St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-07
IMPATIENT SENATOR DoLPH.


American citizen to criticise the acts of
officials placed in authority, and to APP
prove Or condemn those acts at diScre-
ton. There is no law requiring him to
know what he is talking about. The
privilege is not restricted to men of in
telligence and wide information, for. il
so confined, it would he regarded as an
infringement of that right SO dear TO the
heart of every American citiZen-the
right of man to make himself ridicu-
louS.
Senator Dolph, of Oregon. has under
taken the task of demolishing PreSi-
dent Cleveland's Hawaiian policy with
out knowing what that policy is. He
exhibits both the bravery and the dis
erection of Sancho Panza in his famous
tilt with the windmill. Indeed, he has
improved upon the tactics Of his Span
ish prototype, for, finding no windmill
to assail, he has created one out of the
exuberance of his own Imagination, and
charged it with all the enthusiasm and
valor of the knights in the days of chiy-
airy.
In his speech on Tuesday Senator
Dolph began by expressing surprise
that the American government should
be guilty of an attempt to restore to the
throne woman who is currently re-
ported to be a frequent violator of the
seventh commandment. lie does not
cite the statute under which he would
have the government act in such case,
contenting himself with the general
proposition that woman of such char
acter has no rights which Christians
and Americans of good moral character
are bound to respect. He does not pur-
sue his argument to its legitimate con-
clusion, which, it is needless to say.
would cast flaw upon the title of many
OF his own colleagues to seat i'll the
senate. The contention is novel one,
however. If it is valid one, it would
make of this government judge of the
moral delinquencieS of all the rulers of
the world. 1t is needless to say that, if
we should attempt such censorship.
we would soon flnd that we had hi item
Off larger mouthful than we could
successfully masticate.
Senator Dolph's speech is a fair sam
pie of what the vulgar would call the
''guff' of those who criticise the Hawaii
all policy of the administration. 1t is
based upon purely Hypothetical
grounds. Not more than half dozen
persons know what the policy of the
president is. They can only infer it
from the congratulations contained in
the letter of Secretary Gresham con-
corning the matter, from the report of
Commissioner Blouut, and from the
brief reference to the sub ject contained
in Mr.. CleVeiand'S message. But one
fact is positively known-that the. presi-
dent regards the overthrow of the
Hawaiian monarchy, accomplished as i.
was by the aid of American marines,
as fragrant outrage upon the rights of
friendly power. This wrong We know
it is the intention of the government to
atone, but whether this shall be done
by the restoration of the queen or by
the payment to her of sufficient in
demnitY is as yet matter of conjecture.
The policy most in harmony with prln-
ciples of justice would be, perhaps, the
submission of the questions in contro-
versY between the royal and the provis-
ional governments to vote of the peo-
pie, and, their verdict having been
given. it would become the duty of this
government to see that it is obeyed
Senator Hoar's resolution, calling
upon the president for all available in
formation on the subject, will probably
lead to better understanding of the
whole question. The resolution is
proper one, although not entirely cour-
teous,in view of the presidents promise
in his message to communicate all such
information at an early date. The
country may rest assured that it will not
be kept in ignorance of any detail of the
entire transaction any longer than is alb
solutely necessary to enable the govern
ment to present its case in its entirety.
1t is not to the advantage of the admin
istration to maintain secrecy in the
matter. To attempt such thing would
invite just criticism. But the officials
cannot be blamed for a desire to delay
such statement until such time as all
tie facts bearing upon it can be pre-
sented in such form as will enable the
public to arrive at just conclusion.