The evening times., 1900-09-15

merous in the other executive depart
ments in proportion to the number of
employees, and yet the Executive of the
American people has the effrontery-
the impertinence-to say in his letter of
acceptance: Important amendments
were promulgated by executive order,
under date of May % 1899, having for
their principal purpose the exception
from competitive examination Of certain
places involving fduciary responsible
ties or duties of 4 strictly confidential,
scientific or executive character. which
it was thought might better be filled eth
er by non-competitive examination or ty
other tests OF fitness in the discretion
OF the appointing officer -
What was considered a few years ago
an irreparable breach in the Democratic
party in New Jersey has been so COM
pletely healed that even the opponents
of Mr.. Bryan in that State now admit
that the chances are largely in favor.
OF his. carrying the State. The State
convention held at Trenton last We'd
desday afforded striking proof of this
fact. The old schism in the party no
Longer. exists, and who have bat
tied against each other SO fercely in the
past, are now found arm in arm enthu-
siasticaIly planning for the rescue OF
the State from the Republicans.
New Jersey is naturally Democratic,
and would never have gone Republican
had il not been for the fierce factional
differences that destroyed the organi-
zation and gave the State to the Re
publicans. The remarkable change that
is very often seen in politics has come
to pass in New Jersey, and men like
State Chairman Gourlay, Robert Davis,
and those who believed with them, who
have opposed the silver aspect of Dem
ocratfc philosophy in the past are
now found working harmoniously with
such strong Chicago platform Democrats
as A. s. Dulin, Charles Stokes, William
Morgan, Edward Sehwabenland. Thomas
Cash, John ]. Crandall. and others
There are no longer any gold or silver
men in New Jersey. They are known
simply as Democrats who have buried
their differences.
The selection of Thomas H. Birch, of
Burlington, as Presidential eleetor-at-
large by Wednesdays convention, was &
final acknowledgment Of the supremacy of
the principle which Bryan has coDtended
for. Burlington county is the home of
that element in the party which has
fought in and out of season for the kind
of Democracy that the State machine and
gold men have opposed. 1t is said that
owing TO the untiring energy and self
sacrificing spirit of these men that the
Democratic party in the State was rot
wholly destroyed,
Mr. Birch is a personal friend of Mr.
Bryan, and Mr. Keyes, the other elector-
at-large, is strong up State man. Mayor
Norton, or Heightstovl. j. who was chosen
| over many other candidates as the cleo
tor for the Second district. which includes
! Burlington county, scored signal VIC
! tory for the men of '96. Norton was elect
/ ed Mayor of Heightstown after hard
| fought battle and his campaign was con-
Quoted wholly upon national issues and
his standing as the Bryan representatives
= Ha At
harmonious the Democratic party has held
in the State in many years and the spirit
that dominated the delegates was one CT
entire unity and good feeling. The pre-
diction and expectation CT the leaders OF
the Democratic party IN New Jersey thlS
year is that the State viii give the Demo-
cratic national candidates from 5000 to
so Gee majority.
The autocratic manner in which the Ad-
! ministration Of President Mckinley has
/ disfranchised thousands of people OF Porto
/ Rico is being brought well forward as the
| campaign progresses.
| In his annual report made by Secretary
Root in December, 1899, he says: I think
| the basis of suffrage should be that all who
read and write OF who hold property up to
! a small specified amount may vote, and no
others
Following up this scheme of the Repub-
Iican Secretary of War TO deny the right
/ of manhood suffrage to q large number OF
| Porto Ricans. the Republican Congress, al
its session last winter placed the follow
ing provision in the law for the Govern
rent of this island:
AT such elections all citizens of Porte
Rico shall be allowed to vote who have
been bona fide residents for one year and
who possess the other qualifications Of vot-
ers under the laws and military orders in
force March / 1900"
In order to ascertain what the laws and
military orders in force March / 1900, are
We have only to look a paragraph s, page
; of General Orders Ne. 160 issued by
General Davis. Military Commander Of
Porto Rico, October Z. 1899, which says:
An elector, to vote at such elections, shall
possess the following qualifications: Hc
must be a bona fide male resident of tn,
! municipality. He must be over twenty
one years Of age on date of election. H,
must be q taxpayer in the municipality il
which he votes at the date of this order o.
he must be able to read and write"
While a number of States. such as Mas.
sachUsetts, North Carolina, Connecticut
and Louisiana have prescribed educationa
| qualifications for voters. they do not pre-.
| scribe property qualification.
Many thousands of Porto Ricars, under
| Spanish oppression, have never had an op
portunity either to learn to read or write
or to acquire property, These are not un.
der Republican rule, permitted to vote
yet under the Spanish rule they were neve
denied this right.
The trusts through whose influence fre
trade with their adopted country was de
MED by Congress to the Porto Ricans. haY
also dictated a property qualification 70
the voters of that unfortunate island. o
/, | SlTph is iTr1Oaria