The record-union., 1899-09-15
A PROPOSAL TO BE FOOLISH.

The people who are moving to boy
cott the Paris Exposition because of
the outcome of the Dreyfus case, are
playing with fire. A more unwise and
unwarranted proceeding it would be
difficult for the imagination to conjure
up. Whatever the sentiment concern
ing the Dreyfus case, it should not
lead US to fool-making. Boycotting is
two-edged. It rarely swings the saber
in single direction. When it is in
ternational in form it has much Of
boomerang characteristics.
However strong the sentiment in the
United States against the action taken
in the Dreyfus case, no call of humanity
demands that we should place ourselves
upon foreign altar of sacrifice. 1t
cannot benefit Dreyfus by so much as
a jot, while it may infinitely injure
ourselves. Besides, all such retaliatory
procedure is infamous. The boycott
loses nothing of its infamy, wrong and
injustice because invoked or employed
in the Dreyfus case.
This burning of the French flag in
the streets of American cities; this
threatening to withdraw our an
swer to the invitation to partici-
pate in the Paris Exposition, be-
cause a French court-martial has tried
and convicted man according to the
forms and laws Of that country, and
with which the French people are ia
miliar and content, is all disgraceful,
and when the heat of passion has
passed will be regarded by us with
shame.
Since the foregoing was prepared
news comes of action on the part of the
Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce by
which it is proposed to appeal to the
California Commissioners to. suspend
preparations for California's represent
alton at the Paris Exposition next year.
The stated reason for this position is
that the conviction of Dreyfus is
great wrong done by the French Re-
public, and that California should man
ifest its disapproval of it by using it's
influence to prevent the success of the
Exposition
1t may be conceded that the proposal
testif1es to the profound sympathy Of
the movers Of it with those who are the
victims Of Injustice 1t may be granted
that it is testimonial to the breadth
OF our humane instincts, and that it is
IN a sense, indicative of the cIoseness
with which human beings in this age
are drawn together in sympathetic
bonds But with all this taken for
granted, there is no justification for
accompanying our expressions of SYM
pathy with threat relating solely TO
business.
II may be a question in impartial
minds whether the much protesting of
those not Immediately concerned. does
not give reason for the injustice that
has been visited upon Dreyfus. We
have been told already that but for the
intermeddling of Historically SYM
pathetic people Dreyfus would not have
been convicted.
we are very likely to make ourselves
ridiculous by the attempt to boycott
an entire nation. France has met
many another crisis; sustained shocks
more severe than that of the Dreyfus
incident; passed through them safely.
and is still great nation of refined
polite progressive and gallant people.
her methods of conducting examina-
tlons before courts and civil and mill
tary do not accord with our views Of
right and justice but the methods are
CT their own adopt ~: they are content
With them and as they use them
against none but their own, they are in
position to ask us very pointedIy and
CT ectly why we concern ourselves.
The attempt to boycott the Jnrerna-
tlonal Exposition will fair We all
know that That great fair and ex-
change will be carried forward, and it
VIII matter very little to the French ma
ton whether California is represented
IN 1t or not. But it does matter much
TO US. Hysterical exclamations on our
part will not disturb French serarit,,
at the exposition. but our absence after
going as far as we have. will be the
means OF making US a laughing stock.
10 say raothing of depriving us of all
the prospective benefits of representa-
ton. and which promise induced us to
set aside a large sum for proper ex-
position of California products at that
worlds fair upon European soil.
So far as sensational incident is con-
cerned France is seldom without one.
If it were not the Dreyfus case it would
have been something else. In the very
mature of French institutions and the
character Of the French temperament.
these sensational affairs are constant.
But this does not alter the situation so
1ar as the exposition is concerned.
France is~ literally promoting what
Will undoubtedly be the greatest ex-
position of production and manufacture
the world has seen. We have been in
vited to there make a showing of our
claims for the worlds attention. We
have accepted, very glad to have the
opportunity, and now at the last mo-
ment, because a court-martial in
France has found guilty a man whom
we believe to be innocent. it is proposed
that we shall withdraw our acceptance
and refuse to "go to the party" Such