The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-12-31
ON THE MONROE DOCTRINE.

Mr.. Lodge Of Massachusetts Addresses
the Senate.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 31.-After some
routine business in the senate, MIR.
Lodge (Rep., Mass.,) took the floor to
deliver an address On the Monroe doc
trine. Before he began, Nh. Mitchell
(Rep,, orr chairman Of the Republican
caucus committee, gave notice that at
the completion of Mr.. Lodges remarks,
he should ask the senate to take up the
question Of r~eorganizing the committees
Of the senate.
A resolution offered by Mr.. Quay
(Rep., Penn. was adopted, directing the
secretary of the navy to inform the
senate whether, in his opinion, it would
be advantageous to the naval service to
now contract for six battleships instead
of for the two at present authorized on
the basis oil bids now before the navy
department., modified as might be to
the public interest.
Mr.. Lodge gave an interesting sketch
of the history Of the Monroe doctrine
and told how it was virtually involved
in the Venezuelan boundary line con-
~troversy. He followed this with a brief
relation of the pending dispute between
Great Britain and Venezuela which, he
said had now reached a crisis affecting
most gravely the honor, the interests,
the rights and the we'll settled policy Of
the United States.
II England, with no authority but a
disputed claim, seized territory and de-
clined arbitration upon it, her action,
!, he declared, did not differ from Selling
and holding new territory in the Amer
icas by right Of conquest. If she could
seize territory under q claim which had
grown larger with each succeeding
. year, there was nothing to prevent hel
: taking indefinite regions in South
3 America.
Oues.Ious Should Not he Mixed.
The senator referred to the claim
made on Venezuela by Great Britain
for reparation on account Of the arrest
by the authorities Of the former country
of British subjects on the disputed ter
ritory. But the question of reparation
he declared, must not be mixed up with
9 the acquisition Of territory. If Vene
zuela paid the indemnity fixed and de
manded by, Great Britain, she &C
knowledged in so doing that the dis
h puted country is British territory. ant
made the whole case void. We had, b.
9 continued. neglected too long our for
o eign policy and the great interests o
the United States which lay beyond he
borders. We wanted the matter of tn
boundary dispute settled by arbitration
because if it is settled otherwise. it wa
a blow to a vital principles to the We
X fare and dignity Of the United States
4 He did not believe the people OF Eng
p land had the Least desire to engage i
hostilities with the United States, an
10 more than we sought or desired host.
tiles with them.
q Have Not Happened by Accident.
d.. 1--WE have, said Senator Lodge, 'see
iy British forces at Corinto. We know tn
attitude they assume in Venezuela
!. They are attempting to take land on tn
H. Alaskan boundary. They have just d.
"A nounced the modus vivendi and n
opened in that way the perilous disput
of the seal fisheries. 1t is not by acc
dent that these events nave all occurre
> or all come to an accute stage With
~ the past year.,
- The senator closed by expressing IL
9. belief that the questions between En-
land and the United States would
peaceably settled, but it was very cle'
that such settlement could only
"a reached by action on the part Of CO.
IS. gress and the president, which shou
pd be as firm as it was temperate, al
,s which should maintain the Monroe do
trine absolutely and at all hazard
xherever IL iustlY annliad.