The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-06-16
A COURT OF NATIONS.
A HIGH COURT OF LAST RESORT TO
DETERMINE cfSPUTES.

How international Differences Might Ee
Adjusted If the Ru crs Did Not Prefer
Grim and Destructive War to Peace.
Arbitration In Big Affairs.
There is a great 1eal of carelessn"s~ in
certain popular demands for referring
questions between nations to arbitration.
We all know what arIitrat;on is in bust
ness. 1t is a very convenient way of adj
iusting certain questions which arise be-
tween two friends. each of whom wants
to do what is right. but who take differ
ent points Of view Of the same subject.
Each OF them chooses a man." as the
old New England phrase has it. These
two men" choose a third man. All
parties meet together and talk over the
matter. and the court thus made decides.
But for practical purposes we do not
compel every person who has "A question
arising with another person to create a
court which is to try that question. If IA
policeman catches a plckpocket in the
street. he does not appoint one person to
try the pickpocket and ask the pickpocket
TO appoint another, while these two shall
appoint a third. If Mr.. Cheeryble in
London is not satisfied with the account
which MI. Goodchild in Kansas City
sends him, if Mr.. Goodchild cannot make
Mr.. Cheervble understand that account.
they do not appoint a court which shall
determine how much is due and how
much is not due. There is a court ex.
listing to which that question can be re-
terred and there are processes perfectly
understood by which that court can de-
eide it.
This is a fair enough illustration Of the
necessity which now exists that the great
nations of the world shall have a perlna-
nent tribunal, before which shall be
brought the important questions which
must arise in the affairs of nations with
each other. 1t is to be a permanent tri-
bunal. There is not to be one tribunal
about seals and another tribunal about
boundaries and another about extradi-
ton. There is to be a tribunal which
shall gradually gain the confidence CT
the whole world, and which shall decide
these questions which have been LETT
hitherto to a y~agueIlblic opinion and to
what is c&ilea the arbitration of war.
Clearly We are approaching nearer AMI
nearer the creation If such a tribunal.
The greatest success was achieved
when III 1853 IL different nations, here
on the coast Of the Atlantic, united to
gether and established the supreme court
of the United States. The thing has :
worked SO perfectly and simply ever
since that we have many readers to
1t has never occurred that there
were might have been wars between
Massachusetts, and New York, or war
between Missouri and Iowa, as bitter
and severe as half the wars Of the middle
ages in Europe We're. There might have
been such wars if it had not been that
The supreme court of the United States
mas determined at least a hundred ques-
tons arising between different proud and
independent states and has SO deter
mined thea that each of the states has
acquiesced in the decision. Nay. it has
70 determined them that half the citizens
those states did not know that any
snch questions existed. Between my W
state of Massachusetts and the state of
Rhode Island there was aauestion about
some 40 or 30 years & which
was more important than many of tie
which have thrown Europe4D
into war with each other. The su
preme court of the United States deter
mined the question, and l do not believe
that half the people o living in Mas
who were living then ever
knew that there was any such question
1t issue.
The six great powers of the world are
the powers who should agree on such a
high court of judicature. to exist as 4
tribunal. 1t would be easy
to arrange some system by which its
judges should be appointed. Perhaps a
good system would be such as is midi
Gated in the custom which has been
spoken Of above. Each of the six nations
might mans one of these judges. and the
six judges might nominate six other
iudges. to b. approved by a majority Of
the high powers forming the court.
AT trst tie Lew court would nave
patbing ta49 Eyer-hodxXonl te.--