St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-18
THE TROUBLE WITH CHILL.

1t is,a puzzle to most people what this
hurry with the little South American
state is all about, and why the ChilianS
should be so on their ear. There has
been as little concern about the inter-
nal affairs of that country among the
masses in the United States i'll times
past as there has been in regard to the
habits of the mythical man III the moon.
Being Intelligent citizens, they knew
there was Il strip of land along the
South American coast called Chilli. pos
seSsed by about as many people as one
of the larger states in this country, but
there had been little intercourse with
them, and small commercial inter-
PStS. When one of the QUAY and
Tom PLATr bosses il possession
of the presidency there under
took the role of dictator, and the party
represented by the congress reyolted,
there was natural and general sympa-
thy with the side that seemed to repre-
sent the popular interests. But it was
the misfortune Of the situation that this
country was represented there by q
smaIl-caliber politician, one PAT EGAN,
who was given the appointment solely
rs recognition of services to the party
in power. lie was still partisan, and
had the imprudence 30 take sides with
the dictator, BALaIACEDA, in the local
fight 1t was so gross a perversion of
the diplomatic proprieties as to have
warranted his prompt recall and
disavOwal of his course. 1t is
conceded now that this would have
Dbviated all the present unpIeas-
RntneSs, and saved the lives of the
Bailors of the Baltimore who were
mobb9d in Valparaiso. But PAT re pre-
Bented an element that the administra-
lion was cuitiyating for votes, and the
laundering minister was kept there. 1t
was natural that bad feeling should re-
suit from his action. BALMACEDA went
out ANONYMOUSLY, and the populace
vented their rage at the attitude of the
minister upon the inoffensive sailors.
1t was unwarranted, and demanded
prompt reparation by the new govern
ment of Chilli. But the latter is the ere
alton of the cause that came up when
the power that EGAN had affil-
lated with went down. 1t natu-
rally has sought to keep in with
the popular tide. 1t has gone as far as
1t could without getting into a fight
with the United States, and has a diff
cult role to pacate its own people and
sustain itself without war. Other in
fiuences, too, have been operative to
produce the hostility against the United
States. English capitalists have large
investments in the country, and it's
traders have the greater part of the for
eign traffic. They would keep the
United States from sharing it. The En-
gliSh representatives, residents and cor
respondents have done all in their
power to incita the bad blood of the VIC
torouS party toward the United States.
They represented to the people that
shis country was hostile to them,
and that the United States cruis
ers about in Gillian waters were
there in the interest of the BALMACEDA
cause. The retention of EGAN gave color
to their misrepresentation. The CORE
spondentS the English papers were spe-
cially mendacious. The London Times
accepted their versions, and said the
United States administration bad main
tained towards Chill deliberately hos
tile and provocative attitude" and
asserted that There is not the slightest
reason to call in question the entire cor
rectneSS of the attitude assumed bv
Chill" When our government was
pressing demands for the punishment
of the guilty and reparation for the
outrage, the London Times voiced the
British policy in asserting that "neu-
trality had been openly set aside by
Americans in CHILEAN waters:n that
"the American admiral acted as an
intelligence department of the dicta-
tor," and that punishment should be
administered to those in command
There was nothing in this, of course.
and the Chillans would have been able
to discern the sinister purpose had not
their minds been infamed by the course
OF EGAN. A war with Chilli NAV be
necessary for the national honor and
dignity if good sense and moderation do
not get possession of the government of
Chilli, but it will be playing into the
hands of the English fomentors of it. -