Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-05-29

or from Iowa who would be willing to
of commentator of an order issued by
an American general under the Ameri-
can flag in the American uniform tc
kill all above the age of ten, whether
they be women or men.
"And yet we find that men are so eager
for partisan advantage they stife their
noble impulses. l say noble impulses
because these gentlemen who speak in
commendation of these crimes are gem
tlemen of chivalrous and noble i'm
pulses, patriotic and country loving.
But it only shows, gentlemen, to what
depths of degradation we may descend
for partisan advantage. Is honor so
dear or national good will SO sweet that
we must put beneath US every emotion
of charity and humanity? Is national
glory SO much to be sought in our war
with the Philippines that the American
flag, thus far unstained By barbarities,
shall sacrifice thousands and thousands
of lives, forgetting the traditions and
teachings OF our country"
Playing With Fire.
Is the senate of the United States un-
Willingly playing with fire? Of course
if it is toying with the flames at all it
is doing it unwittingly. BY killing the
constitutional amendment providing for
the election of senators of the United
States by popular vote it is bidding de-
fiance to the public sentiment of the
United States in the most brazen man
ner, for of all political reforms that is
the one most desired by the people, and
finally in some manner the people will
discover a way to get what they want,
even if they are forced to defeat every
senator who opposes this most salutary
and democratic measure. The British
house of lords would no more think
of thwarting the will of the people in
the systematic and impudent way the
American senate does than it would
think of running its head into the fire,
and it would not survive until next
Christmas if it did. If given a chance
to vote on the proposition to elect sem
ators by popular vote, nine-tenths of
the people would vote for it gladly and
enthusiastically. But there's the rub.
The eighty-eight senator's, or at least
! two-thirds of them, will not give them
the chance, thereby seeming to prove
that sometimes for a season the crea-
ture is greater than tie creator. If
some of our august senators do not loolz
little out they may hear something
drop.
The people have made up their minds
that senators shall be elected by popu-
lar suffrage, and the recalcitrant SEN
ators would do well to take notice Of
the fact that reforms, like revolutions,
do not move backward.
Though beaten back in many a fray,
Yet freshening strength will borrow,
And where the vanguard halts today
The rear will camp tomorrow.
There is only one way to accomplish
this most desirable reform. and that is
by systematic and Srsistept agitation
and systematic and persistent action.
The people might as well wake up to
that fact. The modus operandi must
be this: Begin at the primaries and in
the township meetings. VUe for no
body as a delegate to a county nomi-
mating convention who will not pledge
himself in writing not to vote to NOM
mate anybody for legislator who will
not pledge himself in writing not to
vote for anybody for United States
senator who will not pledge himself to
vote to submit the constitutional
amendment to the states for ratifca-
ton. In that way, and in that way only,
can this reform be secured, and it will
take at least ten years to achieve it
even in that way. 1t will be long,
laborious and tedious performance, but
it is of vast Importance to the cause of
good and pure government.