Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-11-15
essex County altrala.
island Pond. VT, November 10.
Romance and Sensation Versus Inses
tigation.

oflooking simply upon New Hampshire,
which he long ago conquered, William Z,
Chandler rushes forth covered with war
paint. We have just heard his war
whoop aud its echo. Politicians are
shrewd. They watch the most effective
influences and eagerly seek the sources
from which current sentiments come.
They know that to keep on the wave
they must amuse, Startle and entertain
the people with something romantic.
And so now is hung up a scene of red war
dyeing the waves of the Caribbean Sea,
and staining the soil of South America.
Bombastic interviews, lofty and start
ling proclamations are getting to be the
order of the day. ANYTHING for a sensa
ton in which the originator can figure as
the central object.
Now this is all we'll enough for pas
time but when men who have charge
ofpubliC interests, whose duty it is to
study the great problems of government
and the cause and effect OF passing events,
seek sickly notoriety through such decla-
ratious and means, the people instead of
being even amused are growing tired
with its thinness. Why don't those gen.
tlemen spend a little time inexplaining to
the people telling them what the real
situation is? Let them know what re-
lations the government bears towards
the events in Venezuela or elsewhere We
know that the great store of knowledge
which these statesmen have acquired is
ofimmense value but if these individual
possessors of it belong to the people
don't their knowledge also? And should
not the people be permitted to partici-
pate in and enjoy it? From the vast
mysteries of these gentlemen's environ
ment an absolute oracle issues. That
doesn't satisfy the people. They are not
ready to grant that the voice of these
gentlemen is intallible. They simply want
information out of what is the war COM
ing? What bellicose issue is to be
formed? What is to be the application
of the Monroe doctrine? When Presi-
dent Monroe was invited to join coali-
ton or make an alliance he simply said
to transatlantic powers, we have no dis
position to engage in your controversies.
We shall pursue our own theories of
government, mind our own business and
quarrel with nobody until our own
rights are intertered with. He had to
deal with only a single proposition. 1t is
different now. A most intricate cond-
ton of things is arising. The principle
of the Monroe doctrine now is to be APP
piled to various conditions. Vast and
complicated questions are springing up.
Is this a time in which, and is it wise and
candid craftsmanship, to rush out in
schoolboy fashion overlooking these seri-
Gus questions and shout in schoolboy
style my voice is still for war?
Tell us great and wise statesman what
you are going to fight about. What po-
stion do you propose to have our gov
eminent assume? Is it protectorate
over the surrounding nations? Is it a
control of foreign nations over the move
ments OF their physical power exercised
in cis-atlantic seas? Do you propose to
prevent England from settling the bound
AIRY line between herself in South America
and Venezuela2 Do you propose to in
terfere with her in the movement of her
troops in settling dispute between her
Canadian provinces or in putting down
rebellion in Manitoba? If one of these
her proteges should be nsolently wrong
in some act towards the government OF
France and France should come over the
waters to Justly chastise the wrong doer,
do you propose to say to the French
THUS far shalt thou go and no further?
Do you propose to have this government
protect these dependencies, or whatever
you call them, against each other? What
safeguards do you propose against the
governments being Fmbroiled in hun
dred ways? Is the nature of this proteC-
torate to be such that it will compel for
eign nations to do justice by each little
people who are in and around the Cas-
plan Sea or elsewhere in the protector
ate? you do for heavens sake relieve
the most abused, down-trodden and op-
pressed people in patriotic Cuba at once.
Now just stop this shouting and come
down to business and tell us what par
ticular thing out of the present condition
OF things is to be done, and by whom, to
bring on war, and what reason you
have for thinking 90. Is this declaration
of war simply because war is desirable
Is it no longer wise and prudent states
manship for our legislators to bend their
energies To peaceful solution of all in
ternational complications in such way
as to accomplish just, amicable and fair
arrangement of all our relations with
foreign powers? These are questions
which the common people are not sup
posed to be up 10. # they can be pa
tiently and honestly instructed they will
be much more contented. interested and
patriotic than they ever can be made to
be by any war cry uttered with as little
consideration, candor or humanity as
any that foretold in early times the
Indian massacre of New England vii
lage,
How True is This!
In commenting 11nnn tho fnnt la