Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-06-06

eating Democratic Opinion On
Questions of the Day.
The river and harbor "pork' bill as
it now stands, appropriates $40, ,297 ,439
more than the entire cost of the ma
tional government before the war. The
sum would look more shipshape il 30
cents were added.-New York World
Oem.).
Jefferson, the founder of the Demo
cratic party, declared that the only
tests to be applied to the fitness of
candidate for public Office are: rs he
honest? is he capable?" II his quail
fications will not bear these tests he
is not a fit candidate. According to
Jefferson a candidate of immoral
character, u man, for example, who
makes lying promises which he does
not fulfill and never intended to keep,
and one who when in Office betrayed
the trust reposed in him, is not fit to
receive the suffrages of Democrats
Exchange.
We can understand how strict con-
structioniSs of moral ethics are bound
in honor and candor to oppose Elkin.
But they are equally bound to oppose
Quay, and as a choice between the two
would find Elkin the lesser evil. Those
who believe in Quayism and approve
the methods of Quay, on the other
hand, can't condemn Elkin for prac-
ticing Quayism under the direction of
Quay, unless they are mortgaged to
Quay, morally speaking. A man who
pretends to stand for decent politics
and supports Quay in preference to
Elkin must be knave or fool-Har-
risburg Star-Independent.
General Jacob H. Smith has finally
admitted that he did issue the de-
moniac order to kill everything over
ten" in Samar, and in reply Ameri-
can sentiment will imperiously de-
mand his punishment without regard
to any justification which he may
claim. There can be no justification
for an order of which a real decent
savage would not be guilty. And Gen
eral Smith has aggravated his offense,
if that be possible, by perjuring him
viousiy denied under oath the guilt
which he now confesses. Nothing less
than his discharge in disgrace from
the army will satisfy the conscience of
the country as atonement for the blot
which this bloodthirsty officer has
brought upon the American record in
the East.-Inter-Ocea Chicago.
Probas,ly there never was a more
treacherous, blood-thirsty enemy than
the Ang#ican Indian ever fought by
the United States army. And yet l do
not hesitate to declare that, had Major
Waller drawn up IL unarmed prisoners
of the bloodthirsty Apache tribe and
ordered them shot without trial. his
lightest punishment under Generals
Grant, Sheridan, Crook, Miles, Custer
or any of our old-line heroes would
have been dismissal from the army in
disgrace or imprisonment for life. My
own judgment is that Major Waller
would have been tried by a drum-head
court martial and shot within "a hours.
That a man who has tried to justify
the unwarranted killing of Filipinos by
the fact that he had ruthlessly shot
down the Chinese should be acquitted
with honor and let loose to continue
the destruction of human life at his
own sweet will, is a matter difficult to
realize. If campaigning in the Philip
pine Islands has brought the United
States army to the point where it JUS
titles this class of warfare the sooner
the troops are brought home the bet
ter-Col. Henry L. Turner.