Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-10-05

tion in return for a equivalent concession
on the part of a foreign country. Presi-
dent Mckinley undertook honestly TO carry
OUT the purpose of the act. A number
of reciprocity agreements were negotiated,
which, If ratified, would have had the two
fold result of cheapening many imported
products for American consumers, and of
opening and enlarging foreign markets
to American producers. Not one of
those agreements has met with the ap-
prevail of the republican masters of the
senate. Indeed, they did not even permit
their consideration. In view of the atti-
tude of the present executive, no new
agreement need be expected from him.
favorable reference to one of the sus-
pended treaties The reciprocity clauses
OF the Dfngley act seem destined to re-
main monument of legislative cozenage
and political bad faith, unless the peo-
pie take the matter in their own hands
at the ballot box and command reduction
cessionS."
Independence for the Filipinos.
I'm some quarters it has been assumed
that in the discussion of the Philippine
! self-goVernment,' was intended to mean
something less than independence 1t
was not intended that it should be under
stood to mean, nor do think as used it
| does mean less than independence. How
| ever, to eliminate all possibility for con-
3 gccorG now state that am in hearty
! that favors doing for the F'ilipinos what
we nave already done for the Cubans :;
now that we shall take such action as
| soon as they are reasonably prepared for
It, If independence. such as the Cubans
enjoy, cannot be prudently granted to
| the FilipnOs a. this time, the promise
| that 1t shall come the moment they are
| capable of receiving it will tend to stimu-
late rather than hinder their develop
ment. And this should be done not only
in Justice to the Filipinos, but to pre-
cannot withhold freedom from another
| people and themselves remain free. TIE
liberation OF tyranny over others will
! soon breed contempt for freedom and
| sef-government, and weaken our power
! of resistance to insidious usurpation of
| our constitutional rights
! The statute relating to civil service
| is the outcome Of the efforts of thought
| 1ul, unseIhsh and public-spirited citi-
zens Operation under it has frequently
! against the spirit of the statute, but the
results achieved even under a partial
| enforcement of the law have been such
as to both deserve and command the
| utterance of the democratic party that
1t stands committed to the principle of
just and impartial enforcement.
Panama Canal
IAN Isthmian canal has long been the
| hope of our statesmen, and the avowed
aim aim OF the two great parties, as their
Panama route having been selected.
the building of the canal should be
pressed to completion with all reason
THE methods by which the executive
| acquired the Panama canal route and
rights are a source of regret to many.
To them. the statement that thereby
a great public work was assured to the
profit of our people is not sufficient
national good faith They appreciate
that the principles and healthy CON
yictions which in their working out
have made us free and great, stand
firmly against the argument or sueges-
ton that we shall be blind to the nature
of the means employed to promote our
welfare. They hold that adherence to
principle. whether it works for good
or i'll, will have more benefcent influ-
ence on our future destiny than all our
material upbuiding, and that we Should
ever remember that the idea of doing a
wrong to a smaller. weaker nation that
resultant good is repugnant to the prin-
c1pleS upon which our government was
founded.
Under the laws of the United States
the duty is imposed on the executive to
proceed with due diligence in the work
of constructing the canal That duty
| should be promptly performed.
Pensions for Our Soldiers and Sailors.
The national democracy favors liberal
pensions to the surviving, soldiers and
sailors sailors and and their heir dependents, on the
ment. 1t pledges by its platform ade-
quate legislation to that end. But il
usurp the power of congress to legisla te
on that subject. Such usurpation was
attempted by pension order No. rs and
effect has been given to it by a congress
that dared not resent the usurpation. II
is said that this order was made in the
performance OF duty imposed upon the
PRESIDENT by act of congress- but the
provision making the imposition is no.
pointed out The act to which the order
sions TO civil war veterans. does not au
| thOrize pensions the ground of age
Il does grant pensions to those suffering
from any mental or physical disability
\ a
not the result of their own vicious hab
is, which so incapacitates them from
render them unable TO earn a support.
This specified requirement of incapacit!
is in effect set aside by order No, rs a:
to all persons over e.
The war closed nearly 40 years ago
In the meantime many of our soldier.
and sailors long survived the age o
any pension. skillful pension attorney
hunting through the statute failed t,
find there. provision giving a pen
sion to all who had reached 81. Man.
prominent veterans urged the Justice o
congressional action giving. a seryic'
pension TO al veterans Bills to tina
not until March of this year did any
one ever claim TO have made the dis
covery that the president had power Il
treat the statute as If it read that whel
a claimant had passed the age of 62 year
he is necessarily disabled one-half ii
/, ability to perform manual labor anc
therefore entitled to pension.
The present pension commit ssioner in
Dictated his view OF the order when il
a recent address ne thanked the presi
dent Cor what he had done. and advise,
! his hearers to use their influence tina
law might be passed to the same eff
feet. Full confidence after all seems no
to have been placed on the defense o
Justification for it is pleaded in mitiga
| ton that n former democratic presden
did something looking in that direction
5 Even If that were so-which is not ad
mitted-our present duty would be nom
the less plain and imperative. Our PEG
: pie must never tolerate the citation o
one act of usurpation of power as al
excuse for another. The first may pos
sibly be due to mistake; the second be
ing based on the first. cannot be. Il
|; explanation, however. it should be sal,
that the order relied on simply provide,
that the age of rs years should be re
garded as evidence of inability to per
form manual labor Few men are abb
! 10 perform manual labor at that age
but nearly all men are at 81. The frs
order is based a fact that experienc
: teaches. the other is based on the asser
: ton of that which is not true as gen
| rule