The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-02
A WORTHLESS THING.

No body of men less callous to public
opinion than the United States senate
would conceive of spending so much
time upon thing so worthless as they
have made the arbitration treaty with
Great Britain. This splendid triumph
of civilization and progress has not
merely been killed by the senate, but
the whole body has been taken out Of
1t, its habiliments have been torn to
tatters and the ridiculous remnants are
hoisted upon the pole Of senatorial
bumptiousness and big head as a scare
crow for all the world to look at APP
parently, the members of the senate are
entirely oblivious to the large and gen
eral relations of the arbitration prin-
ciple. They have considered in this, as
they are coming to consider in every
question that rises before them, nothing
but their personal wishes and the ag-
grandizement Of the power Of that
branch of the government Of which
they are such unworthy members. Ar
bitration means nothing to them That
the senate shall be enabled to usurp
the constitutional power Of the exeeu-
tive, that it shall have the right to
hold up every great International in
terest and make it stand and deliver,
is everything.
The amendment Of Senator Hoar.
which was adopted by vote of more
no 10
from the treaty every particle Of value
of binding force and even of common
sense. In that amendment lies the
whole gist Of the senates intolerable
position. 1t first makes the treaty
worthless and destroys It's application
to any conceivable case by providing
that no difference shall be referred to
arbitration, except by special agree
ment which, lin the Judgment Of either
power, materially affects its honor or
Its domestic or foreign policy" Words
could not be chosen that would more
explicitly cover every possible question
that could arise. What matter would
ever come within the scope of arbitra-
ton that did not, in the view Of either
party, affect its honor? What question
could arise to the dignity of an inter-
national issue without affecting either
the domestic or the foreign policy of
the contending parties? The terms used
are absolutely inclusive, and destroy.
root and branch, the idea of a gen
eral arbitration agreement. We cannot
conceive how any senator with seIf-re-
spect can vote for such provision as
this. 1t is Ineligible that man should
oppose arbitration altogether. 1t is in
teligfble that he should support It,
That he should pretend to favor 1t and
then tack on form of words which re-
Quires that every case which may arise
must be the subject Of special agree
ment-in other words, that he situation
shall be left just as it Is today-is to
deny his own sincerity and to traffic in
meaningless words.
The object of this provision, however.
is clearly apparent later on. Having
determined that each incident which
may come UP must be the subject Of
special agreement, the senate further
insists that every such case shall be
submitted to 1t and be approved by a.
two-thirds vote; that is to say. if the
provision Of the senate be accepted.
instead Of extending the sphere of a.rbi-
tration, it limits it absolutely and for
ever. 1t constitutes the United States
senate a superior power and practical
member Of any court of arbitration
that may ever hereafter be constituted
Before that tribunal can so much as
take up the case to be presented to It,
the senate must approve by two
thirds vote. Insolence and arrogance
and disregard of the demands Of hu-
mainly and Of national honor could go
no further. No friend Of arbitration
can have tolerance or patience with the