The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-12
Monday Evening,

wageworker and the individual capital
list are concerned, both as regards one
another, as regards the public, and as re-
CARDS organized capital and labor. the
position Of the administration has been
so clear that there is no excuse for mis-
representing it, and no ground for OPP
posing it unless misrepresented.
Within the limits defined by the national
constitution the national administration
has sought to secure to each man the full
enjoyment OF his right to live his life and
dispose of his property and his labor as
he deems best, so long as he wrongs no
one else. 1t has shown In effective fashion
that In endeavorine to make good this
guaranty, It treats all men. rich or poor,
whatever their creed, their color, or their
birthplace, as standing alike before the
law. ....
Under our form of government the
sphere in which the nation as distin-
guished from the state can act is mar
rowly clrcumscribed; but within that
sphere all that could be done has been
done. All thinking men are aware of
the restrictions upon the power of ac-
ton of the national government in such
matters. Being ourselves mindful of
them, we have been scrupulously care
full on the one hand to be moderate in
our promises, and on the other
hand to keep these promises in
| lStlSI anu III D. spirit. .CuT ErOppOn-
ents have been hampered by no such
considerations. They have promised,
and many Of them now promise action
which they could by no possibility take
in the exercise of constitutional power,
and which, if attempted, would bring
business to a standstill; they have used,
aad often now use, language of wild in
slons which tend to excite one set of
Americans against their fellow Ameri-
| cans; and yet whenever they have had
power they have fttingly supplemented
this extravaganza of promise by abso-
lutte nullity in performance.
| This government is based upon the fun
damentaI Idea that each man. no matter
what his occupation. his race or his re-
Iigous belief. Is entitled to be treated on
his worth as a man, and neither favored
nor Disseminated against because of any
accident In his position. Even here at
home there Is painful Difficulty In the eff
fort to realize this Ideal; and the attempt
to secure from other nations acknowledge
ment of 1t sometimes encounters obstacles
that are we'll nigh InsuperabIe; for there
are many nations which In the slow pro.
cession of the ages have not yet reached
that point where the principles which
Americans regard as automatic obtain any
recognition whatever.
One of the chief difficulties arises in
zens of foreign birth, or of particular
creed, who desire to travel abroad
Russia, for instance, refuses to admit
and protect Jews. Turkey refuses to
admit and protect certain sects Of Chris
tlans. This government has consistent
ly demanded equal protection abroad fol
all American citizens, whether native
rotary Hay sent a letter Of instructions
to all the diplomatic and consular Off
GERS of the United States, in which he
said: 'This department does not dis
criminate between native-born and nat
urelized citizens in according them pro
lection while they are abroad, equality
OF treatment being required by the laws
of the United States.' These orders t<
our agents abroad have been repeated
again and again, and are treated as the
fundamental rule of conduct laid dow1
for them, proceeding upon the theory
"that all naturalized citizens of thu
United States while in foreign coun
, from this government the same protec
ton of persons and property which i
accorded to native born citizens.'' Il
issuing passports the state department
never discriminates, or alludes to an.
man g religion; and in granting to ever,
American citizen, native or naturalized
Christian or Jew, the same passport, 81
} far as it has power it insists that all for
eign governments shall accept the pass
> port as prima facie proof that the persol
> therein described is a citizen of tn
, United States and entitled to protection
as such. 1t is a standing order to ever,
, American diplomatic and consular off
4 Of whatever faith, from unjust molesta
: ton; and our officers abroad have bee,
I stringently required to comply with thi
a order.
n Ignorance or Insincerity.
9 Under such circumstances, the de
t. mand of our opponents that negotia
lions be begun to secure equal treat
+ ment of all Americans from those gov
8 ernments which do not now accord il
j. shows either ignorance of the facts o
o insinc Gritty. No change of policy in tn
It method or manner of negotiation woul
IS add effectiveness to what the state dc
9 partment has done and is doing. Th
n steady pressure which the department
= has been keeping up in the past pas wi
IS given clear expression to the belief Q
~ the American people that discrimins
y tion and oppression because of religion
,, wherever practiced, are acts of inju
n tice before God and man; and in NAL
70 ing evident to the world the depth c
;s AueT1CdH COuNl C1ouo LII Iu1o loS6iN,
Is have gone to the very limit of dipl'
: matte usage.
IL Is a striking evidence OF our opp
nents' lnslncerlty In this matter that VIII
their demand for radical action by II
II state department they coupled demar
r for a reduction In our small military e
II Establishment. Yet they must know that I'll
'e heed paid to our protests against II
n treatment OF our citizens will be exact
70 proportIonate to the belief In our ablIi
a. to make these protests effective shou
the need arise.
20 Our opponents have now declare
n themselves in favor of the civil servi
er law, the repeal of which they demandt
le in 1900 and in 1896. If consistent, the
+ should have gone one step further al
o. congratulated the country upon the WE
re- in which the civil service law is no
+, administered, and the way in which II
I'll classified service has been eXtende
TO The exceptions from examinations a
ne fewer by far than ever before, and a
ee confined to individual cases, where t.
or application of the rules would be il
1t practicable, unwise, unjust, or unnece
W, sary. The administration of the gre
al body of the classified civil service
re free from politics, and appointment
49, and removals have been put upon
be business basis. Statistics show tn
al there is little difference between t
On tenure of the federal classified e1
It, ployees andS that of the employees
es private business corporations. Less TIL
ch l per cent of the classified cmploye
IT, are over 70 years Of age, and in t
st main the service rendered is vigoro