Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1904-09-28

to proceed with due diligence in the
wbfk If constructing the Canal. That
duty should be prompts. peff5fmedt IS:
Il Il AMERICAN SHIPPING; :. Sc Q:
Our commerce Id sAnstiGaA Bottoms
amounts to but eight per cent. OF our
total exports and imports. For seventy
years btiot t8 1866, when the .R3epuPF-,
can party came into power, our: MGR NOR.
chant marine carried an average OF,
seyenty-tive per cent. of our foreign
commerce. BY 1871 1t had dwinaiea u, 70
twenty-seven per cent. Now we carry
but q coltemptibly small fraction sol
CUT gxxpocfts and ii1pSffa: -,
American shipping in the foreign
trade was greater by over one hundrea
thousand tons in -1S10-nearly a nun h
dred wears .ago-than it was last year..
iii the face sf the continuous decline in
the record Of AMERICAN shipplns gu.
|ring the last forty:tfree years, !, the g
promise of. the Republican party TO re-
store.it eis5without Encouragement. tne
record efs the Democratic party gives
assurance That The. task can be more 1.e'l'
wisely entrusted to it. $.
1T is,an arduous task to undo the Ell
feet ,of forty, years of decadence,, ana
requires the Study and ifivastigatien !ql
those. best fitted by experience e2to find
the remedy,-which surely does not lie
| in the. granting of subsidies, wrung
from the pocket 81 all this .taspa ! yeTs' .
INVESTIGATION OF GoVERNMEt!T.
I,'!,i.'.'5- * DEPARTMENTS.
Recent disclosures, coupled with the
liabia augmentation Of government eS-..
penditures, show q ieed II ail ihtestt'
cation. of every department Of the gov.
Srnment:. The psmoefats in Congress
demanded it. The Republican majority
refused the demand. The people can
determine by their vote in November
whether they wish an honest and thor
uugh investigation: A Dema Con-
sress and, Executive. will assure 1t;
ARMY AND NAVY
We arss Justly pibui Of the officers
and men of our Army and Navy. Both,
however, have suffered from the per-
sistent injection Of personal ana po-
litical influence Promotions and ap-
pointments have been frequently based
on fayoritism instead of merit. Trials
and gouftzmartials have been set aside
under CIRCUMSTANCES Indicating politl-;,
cal interference: These and other abus'
is Should be corrected: !.
on the subject Of pensions the letter
is plain. Mr. Parker is favorable TO a
liberal allowance for disabled veterans,
but opposes extravaganza in the grant
ing Of pensions.
e y FOREIGN RELATIONS.
The foreign relations of the govern
ment hats in late years assumed spe-
cial Importance. Prior to the acquisi-
tion of the. Philippines, we were prac:
tically invulnerable against attacks by
foreign States. Those tropical posses.
,s:ons, however, seven thousand miles
| from our shores, have changed all this
and have in effect put US under bonds
TO keep the peace. The new conditions
CALI for a management of foreign af-
fairs }tre more circumspect in; that the
recent American invasion Of foreign
markets. in all parts OF the world has
excited the serious apprehension OF all
the great Industrial peoples: 1t is es-
,sential; therefore, more than ever, to
adhere strictly to the traditional policy
OF the country as formulated by its
first president and never, in myT1udig.
rent, wisely departed from,@-tS invite d e
friendly ,relations with all nations
while avoiding entangling alliances ll!s;s
iiyation of peace instead Of the glorias-TI
cation of war, and the. m1ndlns or our |
own business in lieu of spectacular IN
termeddling with the affairs of other
nations. IT means strict observance OF
the principles Of international law ana
condemns the doctrine that q great
state, by reason of its strength, may
appreciate the sovereignty or
territory Of a small state on account
of its weakness. 1t means Tor otnef
American states that we claim no
rights and will assume no functions
save those of a friend and Of all ally
and defender as against European ag-
gressions. 1t means that we repuolate
the role of the American continental
policeman; that we refuse to act as
debt collector for foreign states or
their citizens; that we respect the IN
dependent sovereignty Of each Amer1-
can state and its right to preserve
order and otherwise regulate its own
internal affairs in it's own way; ana
that any investigation in its affalrs by
us is limited to the single office OF en-
ahling its people to work out their own
political and national destiny for them
selves free from the coercion OF any
European state.
REFORM IN GOVERNMENTAL EX-
PENDITURES.
Twenty-eight years have passed since!
the Democratic party Of the State OIL
New York, in convention assembled,
recom,7, -ded to the National Democra"
CIV the nomination of Samuel ]. TIL
den as it's candidate for the Presidency,
and declared it to be their settled con-.
.Yiction that return to the constltu"
'tional principles, frugal expenses anu
administrative purity of the founders
of the Republic is the first and mosa
.imperious duty Of the times,-the COM
manding issue now before the people
of the Union" This strong expression
was called forth by the national expen-
ditures for the year 1875, which
amounted to s274 OOO,0OO,-a situation
which in the opinion of majority OF
cur people, justified an imperative de-
mand for reform in the administration
OF. public affairs, AS the expenditures
Of. the last fiscal year amounted to the
enormous total of S5S2, 100000, it is evi.
dent that thorough investigation OF
the public service and the Immediate
abandonment of useless and extraya-
CANT expenditures are more necessary
now than they were then. This astound-
ing increase is out of all proportion to
the increase of our popula' lion, and
finds no excuse from whatever aspect
we view the situation. The National
Democratic Platform declares that
"large reductions can easily be made
in the annual expenditures Of the gov
ernment without i,npairing the eff
cheney OF any branch of the public SER
III "a 4t,N