Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-07-28

a.H.HNH HINH" HNf HH q
fiscal year that has Just closed the e1
cess Of incoVs over the ordinary en-
penditures was 100000. This does no
take account OF the SO,0Oo.Ooo expende'
out of the accumulated surplus for tn
purchase OF the isthmian canal. II IL Al
extraordinary proof Of h sound imam
clal condition Of the nation that fnsteaf
Of following the usual course in sucf
matters and throwing the burden upor
posterity by an issue Of bonds. we wert
able to make the payment outright and
yet after II to have In the treasury q
surplus of Sl6i 900, 900. Moreover. We were
able to a this N0,000000 out OF hand
without causing the slightest disturbances
TO pnsi nave enacted q tariff law undes
which during the past few years thu
country has attained a height Of material
we'll being nsven before reached. Wages
are higher than ever before. Thai when
ever the need arises there should be a re-
adjustment OF the tariff schedules 10
undoubted: but suoh changes can with
safety be made only by those whose de-
votion TO the principle Of a protective
tariff 10 beyond question:; for otherwise
the changes would amount not to read
justment. but to repeal. The read1ust-
ment when made must maintain and NOT
destroy the protective principle. To the
farmer, the merchant, the manufacturer
this Is vital: but perhaps no other man
is 30 much interested as the wage-worker
In the maintenance OF our present eco
nomic system. both as regards the
finances and the tariff. The standard OF
living Of our wage-workers 10 higher than
that Of any other country. n 1t cannot
30 remain unless we have a protective
tariff which shall always keep as a min
imum a rate of duty sufficient to v the
difference between the labor cost here
and abroad. Those who, like our oppo-
nents, 'denounce protection as a rob-
berry, thereby explicitly commit them
selves to the proposition that II they
were to revise the tariff no heed would
be paid TO the necessity Of meeting this
difference between the standards of liv-
ing for wage-workers here n IN other
countries; and therefore on this point
their a~ntagonism TO u position Is funda-
mental. Here again W. ask that their
promises and our be Judged by what has
been done In the immediate past. We
ask that sober and sensible men com
pare the workings Of the present tariff
Law, and the conditions which obtain un-
| der II, with the workings Of the preceding
tariff law of 1894 and the conditions which
mat tafiu OF lSb4 nelpeu 10 UTlnB dDouI
We recognise the organization Of capi-
\ tai and the organization Of labor as nat
ural outcomes Of our industrial system.
Each kind of organization IL to be favored
so long as II acts In a spirit Of Justice and
Of regard for the rights Of others. Each
is to be granted the full protection Of
the law, and each in turn 10 to be held
to a strict obedience to the law; for no
man Is above II and no man below It
The humblest individual Is to have his
rights s~afeguarded as ~scrupulously as
those Of the strongest organization, for
each lie to receive Justice, nc more and no
less. The problems with which we have
to deal in our modern industrial and So
cial life are manifold; but the spirit In
which 1t is necessary to approach their
solution is simply the spirit Of honesty,
Of courage and Of common sense.
Ever since this continent was discov-
cred the need Of an isthmian canal to
connect the Pacific with the Atlantic has
been recognized; and ever since the birth
Of our nation such a canal has been
planned. At last the dream has become
a reality. The isthmian canal Is now be-
ing built by the government Of the United
States. We conducted the negotiation
for it's construction with the incest and
most scrupulous honor, and In a spirit
Of the largest generosity toward those
through whose territory II was to run
Every sinister effort which could be de-
vised by the spirit Of faction or the spirit
Of self-interest was made In order to de-
feat the treaty with Panama and there
by prevent the contamination Of this
work. The construction of the canal Is
now an assured fact; but most certainly
II Is unwise to eDtrust the carrying out
OF, no momentous q policy to those who
have endeavored TO defeat the whole
undertaking.
Our foreign policy has been 80 conduct
ed that, while not one Of our Just claims
has been sacrificed, our relations with
all foreign nations are now Of the most
peaceful mind; there is not a cloud on
the horizon. The las cause of irritation
between lis and any other nation was
removed by the settlement Of the Alaskan
boundary.
In the Caribbean sea we have made
good our promises of independence TO
Cuba, and lave proved our assertion that
our mission In the island was one Of
Justice and not of self-aggrandixement;
and thereby no less than by our action
in Venezuela and Panama we have
shown that the Monroe doctrine Is q +
living reality, designed for the hurt Of
no nation. but for the protection Of civ-
liEatioa on the western continent, and
for the peace Of the world. Our steady |
growth in power has gone hand in hand
with a strengthening disposition to use
this power with strict regard for the
rights of others,
American interests In the Pacific have
rapidly grown. American enterprise has
laid a cable across this, the greatest Of
oceans. We have proved In effective
fashion that we wish the Chinese
pire well and desire Its integrity and
independence.
Our foothold In the Philippines greatly
strengthens our position in the compe-
tition for the trade Of the east; but We
are governing the Philippines In the I'M
terest Of the Philippine people them
selves. We have already given them q
large share In their government. and u
purpose is to increase this share a
rapidly as they give evidence Of increas-
ing fitness for the task. The great ma
jority Of the officials Of the islandA
whether elective or appointive. are al-
ready native Filipinoa. We are now pro-
viding for q legislative assembly. This
is the first step TO be taken In the fu-
ture: and II would be eminently unwise
to declare what our next step will be UNI
III this hrst step has been taken and the
results are manifest. To have gone faster
than we have alrsdy gone In giving the
islanders o constantly Increasing meas-
ura of aelf-RoVernment would have boen /