The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-17

ard. IN the tdCe OF IL bAs OohiRhNS
London's demand and surrendered Ma
son and Slidell. II ours had been q
cabinet government like Ensianos 5
which provides for the discussion OF an
issue after the event instead or before
IL. William II. Seward. secretary OF
state. would have been out Of power
before Christmas OF 1861. and. TO the
civil war the government at Washins-
ton would have added an utterly nope
less war with England. what nap
pened? Before the incident was SIX
months old. the North became perfectly
we'll satisfied. on the testimony OF all
the men whom the people trusted toa'
The seizure OF Mason and Sliden was
absolutely wrong; that the vessel max
ing It was entirely without Instructions
TO do It; that the affair was In ais
| tinct violation OF the very principle IN
in~ternationa law for which the United
states had strenuously and consplcu-
ously contested. Before six months had
nassed. in spite of E%ngland's continued
unfriendliness. the remark was every
where current in this country-ahu
| thousands of living Americans remem-
Der well having heard it-"What fools
we were
But for prolonging this mornings re-
marks to undue length. the ssnoaro
might quote other pointed incidents IN
our history bearing on this matter. AS
recently as Secretary olney's time, this
-u-d oInnO the SdCe OF OUT
and-out trouble with England, In De-
half of a South American state which
by the way, is Spanish enough 10 nave
forgotten so soon the friendly service
that might easily have plunged us INTO
war. Suppose, at that time. the aues-
ton OF a war with England had been
nut to popular vote of the American
people. aroused for the monneh'.
Would II have been a vote for war;
Probably It would have been'
Just as a plan submitted this week
on the question OF territorial seizure
and involving several war possiplll''ss
vouId quite probably carry this coun-
trv,. noIls. But. one year after tins
Venezuela incident we felt sure mat d
war with England would have been q
mistake; we know now. in view OF actua
foreign-war experience, that II woulo
have been infinitely worse than folly
Our safety 4. in our system. IL i
NEXT to impossible TO commit this coun
try 10 any f~sr-reaching policy inVolV
ing nermanent results until the CUES
ton has been thoroughly campaigned
, The proposed new era" In our methoo
amounts to a revolution. 1t has IL
snrinr in the e%xuberance of patriots
enthusiasm developed by a wal II
z which we. the American people. ar
3 WINNING a CALLED and spawned powe
n which Holland could whip. or Sweder
= on a years notice, verify, provlncla
n Canada could do IL; so could Australi'
y We lay frst-elass military-power un'
e ton TO our souls over fourth-class
y m%iiitary-power achievement. Wen nc
- do IL after biding a while; we shall re
= cede from wars exalted mental franz
Is And. so, we say, the annexationist WI
q claims that to-day this country's VOC
IS would be for Imperialism II a vote wei
n taken. proves nothing; our governmer
: isn't run by the day. II is quite harm
J. less. for that matter. to let boastful e'
n pansionists have their say and glade
'e one another with their assertion OF OF
e ability to whip any foreign power c
:, earth; our people are OF a temperance
u 80 fortunate that they easily distil
guish between bravery n bravad
And, even admitting that he H rigl
, who SAYS that to-day's vote would
for schemes of reckless aggrandizemer
the man talks more practically al
more to the point whose rejoinder
,, that they won't vote II a year from
~ day or two years from so-day-ai
s they'll not be called on sooner for a q
a cision. This man comes nearer bell
n justified in his assertion; at n rate,
In has all OF this country's presidents
no his side. Before long our free peoI
rd will have learned the doctrine respe'
ne ing these proposals for the rulership
nd alien millions. Both sides will be hea
ey not one as In the noisy now-and
NAV be sure that the sid opposed
ed the rhetorical new-era efrervescence y
he not lack persuasive advocates.
OF