The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-12-11
TIMELY TOPICS

.
I this W other nations should contain
clause assigning n heavy penalty to
I the offence ~ publicly approving such
I acts after they have been committed,
gains weight from an occurrence In
{ Chicago \ few days ago, AZ a meet
/ ing ~ human rift.raU In that city, the
assassin NJ President Mcklnlcy was
checrrd while the meeting hrOkc up
/ In a row, ana riot was scarcely avert
( cd q Is disgrace to us rs nation.
.lt IS u delight aad an ENCOURAGEMENT
20 every man who has murder In his
heart that such an event can happen
without serious consequences ~ the
guilty party, shall these PARTNERS IN
crime. these wretchcs who arc worse
/ than SSSassins because, Without the
courage to DO such deeds themselves.
/ they stand aside and egg others on,
b. permitted 60 insist the moral sense,
10 outrage the decency, to heap con-
tumely on the affections, the sorrow
and the loyalty " the natlonr II this
Vile act can go unpublished and un-
noticed OF the law. where snail We be-
gin 10 draw the line for criminal Of
tenceSr These are the policies that
make converts To the creed of the rcd
terror. these are the immunitics that
make desperate men feel that the pco-
pie with whom they have To reckon
are helpless lot and the government
weakling.-Seattle P..L
The present trouble In Colombia has
been in progress 4 little over twelve
years, IL Is a conflict between two
political parties OF the country. which
have existed ever since the Spanish
yoke was thrown on. Vtueu Ia. Ecu
ador. and number of other spanish
American countries. arc divided on
precisely similar party lines These
two political organizations arr the
clerical or Conservative party and the
democratic or Liberal party The
Conservatives have been In power in
colombia since 1856. when President
Nuuez overthrow the Liberal cons,iu-
,ion and practically made himself die
,ator The Conservatives made the
church a large factor In the govern
ment place education enurly In the
hands ~ the Roman Catholic Clergy
and exclude the large part OF the peo-
Pile the Liberals Rllesc, from the right
Of suffrage. The Liberals demand
democratic government modelled after
that Of the United States. with widest
extension OF suffrage. public schools
and other features OF our system. The
two parties are about equal in number.
Salem Statesman.
An Intelligent study ~ the message
reveals that Presiden Rosevelt's atti-
tude on the trust question is decidedly
more practical and promising ~ hene-
fetal results than one ~ blind opposi-
tlon and unreasonlng demands would
have been. He says there Is n gen
eral conviction that In cNrtaln ol their
features and tendencies the trusts are
hurtful 10 the general welfare This
conviction Is not based upon envy or
wealth nor lack Of pride In our Indus
trial achievements Nor does % rest
upon a lack OF appreciation ot the me-
ccssIty Of meeting changing conditions
with new methods nor UPON ignorance
as 10 the necessity ~ combination NJ
capital and EFFORT in order to achieve
great things. II Is based upon n con
victlon which in his judgment is right.
that combination and concentration
should not be- prohibited, but super
visad and within reasonable limits
controlled President Roosevelt does
not pose. as did Mr. Bryan ns a trust
smasher He Is not a dangerous tx .
tremity Ike Mrs. Nation, lor Instance.
He favors intelligent and effective reg
ulatiou. Tacoma News.
President Roosevelt naturally gives
first place in his message 70 the CON
giaaratlon ~ the great calamity which
so recently devolved upon him the
duties ~ 'he executive office nnd
forces him now to address congress on
the state of the nation HIS trIbut" to
President Mckinley Is feeling eloquent
and lust. He gives appropriate official
expression 20 the grief n the whole
nation and It's horror of the dastardly
deed and no less dastardly doctrines
10 which President Mckinley fell
victim. Turning from the man to the
problem forced upon attention by his
assassination. President Roosevelt de-
votes a large share Of attention to an .
archy and makes some important
specific recommendation for It's treat
ment. He deliberately faces the fact
hat the responsibility for anarchist
murders does not rest solely upon
those who profess anarchist principles.
but ia shared nv those who spread I
the spirit OF discomfort and defama-
ton N. Y. Tribune.
A petition Is already In circulation F.
at Manila asking congress not to re- .
impose the duties just made inopera- F.
tive by the United States supreme
court. This Is well enough In lts way.
but It ls not the best way FOR the thing
to be done. Such a petition ought not .
to be necessary. II is not FOR the ISL
ands TO entreat mercy and fairness; It /
Is for this great nation, 7j0OO.0 900 /
strong, aboundinR in prosperity to /.
deal even generously with the islands. .
Free trade for the island imports In
our markets is everything 10 the FIJI I
plnos and very little to us Their pro-