.
Tho law does not interfere with what
man believes, 1t takes cogniZance emily of
what he does. As citizens the Mormans
are entitled to to the same civil rights as
others, and to these they must be con-
fined. Polygamy can never receive the
national sanction or federation by admit
ting the community that upholds it as q
state In the Union. Like others, the
Mormons must learn that the liberty of
the individual ceases where the rights
of society begin.
THE CURRENCY QUESTION.
The people of the United States, though
often urged and tempted, have meyer
seriously contemplated the recognition
of any other money than gold and silver
and currency directly convertible into
them. They have not done so and they
will not do so under any necessity less
pressing than that OF desperate war.
The one special requisite for the com.
pletion OF our monetary system Is the
fixing of the relative values of silver and
gold. The large use of silver as the
money of account among AsiatIc nations,
taken in connection with the increasing
commerce of the world, gives the
Weightiest reasons for an international
agreement IN the premises. Our gov
oh, fn
measure until a common standard OF
value shall be reached and established,
standard that shall enable the United
States to use the silver from its
mines as an auxiliary to gold in set
Ting the balance of commercial ex-
change.
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
The strength OF the republic is In
creased by the multiplication of land.
holders. Our laws should look to the
judicious encouragement of actual set
Tiers on the public domain, which should
henceforth be held as a sacred trust fer
the benefit of those seeking homes. The
tendency to consolidate large tracts of
land in the ownership of individuals or
corporations should, with proper regard
to vested rights, be discouraged. One
hundred thousand acres of land IN the
hands of one man is far less profitable
to the nation in every way than when
its ownership Is diYided among one
thousand men. The evil of permitting
large tracts of the national domain to be
consolidated and controlled by the few
against the many is enhanced when the
persons controlling it are aliens. 1t Is
but fair that the public land should be
disposed of only to actual settlers and
to those who are citizens OF the repub
lie, or willing to become so.
OUR FOREIGN CARRYING TRADE.
Among our national interests, one
languishes-the foreign carrying trade.
1t was very seriously crippled during
our civil war, and another blow was
given to 1t in the general substitution Of
steam for sail in ocean traffic. With a
frontage on the two great oceans, with
freightage larger than that of any other
nation, we have every inducement to
Icstore our Navigation, yet the govern
ment has hitherto refused its help. A
small share of the encouragement given
by the government to railway and to
manufacturers. and q small share of the
capital and zeal given by our citizens TO
those enterprises, would have carried
our ships TO every sea and to every port.
A law Just enacted removes some OF the
burdens upon our navigation and IN
spires hope that this great interest may
at last receive its due share OF attention.
ALI efforts in this direction should re-
ceive encouragement
THE FREEDOM OF THE BALLOT.
This survey of our condition as ma
ton reminds US that material prosperity
is but q mockery If 1t does not tend to
preserve the liberty of the people. A
free ballot is the safeguard of republican
institutions, without which no national
welfare is assured. A popular election,
honestly conducted, embodies the very
majesty of true government. Ten mil
lions of voters desire to take part in the
pending contest. The safety of the re-
public rests upon the integrity of the
ballot, upon the security of suffrage TO
the citizen. To deposit fraudulent vote
is no worse a crime against constitution
al liberty than to obstruct the deposit OF
an honest vote. He who corrupts SUI
frages strikes at the very root of free gov
eminent. He is the arch enemy of the
republic. He forgets that in trampling
upon the rights of others he fatally i'm
perlIs his own. rights. at is a good
land which the Lord our God doth give
u.s." but We can maintain our heritage
only by guarding with vigilance the
aource of popular power.
am with great respect,
Your, Obedient Servant,
JAS. G. BLAINE.