The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-09-12


 citizen, of whatever faith, from unjust molestation; and our officers abroad have been stringently required to com ply with this order.
 Under such circumstances. the de- mand of our opponents that nego- tiations be begun to secure equal treat ment of all Americans from those gov ernments which do no now accord it, shows either ignorance of the facts or insincerity. No change of policy in the method or manner of negotia ton would add 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 adminis- tration has on all proper occasions giv- en clear expression to the belief of the American people that discrimination and oppression because of religion, wherever praetised, are acts of injus- tice before God and man: and in mak- ing evident to the world the depth Of American convictions in this regard we have gone to the very limit of diplo- matic usage.
 It is striking evidence of our op- ponents' insincerity in this matter that with their demand for radical action by the state department they couple a de- mand for reduction in our small mili- tary establishment. Yet they must know that the heed paid to our protests against ill-treatment of our citizens will be exactly proportionate to the be- lief in our ability to make these pro tests effective should the need arise.
 Democratic inconsistency.
 Our opponents have now declared themselves in favor of the civil service law, the repeal of which they demanded in 1900 and in 1896. If consistent, 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 in which the classified service has been extended. The exceptions from ex- aminations are fewer by far than ever before, and are confined to individual cases, where the application of the rules would be impracticable. unwise, unjust, or unnecessary. The administration of the great body of the classified civil service is free from politics, and ap- pointments and removals have been put upon a business basis. Statistics show that there is little difference between the tenure of the federal classified ern- ployees and that of the employees of private business corporations Less than one per cent. of the classified ern-
 
 and in the main the service rendered | is vigorous and efficient. Where the merit system was of course most needed was in the Philippine Islands; and 2 civil service law of very advanced type has there been put into operation an6 scrupulously observed. Without one ex- lception, every appointment in the Phil. lippines has been made in accordance lwith the strictest standard of fitness and without heed to any other oonsid' l eration.
 Finally, we come to certain matters upon which dur opponents do in theil platform of principles definitely takt | tissue with us, and where, if they art sincere, their triumph would mean dis iaster to the country. But exactly as i l is impossible to call attention to tht present promises and past record of oul opponents without seeming offensive so it is impossible to compare theil platform with their other and later of ficial utterances and not create doub as to their sincerity. In their privat' Tor unofficial utteranees many of then frankly advance this insincerity as z merit, taking the position that as re gards the points on which I am abou l to speak they have no intention Q keeping their promises or of departinl from the policies now established, ant that therefore they can be trusted no to abuse the power they seek.
 Sincerity of Democrats on Tariff cues
 tioned.
 When we take up the great question of the tariff we are at once eonfr6nte lby the doubt as to whether our op l ponents do or do not mean what the l say. They say that protection is rob 5I bery,' and promise to carry thenselve accordingly if they are given power. Ye prominent persons among them asser T that if they come into power they wi adopt our policy as regards the tariff while others seem anxious to prove tfa it is safe to give them partial power because the power would be only par tial, and therefore they would not b j able to do mischief The last is cel tainly curious plea to advance on be half of a party seeking to obtain cor trol of the government.
 ! At the outset it is worth while to sa 5 a word as to the attempt to fdentif I the question of tariff revision to tari 1 reduction with a solution of the trus question. This is always a sign of dt sire to avoid any real effort to de; J adequately with the trust question. I speaking on this point at Minneapo1i . on April 4, 1903, I said:
 ''The question of tariff revision l speaking broadly, stands wholly apai from the question of dealing with tt trusts. No change in tariff duties ca have any substantial effect in solvin the so-called trust problem. Certai
 great trusts or great corporations al
 wholly unaffected by the tariff. AlTno ] all the others that are of any impoi } tance have as matter of fact numbel of smaller American competitors; an } of course a change in the tariff whic
 would work injury to the large co
 poration would work not merely injul