Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-05


talities pointed out and provided
by the Constitution, all laws enacted by
Congress. The laws are general and
their administration should be uniform
and equal. AS citizen may not elect
what laws be will obey, neither may an
executive elect those which he will en-
force. The duty to obey and execute
embraces the constitution in it's entirety
and the whole code of laws enacted un-
der it.
CHECKING CORPORATIONS.
The evil example of permitting
individuals, corporations or communities
to nullify laws because they cross some
selfish or local interest or prejudice is
full of danger not only to the nation al
large, but much more to those who use
this pernicious expedient to escape their
! just obligations or obtain unjust advant-
age over others. Tney will presently
themselves be compelled to appeal to
the law for protection, and those who
would use the law as defense must not
deny that use of it to others. II
our great corporations would more
seriously observe their legal limita.
tions and duties, they would have
less cause to complain of unlawful limi-
tations of their rights, or violent inter.
ference with their operations. A COM
munity that by concerted, open or secret
action among its citizens denies portion
of its members their plain rights under
law has severed the only safe bond OF
social order and property. The evil
works from a bad center both ways. II
demoralizes those who practice it, de-
stroys the faith of those who suffer by it
in the efficiency of the law as a safe pro-
tector. A man in whose breast that
faith has been darkened, is nat
urally a subject of dangerous and
uncanny suggestions. Those who
use unlawful methods, if moved
by no higher motive than the sell
fshness that prompted them, may well
stop and inquire what is to be the end OF
this unlawful expedient? 1t cannot be-
come the permanent condition of govern
ment. II educated and influential classes
in community either practice or con-
nive at systematic violation of laws that
seem to them to cross their convenience,
what can they expect when the lesson
that convenience or supposed class in
terest is a sufficient cause for lawless-
has been we'll learned by the ignorant
classes? A community where law is the
rule OF conduct, and where courts, not
mobs, execute its penalties, is the only
attractive field for business investments
and honest labor.
ATTITUDE TOWARDS ALIENS.
Our naturalization laws should be sc
smended as to make the inquiry into the
character and good disposition of persons
applying for citizenship more careful and
searching. Our existing laws have been
in their administration unimpressive and
often unintelligible in form. We accept q
man as citizen without any knowledge
of his fitness, and he assumes the duties
of citizen. He is without any know
ledge as to what they are. The privileges
OF American citizenship are so great and
its duties so grave that we may well in
sist upon a good knowledge of every
person applying for citizenship and good
knowledge by him of our institutions.
We should uot cease to be hospitable to
immigration, but we should cease to be
careless as to the character OF it. These
men of all races, even the best. whose
coming is necessarily burden upon our
public revenues or threat to social order
should be identified and excluded.
THE MONROE DOCTRINE.
We have happily maintained policy
of avoiding all interference with Euro
pean affairs. We have been only inter
ested spectators of their contentious in
diplomacy and in war, and ready to use
our friendly offices to promote peace, but
never obtruding our advice, and never at.
tempting unfairly to coin the distresses oi
other powers into commercial advantage
to ourselves. We have a just right tc
expect our European policy to be the
American policy of European courts. 1t
is manifestly incompatible with those
precautions for our peace and safety,
which all great powers habitually OBJ.
serve and enforce in matters affecting
them, that a shorter waterway between
our eastern and western sea-bards
should be dominated by any Euro
pean government. We may con-
tidently expect that such a pur.
pose will not be entertained by any
friendly power. We shall, in future, as
in the past, use every endeavor to main
tain and enlarge our friendly relations
with all the great powers, but they will
otexpect US to look kindly upon any pro-
ject that would leave us subject to dan
gers of hostile observation or environ
ment. We have not sought to dominate
or absorb any of our weaker neighbors,
but rather to aid and encourage them to
establish free and stable government,
resting upon the consent OF the people.
We have clear right to expect, there
fore, that no European government will
seek to establish colonial dependencies
upon the territory of these independent
American States. That which a sense
OF justice restrains us from seeking, they
may be reasonably expected willingly to
forego.
OUR FOREIGN INTERESTS.
1t must not be assumed, however, that
our interests are SO exclusively Ameri-
can that our entire inattention to any
events which may transpire elsewhere
can be taken for granted. Our citizens,
domiciled for purposes OF trade in all
countries and in many of the islands OF
the sea, demand and will have our
adequate care in their personal and com
mercial rights. The necessities of our
navy require convenient coaling stations,
and dock and harbor privileges. These
and other trade privileges we will feel
free to obtain only by means that do not,
in any degree, partake of coercion, how
ever feeble the government from which
we ask such CONCESSIONS but, having
fairly obtained them by methods and for
purposes entirely consistent with the
most friendly disposition toward all other
powers, our consent will be necessary TO
any modification or impairment of the
concession.