The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-21
Mere PettifoggiHg.

With the gracious permission of the
Dispatch The G l o be submits that it
is entirely irrelevant to the question
at issue whether The G b is unique;
whether it opposes the war; whether
Democratic conventions approve Of tho
war, or what may be the attitude of
the New York Evening Post. All these
things may be true or they may rot
be, and it would make no whit of differ
ence with the truth or error of the
statement that the Republican party
by its majority in congress, has formal
ly discarded the Monroe doctrine from
national policy. Believing that there
is no more important present question
than that, involving as it does an en-
tire change of policy in our foreign
relations, we shall insist upon it's being
adhered to to the exclusion of all ex-
traneous matter.
The Dispatch pleads mon assumpsit;"
that is, we gather from it's argument,
that the Monroe doctrine was not
premise merged into contract with
the Holy Alliance that, if it would de-
sist from aiding Spain to reconquer
her revolving cclcnies we, on our part,
would never interfere with the possess
sions on this hemisphere OF any Euro
pean nation. Having set up its man
of straw the Dispatch proceeds to
knock it over with what of dizziness it
possesses. No one has ever contended
that the Monroe doctrine was a prom
Use or formed a consideration for a con-
tract; but, We believe. it was left for
the Dispatch to discover that it was
''but a mere declaration of present in
tention." 1t should be sufficient refuta-
ton of this to say that neither Mon
roe, the European powers nor any ad-
ministration of this country down to
McKinley's so construed it. Mr.. Clevr-
land certainly did not. It was made
and has always been regarded as a
solemn, definite declaration of perma-
nent national policy. 1t was a notifica-
ton to all the world that the Western
hemisphere was consecrated to repub-
lican government, excepting those por-
TONS held by Old World monarchies
Where democracy had obtained footing,
there it should remain. Where mon
archy still held possession, ''we have
not interfered' in the past land shall
not Gin the future) interfere"
1t is mere pettifogging to say that
I'VE had then and have now the right
to intervene between belligerents war
ring on this continent when necessary
for our own safety" when the PROPOSE
ton is put forward to cover the present
case. We have not interviewed to make
these belligerents stop fighting; we
have espoused the cause of one and or
dered the other off the hemisphere. We
have done more. An expedition is now
on it's way to Puerto Rico to drive out
its foreign owner, although there are
there no warning belligerents" endan-
gering our safety" There no op-
pressed people were struggling for free
dom. Peace, quiet and contentment
existed. And still, in hot haste, as il
peace might intervene before the APP
preparation were completed, the admin
istration lis rushing troops to the con-
quest of that island. Whatever Of
FEASIBILITY there is in the contention
based on Cuban conditions, none what
ever can be found in the Puerto Rico
phase. What shreds of the Monroe
doctrine We're left by the war resolu-
tons are torn off and cast away by
the invasion of that island.