New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-20
THE Plan OF CAMPAIGN.

THE PLAN OF CAMPAIGN.
The Presidents Message has now been read
by all men. and all capable Of doing so have
formel opinions concerning It, In the over
whelming majority Of cases such opinions loyal
" and generously support the President on the
main lines of the position he has taken. Seldom
within the memory OF man has any puOllc utter
ance from the White House been received with
more nearly unanimous acclaim. The chlef ex-
ceptiOns are on the part of few politicai ISM
maelites. who have hitherto applauded the fres-
ident for opposing the will Of the people, ana
who now naturally condemn him for agreeing
with it, Nor has there often been inner eXhoi-
ton Of patriotism rising above party lines 'Ilhn
that made by the Republicans of the Nation ana
bv the great Republican majority In the House
Of Representatives in rallying to the Presidents
support without a carping word, just as faith
fully and stanchly as though he were man
of their own political faith, and not. in domestic
matters. their implacable foe. Thus does one
word of true Americanism make the whole Ma
ton single party.
Sufficient time has now elapsed for the Nation
to have put itself on record concerning the gen.
oral issue The Nation has done So In that
there was no reason for hesitation. The time
has now come for working out the details OF
The "plan of campaign" In that prudent de-
liberation Is desirable. The matter Is now in
the hands not of the President. but of Congress.
| As once before Oh a memorable occasion, Mr..
Cleveland has found his attempts at diplomacy
unavailing and has turned to Congress for re-
lief The response has, in the first instance
been prompt and favorable. The House or
Representatives has unhestatingly and unanl-
mously approved his scheme for commission,
and has appropriated the funds necessary Tor
its execution. Now the bill goes to the Senate.
We do not suppose action there will be so
speely. 1t should not he. There are strong
reasons why the whole plan should be carefully
| considered, and some notifications Of 1t. or
/ rather some development of details, be effected.
! There should be no repetition in this case OF
| the Paramount Blount abSurdity. The commits
! sion, when appointed, should be representative.
not merely of the President personally but OF
! the American Government and should be fully
accredited by it. Properly, therefore, Its com
position should be subject 10 the scrutiny and
confirmatory power of the Senate, and its pro-
! cedure should in measure be governed by the
instructions Of that body. In thar there would
be no intention to embarrass the President or
to Illustrate his purposes. but rather TO give him
the aid he seeks and TO invest the commission
with the utmost dignity and authority. More
over, while thorough work is desirable, there
seems no good reason why the commission should
! not be required 10 report its findings ut some
specified time in the not distant future II will
( not have to explore the Venezuelan forests and
savannas stalking out rival 10 the Schomburgk
] Tt will IN -isit
/ Caracas The documents in the case" are all
/ 70 be found at Washington, and all necessary
! investigations may well be conducted there and
! finished within the compass Of n few months
As to the effect of the commissions work, It Is
/ not worth while to cherish any eXtravagant illu-
sons. 1t is not merely an eX parte commission.
| 1t is a commission appointed by third party,
( without the consent or request Of either Of the
! PRINCIPALS to The original dispute Obviously,
/ therefore. II is not 10 be regarded as com
/ petent court Of arbitration. 1t will not possess
/ the first requisite of such n tribunal. On the
contrary, il will be in its very inception debarred
! from serious consideration as such by the terms
/ Of Mr.. Cleveland's Message. For he, unfortu-
/ natcly with the laundering excess Of new-found
zeal. himself prejudges the case, declares in ad-
vance that Great Britain is in the wrong and
/ seeks 10 appoint Il COiuiHlS>lOu merely 10 fulIV
/ that Judgment Wholesome as his utterances
are in the main that feature Of them must be
/ deplored 1t is needlessly offensive to Great
/ Britain. and arolses in that country perfectly
| natural resentment: and it weakens rather than
! strengthens our own case by dlsclaiming i'm
! partially in our investigations.
| 1t would have been far better II Mr. Cleveland,
instead Of precipitately assuming Great Britain
to be in the wrong had maintained an attitude
! Of mpartialliy-a judicial rather than dictate
rial air. Great Britaln's refusal TO enter into
/ full arbitration gave him an admirable oppor-
tunity 10 say that there was left for this Gov
eminent nothing to do but to pursue on its own
/ account and for its own information a per
fectly impartial inquiry, the findings Of which
! would form Just basis for further diplomatic
negotiations for the protection Of American in
terests; for that is all this commission can do.
! Unhappy, he chose a more extreme position,
which, while calculated TO arouse American en-
thusiasm, is equally certain TO cause unneces-
sary irritation and antagonism in England.
! There can. Of course be no question OF retract-
! Ing word that he has said, so far as the funda-
mental principle involved is concerned: nor OF
abatlng the cordial support which the Nation Is
! giving 10 his general proposition. But since he