The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-08

of making the said appropriation
available for immediate use for all
such purposes, to be expended under
the direction of the Attorney Cen
eral.
Bribery Extraditnble.
Steps have been taken by the State
Department looking to the making of
bribery an extraditable offense with
foreign powers. The need of more eff
fective treaties covering this crime is
manifest. The exposures and prosecu-
tions of official corruption in St. Louis,
Mo-, and other cities and states have
resulted in a number of givers and
takers of brides becoming fugitiveS in
foreign lands. Bribery has not been
included in eXtradition treaties here
tofore, as the necessity for it has not
arisen. While there may have been as
much official corruption in former
years, there has been more developed
and brought to light in the immediate
past than in the preceding century of
our country's history. 1t should be the
policy of the United States to leave
no place on earth where a corrupt man
fleeing from this country can rest in
peace. There is no reason why bribery
should not be included in all treaties
as extraditable. The recent amended
treaty with Mexico. whereby this crime
was put III the llSL OI eAITdulldDl6 OIL
lenses, has established a salutary pre-
cedent in this regard. Under this treaty
the State Department has asked, and
Mexico has granted, the eXtradition of
one of the st. Louis bride givers.
There can be no crime more serious
than bribery. Other offenses violate
one law while corruption strikes at the
foundation of all law. Under our form
of government all authority is vested
in hn md 1Nr hap1 dol f.oa1
to those who represent them in official
capacity. There can be no offense
heavier than that of him in whom such
sacred trust has been repoSed, who
sells it for his own gain and enrich
ment; and no less heavy is the offense
of the bride giver. He is worse than
the thief, for the thief robs the indi-
vidual, while the corrupt official plum
derS an entire city or state. He is as
wicked as the murderer, for the MUIR
derer may only take one life against
the law, while the corrupt official and
the man who cOrruptS the official alike
aim at the assassination of the COM
monwealth itself. Government of the
people, by the people, for the people
will perish from the face of the earth
if bribery is tolerated. The giVers and
takers of brides stand on an evil pre-
eminence of infamy. The exposure and
punishment of public corruption is an
honor to "a nation not a disgrace. The
shame lies in federation, not in correc-
ton. No city or state, still less the
nation, can be injured by the enforce
ment of law. AS long as public plum
derers when detected can find a haven
of refuge in any foreign land and
avoid punishment, just so long encour-
agement is given them to continue their
practices. If we fail to do all that
in us lie to stamp out corruption we
cannot escape our share of responsible
ity for the guilt. The first requisite
of successful self-government is un-
flinching enforcement of the law and
the cutting out of corruption.
The Alaska Boundary.
For several years past the rapid de-
velopment of Alaska and the estab-
lishment of growing American interests
in regions heretofore unsurveyed and
imperfectly known brought into prom
1nence the urgent necessity of a prac-
teal demarcation of the boundaries be-
tween the Jurisdictions of the United
States and Great Britain. Although
the treaty of 1925 between Great Britain
and Russia, the provisions of which
were copied in the treaty of 1867, where
by Russia conveyed Alaska to the
United States, was positive as to the
control, first by Russia and later by
tory along the continental mainland
from the western shore of Portland
canal to Mount st. Elias, following and
surrounding the indentations of the
coast and including the islands to the
westward its description of the land
ward margin of the strip was indefinite,
resting on the supposed existence of a
continuous ridge or range of noun
tains Skirting the coast, as figured in
the charts of the early navigators. 1t
had at no time been possible for
either party in interest to lay
down, under the authority of
+. the treaty, a line so obviously
exact according to it's provision as to
q. command the assent of the other. For
nearly three-forth of a century the
absence of tangible local interests de-
. handing the exercise of positive juris-
| diction on either side of the border
left the question dormant. In 1878
questions of revenue administration on
the Stikine River led to the establish
ment of a provisional demarcation,
crossing the channel between two
high peaks on either side about twenty