The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-04-17
U WITH POWER.
Mckinley Can Give Kings Points On
Lavish Use OF Gold.
Especial to Baltimore SUM-

Especial to- Baltimore SUM-
Washington. April 1L-By reason or
the salaries and perquisites attaching
to the Philippine commission and lis
staff there has been considerable fiut-
ter among the place-hunters. The pres
ident spent much time and bestowed
much care upon the selection of the
members Of the commission He want
ed representative republicans and rep
resentative democrats, and he wished
70 select them, as he has, from the diff
ferent geographical sections Of the
country. He wanted, further. men he
could depend upon to stand by his
policy in ali its Varied and shifting
tain and defend the same.
There were probably 100 names sug-
gested from which to draw the five he
needed. Among them were many mere
politicians, numerous literary and SCI
entific men and al infinite array of the
legal profession Their was a great
scramble among the lawyers for places
on the commission from the top to the
bottom of the list. Som of these gen.
tlemen must lave scented chances for
pickingS outside OF the scope and
sphere of the commission The unus-
Ia emoluments would of themselves,
however, have much to do with the
wild hunt.
The president did not fix the high
compensation of the p%roconsuls and
plenipotentiaries he is sending TO the
Philippines out of any regard or con-
sideration for the office-seeking fra
ternity. 1t was because of the neces-
sity imposed upon him of paying
handsomely for the first class talent
he was seeking. Added to the money
inducement, il is known he held out
to Judge Taft, and probably to other
members of the commission, the pros
pect which hope IN ambition always
whisper of writing their names on the
pages of history.
Inquiry has been suggested as TO the
authority of the president to appropri-
ate from the pubic treasury without
the direct authority of congress the
sums required to pay the munificent
salaries he has bestowed. Well, since
the country has entered upon imperial
ism there seems little if any limit to
the authority n discretion Of the
president save his own imperial will.
1t has frequently been remarked both
in public and in private by the republi-
can congressman that it was nue. bet
ter to leave all matters relating to the
Philippines in the hands of the preSi-
dent for 1.-The present"
For wan of a better congressional
policy" as for want of the nerve to
IdSHlOu one luis lued mas Detn tdcllly
adopted in both wings of the capitol.
How long the present no one
has presumed to define. 1t will GER
tainly extend through all of the exist
ing term of Mr.. Mckinley and quite
likely through his next term if he
gets it.
Assured of his position, therefore. the
president has no reluctance or appre-
hension ~ exercising authority which
William of Germany might ponder
over.
When congress, in the spring OF 1898.
Entrusted absolutely to Mr.. Mckinley
the enormous sum of $50, 900, 900 it gave
him his first taste of arbitrary and IN
restricted power. He drank deeply of
the dangerous draught. He has been
drinking copiously ever since. He TO-
day u prerogatives from the
very thought of which he would have
shrunk agraSt on that day in March,
1897, when he delivered his inaugural
address. Conditions ave changed, blu
no change of conditions can overturn
or reverse the principles, the institu-
tons, the traditions of his country
unless the people so will. and the people
nave not willed it.