The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-23
DISHONEST CRITICS.


An examination of the text of the ar
bitration treaty, as it has been given
TO the public, adds to the amazement
with which the ordinary citizen views
United States senate and elsewhere. 1t
is more than ever clearly apparent that
these men are animated by personal
and unworthy motives Some of them
hate Cleveland; others. Of them hate
Olney; others are willing to please the
lingo. whether it costs this country
blood and treasure and honor or not.
Still others are inspired by that mean
est of all motives, WILLINGNESS TO
defeat the greatest achievement of the
age, If a Democratic administration can
be robbed Of it's triumph Aside from
these petty, selfish unpatriotic and ig-
noble feelings, there is not discoverable
in the treaty itself the slightest reason
for a single objection to it, Indeed, if
it be open to criticism, it is rather be-
cause it has seemed to guard too care
fully against possible surrender by
either party Of any right that might be
of value.
All pecuniary claims not exceed
Ing 100000 in aggregate amount.
and not involving the determination of
territorial claims, are to be dealt with
by court consisting of one arbitrator
nominated by each nation, who shall
be jurist of high repute and an UNI
pire selected by the two. All pecuniary
claims exceeding 100000 in amount.
and all other matters not involving the
determination of territorial claims are
to be submitted to tribunal consisting
Of five jurists of repute, two chosen by
each OF the contracting parties and the
n1th by the four thus mentioned A
controversy involving the determina-
ton of territorial claims is to be sub
mitted to a tribunal of six members.
three of them judges Of the supreme
court or the United States, or judges
OF the circuit court, and the other three
Judges of the supreme court of iudica-
ture, or members of the judicial COM
mittee of the privy council. Award in
such cases, in order to be final, must
De made by a majority Of not less than
five to one. In case the first two fri
bunals mentioned, or either Of them.
Iall to agree upon an umpire. then
such umpire is to be appointed by King
oscar of Sweden and Norway, These
are the main points of the treaty. al
though there are other details provid-
ing for Withdrawing from unsatisfae-
tory awards or ARRANGEMENTS and linn
lung the whole arrangement to five
years.
NOW, of all absurdities, the charge
that this confides the national honor IN
the keeping Of a foreign notenta+a
"hlch is the main objection to the
treaty, is the most absurd. In the
nrst place, these fiercely patriotic gen
tiemen appear to have forgotten that
whenever important differences have
peen settled by arbitration in the past
IL was by precisely this method. Some
representative of foreign government
mas been called in to act as unnire in
case OF failure to agree. So the oh
Jectlon to the part played by the king
or Sweden and Norway is purely ffcti-
tlous and forced. On the other hand
this objection is forestalIed bv the fact
that the treaty itself, in constituting
three separate tribunals. in exc1udirc
any representative Of any other power
Whatever from that court which is TO
pass upon matters determining terri
torial limit, and in the requirement that
TINS tribunal of three American and
three English judges must vote at least
nVe to one in order to settle anything
exposes the extraordinary hardihood
and mendacity of the pothouse poIiti-
clans who are spouting about the
abandonment of the Monroe doctrine
ana the surrender Of our rights to
the Whims of a foreign potentate.
We wish that every American citizen
might read this treaty and see that
his personal approval of arbitration
"hlch must be felt by every right
minded man, is matched by the re-
mafKapIe care with which this agree
ment mas been so drawn as to prevent
the possibility of a sacrifice of the in
terests OF either party to the ambition
or greed of the other There has been
no more despicable exhibition of ner-
sonal and political malevoIence in This
country, and of a willingness to defeat
the ampltlon OF two nations and check
the progress of the world. than tho
hue and cry against this arbitration
treaty, which ought to doom every man
VINO has Joined in it to permanent re-
tirement to private life.