The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-09
Making Haste Slowly.


o, ooraf,,l comparison of the original
text of the arbitration treaty WITH 'he
text of it as amended by the SENATE
committee on foreign relations WILL we
think, dispel the prevalent fear thal 'ne
ruling minds of the senate are hos'he
to the essential purpose OF TINS bleal
peace instrument and will snow thal
they are merely more thoughttui anu
cautious than was Mr. Olney when he
signed the first draft.
The most important change made py
The committee was in Art. L, whlch as IL
was approved by Secretary olney reao
as follows: "The high contracting par
ties agree to submit to arbitratlon' III
accordance with the provisions ana SUD
iect to the limitations of this treaty all
questions in difference between theih
which they may fail to adjust by dlplo-
matte negotiation" To this OMNIBUS
clause the committee add: But no
question which affects the foreign OF
domestic policy of either of the hlsh
contracting parties or the relations Oh
either to any other state or power, by
treaty or otherwise, shall be a SUBJECT
for arbitration under this treaty except
by special agreement" This additional
clause does not hamper the spirit OF the
instrument when applied by either par
ty honestly and in good faith; but II
does render it impossible for either
party to twist a general clause to its
special and selfish advantage, as would
have been true if England, for instance,
had sought under the original terms OF
this treaty to force us to submit the
Monroe doctrine to arbitration.
The only other material change pro-
posed by the committee is in relation to
the umpire who shall in case of tie
votes in the arbitration tribunals, cast
the deciding ballot. The original draft
of the treaty delegated the choice of this
important parsonage to the King OF
Sweden and Norway. In other words
where an equally apportioned number
of the learned jurists of England and
America, or other representatives OF
those nations, sitting as court OF ar
bitration over questions of law and lact
could not agree upon an odd parsonage
to preside over them as umpire, tht
treaty as Mr. Olney signed it, empoW'
cred King Oscar to name this deciding
umpire, virtually putting it in the jur
isdction of a foreign monarch to pass
finally on weighty issues of American
government. The committee, very wise
ly as we think, have eliminated thi
feature and have so amended the treat!
that this umpire of paramount author
ity shall be chosen by ballot of the high
est courts OF England and America
each voting as a unit in accordanc
with the wishes of q majority of it
august members. If they cannot event
ually agree upon a satisfactory man
the scheme for arbitration falls to tn
ground, but upon these exalted court
will rest the odium of such collapse an
the onus of war; should war resul
from such a failure to compose differ
ences by peaceable means.
If the senate had hastily ratified tn
treaty as that instrument came to it
if, waving it's constitutional and tradi
tional rights of examination and amend
ment, it had listened and responded
the impatient clamor of the multitud
which, in their proper sympathy for tn
main principle Of the treaty, forgot Ell
tirely to scrutinize it's details, we migl
not, at some future time, have bee
robbed, through manipulation of un
pires, of some invaluable national pre-
rogative 1--WE probably shouldn't, fc
the reason that, treaty or no treaty, W
should have fought firsD; but tt
chances would have been at least nom
nally against us-our own signatul
as nation would have been in the wa
of just defense of our heritage. A
it is, the senate has taken time to col
slider the treaty carefully in all it's par
and it has discovered two weakness,
that warrant the remedies it has al
piled. Today, should the treaty be rat
fed, as ratified it doubtless soon w.
be, in spite of the talk to the contrar
we would enjoy under it an equ
chance with England, and war cou
not arise save from a temper in eth
people which would force war und
any circumstances.
1t pays sometimes to make has
slowly.
hn 70 nr