New-York tribune., 1904-09-13
THE ISSUE JOINED.
Nuggets from The Presidents Great
-Ir9umeEf.

argument.
| Ii Is difficult to find out from the utterances
! Of cur opponents wha: are the real issues upon
which they propose TO wage this campaign. 1t
! is not ''nfair TO say that having abandoned
! most Of the principles rpor which They have in
sisted during the last eight years. they now seem
~ q loss potn as 10 what IL is that they really
believe and as to how firmly they shall assert
Their oeief In anything. We do not have to
guess al our own convictions, and then correct
me guess Il Il seems unpopular. The principles
which We profess those in which we believe
! With heart and soul and strength The
poilcies We have pursued are those which
earnestly noid as essential 10 the national wei
fare and repute- We intend in the
future TO carry OH the government in the came
way that we have carried it in the past.
We are content to rest our case before
the American people upon the fact that 10 adj
governmental efficiency. Therefore. prom
ises may surely be trusted as regards any issue
| that is now before the people: and we may
equally be- trusted to deal with any problem
which may hereafter arise.
Cur opponents can criticise what did in
Panama only on condition of misstating what
was done. The administration behaved through
but not only with good faith but. with extraor-
binary patience and large generosity toward
those with whom II dealt. II was also mindful
of American interests 1t acted in strict com
pliance with the law passed by Congress,
Neither in this nor IN any other matter
has there been the slightest failure to live up
20 the Constitution in letter and in spirit. But
the Constitution must be observed positively as
well as negatively. The Presidents duty Is TO
serve the country in accordance with the Con-
stitution. and l should be derelict in my duty if
used false construction of the Constitution
as shield for weakness and timidity, or as an
excuse for governmental Impotence.
To what phase OF our foreign policy and to
what use of she navy do our opponents object?
Our foreign policy mas been not only highly ad-
vantageous 10 the United States. but hardly less
advantageous 10 the world a whole. Peace
and good viii have followed in its footsteps.
The government has shown Itself no less anxious
10 respect the rights of Others than insistent
that the rights OF Americans be respected In
return. As for the navy. II has been and is now
the most potent guarantee Of peace. and it is
such chiefly because it is formidable and ready
for
When our opponents speak of "encroacn-
ments" by the Executive upon the authority of
Congress or the judiciary. apparently the act
they ordinarily have in view is Pension Order
No. 1S issued under the authority of existing
law. President Cleveland has already
exercised this power by a regulation which de-
clared that seventy-five should be set as the
age at which total disability should be concu-
sively presumed. Similarly, President Mckinley
established sixty-flve the age at which half
disability should be conclusively presumed. The
regulation now In question in the exercise of the
same power, supplemented these regulations
made under Presidents Cleveland and Mckinley.
The order IN question Is revocable at the
pleasure of the Executive. If opponents
come into power they can revoke this order and
announce that they will treat the veterans OF
sixty-two to seventy presumably in full
bodily vigor and not entitled TO pensions. VIII
they now authoritatively state that they intend
to do this? II so. accept the issue. II not,
then we have the right TO ask why they raise
an issue which, when raised they do not venture
to meet.
fronted the American people in the last decade
our opponents take the position that silence is
the best possible way to convey their views
Being unable 10 agree among them
selves as TO whether the gold standard Is a
curse or a blessing, and as 20 whether we ought
ought not to have free and unlimited coin
age of silver. they have apparently thought II
expedient 10 avoid any committal on these sub
jects. and individually each TO follow his par ar
Iieve in the gold standard as fixed by the usage
and the verdict OF the business world. and IN a
sound monetary system as matters OF principle.
as matters not of monetary political expedi-
ency. but OF permanent organic policy.
It Is now asserted that the common law.
developed. affords a complete legal remedy
against monopolies" But there is no common
law of the United States Its rules can be
forced only by the State courts and officers
No federal court or oficer could take any action
whatever under them. II this fact coupled
with the inability OF the States TO control trusts
and nonopolies which led TO the passage of the
federal statutes known as the Sher1nan anu. anu
Trust act and the Interstate Commerce act;
and Il is only through the exercise OF the pow
conferred by these acts and by the statutes
of the last Congress supplementing thern tnat
the national government acquires any turfsdic-
ton over the subject. To say that action
against trusts and monopoies should be limited
10 the application Of the common law is equiva-
lent to saying that the national government
should take no action whatever 10 regulate
them. Within the limits denned hy the
national Constitution the national administration
has sought to secure to each man the fun en-
joyment Of his right to live his life ana dis
pose Of his property and his labor as he deems
best long as he wrongs no one else.
This government IS based upon the fundamental
idea that each man, matter what his occn-
patton. his race his religious belief, is en-
titled to be treated on his worth a man, and
neither favored Disseminated against be-
cause of any accident in his position.
OF course. If opponents are not sincere In
their proposal TO abolish the system OF pro-
tectiVe tariff. there is no use in arguing the
matter at all. by pointing out again that
II on one great issue they do not mean what
they say, it is hardly safe 10 trust them on any
other issue. But II they are sincere in this mat
ter then their advent TO power would mean DO
mestic misfortune and misery as widespread
and far reaching that which We saw ten years
ago Conditions change, ana the laws
must be modified from time TO time TO mt new
exigencies. But the genuine underlying princi-
pie Of protection. SIS IL has been embodied in all
but one of the American tariff laws for the last
forty has worked out results SO bench