Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1889-03-09

have no longer States that are necessarily
only planting States. None are excluded
from achieving that diversi6cation 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 operatives
whose necessities call for diversified crops,
and create home demand for garden and
agricultural products. Every new mine,
furnace and factory is an extension of the
productive capacity of the State more real
and valuable than added territory.
Shall the prejudices and paralysis of
slavery continue to hang upon the skirts OF
progress? How long will those who rejoice
that slavery no longer exists cherish and
tolerate the incapacities it put upon their
communities? l look hopefully to the con.
tinuanee of on. protective system, and to the
consequent development OF manufacturing
and mining enterprises in the States hither.
to wholly given to agriculture as potent
Influence In the perfect unifieation 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 ruen who work in shop or field, will
not fail to find and 20 defend community
of interest.
A Free Ballot.
Is it not quite possible that the farmers
and the promoters of the great mining and
manufacturing enterprises which have re-
Gently been established in the South may
yet find that the free ballot of the working
man, without distinction of race, is needed
for their defense as we'll as for his own? I
do not doubt that if those men In the South
who now accept the tariff views of Clay and
the constitutional expositions of Webster,
would courageously avow and defend their
real convictions, they would not find it diff
cult, by friendly instruction and co-opera-
ton, to make the black man their efficient
and safe ally, not only in establishing cor
rect principles in our National Administra-
tion. but in preserving for their local COM
munities the benefits of social order and
economical and honest government. At
least until the good offices of kindness and
education have been fairly tried the con-
trary 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 Exc
cutive to administer and enforce, in the
methods and by the instrumentalities pointed
out and provided by the Constitution, all the
laws enacted by Congress. These laws are
general and their administration should be
uniform and equal. As citizen may not
elect what laws he will obey, neither may
the Executive elect which he will enforce.
The duty to obey and TO execute en-
braces the Constitution in its entirety and
the whole code of laws enacted under it,
The evil example of permitting individ-
uaIs, corporations or communities TO nullity
the laws because they cross some selfish or
local interests or prejudices is full of dan
ger, not only to the Nation at large, but
much more to those who use this pernicious
expedient 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 for defense must not
deny that use of it to others. If our great
corporations would more scrupulously OBJ
serve their legal limitations and duties they
would have less cause to complain of the I'M
lawful limitations of their rights or with
violent interference with their operations.
A Breach of Social Order.
The community that by concert open or
secret, 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
a bad center both ways 1t demoralizes
those who practice it, and destroys the faith
OF those W no suffer by it in the efficiency Of
the law as safe protector. The man in
whose breast that faith has been darkened
is naturally the subject of dangerous and
uncanny suggestions. Those who use un-
lawful m6luONS, IL uOfcu NY uO AlSucI HlO-
tive than the selfishness that prompted them,
may well stop and inquire what is TO be the
end of this. An unlawful expedient cannot
become a permanent condition of govern
Went
Ii the educated and influential classes in
community either practice or conniye at the
systematic violation of laws that seem to
them to cross their convenience. what can
they expect when the lesson, that conven-
fence or a supposed class interest is suffi-
cient cause for slawnessness, has been well
learned by the Ignorant classes? A COM
munitv where law is the rule of conduct.
and where Courts, not mobs, execute its
penalties, Is the only attractive field for
business investments ana honest labor.
Our naturalization laws should be so
amended 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 an unimpressive and
often an unintelligible form. We accept
the man as citizen without any knowledge
of his fitness, and he assumes the duties OF
citizenship without any knowledge as to
what they are. The privileges OF American
citizenship are so great, and its duties so
grave, that we NAV well insist upon a good
knowledge of every person applying tor
citizenship and 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 it.
There are men OF all races even the best,
whose coming is necessarily burden upon
our public revenues or q threat to social
order. These should be identified and ex-
cluded.
Our Foreign Policy.
We have happily maintained policy of
avoiding all interference with European af-
fairs We have been only interested specta-
tors of their contentious in diplomacy and in
war, ready to use our friendly offices to pro-
mote peace, but never obtruding our advice
and never attempting unfairly TO coin the
distresses of other Powers into commercial
advantage to ourselves. We have Just
right to expect that our European policy will
be the American policy of European courts
1t is manifestlv lncom patible with those pre-
cautions for our peace and safety which all
great Powers habitualiv observe and en-
force in matters affecting them, that a
shorter wav between our Eastern and West
ern seaboards should be dominated by any
European Government, that we may conf
IDENTIFY expect that such purpose will not be
entertained by any friendly Power.
We shall, III the future, as in the past, use
everv pndeAvor TO maintain and enlarge our