The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-06-23
OUR NATIONAL POLICY.
President Mckinley Favors Adj
vance Steps.
REACHING OUT ON THREE SIDES.
The Annexation of Hawaii and of Some
West Indian Island and tho Construc-
tion of the Great Nicaraguan Water
way-Mr. BIaine's Dream.

tion of the Great Nicaraguan Water
way-Mr. BIaines Dream.
! WASHINGTON, June 20. - Especial i
/ President Mckinley 5 administration bids
/ fair TO mark an epoch in the history of tho
! United States. In addition TO the annexa-
! ton Of Hawaii and decisive action in re-
/ gard 10 Cuba, both of which have beon
completely fOreshadowcd in these dis
| patches, am able 10 announce that the
( president has still another project in Wow
closely related 10 the Hawaiian and Gu
ban matters. This is nothing less than
construction Of the Nicaragua canal.
President Mckinley is earnestly in favor
of the digging of that great waterway I'M
der purely American auspices. As soon
MS he can reach it he expects to move, and
tho probabilities are that he will have the
cooperation of congress. 1t is as yet too
early to say just what form the presidents
interest in this vast project will take. 1t
Is enough to know that after looking the
ground over no intends TO take such action
rs will bring results in good time.
An Admirer of Blaine.
In this phase of our national policy
President Mckinley took lessons from the
late James G. Blaine. Mr.. Blaine had
one great hobby while he was prominent
in the public affairs of this country, and
that was the annexation of Hawaii ON the
west, Cuba or some other West Indian
island on the east and the opening up Of
the Nicaraguan canal in between. Years
ago Mr.. Blaine talked to Mr.. Mckinley
on this subject, to my personal knowledge.
Probably neither of them thought at that
time that Mr.. Mckinley would ever be
president of the United States, with power
in his hands to formulate and forward
these great policies. AT that time there
was much more probability that MIR.
Blaine himself would soon DO in position
TO exercise commanding influence, but Mr..
Blaine never became president and other
things have interviewed. Now MIR. McKin-
ley, who was one Of Mr.. Blainc's lieuten-
ants and admirers, is in the White House,
and unless the signs of the present day are
misleading important action in the diroc-
ton so persistontly and ably advocated by
Mr.. Blaine is likely TO follow. One step
has already been taken, and it is under
stood that others are to follow as rapidly
as possible
1t may not be generally known that Mr..
Blaine and Mr. Mckinley were warm
friends. This was before the year 1890,
when Mr.. Mckinley prepared the famous
presidential campaign of 1880 Mr.. Nc
Kinley was delegate to the Chicago con-
vention which nominated Garfield. He
was there as a Blaine delegate, although
John Sherman was u candidate Mr.. Sher-
man stood in large part as "a sort of polit-
ical godfather to Mr.. Mckinley, and yet
when it came to the presidential struggle
of that year the young Ohio congressman
was found on Mr. Blaine's side
A New America.
When Mr.. Blaine was secretary of state
under Garfield, he was already dreaming
of IA new America. He had formulated in
his mind the grand scheme of an Ameri-
can polity as distinguished from the Euro
pean systems. The Monroe doctrine,
which kept the United States free from all
entangling alliances with European affairs
and excluded European nations from ac-
tive participation in American questions,
save as they were directly involved through
existing interests, was the foundation Of
the system as Mr.. Blaine saw it. Built
upon that was the United States as the
leader of all American international poll
tics, as the greatest and most powerful ma
ton of the western world, as the arbiter
between weaker powers, as the protector
of nations oppressed by foreign nations, as
a haven of refuge for disorganized states
which had not within themselves the abil-
ity to perpetuate good government and to
secure order and progress. AS great
practical adjunct to this state Of things
and as mighty agent in upbuilding the
influence and commerce of the United
States Mr.. Blaine wanted the Nicaragua
canal constructed as purely American
enterprise.
Mr.. Blaine was in advance of his times.
His incisive intellect was looking ahead. |
Since his day events have ripened oppor-
tunity for the very policy which he ia
vored. The last administration, thanks
to Richard Olney, took up the Monroe doc
trine principle and established il more |
firmly than ever before. 1t is too much to |
say that it Is fixed by consent of the ma
tons of the earth. 1t is not. No foreign |
power has us yet given direct expression |
to acceptance of that principle. But the |
United States has asserted il in way |
which will doubtless secure respect for it |
for all time to come. So far as we are con-
cernCd, it is written i'm international law. !
To keep it there we are ready to go to any |
extreme should emergency require. Thus
the foundation for Mr.. Blaine's great pol
icy is laid. Its tendency is to create dis
tinctively American policy The powers
OF Europe get together In concert FOR reg
ulation of the politics of the old world.
The United States as the only great power
In this hemisphere is its own concert as to
purely American questions.
Advancing Civilization.
The legitimate outcome of establishment
of this distinctive American policy is just
such changes as the annexation of Hawaii,
the freedom of Cuba under our protection
and the construction of tho Nicaragua
canal There is no use of having this
American system as mere dead letter, as
n toy or thing of ornament. 1t means
1t stands for Advancement Of
In the western world, for per-
fiction of the science of government, for
improvement of the relations existing be-
tween nations. 1t is a vital living prin-
ciple, not n mere academic declaration.
An incident Of this policy constantly
broadening, will be the further upbuilding
Of the American navy. Mr.. Blaine used
to say that there was no diplomacy with
out great guns, no extension of foreign
trade withOut diplomacv neitber xuithout |