The herald., 1898-03-13
A FRIEND IN NEED

Events are rapidly narrowing the dis
tance between the United States and
the tight little island" across the sea.
The English are saying pleasant things
about us, and promising to extend sub
stantial aid to us in need. They are lit
orally dumping Goals of fire on our de-
voted head.
country to like the English. Our an
tipathy extends back to remote yet
memorable tea party, and even beyond
that We have several times since been
mad enough to fight them with guns and
swords, and we have fought them. Ever
since then we have been pouting at them,
as if not satisfied with the thrashing
we have always given them.
But they are getting even with us now.
by returning something we have been
loath to believe they possessed, for
something we have been calling by an
other name. In other words good for
evil.
We have increased the height of the
fence intended to shut out British man
ufactures.
We have declined to enter into an
agreement for the peaceful arbitration
of all differences between the two coun
tries.
We have made pretty hard shedding for
their subjects to the north of us, upon
several distinct lines.
We even went so far as to resent the
Interference of their minister in our do
mestic affairs.
And we read the riot act to them in
the Venezuelan matter.
However, it must be conceded that
they have, after all, been amiable only
in spots.
They have veXed us sorely in the mat
ter of preserving fur seal life in the Ber-
ing sea, displaying a good deal of stub
bornness in sustaining the Canadian
contention, and considerable dilatori-
ness in giving force and effect to the
Paris award.
They practically invited us into their
parlor to talk over the matter of provid-
ing for an enlarged use of silver, and
scalped us with neatness and dispatch
after getting US there. BY breathing
the word of promise to the ear and
breaking it to the hope, they contributed
to the miscarriage of purpose, and to the
postponement of sorely needed financial
and industrial relief, in the late ma
tional elections.
They have lately faltered little in their
faith in the stability of our institutions
and have been unloading their American
investments, with a degree of frenzy in
dicating their fear that we were going
to leave town without paying our board
bill.
But now they are smiling upon us
again. They now declare that "any
trouble threatening the United States
will be shared by Great Britain" They
are seriously considering the advisable
ity, "in view of the recognized identity
of interests of all Notwithstanding
people" of placing the services of the
British fleet at the disposal of the United
States, in the event of complications
with any foreign power"-not merely
with Spain, mind you, but with any
foreign power" That sounds like
genuine declaration of love,
Willingness to lay down their lives for us.
Next week they are going to talk silver
again in parliament, only we don't take
much stock in their silver talk. They
have their silly season just as we do, and
talk nonsense. But this time their re-
vival of the silver question will be harm
less, for we are on to their curves now.
We have seen the placard on the wall,
announcing the new rule of the game,
that the Zulu" can be played but once in
an evening.
But that aside, and we yet have abund-
ant occasion for felicitation over the at
titude of our big neighbor. We are to
have his moral support in the crisis that
is approaching, and, as we have before