The Portland daily press., 1897-03-05

oGl CltAAcDS hllu ~ Auc cupEul tON
such Legislation as will prevent the execu-
ton of all such to oppress the people BY
undue charges on their supplies or ~
unjust rates for the transportation 81
their products to market. This purpose
will be steadily pursued both by the en-
forcement of laws now in existence ana
the recommendation and support of such
new statutes as may be necessary to car
~ it into effect.
IMMIGRATION AND NATURAIIZA-
Our naturalization and immigration
avs should be further improved to the
constant promotion of safer, better
and higher citizenship. A grave peril
to the Republic would be citizenship
too ignorant to understand or too vicious
to appreciate the great value and bene1ts
of our institutions and laws and against
all who come here to make war upon
them our gates must be promptly anu
tightly clOsed. Nor must we be unm1nd-
full of the need of improvement among
our own citizens but with the zeal az cur
forefatbers encourage the spread u
knowledge and free Institutions Hitter.
acy must be banished from the lana II
we shall attain that high destiny ms the
foremost of the enlightened nations OF
the world which, under Providence, we
ought to achieve.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
Reforms in the civil service must go
on. But the changes should be real ana
genuine, not perfunctory, or prompted
by zeal in behalf of any party simply
because it happens to be in power. AS
| T n&oI 20
| in favor of the present law and l snail
attempt it's enforcement in the spirit IL
which it was enacted. The purpose II
| view was to secure the most efl c.en'
| service of the best men who would &C
cept appointment under the government,
retaining faithful and devoted public SO :
wants in office. but shielding none, un-
der the authority of any rule or custom
| W no are inefficient, incompetent or NJ
worthy. The best interests Of the couu-
try demand this, and the people beartil'
approve the law wherever and whenever
is thus administered.
THE MERCHANT MARINE.
Congress should give prompt attention
| to the restoration of our American mel
chant marine, once the pride of the Fen>
| in all the great ocean highways of COM
MERGE. 10 my mind few more import
ant subjects so inperatively demand IFS
| Intelligent consideration. The United
States has progressed with marvellous fa-
pidity in every field of enterprise and
endeavor until we have become foremost
in nearly all the great lines OF inland
| trade, commerce and industry. Yet
while this is so our American merchant
marine has been steadily declining, un-
til 1t is now lower both in the percent
age of tonnage and the number OF vessels
employed than it was prior to the Civil
| War. Commendable progress has Teen
| made of late years in the upbu1lGlng OF
the American navy, but we must supple
nent those effoga by providing as q
| proper consort for il an American d e.
chant marine amply sufficient Tor our
own carrying trade to foreign countrieF.
| The question is one that appeals both to
our business necessities and the patriotic
aspiration of great people.
FOREIGN RELATIONS AND ARBI-
| TRATION.
| It has been the policy of the United
States, since the foundation of the gov
ernment, to cultivate relations of peace
and amity with all the nations Of tie
world. and this accords with my ooncep-
| on Of our duty now. We have cherished
| the policy of non interference with the
affairs of foreign governments, wisely
inauguratsd by Washington, keeping
ourselves free FROM ENHANCEMENT either
| as allies or foes, content to leave und1s-
turbed with them the settlement of their
own domestic concerns. 1t will be onI
aim to pursue firm and dignihed for
eign policy which shall be just, impair
tial, ever watchful of our national honor
and always insisting upon the enforce
ment Of the lawful rights OF American
citizens everywhere. We want no wars
of conquest; we must avoid the tempta-
ton Of territorial aggression. War should
never be entered upon until every agen
oy of peace has failed. Peace is prefer
able to war in almost every contingency
Arbitration is the true method of settle
uent of International as well as local OF
individual differences. 1t was recognized
as the best means of adjustment of differ
ences between employers and employee
BY the Forty ninth Congress IN 1885 ant
its application was extended to our dip
lomatic relations by the unanimous con
ourrence of tine Senate and House OF thu
Fifty first Congress in 1890. The lattel
resol ution was accepted as the basis o.
negotiations with US by the British
House of Commons in 1888 and upon oul
invitation treaty of arbitration be
tween the United States and Great Brit
mitted to the Senate for its ratification
in January. Since this treaty il clearly
the result of orr own initiative, since Il
has been recognized as the leading fea
ture of our foreign policy throughout oul
national history-the adjustment OF diff
culties by judicial methods rather thar
forcs of arms-and since 1t presents. tt
the world the glorious example of reason
and peace, not passion and war, control
ling the relations between two of thu
greatest nations of the world, an example
certain to be followed by others, l re
spectfully urge the early action Of the
} Senate thereon, not merely as matter
! of policy, but as duty to mankind
The Importance and moral influence Of
the ratification of such treaty CAL
hardly be over-estimated in the cause O.
advancing civilization. 1t may well en-
qage the best thought of the statesmen
; and people of every country and canno
but consider it fortunate that it was re
served to the United States to hav
the leadership in so grand work.
CONGRESS TO BE CONVENED
4 It has been the uniform practice o
Presidents to avoid as far as possible tn
converting of Congress in extraordinar
session. 1t Is an example which unde