The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-26


 the pleasure of the Executive. If our opponents come into power they can revoke this order and announce Una, they will treat the veterans of S2 ana 1o as presumably in full bodily vieof and not entitled to pension. lWtl they authorftatively state that they intend
 to do this? If so. we accept the issue! l This suggests the suspicion. at least
 that the order was made to create an
 issue-that 1t was supposed to present a strong strategic position in the battle of ballots. But as the making of that order was, in my judgment. an attempt ed. though perhaps unwilling encroach- ment upon the legislative power, and therefore, unwarranted by the Consti- tuition, the challenge is accepted. Ii | elected, I will revoke that order. But I go further and say that that being
 done. will contribute my effort toward the enactment of a law to be passed by both houses of Congress and ap- proved by the Executive. that will give an age pension without reference to disability to the surviving heroes of the Civil War; and under the provisions of which a pension may be accepted | with dignity because of the conscious ness that 1t comes as just due from the people through their chosen repre-
 sentatives. and not as largess distrib- uted by the Chief Executive.
 | Foreign Relations.
 The foreign relations of the Govern
 ment have in late years assumed spe- cial importance. Prior to the acquisi-
 tion of the Philippines, we were prac- tically invulnerable against attacks by foreign States. Those tropical posses
 sions, however, 1000 miles from our shores, have changed all this and have l in effect put us under bond to keep the peace. The new conditions call for a management of foreign affairs the more circumspect in that the recent American invasion of foreign markets in all parts of the world has excited the serious apprehension of all the great industrial peoples. It is essen tial, therefore, more than ever. to ad- | here strictly to the traditional policy | of the country as formulated by its | first President and never, in my judg- ment wisely departed from-to invite l friendly relations with all nations while avoiding entangling alliances with any. Such a policy means the cultivation of
 peace instead of the glorffication of war, and the minding of our own bus | mess in lieu of spectacular intermed-
 ding with the affairs of other nations.
 It means strict observance of the prin- ciples of international law and con- demns the doctrine that a great state, | by reason of it's strength. may right fully appropriate the sovereignty or territory of small state on account | of its weakness. It means for other American States that we claim no rights and will assume no functions save
 those of a friend and of an ally and de- fender as against European aggres-
 sions. It means that we repudiate the
 role of the American continentai po- lfceman; that we refuse to act as debt | collector for foreign states or their citizens; that we respect the independ- ent sovereignty of each American state and its right to preserve order and otherwise regulate its own internal af- fairs in its own way: and that any intervention in its affairs by us is linn
 tied to the single office of enabling its | people to work out their own political and national destiny for themselves free from the coercion of any European | state.
 Reform in Governmental Expenditures. Twenty eight years have passed since the Democratic Party of the State of New York, In convention assembled, re- commended to the National Democracy | the nomination of Samuel J. Tilden as Tits candidate for the Presidency, and declared 1t to be their settled convic- ton that a return to the constitutional principles, frugal expenses and admin 1 istratiye purity of the founders of the Republic is the first and most imperious duty of the times,-the commanding
 issue now before the people of the Union" This strong expression was
 called forth by the national expendi- lures for the year 1875, which amount
 ed to $274, ,000.-a situation which,
 in the opinion of a majority of our peo-
 ple. Justified an imperative demand for
 reform in the administration of public affairs. As the expenditures of the last
 fiscal year amounted to the enormous total of S5S2,000, 900, 1t is evident that
 a thorough investigation of the public | service and the immediate abandon ment of useless and extravagant ex- | penditures are more necessary now than they were then. This astounding in crease is out of all proportion to the increase of our population. and finds no excuse from whatever aspect we view the situation. The National Democratic Platform declares that large reduc- | tions can easily be made in the annual | expenditures of the Government with out impairing Sthe efficiency of any
 branch of the public service" Can 1 there be any doubt of the accuracy Of | this statement? Between the expendi lures of the year 1886. amounting to | s242 OOO, 900, and those of the last fiscal I
 land ceased to be President-aggregat- ing S5s200O, 900. there Is a difference so great as to excite alarm in the breasts | of all thoughtful men. Even excluding | the sum of $50, ,000, 900 paid for the Pan | anna Canal rights and to the State of
 Panama, the expenditures of the last | fiscal year exceeded the sum of $5S2, | O0O, 900, being more than double the ex' | penditures of the Government for all i purposes during the first year of MT. lCleveiand's administration.
 The expenses of the first four years l succeeding the last Democratic admin | istration amounted to the enormous | average of $511 900, 900 per year. This | large expenditure was due to a consid'
 erable extent to the cost of the Spanish
 American war, which occurred during that period: but the termination of that | war brought no relief to the Treasury | for the average annual expenses of the Government during the three subse- | quent years ending June 30, 1904, were
 about $519. 9.000,0 ,000. which Is the largest
 sum hitherto reached. during a like | period, since the close of the Civil War
 This draft upon the revenues of the | country has had the effect which might
 have been anticipated, and now we have
 presented the reverse of the situation | which led to the famous observation
 Tt is a condition, and not a theory
 which confronts us;" for, although the
 present incumbent found at the close oi | the first fiscal year, during which he | assumed control of the administration
 a surplus of receipts over expenditures