Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-05
STRANGE VIEWS.

1t is difficult to understand what excuse
the New York Times has for publication
in this country, since it finds nothing in
the United States to excite its admiration
or command its approval. Its nose is con-
stantly tip-tilted, and is forever crowned
with the halo of a sneer. The election of
General Harrison did not please 1t the
Administration of President Harrison dis
pleases it; it is soured because the Mills
bill did not become law; it distrusts the
appointments of the President; it believes
the Republican party insincere and the
Democratic party doubtful; it pooh-poohs
the suggestion that there is danger TO the
United States in the aggressiveness of Eng
fish capital in the Dominion, and now it
declares that we have gained a hollow vic
tory over Germany in the Samoan matter,
and that since We have set up the tariff
barrier to protect home industries we have
no moral or other right to interfere with
those that seek to adjust their relations
with other nations upon different COM
mercial basis. 1t winds up its pessimistic
-growl with the amazing statement:
German interests SO fai preponderate in Samoa
that no other interests are worth mentioning
in comparison with them, and our appearance
as the champion of the Samoans is piece of
irrelevant and irrational chiyalry. Such real
interests as we have have not been threatened
by any deliberate or authoritative action of the
German Government 1t does not appear that
I'd aNlS al
designs, but If she has, there is no reason ap
parent why we should try to balk them.
1t adds an expression that is little less
than insulting to sincere Americans, when
speaking of the success of our Commission
ers to Berlin on the Samoan question
OF course, so far as it goes, this result Will add
to the prestige of the United States in Europe of
little value Ms that prestige can be to us apart
from gratifying our national vanity. In this
respect it might be dangerous by tempting us
TO entangle ourselves in other schemes either
of European or planetary politics in which our
interest is even less than in the affairs of
Samoa.
Regarding the "back down of Germany"
the Times can see nothing in it, further
than this: that probably Germany never
had any such intentions towards Samoa as
we have imputed to her ambition, and
that having secured, by the new compact,
the complete protection of her commercial
interests in Samoa she has nothing more to
desire or ask for; that the theory that
Germany has "backed down" is not un-
derstandable, because the Empire need not
have given US our own way had it not
been so inclined, since it has the power to
turn us inside out and to hang US up to
dry. We have been thus liberal in quota
ton, in the hope that the suggestion that
the Times is an American paper may be
established by some one, in the light of
this testimony. Still, We are not disposed
TO charge that journal with insincerity. 1t
probably believes what it breaches, but we
are strongly inclined to the belief that it is
int he wrong pulpit. If the Times can see no
American interests in Samoa worth the
mention compared to those of Germany,
It's perceptive faculties are at fault
nothing more. If the Times cannot under
stand it, other people can, that American
naval interests, and common right on the
great highway between America and Aus
tralasia are not TO be measured by the i'm
portance of commercial establishments
upon single group in Polynesia, If the
Times finds in the outcome OF the Samoan
matter only qualification of national
vanity, it simply proves thatit is incapable
of comprehending the real questions that
are at issue in the Samoan difficulty, and is
oblivious to the demands of humanity and
the calls of the international code We
interferred in Samoa because n lawfully
selected ruler of the islands, and with
whom we treated, and to whom We had
promised our good offices in case of diff
Guilty between him and foreign power, de-
manded that We keep faith; and because
subsequently, treating power had as
sumed theright to dethrone and deport that
ruler, and to set up in his place a pre-
tender; because that power resorting to
measures not necessary to protect its inter
ests, commercial and otherwise, mad con-
spired to control the islands completely
and TO so dominate that no other nation
would find it pleasant or profitable to re-
tain its commercial interests in Samoa.
The bald assertions that even if Germany
had colonial designs in Samoa we had nc
right to balk them, carries its own answer,
and which is too apparent 10 demand re-
cital. We repeat, has the Times any moral
right to claim 10 be an American news.
paper?