The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-03-05

classes or sections. II the question became in
any sense or at any time sectional, il was only
because slavery existed in some of the States.
But for this there was no reason why
the cotton producing States should not have
led orr walked abreast with the New Eng
land States in the production Of cotton
fabrics. There was this reason only why
the States that divide with Pennsylvania
the mineral treasures of the great southeastern
and central mountain ranges should have been
so tardy in bringing TO the smelling furnace
and the mill, the coal and iron from their hill
sides.
Mill fires were lighted at the funeral pile of
slavery. The emancipation proclamation was
heard in the depths of the earth as well as in
the sky. Men were made free and material
things became our better servants. The sec
tional element has happily been eliminated
from the tariff discussion. We have no longer
States that are necessarily only planting States.
None are excluded from achieving that diversi-
hcatlon of pursuit among the people which
brings wealth and contentment. The cotton
plantation will not be less valuable when the
product is spun in the country town by opera
tives whose necessities call for diversified crops
and create a home demand for garden and
agricultural products. Every new mine. fur
mace and factory is an extension of the pro-
ductive capacity of the State, more real and
more valuable than added territory. Shall the
prejudice and paralysis of slavery continue to
hang upon the skirts OF progress: How long
will those who rejoice that slavery no longer
exists cherish or tolerate the incapacities il
put upon their communities,
/ look hopefully to the continuance Of our
protective system and to the consequent devel-
opment of manufacturing and mining enter
prise in the States hitherto wholly given to
agriculture, as potent influence in the perfect
uni6cation Of our people. The men who have
invested their capital in these enterprises, the
farmers who have felt the benefit of their
neighborhood and the men who work in shop
or field will not fail 10 find and defend COM
munity Of interests. Is it not quite possible
that the farmers and the promoters Of the
great mining and manufacturing enterprises
which have recently been established in the
South may find that the free ballot OF the
workingman without distinction os race Is
needed for their defence as well as for hiss /
do not doubt that II these men in the South,
who now accept the tariff views Of Clay, and
the constitutional exposition Of Webster, would
courageously avow and defend their real con-
victions they would not find IL difficult by
friendly instruction and co. operation to make
the black man their efficient and safe ally. not
only in establishing correct principles in our
national administration but in preserving for
their local communities the benefits Of social
order and an economical and honest govern
ment. At least until the good Offices of kind
ness and education have been fairly tried the
contrary conclusion cannot be plausibly urged.
have altogether rejected the suggestion Of
special executive policy for any section Of
our country. 1t is the duty Of the executive
TO administer and enforce, in the methods and
by the instrumentalities pointed out and pro-
vided by the constitution, all the laws enacted
by Congress. These laws are general and
their admiris.ration should be uniform and
equal AS citizen may not elect what laws
he will obey, neither may the execu-
tive elect which he will enforce.
The duty to obey and execute embraces the
constitution in its entirety and the whole code
Of laws enacted under il. The evil example of
permitting individuals, corporations or COM
munities to nullify laws because they cross
some selfish or local interests or prejudices is
full of danger not only to the nation at large
but much more 20 those who use this perni-
cious expedent to escape their Just obligations,
or to obtain an unjust advantage over others.
They will presently themselves be compelled to
appeal to the law for protection and those who
would use the law as defence
must not deny that use of it to others.
If our great corporations would more scrupu-
lousy observe their legal obligations and du-
ties, they would have less cause to complain Of
the unlawful limitstions Of their rights or of
violent interference with their operations.
The community that by concert, open or Sc
cret, among its citizens denies to portion Of
its members their plain rights under the law,
has severed the only safe bond Of social order
and prosperity. The evil works from bad CEN
tire. both ways. 1t demoralizes those who prac-
st and faith of hn a,.ffo
by it. The man in whose breast that faith has
been darkened is naturally the subject Of dan
gerous and uncanny suggestions. Those who
use unlawful methods, if moved by no higher
motive than the selhshness that prompts them,
may well stop and inquire what is TO be the
end Of this. An unlawful expedient cannot
become a permanent condition Of government.
If the educated and influential classes in
community either practice, or connive at the
systematic violation of laws that seem to them
to cross their convenience, what can they ex-
pect when the lesson, that convenience or
supposed class interest is sufficient cause for
lawlessness, has been well learned by the ignor-
ant 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 investment and honest labor.
Our naturalization laws should be so
good disposition Of persons applying for citi-
zenship may be more careful and searching.
Our existing laws have been in their admins
tratiou an unimpressive and often an unintel-
ligible form. We accept the man as a citizen
without any knowledge of his fitness and he
assumes the duties of citizenship without any
knowledge as to what they are. The privi-
leges of American citizenship are so great and
its duties so grave that we may well insist
upon a good knowledge of every person ap-
plying for citizenship and a good knowledge
by him OF our institutions. We should not
cease to be hospitable to immigration but we
should cease to be careless as to the character
of il. There are men Of all races even the
best, whose coming is necessarily burden
upon our public resources as threat to social
order. Those should be identified and
excluded.
We have happily maintained policy OF
avoiding all interference with European affairs.
We have been only interested spectators Of
their contentious in diplomacy and in war.
ready 10 use our friendly Offices to promote
peace, but never obtruding our advice and
never attempting unfairly to coin the disiresses
of other powers into commercial advantage to
ourselves. We have a just right to expect that
our European policy will be the American
policy of European courts.
II 10 80 mhuucchif ihSompahptc hhoSe
precautions for our peace and safety, which all
the great powers habitually observe and en-
force in matters affecting them, that shorter
water way between our eastern and western
seaboards should be dominated by any Euro
pean government, that we may confidently ex-
pect that such purpose will not be enter.
tanned by our friendly power.
We shall in the future as in the past us'
every endeavor to maintain and enlarge oui
friendly relations with all the great powers
but they will not expect us to look kindly
upon any project that would leave US subjec
to the dangers Of hostile observation or en-
vironment. We have not sought to dominate
or TO absorb our weaker neighbors, but rather
to aid and encourage them to establish free ano
stable governments, resting upon the consent
of their own people. We have clear right 70
expect therefore, that no European govern
| ment will seek 70 establish colonial depend
encies upon the territory Of these independent
| American states. That which sense OF JUS
| tice restrains us from seeking they may bs
reasonably expected willingly to forego.
1t must not be assumed, however, that oui
interests are so exclusively American that oui
entire inattention to any events that may trans.
pire elsewhere can be taken for granted. Oul
otf II =. l. = \