Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1904-09-15
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do not now accord IL SHOWS SltNEE III
norance of the facts or insincerity. No
change of policy in the method or man
ner or negotiation would add effectiveness
to what the state department 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 administration has on all proper oc-
casions given clear expression to the be-
lief OF the American people that discrim-
nation and oppression because Of reli-
gion wherever practiced are acts or I'M
justice before God and man, and In MAX
ing evident to the world the depth OF
American convictions In this regard we
have gone to the very limit Of diplomatic
usage.
1t is a striking evidence of our oppo-
nents' insncerity I'm this matter that with
their demand for radical action by the
state department they couple a demand
for a reduction in our small military es-
Enlistment. Yet they must know that
the heed paid to our protests against i'll
treatment of our citizens will be exactly
proportionate to the belief in our ability
to make these protests effective should
the need arise.
Our opponents have now declared them
selves I'm favor of the civil service law,
the repeal OF which they demanded In
1900 and in 1896. IL consistent they should
have gone enc step further and congrat-
IIo G0uulIY upon int way III 7WhtSi
the civil service law is now administered
and the way in which the classified serv-
ice has been extended The exceptions
from examinations are fewer by far than
ever before and are confined to individual
eases where the application of the rules
would be impracticable, unwise, unjust
or unnecessary The administration of
the great body of the classified civil serv-
ice Is free from politics, and appointments
and removals have been put upon a bust
ness basis Statistics show that there is
little difference between the tenure of the
federal classified employees and that of
the employees of private business corpo-
rations Less than per cent of the class
flied employees are over seventy years of
age, and lin the main the service rendered
IL vigorous and efficient. Where the mer-
IL system was OF course most needed was
I'm the Philippine Islands, and civil serv-
ice law of very advanced type has there
been put into operation and scrupulously
observed. Without one exception every
appointment In the Philippines has been
made In accordance with the strictest
standard of fitness and without heed to
any other consideration.
Finally, we come to certain matters up
on which our opponents do in their plat
form of principles definitely take issue
with us, and where, IL they are sincere,
their triumph would mean disaster to the
country. But exactly as 1t Is impossible
to call attention to the present promises
and past record of our opponents without
seeming offensive, SO it is impossible to
compare their platform with their other
and later official uttcrances and not Gre
ate doubt as to their sincerity. In their
private or unofficial utterances many of
them frankly advance this insincerity as
q merit. taking the position that as re-
CARDS the points on which L am about to
ha N NJ
their promises or of departing from the
policies now established and that there
fore they can be trusted not to abuse
the power they seek.
When we take up the great question of
the tariff we are at once confronted
by the doubt as to whether our oppo-
nents do or do not mean what they say.
They say that protection Is robbery
and promise to carry themselves accord
ingly il they are given power. Yet prom
inent persons among them assert that
they do not really mean this and that il
they come into power they will adopt
our policy as regards the tariff, while
others seem anxious to prove that 1t is
safe to give them partial power because
the power would be only partial, and
therefore they would not be able to do
mischief. The last is certainly a curious
plea to advance on behalf of party
seeking to obtain control of the govern
ment.
At the outset 1t is worth while to say
word as to the attempt to identify the
question of tariff revision or tariff reduc-
ton with a solution of the trust ques-
ton. This is always sign of desire to
avoid any real effort to deal adequately
with the trust question. In speaking on
this point at Minneapolis on April 4, 1903,
I said:
s.The question of tariff revision speak
y..SfIxx
question of dealing with the trusts No
change In tariff duties can have any sub
stantial effect in solving the so called trust
problem Certain great trusts or great cor
porations are wholly unaffected by the
tariff Almost all the others that are Of
any Importance have as a matter of fact
numbers OF smaller American competitors.
and of course a change in the tariff which
would work injury to the large corpora
tion would work not merely injury but
destruction to its smaller competitors.
and equally of course such change
would mean disaster to all the wagework-
ers connected with either the large or the
small corporations. From the standpoint
OF those interested in the solution of the
trust problem such a change would there
fore merely mean that the trust was re-
lieved of the competition of its weaker
American competitors and thrown only
into competition with foreign competitors.
and that the nrSt effort TO meet this new
competition would be made by cutting
down wages and would therefore be pri-
marily at the cost of labor. In the case
Of some of our greatest trusts such
change might confer upon them posi-
tive benefit. Speaking broadly 1t Is evil
dent that the changes in the tariff will
affect the trusts for veal or for woe sim
ply as they affect the whole country. The
tariff affects trusts only as 1t affects all
other interests. 1t makes all these inter-
ests, large or small. profitable, and it's
benefits can be taken from the large only
under penalty OF taking them from the
small also.''
There Is little for me to add to this.
1T is but ten years since the last attempt
was made. by means Of lowering the tar
liz. to prevent some people from prosper
ing too much. The attempt was entirely
successful. The tariff law of that year
was among the causes which In that year
and for some time afterward effectually
prevented anybody from prospecting too
much and labor from prospecting at all.
Undoubtedly 1t would be possible at the
present time to prevent any OF the trusts
from remaining prosperous by the simple
expedient of making such q sweeping
change An the tariff as to paralyxe the
industries or the country. The trusts
would cease to prosper. but their smaller
competitors would be ruined and the
wagew0rkern would starve. while 1T
would not pay the farmer to haul his
produce to market. The evils connected
with tha trusts can be reached only by