, 1900-01-25

whether a resolution introduced by
Mr.. Allen tPopulist of Nebraska. call
ing for information as to the recog-
milton by this country of diplomatic
representation of the Transvaal repub.
lie should be directed to the President
or to the secretary of state. Mr.. Hale
made the question the text of an i'm
passioned speech in which he declared
that nine-tenths of the American
people sy%mpathized with the Beers in
their gallant struggle for liberty
against one of the greatest powers in
the world. He declared that the war
which Great Britain is waginG is the
most fell blow mt human liberty that
has been struck in the century. He
denied that the American people were
"in sympathy with Great Britain in
the South African war TO stamp out
the liberty of the people, and when
Mr., Balfour, in the House of Com
mons. made such a statement. 'he
should be met with some disclaimer
from this side of the Atlantic" He
declared thai the English people them
selves We're not in favor of this war.
which had been brought on by II
sharp Cabinet minister engaged with
gold spectators Mr.. Hale spoke
with unusual force, decisiveness
and earnestness. even for him. and his
passionate %elOqucnce claimed the
closest attention of every auditor
Senate Morgan, as chairman of the
Senate committee on inter-Oceanic ca
mails, has presented n written report
upon the Nicaragua canal bill. The re
port says: n provision for the ma
va and military defense of our cOun-
try, whether insular or continental,
tins canal is Indispensable, and the
closer its location is made to our states
on the Gulf of Mexico the more eff
cient Will be Its protection to our
coastS on the atlantic and Pacific.
Pearl harbor in Hawaii. and the har-
Dor of San Juan in Puerto Rico are the
true military defenses of the canal
against attack by European or Asiatic
powers and they give Il more secure
protection to its eastern and western
outlets than any fortress, however
strong. that can be located at or near
its connection with the sea. Measured
by the income of the SueZ canal. at n
corresponding cost, the Nicaragua ca
nal should yield. with equivalent rates
of tolls. mt least twelve per cent on
S11O.oOO. 600. 1t is too severe Il tax up
on ~credulity to ask the adoption of the
precarious water supply mt Panama in
preference TO the two grand lakes of
the Nicaragua route, one of which is
w IlitH lohE ny lbIlN-INt lllltS DIuiI
and affords nearly seventy-five miles
of fresh water navigation for the lar
gest ships, as part of the canal route,
and together they supply more than ten
times the water needed TO supply the
ANA line from Lake Nicaragua to
both oceans. We owe II to ourselves
II to the whole world that whatever
canal we shall build and control on
the isthmus of Darien shall be as open.
free and neutral to all nations as its
corresponding gateway, the Suez ca
nal"
The sixteenth annual report of the
United States Civil Service Commits
sion has been submitted to the Presi-
dent. The report, while containing
much information of value concerning
the operations of the commission dur
ing the year, deals with a number of
subjects of general public interest. The
remarks of the commission on the i'm
portance of n merit system in our
COLONEL possessions; the need of max
ing some disposition of superannuated
employees: the Improvement shown in
the reduction of the percentage of re
movnls throughout the service. result
ing from the requirements of the law
II the order of the President of July
~. 1897, looking to its enforcement.
II the advantages 10 be gained by
the classification of the force of the
library of Congress INT the municipal
service of the District of Columbia, de-
serve special attention mt this time.
The report opens with n preliminary
statement In regard to the extent of
the classified and unclassitied service.
from which 1t appears that there are
Approximately 10000 classified po-
sitions and 100000 unclassitied po-
s%itions; of the latter, 71.O07 are ocCu-
pied by fOurth-class p~ostmnsters. There
are 13,4lG positions i'll the executive
service in the District nf Columbia,
and more than lG2.0OO distributed
among the states and territories. The
commission states that the eXpendi-
lures for salaries for the entire service,
classified and unclassitied. is approx
mately SlO4, D 900 per nnnum. II large
increase having resulted from the war
with Spain. The total number of ap-
Dointments mad during the year on
certificates of the commission was
9.056.
The correspondent of the Chicago
Record. who is Il Republican, criticises
his party as follows: 1t looks as II all
the reciprocity treaties negotiated by
Mr.. knsSun under the Dingley bill
would he hung up by Congress as an il
lustration of human seltishnesS and the
Inconsistency of II Republican party.
The platforms of the st. Louis cunVrn-
ton aud other previous conventions in
forvcnt terms demand the application
of the principle of reciprocity to ouT
foreign commerce. The Presidents in
augHrnl address and messages 10 Con
gress advocated II. The speeches of
the spoll-binders throughout the last
campaign described the beauty and nd.
v%antngrs OF reciprocity in trade. and
promised great results If the Repub-
lican party were allowed to negotiate
treaties. The late Mr.. Dinglcy and his
colleagues of the committee of ways
and means made a great demonstration
to deceive the public, and inserted what
they called II reciprocity clause in the
last tariff law. which was framed so
that II should be imperative. but Mr..
Kasson %skillfully managed to make
something out of IL and concluded ar
rangcments with France and the Brit
iSh rolnuipS i'm America while Mr.