Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-12-31
THE MONROE DOCTRINE.
Elk Senator Edmunds on the SUBJ
Ject.


Ject.
II want to express my faith that the
President will see to it that Venezuela
is not unjustly squeezed. His Secretary
of State comes from the stock that will
not tolerate injustice, and l believe it
will turn out, when all the facts are
known, that President Cleveland in this
connection will be found to have been as
patriotic as any of us hope for"
This was the language of ex-senator
Edmunds, in speech before the Union
League Club of Philadelphia early in
November. 1t has new significance now
and gains in interest from the fact, not
generally known at the time of delivery.
that Mr.. Edm"nds had gone back to
Philadelphia fresh from Il consultation
with the President and Secretary ON this
international question. His long service
on the Committee on Foreign Relations
and his great experience with lnterna-
tioual questions made his opinion valu
able and the Administration sought it
several weeks ago. Mr.. Edmunds may
be offered place on the commission
which the President, by the authority of
Cnngerss, is to appoint. He may not be
able TO accept. Whether he does or not,
the emphatic opinions he expressed in
his Union League Club speech are worth
reproduction. Mr.. Edmunds character
lied the Venezuelan controversy as moth
ing more than continuance Of the pol
icy of Great Britain to acquire more ter
ritOry.
In the Monroe doctrine Mr.. Edmunds
declared his belief, using this strong
language:
ut has stood from the start as a men
ace to those who thought of interfering,
and il has been used to great advantage.
So far we have used it only in the sense
of a protest or remOnstrance, but curl
ously enough, the British have been
slowly, surely, steadily increasing their
possessions"
THE trouble with us and our foreign
policy" continued Mr. Edmunds, . is
that we stand still while our competitors
are at work, not for military supremacy,
but for that supremacy which means the
progress of mankind. Our mission
should be to find outlets for our prOduc-
tiOns, and to do that we must find places
to sell. do not favor the annexation
of other countries. but hold TO the
Monroe doctrine, which opposes the in
reference of other nations"
And then Mr.. Edmunds touched upon
the possible consequences of spirited
enforcement of the Monroe doctrine.
1--WE do not iced" he said, to feel that
England has any military advantage of
us with all of hel possessions 1t would
not disturb MS if she decided to make
war against us. We are strong enough
in that way, not only to fight but to look
with contempt on any effort to subdue
us in that line. We might suffer some
loss in New York and other harbors in
struggle of that character, but we would
make chose responsible pay dearly for it
in other quarters. Our interest in other
countries should not be for the mere sell
fish object of gain either, but to carry to
the people of the world the products of
civilization which we produce in such
great store. England sees farther than
we do by doing this, and we should
awake to the fact that we and no one
else should be the protectors of our
neighboring countries.