Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-05-05
EeoTIsrlcAL REPUBLICANS.


Some of Their Alleged Triumphs of Di-
pIomacy Reviewed.
In and out of season republican writ
ers and speakers put forward the claim
that the republican party alone is COM
petent to deal with the international
questions. During Mr.. Cleveland's adj
ministration every step taken was criti-
cised and censured with the utmost
severity, and the invariable refrain
was that democrats could not maintain
the honor of the country in dealing
with other nations. Under the present
administration, on the other hand, it
has been the fashion to denounce any
criticism of our foreign policy as differ
ing from treason only in degree, as evil
dence of depraved heart and prefer
ence for foreigners. Criticism of demo-
cratic diplomacy is patriotism; the ex-
preston of the least doubt of the wis
dom of our present foreign policy is
akin to treason.
While regulating as scandalous all
suggestions that any movements of the
administration touching foreign affairs
are intended for political effect, the re-
publicans do not hesitate to appeal to
voters for support on account of the tri-
umphs of republican diplomacy. Sec
rotary Tracy, in his address at Provi-
dence just before the Rhode Island cleo
ton, enlarged upon the triumphant
manner in which foreign problems had
been solved by Blaine and Harrison,
contending that the success achieved
had no parallel in the history of the
country. Among the specifications
were the Samoan matter and the Ben
ring sea controversy. In the former
case, he said, our friend Malietoa had
been brought back and established on
his throne, by which we had achieved
triumph over England and Germany
com bined.
Now, this may be characterized as
being thankful for very small favors.
What is Malietoa to us, or we to Male
toa, that we should weep over his fall
or rejoice over his return to power? A
barbarian chief of a little squad of bar
barians away off in the Pacific ocean
has been reinstated on his insignificant
throne, and the American people are
asked to applaud it as a great achieve
ment. Is it the business of the United
States to set up kings over other coun-
tries? To most people such action ap-
pears an offcious intermeddling with
affairs that do not concern US, and de-
under which the country prospered.
But even the boosted success of the
Samoan negotiation is altogether
problematical. News comes from
Samoa that the old feud between
Malietoa and Mataafa subsists and is
becoming more bitter every day.
Mataafa has started rival government
again, and his own partisans among
the native chiefs are still true to him.
Secretary Tracy's boast that the Samoan
difficulty has been brought to a salts
factory conclusion is premature.
The Behring sea controversy, Secre-
tary Tracy says, should have been set
tied five years ago. That takes US back
to 1887, which was the year after it
originated. If a democratic admin stra-
ton should have settled it in one year,
how does it happen that Messrs. Harri-
son and Blaine have been working on
it between three and four years? 1t is
not settled yet, and it is but one step
nearer settlement than it was in 1883.
Has it been Intentionally delayed, in or
der that the Judgment of the court of
arbitration may not be rendered before
the presidential election?
1t is altogether premature to boast
Of this Behring sea controversy, or the
manner in which the administration
has handled it.. Very few people COM
petent to judge expect anything but
defeat in the arbitration proceedings
because they have never believed that
the United States had any case when it
claimed to own a considerable tract of
the Pacific ocean. The New York Sun,
a paper very strenuous for vigorous
foreign policy, especially toward Great
Britain, says that in four of the five
points submitted ''the Judgment of the
arb1tratOrS is sure to be against the
United States,'' and adds: Glow much
easier and less expensive it would have
been to concede to Great Britain every
point in dispute" The administration
has already conceded the liability of the
United States to reimburse the ''poach-
ers," if we lose the case, for the profits
they might have realized. The chances
are that we will have a big bill of costs
to pay; but that will not be until after
the presidential election.
1t is going somewhat too far to under
take to shut off all discussion on the
erits of our foreign policy, while the
men who are controlling it go before
the country and make it the subject of
comparison with what the democratic
omitted. The greatest triunphs of di-
plomacy in the history of the country
have been under democratic admins
trations. The recent diplomacy of the
republican party has been largely of
meddlesome character, tempered by
occasional bullying of weak powers.
The attitude of Secretary Tracy in the
Barrundia case has been shown by men
of his own party to be altogether indie
fensible. The refusal to recall from
Chilli an envoy declared to be persona
non grata was directly contrary to the
uniform practice of this and other civ
ilized countries. Altogether, the claim
that the diplomacy of this administra-
ticn has been crowned with continual
triamph must be characterized as an
astonishing i1lusion.-Louisvi1le Cour-
er-Journal.
ELECTION STATISTICS.