North Park union., 1900-02-02
A speech, sensational in its interes,

SpeeCn, sensational IN lt6 interest
and international In its importance,
was delivered in the Senate Friday by
Mr.. Hale of Maine. The occasion OF
the utterances was the simple question
whether resolution introduced by
Mr.. Allen PopulisU of Nebraska, call
ing for information us to the recOg-
milton by this country of diplomatic
representation of the Transvnnl 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 sympathiZed 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
should be met with some disclaimer
from this side of the Atlantic He
declared that the English people them
selves We're not in favor of this war.
which 'had been brought on by IL
sharp Cabinet minister engaged with
gold spectators" Mr.. Hale spoke
with unusual force. decisIveness
and earnestness. even for him. and his
passionate eloquence claimed the
closest attention of every auditor.
Senator Morgan. ms chairman of the
Senate committee on inter-ocennic ca
nails. has presented written repor!
upon the Nicaragua canal bill. The re-
port says: "As II provision for the ma
val and military defense OF our coun-
try. whether insular or continental.
this canal is Indispensable, and the
closer its location Is made to our states
on the Gulf of Mexico the more etfi-
cIent will he Its protection to our
coasts on the Atlantic and Pacific.
Pearl harbor in Hawaii. and the hnr-
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 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 Sucz canal, ut Il
corresponding cost, the Nicaragua ca
nal should yield, with equivalent rates
of tolls. at least twelve per cent. on
S14O.OOO.OOO II Is too severe tax up
on credulity to ask the adoption of the
precarious water supply at Panama in
preference to the two grand lakes of
the Nicaragua route. one of which Is
100 miles long by forty-tive miles broad
and affords nearly seventy-iive 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
canal line from Lake Nicaragua to
both oceans. We owe 1t to ourselves
and to the whole world that whatever
canal we shall build and control on
the isthmus of Daricn shall he rs open.
free and neutral to all nations as lis
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 wear. deals with u number of
subjects of general public interest. The
remarks of the commission on the I'M
portance OF II 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-
movuls throughout the service. result
Ing from the requirements OF the law
and the order of the President of July
27. 1897. looking to its enforcement,
and the advantages 10 he gained by
the classification of the force OF the
library OF Congress and the municipal
service of the District of Columbia. de-
serve special attention at this time.
The report opens with preliminary
statement in regard to the extent of
the classified and unclnssiiicd service.
from which II appears that there are
approximately 1000 classified po-
sitions and 100000 unclnssiticd po.
sitions; of the latter. 71.007 are occu.
pied by fourth-clnss pOStmasters. There
are 19.446 positions in the executive
service in the District of Columbia
and more thnn 1G2.OOO distributed
| among the states and territories. The
| commission states that the eNpenli.
lures for salaries for the entire service
| classified and unclassitied, is approx
mntely S1O4. .OOO. 600 per annum. n large
| Increase having resulted from the wal
| with Spain. The total number OF ap
Dointments made during the year OH
certificates of the commission was
0,O5G.
The correspondent OF the Chicago
Record. who is n Republican, criticises
| his party ns follows: 1t looks rs II al
| the reciprocity treaties ncgotinted b!
Mr.. Kasson under the Dingley bill
would be hung up by Congress rs an II
Illustration OF human seltishness and the
inconsistency Of the Republican party
The platforms OF the ST. Louis conven
| ton and other previous conventions il
fervent terms demand the application
of the principle Of reciprocity to oul
| foreign commerce. The Presidents in
uugural address and messages 10 Con
gress advocated it. The speeches OF
the spell-binders throughout the las
campaign described the beauty and ad
vantages of reciprocity in trade. ant
promised great results If the Rcpub
lican party were allowed to negotla,,
treaties. The late Mr.. Dingley and hi.
colleagues of the committee of ways
and means made n great demonstration
to deceive the public, and inserted wha
they called n reciprocity clause in the
last tariff law. which was framed Sc
that it should be imperative. but Mr.
KassOn skillfully managed to make
something out of 1t and concluded ar
rangements with France and the Brit