The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-16
IRREsPoNSIaLE CRITICISM

The lengths TO which men will go for
partisan purposes and their readiness
to jeopardize the interests of this conn
try. and of the world, for that matter,
for narrow political ends was never
better exhibited than in the criticism
made by ex-Secretary Tracy upon the
proposed treaty of arbitration between
Great Britain and the United States,
and the -laudatory comment upon his
remarks by the general run of the Re-
by the way, a dip1omatist or a man
with any qualifica ton to speak on the
subject at all, as far as we are aware
rushes into print to declare that Mr.
Olney has probably sacrificed the in
terest and the dignity of this govern
ment by agreeing that the principle of
the Monroe doctrine shall depend here
after upon the consent to it of
European sovereign. This is a serious
charge, and one that should not be adj
Vanced without ample ground for it.
What reason has Gen. Tracy to offer for
his assumption and presumption? None
whatever. There is absolutely not one
syllable of evidence on which to base
his charge. The text of the agreement
reached by Mr. OIney and Ambassador
Pauncefote has not been published
One of the sensational papers of the
day has printed what purports to be
the text of Of the document There is
no more reason for believing this to be
authentic than there is for believing
the scandals and triviaIties put out by
the legion, daily, in the New York
papers to be records Of fact. The al
legged treaty. as published is not
NOuched for by any authority what
eyer. Gen. Tracy readily assumes that
it is the real agreement. He then as
sumes that if it be so, and if his I'M
Oscar, of Sweden, who is to be the
umpire in case of disputes, will have it
in his power to deny the application of
the Monroe doctrine in any given case
's-tSA1ilNlCN ~ al O1bI dtIOI. All, OE d1IuOSI
all, Of the public newspapers thereupon
take up the cry, solely because this
greatest achievement of modern dip
lomacY has to be credited to a Demo-
cratic administration and was carried
TO success by Democratic secretary of
state.
Every probability is against them
The published correspondence shows
that a preliminary to all nego-
tiaton was the insistence by
Secretary Olney upon the integ-
rity and acknowledgement of the
Monroe doctrine. Until that point
could be adjusted satisfactorily nego-
tiations could not proceed at all. Every
word that has come from any of the
parties to the affair indicates that the
Monroe doctrine has been accepted by
Great Britain. The comment Of the
English press, which is, at least. as
likely to know what il is talking about
as the American press, shows that this
is the universal understanding on the
other side of the water. Lord Salisbury
has been scored severely by friend and
foe alike for surrendering his opposi-
ton to this great principle of American
ism. 1t has taken many reassurances
to convince the Russian ambassador
at Washington that this concession by
Great Britain does not constitute yir-
tually an offensive and defensive alli
ance between Great Britain and the
United States, which might impair the
closeness Of our relations with Russia.
The whole discussion is based upon a
pure hypothesis, upon a supposition in
Gen. Tracy's mind upon a point he
doubtless desires, as a partisan Republi-
can, to be the truth, and assumes to he
true with all the reckless indifference
80 beth fact and national honor with
characteristic partisan Republicanism
II is, perhaps, worthy of that party
tnat it should be willing TO hazard the
failure of a diplomatic arrangement:
that is today most forcible feature
of international relations, and that has
commanded the wonder and admiration
OF, the world, and prejudice In advance
against the establishment CT the infu
ence and glory of this country. the
minds Of the ignorant public and the
befogged senate, IL thereby it could
pluck leaf from the garland upon the