The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-02
The Arbitration Treaty: What Ii
Means.

congress and the government OF ,'rea'
Britain to adjust by judicial process an
differences which do not involve the IN
tepritv or honor of either or both ma
tiuns. If is impossible to overestimate.
The treaty has been carefully uraNh'
and is carefully guarded so as not 10 III
yolve any secret capture or construc-
tion which shall compromise either ma
ton, in all that either may hold sacreo
for the especial type of CIVILIZATION Vi
Government which either has been
nlaced bv Providence to represent be-
fore the world. All objection to the
treaty such as that it involves the Moi
roe doctrine, or the Nicaragua cahai,
or territorial limits or uncompromlsaple
honor have been fully answered by apie
jurists and statesmen. The great thlhk-
ing and conservative masses OF poth
nations are in favor of the treaty. Hun
dreds and thousands of organizations
clubs, churches. Boards of Trade, civil
and social organizations, posts OF the
grand army, Women's ORGANIZATIONS the
true and honest heart of every Chrls-
tian home, are in full sympathy with
this sLupendous fact that at the close
of this nineteenth century the TWO
greatest nations in size and Christian
civilization have said to the world: I'VE
mean no more war"
1t is not that this treaty is absolutely
perfect (none at first ever isl; it is not
that Lord Salisbury and Mr.. Olney
within twelve month on the verge OF
war. have recanted and before High
Heaven and the world of nations nave
said "let us have peace; it is not that
armaments are necessarily now to he
done away with, and a careless guard
ing of the citadel of liberty and good
government is possible; it is that, as
fact, the two pre-eminent Christian gov
ernments of the world have clasped
hands for the reign of the Prince OF
Peace. This fact means that
the cry from the sacred homes
of America and Great Britain
that has gone up to Heaven against the
cruel desolation and hatred of bloody
war has been heard on earth, and in
response to human and divine power
and influence rulers have yielded; and
the higher nature of men has responded
to the divine intlatus in poets, saSes,
prophets and teachers from the song Of
the Hebrew to the last utterance of Il
human heart crushed by war and tyran-
ny. Is it possible to contemplate this
fact as an epoch in history in all it's
significance? When two strong and
stalwart brothers in a great family
stand up and say to their less apprecia-
tive brothers. las for us, there shall be
no more lighting in this family; We two
at least shall abide in peace and broth
erly rivalry and love henceforth and
forever" it means something for them;
and it means something, too, for the
rest of the family. The chance it gives
to show that peace has it's victories no
less than war is a tremendous chance
on the side Of which God and the angels
do not look with Indifference.
This fact has another towering sig
nifcance 1t means that righteousness
and peace have kissed each other, that
with all our ISLANDERS and reproaches on
the religious, the busy, the political, and
the social life in this nineteenth CEN
tury's close, religion, business, politics
and social life may unite in working out
their best for the development of the
race. Men may argue, oppose, criticize
and hinder, but not one true and honest
word can be uttered against the effort
and the motives which actuate the
American and British nations in plac-
ing the possible fact of peace and ad-
justment for all differences on
public record, Admit if you
please, that there is Anglopho-
bia, or Americaphobia in existence,
that with some there is hatred and
envy and jealousy. Are they comfort
able, pleasant or happy frames of
mind? Do they conserve religion,
policy, plenty, profit and property p?
When two brothers are in fighting
mood, is it not just the time to apply
the judicial process and the benignant
smile of an overpowering adjuster?
That the fact of arbitrament is now
made so prominent between nations is
due more largely to our free American
ideas than to any other governmental
influence on the earth. America has
always favored adjustment by judicial
process. We spread it broadcast &c
the world in our written constitutions
from 1776 to 1888 when we subjected
thirteen distinct and separate sover-
eighties voluntarily to the one arbi-
trament of the Supreme Court of the
United States. 1t is true the rebellion
tried TO break it up, first through the
judicial tribunal itself and then
through blood, but it signally failed
and that distinguished tribunal still
holds it's power on the supreme law of
the land, viz, the written constitu-
tional treaty
Whom does this great treaty con-
Germ? First of all, it concerns the
trade and business of the nations
and by that is meant trade and COM
merce in its largest and widest sense
1t only can flourish in peace and
safety. 1t means that travelling to anC
fro of men by which knowledge shall
be increased; it means the white wing!
of commerce with all their freight anC
interchange of products and commod
tiles, bibles, missionaries of all lands
truth, liberty, human aspirations
for all that is worth acquiring anC
holding in this life; it means the mul.
Implications of avenues Of labor in
genuity, skill and the widening of hu,
man wants in a higher and better civ.
ilization to be met by human hands
brains and hearts. 1t means for tn,