The Van Buren press., 1904-10-01

! dent Nj kinney undertook honestly to carry
| out the purpose OF the act 4 number
! of reciprocity agreements were negotiated
| which, II ratihed, would have had the two
] loii result Of Clcapcnipg many Imported
/ products Tor American Consumers and Of
| opening and rulargiuY foreign markets
| to American producers Not one Of
| those agreements has met with the ap-
! prONal OF the republican masters OF the
| senate. Indeed. they did not even permit
| their consideration In View Of the atti-
! iuie OF the present executive. no new
/ agreement need be- expected from him
! Nor does the republican platform contain
! a favorable reference to one OF the sus-
| pended treaties. The reciprocity clauses
! u the Dtuglel act seem destined TO re-
/ main a monument of legislative Cuzcnagc
| and po,iticaf bad faith unless the peo-
| p" take the matter In thetc own hands
| at the ballot box and command a reduction
| Of duties Ia return for reciprocity con
| Cpsylous
Independence for the Filipinos.
! "ln some quarters IL has been assumed
/ that .u the discussion of The Philippine
! question I'm my responze, the phrase
| ii-guverumenL was Intended 10 mean
! something less than independence II
was not Intended that q should be under
/ stood to mean, nor do | think as used II
| does mean less than independence. How
/ ever 10 eliminate an possibility for con
! lecture, ! now state that | am in hearty
| accord with that plank In our platform
| that tavOrs doing for the Fiupinos what
We have already done for the Cuh1us
! and favor making the promise to them
now that we shall take such action a.
soon AS they are reasonably prepared FOR
! t. II independence, such as the Cubans
! enjoy. cannot be prudently granted to
| the FIUptnOs at this time, the promise
that Il shall come the moment they are
capable OF receiving II will tend to stimu-
late rather than hinder their develop
ment And this should be done not only
In Justice 20 the Filplnos, but to pre-,
serve our own rights. for a free people
! cannot withhold freedom from another
/ people and themselves remain free. The
liberation o: tyranny over others will
| soon breed contempt Tor freedom and
self government, and weaken our power
| OF resistance to insldlous usurpation Of
our constitutional rights.
! The statute relating to civil service
Is the outcome OF the efforts Of thought
ful, unselhsh and public spirited Cit
| zens. Operation under II has frequently
been OF such "a character as to offend
against the spirit OF the statute. but the
| results achieved even under partial
enforcement OF the law have been such
as to both deserve and command the
utterance Of the democratic party that
It stands committed TO the principle OF
Ciyil service reform and demands It's
Just and impartial enforcement.
Panama Canal.
AN Isthman canal has long been the
hope OF our statesmen. and the svOwed
| aim OF the two great parties, as their
platforms I'm the past show. The
Panama route having been selected.
the building of the canal should be
pressed 20 completion with all reason
able expedition.
"Thc methods by which the executive
acquired the Panama canal route and
| rights are u source OF regret to many.
To them. the statement that thereby
a great public work was assured to the
| profit OF our peoule (. not "A sufficient
| a n ha al nf iIl of
national good faith, They appreciate
| hat the principles and healthy con.
yctions which IN their working out
have made US free and great, stand
firmly against the argument or sugges-
tion that we shall be blind to the nature
| OF the means employed to promote our
welfare They hold that adherence to
principle, whether II works for our good
| or H. viii have more bouencent innu-
ence on our future destiny than all our
material upbuidlns and that we should
ever remember that the Idea OF doing a
wrong to smaller. weaker nation that
we, or even all munklnd, may have a
resultant good Is repugnant 10 the prin-
eiple. upon which our government was
founded
Under the laws Of the United States
the duty is imposed on the executive 20
proceed with due diligence IN the work
of constructing the canal That duty
shouli be promptly performed
Pensions for Our Soldiers and Sailors.
THE national democracy fayors liberal
pensions to the surviving soldiers and
ground that they deserve liberal treat
ment II pledges by It's platform ads-
quale Legislation to that end But Il
denies the right OF the executive Ia
usurp tho power OF congress 10 leg To
on that subject Such usurpa ton was
attempted by pension order No Is, and
effect has been given TO II by u congress
that dared not resent the usurps ton. I,
| A al A. Il. = a.. A.
performance Of duty imposed upon the
president BY act Of congress- but the
provision making the imposition Is not
pointed out The act 10 which the order
refers, which ls the one relating To pen.
,ons 10 civil war veterans. dOcs not au-
thorlre pensions on the ground OF age
II does grant pensions 10 those suffering
rom any mental or physical disability
M the result OF their own vicious hab,
IE, which so lncapacltates them from
Ple performance OF manual labor bs II
render them unable TO earn support
This specified requirement ot lncapaciiy
IL In encct set aside by order No. Is a,
TO all persons over q,
"1hc war closed nearly 70 years ago
In the meantime many Of our soldier
and sailors long survived the age oi
50, aud passed away without receiving
hunting through the statute failed I,
aud here provision giving pen
sion 60 all who had reached 81 MANY
prominent veterans urged the Justice ol
pension 90 all Veterans Bills 10 that
eject were introduced IN congress And
not untU March of this year dld any
one ever claim 10 have made the dis
treat the statute as II Il read that wher
a claimant had passed the axe NJ 81 years
he IL necessarily disabled Oue.hhlf IN
ability 10 perform manual labor aud
| kap al pa a "a N MAJ ali
'Tho present pension cOmmlsloner In.
iicated his view OF the order when IN
q recent address he thanked the prosl.
dent Tor what he had done and advised
MI, hearers 20 use their influence that
a law might be passed 10 the shne o.
tocl Full confidence after all seem. no,
TO have been placed on the defense OF
Justification, Tor I, !, pleaded In ml,sa.
ild something looking In that direction
Even II that wsfe SO which IA not ad'
mitted our present duty would be nOns
the le. plain and Imperative our peo.
pie must never tolerate the citation OF
one act of usutpatlon of power as an
excuse for another This nrst may pos,
slbly be due 10 mistake. the second, be
ing based on tho nf,t cannot be N
tha, the order relied on simply provided
that ths aAe OF 70 years should he 70,
garded as evidence ot inability 10 per
form manual labor. Few men are able
but nearly all men are q, ~, Tho nfsl
order IL based on fact that experience
teaches, the other Il based on the ssssr,
Ion of that which IL not true as gen
efal rule,
"fhs old Inquiry what are you 20
lhg TO do about ~ IL nov stated In d
new form II I, said by the admlni,lra
ton, IN rsply 10 ths public criticism OF
hi, ofdor that n i. easy 10 test ouI
opponents sincerity Ia this matter The
order In qurftlon N feVorAhle a. ths
pleasure Of tha executive II our 90
this order and announce that they will
treat the veterans u gs and ~ A, pfs
sumaby In full bodily vlsot ana not