Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-07
THE ARBITRATION TREATY.
Views of One who Takes the SEN
nfe's Side.

views of One who Takes the SEN
nte's side.
To the Editor Of the Dispatch
In the Island of Martinique there grows
a beautiful yellow flower. which is pc
cullarly attractive. II often conceals
within It's folds a small but exceedingly
venomous snake Of the same oor The
transporting stranger reaches to pluck
the tempting rose; the fang of the snake
strikes deep in his flesh. and. writing IN
agony. his life Is often the forfeit.
This description Is applicable to the ar
bitration treaty so temptingly spread out
before us by the people Of England ana
Of Europe. Apparently. II appears falr
and reasonable. but there is concealed
beneath it's surface poison OF the most
venomous character. II captivates dream
ers Missionaries. and college professors;
they praise II TO the skies. School
masters like William /. Wilson, who
have donned the political garb, look upon
IL as the essence Of human wisdom The
Senate of the United States of America
has covered itself with immortal honor
by completely emasculatihg it, 1t would
have tied our hands forever, and was
cunning scheme Of Europeans TO thwart
American progress. The basis Of IL was
envy Of American civilization. Europe
stands aghast at the giant strides OF
prosperity made by our people. They
know we can, il necessary, equip and put
in the field an army Of more than 100000
Of soldiers. and still leave 100000 OF peo-
pie at home They know that the sails
Of our vessels whiten every sea. They see
that the great Nicaraugan canal VIII soon
be built; the Islands Of Hawaii annexed
and that Cuba. the gem of the Antilles
IS bound TO become part or TINS great
Commonwealth. Something must be done
TO check this mighty force. The arbitra-
ton treaty will accomplish the pur-
pose. Let It once be signed, and the
manacles are placed upon our hands,
and a milestone is placed about our necks.
The nineteenth century has not produced
a more dangerous scheme. 1t was ana Is
n cunningly devised effort 10 arrest the
progress of human liberty uhoer the
specious guise of Christianity ana soou
feeling. If ii could be accomplished rare
well to bimetallism. farewell TO the rights
of the laborer the mechanic, and the
landholder. Amsterdam and Berlin.
Vienna, Paris. London, and the city OF
New York will dominate the world.
To the student of political economy
who has watched the progress or events
and noted the tremendous advancement
of chemical and mechanical science IN
thirty years; to one who has Watched
these mighty powers and seen thein
grasped by corporate capital ana useu
to the detrIment Of labor, II Is apparent
that If from labor the right is taken away
to prosecute its rights by force, which Is
war. then the slavery OF the American
people is an accomplished fact.
But it is said that the world has grown
so much better that there is no longer
any necessity for war. And yet 1t is true
that In the year 1896 more Christians were
ruthlessiy slaughtered than, perhaps, IN
any year before In the history OF lhe
world The blood of the slaughtered
Christians of Armenia, if it could be put
i'm a pool. would make a lake That Woulu
float the yacht of Lord Salisbury on It's
bsosom. Look at that grand Old man.
William Il. Gladstonel His words on be-
half Of the Armenian Christians are ring
ing around the word. They are stirring
the thornless rose In Heavens arDor,
and. perhaps, shaking the drapery Oh
Heaven itself All hail. thou noble Cn1ls-
ton marriott You have stirred hoDie
enthusiasm in the American people, when
will find vent in glorious actions.
Obscure and humble as / am, l nave
caught the noble inspiration OF ms IAN
euage and 1 raise my feeble voice on
menia. Beside the bloody work last year
I'm Armenia. the loathsome massacre Oh
ST. Bartholomew pales into insignificance.
And vet the millennium has come, ana IL
is time for an arbitration treaty when
will preyent war; Behold, another spec
tacIei Greece, the land Of Demosthehes
and Eschines. of Socrates, Aristldes, anu
Themistocles; the land which was the
cradle of human liberty and classic liera-
ture whose Parthenon still stands TO IN
srire the dreams of architectural genius,
&c raising her hand TO rid herself Of the
sunspeakable Turk" and what is the
action of the allied European nations!
Are they assisting this noble niue King
dom in her efforts to protect her Cnils-
tian subjects Yes. they are ASSISTING
her by the bonfires Of bursting sheils'
desolating her cities and slaughtering
her people. This is their answer 10 iheir
appeal for help in their noble struggle
And vet the time has come when Inc
world Is ripe for an arbitration treaty.
Rehold. still another spectacle! Cuoa'
the gem of the Antilles-Cuba, the ialrest
land perhaps, OF all this earth-has peeh
for more than year the scene OF the
most fiendish acts of cruelty and blood
shed that well-nigh stagger peliei' N0eA-
ing with blood, she raises her plteous
hands and cries aloud for aid. Poor RUIZ
vour life-blood. it may be, spurted upon
the hands of the assassins who appheu
the knout to your bare back, out IL was
NOT smiled in vain. And yet the world
Is ripe for an arbitration. treaty. Inc
noble and intrepid Fitzhugh Lee, strung
by the inhuman atrocities of the spanish
Government and the cowardly attitude
of the Grover Cleveland administrator
raised his warning voice on behalf oil hu-
man liberty and human rights. Inc
American people caught the echo ana
shouted back to him their overwheimihs
approval OF his action.
We'll done, Fitz Lee BY this act alone
YOU have carved your name hlgh up OH
the roll of fame and added another laurei
TO those YOU had already so worthily won
i'm the storm and conflict OF battle.
The grand and noble declaration Oh
principles by the Democratic party at
Chicago has given our noble old party
new lease of life. IL will never do 10
stifle IL by an arbitration treaty. Inc
principles OF that platform are eterhai
and immutable. They have buoyed up
the entire English-speaking people WIN
hope. and the first rays of the morning
sun which will greet the opening OF the
twentieth century will see the results
for. by that time the benefits OF free Sill
yer and bimetallism will be restored to
long-suffering people.
CAMM PATTESON.
Sunnyside Place, Buckingham CO., va.