The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-06
THE rAN-AMERICAN CONGRESS.

A plan mas now been digeSted Tor the or
ganlZatUn of a permanent Pan American
Congress to meet at regular intervals at
Washington. The first meeting will take
place next mont. The congress is to con-
siSt of two bodies like the Congress of tile
United States. One will comprise delegates
from each republic in the two Americas, on
the basis of one delegate for each 5000, 900
citizens, or a fraction exceeding halt that
number, and one deIegate-at-large from
each nation, The other body is to consist
OF representatives of patriotic. civil, COM
mercial. educational and industrial organi-
cations rather vague description of a
constituency. But as the body is to be the
judge Of the qualifications of its members,
it is to he presumed that it will in a general
way be so consjiiuted as to represent com
mercial and indust ial interests, while the
other body VIII more especially represent
local DatiOnalities. The two bodies together
are to take counsel on matters affecting
civil and political rights and the promotion
Of free Institutions
Almost simultaneously with the meeting
of this body, a commission chosen bv the
Government of Canada will repair to Wash
lngton to confer with Mr. Blaine on the
commercial relations between the Dominion
and this country. It will not be safe to
predict the complexion of the commission
until the new elections have been held in
Canada Politicians in the Dominion are
divided into four classes: annexatiOuists,
pure and simple; opponents of all iegisla-
ton which tends to draw the ties closer
between the Dominion and the United
States; partisans of a restricted form Of
commercial reciprocity; and advocates of
such an unrestricted reciprocity as would
60 oil, al nN,ria ha
sity for custom-houses along the frontier
line. Whichever of these parties elects a
majority of the Parliament now to be
chosen will send majority Of the commits
sion.
a congress without power to enforce its
measures of legislation is not, on the face of
it, au authoritative body. Advisory assem-
blages seldom accomplish mu-h. Real con-
crosses do not care to have their business
cut out for them by volunteer congresses
whose right to represent their constituencies
is not guaranteed by the usual methods.
The Pan-American Congress, which met
last year in Washington under the presi-
dency of Mr.. Blaine, is not believed to have
done much; no report Of its proceedings
was published, and the public submitted TO
the priyation with philosophy. If anything
was said that was worth remembering the
public have been kept in ignorance of the
fact.
Yet it is something to gather representa-
| tives however iIregularly chosen from
every American nation from the Arctic
| Ocean to the Straits of Magellan in one
| consultative body at the capital of the lead
ing nation of the hemisphere. There are in
terests which are common to the two Amer
icas and on which there should be concerted
action by every power therein. There is no
reason why uniform laws on commerce, nav
igation, currency, the extradtion of crimi-
nails and the protection of patents should
not prevail throughout the two continents.
There is every reason for the extension of
the Monroe doctrine, by consent of all
American nations, to every part of those
continents, and for the conclusion of a
treaty which would enable an American ma
ton If assaled by European nation to call
the people of the entire hemisphere to its
defense 1t will not be in the power of the
Pan-Ameriean Congress to make laws or to
| conclude treaties for the accomplishment of
| these objects. But that body may suggest.
| and its suggestions will be received with
respect.
In the political world two apparently con-
| Trajectory, but really quite consistent, ten
denotes are gaining strength daily. One is
tendency toward Capitalization in all mat
tiers which concern whole aggregations of
individuals or communities; the other is a
tendency toward decentralization as to ali
matters of local scope. Minds which insist
the most strenuously on the independence in
local matters of the village, the city, the
county and the State are the very ones
which also insist on the supreme sovereign
" OF the nation in matters clearly national
IN their scope. And as eorollary these
same minds can see nothing but advantage
10 result from an agreement among nations
10 form combinations for the management
Oh matters which are continental. 1t was
this which Mr.. Blaine had in view when he
convened his Pan-American Congress; the
coming meeting will be a step toward the
fnlfllment of his aimS