The record-union., 1898-06-09

effect an ally of the United States. and
a most useful one, and lays itself open
to Spanish hostility and to interference
from other powers. If the Hawaiian
Government should refuse us coal, har-
borage. etc, we should have great dis
advantages in carrying on our Philip
pine campaign.
1t therefore becomes a matter of in
terest to ourselves and of decent regard
for Hawaii to annex the islands at
once. No power can or will object to
that, and we can then use the islands
as our half way house and base of
supplies. If, as now seems probable,
We retain the Philippines permanently
or for any considerable time, the pos
session of Hawaii will become practic-
ally Indispensable. 1t is time to dis
card antiquated ideas Of policy in favor
of those adapted to the real conditions
in which we find ourselves placed.
IRISHMEN AND ALLIANCE.
Stockton Record: Chicago Irishmen
have exploded prematurely against the
proposed British alliance. If such an
alliance ever becomes desirable it will
be entered into regardless of the oppo-
sltion of any of the elements" that
would be ruling elements in American
politics. The Chicago contingent was
violent in it's denunciation, but did not
advance single argument against the
proposition. They cited traditions and
pleaded sentiment only which are just
as strong and just as weak as the lone
language and one religion" twaddle;
but the American people consult rea-
son, not feeling, in such matters and
the Chicago Irishmen did not urge any
of the many and powerful reasons why
such an alliance is undesirable.
THE CHAMBERLAIN PROPOSAL.
Stockton Independent: Sir Charles
Dixie, the prominent Liberal member of
the House of Commons, wants the Gov
ernment to fix a day for discussing
Joseph Chamberlain's now famous
Birmingham speech. The Government
members were not averse if the House
wanted the discussion. 1t is not prob
able that Sir Charles Dixie wanted to
antagoniZe Chamberlain's programme
but merely desired to draw the Gov
ernlnent out in regard to its plans. 1t
is probable that no doctrine has been
announced in England for a century
that is so popular in all parties and
with all classes as this suggestion of an
alliance with America. But there is a
deep cunning in Chamberlain's propo-
sal. Beyond any probability of secur-
ing American sanction to this scheme
was the test it afforded of the sincerity
and candor of Irish members as to
their loyalty. The members of the
Irish party have been so unreserved in
their praises of America in the past
that a closer alliance with the nation
which some Of them had held as an
ca Ia tad TO
sincerity. Some of the Irish members
were caught by the ruse and disclosed
their antagonism at once.
LET US BE CONSISTENT.
Los Angeles Herald: The most nat
ural thing in the. world is the solicitude
felt in the financial circles of France
for the integrity of the Spanish Sc
curities which they have always held,
and of which they assumed an addi-
tional load when the shrewder English
investors began to realize, at the break
ing out of the war. France has always
been Spain's principal creditor The
decadent Spaniard has always been a
borrower, and the thrifty Frank as
proverbially prone to turn a nimble
centime from his neighbor's misfor-
tunes. The transactions between the
gitimate, and it is not unreasonable for
the creditor to view with apprehension
any event which promises to lessen the
value of his security. When it comes
to obligations of gratitude, one nation
to another. the score is decidedly
against the United States. Our indebt-
edness is Of long standing. A serious
draft has never been made upon US
our obligation at this time by display
ing little patience and little for
bearance toward an element of the
French people which has got tangled
up with Spanish as, little charity for
a people who have very naturally come
in contact with a Latin buzz saw, and
who, without committing any overt
acts against the United States, are yet
hoping we will forbear licking the Don
so numerically that he will not know
a Spanish security when he sees it.
DEFINING THE MONROE DOC
TRINE.
Los Angeles Express: It is a ridicu-
lous idea that the United States cannot
consistently maintain an aggressive
policy in the Orient without abandon
ing the Monroe doctrine. This idea,
broached by Eastern anti-war neWspa-
pers, has lately been taken up by Ger
man and French papers that lean to-
ward Spain. Starting with the assump-
ton that the Monroe doctrine implies
quasi-protectorate by the United States
over all the American republics, it is
argued that we have no business to
NEEDLE in affairs of the Eastern hemis-
phere.
All argument Of this kind is based
upon misconception Of the tenet enun-
ciated by President Monroe and upheld
by his successors. Both at home and
abroad as we learn from newspapers,
the notion widely prevails that the
United States assumes to be both