The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-03-20
The Petition Mania.


We are extremely touched by the pathos
of a petition which, on Thursday, was pre-
serted in the upper House by Senator Frye
1t was from the local union of the Young
Peoples Society of Christian Endeavor,
Of Saco Valley, Maine, and ever prayed
that the Senate, in its wisdom. would pass
that holy arbitration treaty with Great
britain The intense interest OF the episode
lies in the probability that the innocent
AMI pious boys and girls who signed the
memorial know as much about the con-
tents, not TO mention the scope or effect,
OF the measure that burdens their hearts,
as they are likely to learn concerning the
medicinal properties OF Greek root.
Among the strange social phenomena OF
the day, few things appear more unac-
Countab.e than the hysterical petition ma
MIA which has been manifested in connec-
ton with the arbitration treaty, and other
matters of state, OF the political, CONNER
ciaI or economic values or relations OF
W uiNh AliE FNNAitbhNAS NyoaN AiSNN AASNNN VI
no knowledge, in the nature Of things
The theory Of a spontaneous ebuIIition
or noble determination to seize ideal alb
stractions 10y the tail feathers and force
them down the resisting throat of
wicked and ignorant treaty-Inaking body,
whose only right to exist depends upon
-Tsnfn
may he demanded by the organized forces
OF Sunday-schoOl and sewing society eff
fort in the rural districts, hardly would
lie tenable. 1t is, too, probable, in the
absence OF a strong, active and wide
spread propaganda, working deliberately
TO excite such manifestations, that the
signers OF these papers, which flood the
Senate 10y hundreds, never would have
heard of the matters to which they refer.
IL would be interesting, therefore, to
find out Just what influence has been
operating upon the religious and reform
elements OF the back country to produce
this persistent and pecking attack upon
the Senate. obviously conceived and in
tended to influence favorable action on
the arbitration treaty, irrespective OF it's
merits. or the conscience or sense OF duty
of Senators. Doubtless, such an inves-
tication would be futile. tits easy enough
to make a guess which would not much
miss the truth.
Whatever the British government wants,
IT, financial allies, the philanthropic mil
nonaire missionary contributing magnates
Of Wall street, also want. Whatever the
latter want, in the way OF a personally
conducted public sentiment, they easily get
through exactly such organizations as most
readily reach the societies and people
who form the great mass OF arbitration
petitioners That is about what the petit
ton business amounts to.
We could understand vigorous and In
cignant outbreak of petitions from the
various organizations of women in the
limited states, demanding interference
IN Cuba against the sale OF little Cuban
girls to life of shame. the public butch
cry of little babies in the main street OF
pinor del Rio before the eyes of their
scratched mothers, or demanding justice
for the poor. stricken widow and children
nj the tortured and murdered American
citizen. Dr. Ruiz; bet we DO not see any
s,.,ng of that sort among the documents
preseatcd. The reason fer tins is not Iar
to seek. Neither British nor New York
financial Interests ere anxious that such
,,,,tters should be stirred up There is not
anybody to pay postage on reams OF blank