New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-13
THEY NAY TdKE THEIR CHOICE.

Mr. Smalley sends us to-day cable letter. the
careful scrutiny of which is especially commend
ed to those Democratic partisans who IN an
effort TO msrepresent and iniure the President
have been willing to embarrasS the just settle
lnent of the Behnng >aa dispute. Nobody can
read Mr. Smalleys dispatch without instnctvely
knowing that it contains he exact truth Inc
sentiment it conveys as that Of the Ehgh'h
people Is just precisely such as everybody KNOWS
we should entertain if the situation were re-
veIsed and we were the responsible country IN a
dispute between colony of ours and great
friendly nation We should wish our Govern
mont to 60 just so far in sustaining the colony
as it properly could, and no further ana we
should overwhelmingly condemn any such pro-
ceeding as a refusal to hold in trust the properly
disputed about until It's title had been passed
upon by a court Of aibtratOrs.
Not one of the paItisans who have screamed
"iingo" at the President has dared to assert
that his contention is not just. The merits of
the case they carefully avoid. In accusing him
of too resolute stand they do not dare to quote
his language or even say what he is standing Tor.
They know that if they put in the same sentence
a statement of his contention and reflection on
his firmneSS every one OF their readers Demo
cratic Nugwump or what-not, would at once eN-
claim that he is right, and ought as Mr. Smalley
advises, to put his foot down and keep 1t down
until Lord Salisbury comes to just conclusions.
This is what he is going to do beyond all doubt.
He has said to England: We are ready when
ever You are to go to court and to submit the
whole question of our rights in Behrng Sea and
to the seal as property, and we will hOnorably
accept the court verdict: but until the verdict
is rendered the seal must be let alone both by
YOU and us not one must be touched, ana INC
property must go as the court awards it, unim-
paired in value II is safe to say that from this
position the President will not move an inch.
Nor is there one American citizen in ten thou
sSld who would wish him to. Cagy the con-
s;menccs as far as they could CO. it would not
alter this fact Nor will the American people
tolerate the imputation that their President Is
doing insincerely or with mean motives the very
thing and the only thing that they would have
him do. TIE TRIBUNE, for It's part is strongly
averSe to any introduction of international pol
icies into a Presidential campaign. But the
Democratic organs should distinctly understand
that they must 90 to the people on these sug-
gestons or else al once desiSt from making them.
We are informed by several of the most re-
sponsbe Democratic Senator's and Representa-
tiyes that they have no sympathy with their
party press in these ScandalouS impuaions, and
that the President will be fully and properly
sustained We assume that this is tJle, and
know very well that the Democratic newspapers
are not representing their party or lis statesmen
But whether Lord Salisbury knows it is another
matter. and in any event the party cannot escape
the consequences of the issues its organs raise
One Of two things they must do and do at once
stop making these dishonest and dangerous re-
Elections or get ready for a campaign in which
the Presidents policies in the CHILEAN and Behr-
inc Sea affairs will be leading issue.