Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-06-02
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A arsst ksn4uokian.

A orset ksn4uokian.
1t 20 happened that Mr.. Justice John
Harlan was the frst great
nan that ever saw sr ever heard
make q speech. That was when was
i chunk Of boy, In 1863, back in the
1ill country of Kentucky and when
Colonel Harlan, as he was then called.
was candidate for attorney general Of
he state. He was In the flower Of his
years and Us splendid specimen phys
cally and Intellectually as could be
found in 1.-The dark and bloody ground"
Child that l was, did not have to be
told that he was man among men and
destined for high career. Consequent
" / have watched his career with un-
usual interest. That in his ripper years he
has justified the promise Of his young
manhood goes without saying.
Just now he has made an announce
ment which all honest men win most
heartily tndorse, and that Is that,
though he has reached the age and
served the number OF years which enti-
tie him to retire on full pay, he has
no present idea Of SO doing. he says:
1T have formed no purpose to retire at
any particular time. My work is most |
agreeable to me, and, as now think,
I Will keep steadily ut it until must |
stop or until my friends tell me that 1t |
is my duty to stop" The judge evil
IDENTIFY takes the correct view Of his
duty and of the intent Of congress in
passing the bill for retirement Of Unit
ed States judges on full pay after they
have served ten years and reached the
psalmist's allotment Of threescore and
ten. 1t was never intended, Us some
have construed 1t, to mean that simply
because man has served decade and
lived seventy years he should pass the
remainder Of his life twiddling his
thumbs and drawing full pay while
physically and mentally capable of dis
charging his judicial functions. Be
cause human experience shows that the
average man Ii on the decline at sew
enty congress concluded not to have
justice delayed by judges holding on
after they are incapacitated by age
simply to draw their pay. Hence the
age of seventy years (after ten years
service) was fixed. Judge Harlan's
mind Is still clear as bell, his intel
lectual and physical powers undated.
He is one Of the greatest lawyers ever
upon the supreme bench. That he will
continue for many years to sit In our
highest court-indeed, in the worlds
hfcla 81 ia 81 oh Is
countrymen.
Economy.
| One good deed must be credited to
the Fifty-eighth congress. To the de-
! flciency bill It attached section or
clause making 1t a misdemeanor, pun
ishable by dismissal, fine and imprison-
ment for the head Of department to
exceed the appropriation made for run
ming that department any fiscal year.
That is drastic measure, but fully
justified by the facts in the case. Year
in and year out congress has been call
ed on to pass huge deficiency bills
caused by the unnecessary and reck-
/ less expenditure Of money by the de-
partments. The heads thereof appear
ed to have an idea that they and not
! congress could make appropriations.
II congress appropriated, say, $4,000
600, they would proceed to contract
for expenditures amounting to $11,-
100000 or SIP 100000. That bad habit
alone accounts for the present def
cheney. At last congress mustered up
courage enough to put bit into the
/ mouths Of these gentlemen who have
been so liberal with other peoples
money. Consequently, with the jail
staring them in the face, they are now
not quite SO free with public funds.
The law ought to be rigldly enforced.
and the appropriation bills ought to be
cut down one-half.
! A Lovely Row.
Wonders will never cease! The presi-
4 dent and Mr.. Secretary Taft have put
the stand patters to open shame by de-
claring that the government will not
be held up by the tariff barons and the
captains of industries in the matter Of
ships and other supplies for the Pana.
ma canal, but will buy where 1t can
buy the cheapest. Hence, the stand
4 patters are mad as bald hornets-mad
as she bear robbed Of her cubs-mad
enough to bite themselves. Discoursing
on this theme, the Washington Post
says editorially.
Tho policy Of excessive protection suc
cessfully withatood all the logic Of Johr
@. Carlisle and all the eloouence Of vii
Ham L. Wilson. but can 1t Withstand tn,
blow dealt 1t by the Republican admins
tration in buying abroad ships and mate
rial required for the construction OF tn,
Panama canal? Could Grover Cleveland
exorbitant tariff duties than Mr.. Roose
Welt has done IN exempting the govern
ment from their exactiops7 Certainly HI
did not do as much to that end when h,
. was president, either term-by the Mill
bill Of 1883 or the Wilson bin Of 1894.
There will be row about II. II con
gress were in session the stand patter'
would be grieyously agitated. The gov
eminent has shaken the dust Of our pro
tected market off Its feet and gone forth
TO trade with the scribes and Pharisees
. Chief priests and elders Of all the fret
. trade markets Of the world. It will spend
millions in this behalf-every dollar II
; the name Of retrenchment and economy
Could the daughters OF the Philistine:
have more or better occasion to rejoice?
Ships will be bought on the Clyde. no
, on the Delaware; at Belfast. not at Bath
But the ships are not speck on tn,
: ocean Of expenditure that Republican
: administration intends to effect in the re
pulsiye precincts of free trade. Supplies
for thousands Of human beings and mate
rial for one of the most stupendous phys
: zeal undertakings in the history of man
kind are to be obtained and the admins
tration intends to buy them where the.
are to be had cheapest. pauper labor O