El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-02-23
SWAYED BY PREJUDICE
The Senate and the Arbitration
Treaty.
RADICALLY OPPOSING VIEWS HELD

| Increasing Sympathy of the American Peo-
pie For the Struggling Cubans-Wise
Public Men Prophesying Cuba's Freedom
| In the Near Future.
| WASHINGTON, Feb IL Special. 1T is
! impossible to give truthful picture of
| events behind the scenes in this capital
| without calling attention to the fact that
| prejudice against England is playing a
| large part in the apparent unwillingness
| of the senate to ratify the general arbitra-
| ton treaty between this country and Great
| Britain. There is such prejudice deep
| down in the minds of our people, as every
| one knows. 1t is having its manifestation
among the statesmen in congress. There
I are indications that this traditional hatred
| of England is not as keen or bitter as it
| was years ago. 1t has been SOftened by
| time and by commercial and social rela-
| tionS between the two peoples. But it still
exists and is having its effect upon the
minds of the men who hold the fate of the
arbitration treaty in their hands. Senator
Morgan of Alabama is perhaps the most
conspicuous exponent of this prejudice.
With him it is more than tradition. Mir.
Morgan believes, as much us he believes
that he is alive, that England is constantly
plotting against this country. He finds evil
dences of her activity in Nicaragua, where
she is trying, Mr.. Morgan says, to get q
foothold with view to the day when the
isthmian canal will be dug. Not alone
here, but everywhere, Mr.. Morgan thinks
England is trying to get the best of us,
and he offers many good reasons for the
faith that is in him.
a View the One Hand.
Senator Morgan is not alone in this be-
lief. Another distinguished senator and
member of the foreign relations committee,
too, told me today that in his opinion Eng
land was attempting to oyerreach the
United States in every possible way.
England" said he, ''is just as eager for
territory and for commerce as she ever was
She lives upon such acquisitions. To gain
them is her national, her deliberate, her
avowed policy Today, while negotiating Il
general treaty of arbitration with this
country, she is strengthening her navy ev
cry month. Only a few days ago l read
that she had authorized the construction of
five new battleShips, each to cost about Sc,
600, 900 when finished, and that 1000
more sailors and marines were to be added
to her navy.
Almost daily we have evidences of Great
Britain 5 activity in the work of building
up Notifications, coaling stations, arsen-
ais, laying cable lines, promoting the open
ing of steamship routes all around and
about us. If her activities We're confined
simply to the old world, we should not
mind. But they are not. They have refer
ence to future control of this hemisphere
as well as the other. Is it any wonder that
we senators hesitate to plunge into gen
eral treaty of arbitration without first
looking very carefully into what it may
mean in the futurc:'
A Contrary Opinion.
There are many other senators who hold
just the opposite view. They are convinced
ENGLAND with no
United States, and that the arbitration
treaty is an earnest of her pacific inten-
tions. They point out that England ex-
poets ere long to be compelled to go to war
with one or more of the nations of Europe, |
and that u peaceful base line in this direc-
ton is one of the absolute necessities of
her situation. We feed England. If all |
the remainder of the world should be cut |
off from her by war and by the activity of |
opposing fleets, she could still depend upon |
America as her granary. According to
the men who hold this view, Great Brit
aims great aim at the present time is an |
assured peace with the United States |
That fixed, she will with lighter heart
meet such responsibilities as arise from her
relations with the remainder of the world. |
1t is the duty of a correspondent, as |
view it, to photograph the opinion of the |
men who make our policies and our laws,
and this L am trying to do impartially. |
To return for Il moment to the other side !
of the contention, the northwestern SEN !
atorS, find, are generally suspicious of |
England intentions concerning the Alas
kan boundary. They say England is not |
acting in good faith with this country
there, and that the treaty recently negoti-
ated by Secretary Olney and Sir Julian
Pauncefote does not go TO the heart of that |
question at all. One of the northwestern
Mr.. Mcbride of Oregon, says he
will ask the senate to adopt an amendment
to the arbitration treaty requiring that
whenever n boundary dispute arises be
tween the two nations the settlement and |
of rights in the disputed terri
tory shall cease.
An Effective influence.
There is no denying that general preju-
dice against England still exists at this
capital. One comes upon it on every hand. |
There is politics in it too. Often l meet Il
senator who is opposed to the arbitration |
treaty, and upon inquiry 1 find that he is
of his Irish American cOnstitu-
ents. senators say the Irish Americans |
are almost to il man opposed to arbitration |
arrangements with England. l suppose |
this sort of prejudice is bred in them, and |
that many more generations will be re |
lulred to get it out if it ever does come |
out. Whatever the right or wrong of it |
may be-and with that we have nothing to |
io-the fact remains 1t oar Irish-Ameri- |
;an fellow citiZens-aiAu good citizens they
ire, too, and many of Uhcm-are in Il quiet
but none the less effective way exercis-
ng great deal of influence ut Washington |
1t this juncUure in the affairs of nations
1t IS also my duty Is a conscientious cor
respondent to report that the sympathy of
he American people with the struggling
Jublns is rapidly increasing here. For
inc it was stillcd because of a feeling that
1, 4