Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-07-29

with foreign countries, the nations of
, the world do not consult Mr.. Rryans
calendar by inquiring whether or not
the American Secretary of State is on
his vacation" The japanese. Mexican.
Panama and Central American ques-
lonesome of whose phases change
in the course of twcnty-fcur hours-in-
sist upon being promptly attended to.
whether it is Mr.. Bryan's vacation
or not: and | believe that the Ameri-
can people will let him know. in an
unmistakable fashion. that they expect
him to stick to his job and do the
work that he is Paid for doing.
Mr.. Bryan condescends to assure the
country that he will interrupt his six
weeks Chatauaua tour and VIII return
To Washington in time To meet the
American ambassador to Mexico. When
a powerful syndicate of American,
English and French capitalists are now
bringing perhaps an undue pressure
upon our Government to resort TO arm
ed intervention in Mexico; and when
Americans in that land are in danger
at any moment of being killed, either
by Mexican regulars or rebels-the
American Secretary of state cannot al
ford at such "A crisis to be absent from
Washington for day.
Fortunately, we have President
who sticks to his job and who is abie
10 he his own Secretary of state; nut,
if the so-called Premier of the ADMINS
tratlon is worthy of his position. he
ought to be there to give his couhsel,
fer whatever it is worth.
Mr.. Bryan's complaint against the
American people that they do not pay
him enough to keep up the dignity OF
his position, is in striking contrast
with an editorial ot his which appeared
in the Commoner at the time when Con-
gress was considering 4 bill to raise
the salaries of United states Supreme
Court justices from 81, 500 to $4,000,
with corresponding increase in tn
salaries of the circuit and district
judges.
In the interests of what he would call
democratic simplicity" Mr. Bryan. in
the columns of the Commoner, strenu-
eusly opposed that bill The editorial in
question was written after Mr.. Bryan
had come back from his trip around
the world, and at Il time when his
friends were assuring the American
lNoIie THAT Ills llol I1pll itstti Ni'Sit1'
and his mind breadened. In substance,
that editorial was somewhat as follows
If you pay judge ,s5oeo year. he
will live in accordance with the
habits of plain people He VIII rent
a modest house. in quiet quarter of
the town, and will live on simple
scale.
If you raise his salary to $500. he
will get a more expensive house and
live among people who adopt the $500
scale of living.
If you raise his salary to Slo,e0o, he
will only get still more expensive
house and live on a still more costly
scale
will spend his summers at a fashion,
able watering place. etc.
And thus. by these successive in
ereases of salary, our judges get in
the habit of living among the rich
people: they breathe the atmosphere
of the moneyed classes and in that
way get out of touch with the masses
Of the people, for whom the courts
are to hold the even scales of justice.
That editorial pandered to the mean
est prejudices of the people. If the edi-
torial had any point, it meant that it
was pity that the judges salaries had
eyer been raised above $1,000; at all
events, that il would have been more
wholesome if the Supreme Court sala-
what was paid during Grants Admin
istra ton.
Now That 1t is Mr. Bryans cox that
is being gored.' and he is whining be-
cause his salary of $4,000 year. plus
his valuable perquisites, is not enough
wherewith to support the dignity OF
his Office, he deserves to have the
American peoples attention called to
that contemplate editorial
In thus living in a $4,000 house. and
spending so much that in order to keep
up the dignity of his position. he must
scramble for the gate receipts In
Gbatauqua circuit. | fear that the So
called "Commoner" is growing away
from the "Peepul. L. D. IL.
Washington, d. c. July %.