The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-09-16

fundamental idea that eacn man. no
matter what his occupation. his race. Or
his religious 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 diculty In the effort to reaiize
this ideal: and the attempt to secure
from other nations acknowledgment
| OF IL sometimes obstacles
that are well nigh ins~uperable. for
there are many nations which In the
slow procession OF the ages have not
| yet reached that point where b prin-
| ciples which Americans regard as axi-
| omatLc obtain any recognition whatever.
One OF the chief difficulties arises in
| connection with certain American cit
liens Of foreign birth, or OF particular
|! creed. who desire 10 rave abroad.
| Russia. for instance. refuses to admit
and protect Jews. Turkey refuses TO
admit and protect certain Sects or
| Christians. This government has con-
sistently demanded equal protection
| abroad for all American citizens,
| March q. 1893. Secretary Hay sent q
! letter of instructions TO all the diplo-
| matte and consular officers of the
| United States. in which he said: This
| department does not discriminate be-
tween native-born and naturalized tit
/ liens in according them protection
| while they are abroad. equality OF
treatment being required by the laws
| OF the United States These orders TO
our agents abroad have been repeated
again and again, and are treated as
the fundamental rule OF d laid
| down for them. proceeding upon the
theory that all naturalized citizens OF
the United States while In foreign
| countries are entitled to n shall re-
Il 49, -. To- n ~
protection OF persons and property
which is accorded TO ~native-born citi-
zens." In issuing passports the state
| department never discriminates, or al
ludes TO any mans religion; and IN
granting to every American citizen, ma
tive or ~naturaiZed, Christian or Jew,
the same passport, so far as il has
power il insists that all foreign gov
ernments shall accept the passport as
/ prima facie proof that the person
] therein described is a citizen Of the
| United states and entitled TO protection
as such. 1t Is a standing order to
every American diplomatic and consul
lar officer to protect every American
citizen. of whatever faith, from unjust
| m~olestation and our officers abroad
have been stringentIy required to COM
| ply with his order.
| Under such circumstances, the de-
mand of our opponents that negotia-
| tons be begun to secure equal treat
ment of all Americans from those gov
| ernmSnts which do not now accord II,
| shows their ignorance Of the facts or
| insincerity. No change of policy in the
| method or manner of negotiation would
ado effectiveness to What the state de-
| partment has done and Is doing. The
| steady pressure which the department
| has been keeping up in the past will be
| continued in the future. This admins
tration has on all proper occasions
| given clear expression to the belief OF
| the American people h dIscrimina-
ton and oppression because of reliS-
ion, wherever praticed, are acts of in
| Justice before God and man: and IN
| k evident to the world the depth
| of American convictions in this regard
we have gone to the very limit or Dip
| lomatic usage.
1t is a striking evidence Of our OPP
| ponents' ~insincerity in this matter that
| with their demand for radical acton
by the state department they couple
a demand for a reduction in our small
| military establishment. Yet they must
| know that the heed paid to our pro-
| tests against i~ll-treatment of our citl-
| Gems will be exacly proportionate 10 the
belief in our ability to make these pro-
| tests effective should the need arise
Our opponents have now declared
| themselves in favor Of the civil service
| law. the. repeal Of which they de-
| manded in 1900 and in 1896. If consis-
tent. they should have gone one step
| further and congratulated the country
upon the way in which the civil service
law is now administered and the way
i'm which the classified service has been
extended. The exceptions from exam
nations are fewer by far than ever De-
fore, and are confined to individual
| cases, where the application OF the
| rules would be impracticabie, unWlse-
| unjust. Or unnecessary. The admins
traion of the great body of the classi-
| fed civil service is free from politics
| and appointments and removals nave
been put upon a business basis. sta
| tistics show that there is little diner
ence between the tenure OF the Icusidi
| classified employees and that OF the EN-
| ployees of private business corpora
| lions. Less than one per cent. or the
| classified employees are over seventy
wears of age. and in the main the SER
| vice rendered is efficient. Where the
| merit system was OF course most neeu-
| ed was in the Philippine Islands; ana d
| civil service law of very type
has there been put into operation ana
scrupulously observed. without one
exception every appointment IN the
PhiIinpines has been made in accord
| ance with the strictest standard OF Mt
ness. and without heed to any other
| consideration.
Finally, we come To certain matters
| upon which our opponents do in their
platform Of principles definitely take
| issue with Cs, and where, II they are
| sincere. their triumnh would mean dis
| aster to the country. But exact
ly as it is impossible to call
attention to the present promises
| and past record of our opponents WITH
| out seeming offensive. SO 1t Is impos-
sible to compare tEeir platform with
| their other and later official u~tterances
| and not create doubt as to their ain
| cerity. In their private or unofficial
utterances many of them frankly ad-
| vance this insincerity as a merit, tax
| ing the position that as regards the
| points on which 1 am about to speak
| they have no intention Of keeping thei-
| promises OF OF departing from the pol
| icies now established. and that there
| fore they can be trusted not 10 abus-