The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-01-08

way to foolish excitement and reckless
haste" "That England should now
refuse to submit to arbitration the ques-
ton of handing over her colonists / = |
their new homes to Venezuelan rule
seems highly credtable to her r" from
the professors point OF view, and
when our people understand the case
they will know what to think OF the
president and any who weakly follow
him." Between this patriotic incep-
ton and this very intelligent conclu-
sion the man of history packs great
deal of stuff that in the time of the Rev.
olution would have passed for rank tory
ism, and for copperheadism in the years
of the Civil War. Another son Of Har
ward, Henry Cabot Lodge, the conclu
sion of whose recent speech in the ma
tional senate is published on page three
of this issue, " understands the case"
somewha differently from this man of
history, and "our people are with the
senator.
If there is any person in this wide
world that is competent to pass judg-
ment on this great question, and to
determine off-hand whether or not the
Monroe doctrine applies, and whose
opinions should be printed in the Con
gressional Record, that man is evil
IDENTITY a collegiate professor of psy-
chology. Professor James, who warns
this chair at Harvard, calmly declares
that the character of this nation Il" has
in three days of delirum been flung so
far away over the roof-tops that fifty
years of sane conduct will doubtfully
bring it back" 1--WE have written
ourselves down as a people dangerous
! to the peace of the world, more dan
gerous than anything since France I'M
der Napoleon" This may be very
good brand of psychology. OF this the
average patriot may not be able to
judge, but he would be very apt to call
it by much palmer and somewhat
profane Anglo-Saxon term, and he
would be likely to be just right in his
diagnosis of the case. The man of
mathematics leaves his problems and
equations to denounce the administra-
TONS interference as " iDdefensible
and uncalled-for," and to formulate his
sy npathies "with British Guiana
| Iar ~ Ua~.1,,.1n ~ 10 IL
out that it is directly contrary to the
traditional policy of this country to
take part in the quarrel" In the mat
ter of a disquiaition on squaring the
circle the professor of mathematics
might reasonably claim the attention
of people interested in that absorbing
problem, but on question Of the ap
plication Of the Monroe doctrine to the
Venezuelan question, or adherence to
the traditional policy of this country in
an international dispute, the opinion OF
Secretary Olney or Senator Lodge
might inspire the greater respect and
confidence.
To this symposium of collegiate opin-
ion in an int irrational matter of the
greyest importance is added the dictun
OF one Edwin A. Start, instructor in
history at Tufts College, that the con
struction given to the Monroe doctrine
by the administration is untenable, that
the presidents Venezuelan message is
campaign document, and that "the
voters who rolled up the enormous vote
that put republican majority in the
house did not do it to see that majority
meshed in the net set by the admins
tration." The weight of these weighty
opinions and the propriety of their
publication in the Congressional Record
can be estimated by the tonnage Of
Schoomaster Start, who, we believe, had
some brief editorial connection with
the Vermont press at Hydo Park and
St. Johnsbury in 1890. One hour of
Start in the house of representatives., in
that imminent perilous crisis, had been
worth thousand Reads and Dingleys
and Hittsl
The names of these patriotic school
masters may "glitter as bright, imper-
ishable stars in the diadem of the re-
public" when Adams and Lodge and
Olney shave mouldered in forgotten
graves" but it is more probable that
their renown will be like unto the glory
of The sky-rocket.