New-York tribune., 1900-04-18
THAT CHICAGO INVITATION.


The emotions expressed by the Duke of ARGOS
upon the receipt by him of an invitation to at
tend the Chicago celebration of the anniversary
of the battle of Manila Bay were entirely natu
raj. He was quite justifiable in deeming such an
invitation an insult provided 1t were Intention
ally sent to him. and he Is to be credited with
n fine bit of courtesy in processing to assume
that 1t sent to him by mistake. 1t would
be pleasant, for both shames and charltys
sake, to put that construction upon the episode
and let 1t pass into swift oblivion. Such
course indeed the Mayor of Chicago properly
sought to pursue. Unhappily, the chairman of
the Invitation Committee renders it impossible
With an obtuseness and faulty which seem
almost incredible he declines to profit by the
Dukes generosity, but gives 1t to be under
stood that the invitation was Intentionally sent
TO the Duke. and expresses surprise that the
Duke should have felt aggrieved.
We must therefore reluctantly conclude that
there are those, or at least Is one. who can see
no impropriety in inviting a man to rejoice in
his own misfortunes, or in asking nation
through its official representative to join in
jubilee over it's own humiliation and vast be-
reavement Such is the unenviabe distinction
which an officer of this Chicago celebration
claims for himself. Well, there is cause for
thankfuness that only one city and not the
whole Nation, is involved In the discredit But
from the melancholy episode others than the
people of Chicago may perhaps learn userul
lesson. There is-nOt only in Chicago-a too
common tendency to seek personal distinction
or to give undeserved prominence to a function
by inviting as many prominent people as pos
sibe, without regard TO the prOpriety Of their
attendance. 1t Is easy for altogether in
significant individual TO lift himself into at
least momentary prominence not by his boot
straps but with his pen All he has to do is TO
invite the President. or the popular hero of the
day, to his chowder party. If the invitation be
accepted his fame Is won. If 1t be declined, he
can at least get some passing notoriety out of
that fact.
Now the truth IS that it was not only an I'M
speakable breach of manners and sense to in
vite the Spanish Minister to celebrate the de-
structon of the Spanish navy and the loss OF
the Spanish colonial empire, but it was or
rather worse than doubtful propriety to Invite
to that celebration the representative OF any
foreign Power. During the Spanish war all
such representatives maintained an attitude of
neutrality. 1t was incumbent upon them to do
So Is it not patent that such neutrality must
be maintained to q considerable extent after the
war? If any foreign Minister at Washington
had run up flags and illuminated his house upon
receipt or the news OF dewey victory Ill May,
1898 his diplomatic career would probably have
come to sudden end Whatever may happen
! century hence it certainly would be almost, if
not quite, equally improper for him to celebrate
thus the second anniversary of that victory. 1t
would be the manifestation of spirit which
Spain might we'll deem unfriendly to her. And
il Is not the business of an Ambassador TO this
country to express hostility to any third Power.
or to identify himself with National eXulta-
| ti0ns in our own victories over a third Power.
1t Is not satisfactory 10 explain that the cee-
bratio is not intended to express exutation over
Spain. 1t is absolutely inevitable that it should
largely have that character. II Is at any rate i'm
| possible that any foreigner. Spanard or other,
| should fail thus to regard It. Perhaps some of
| the people of Chica go do not regard it. They
! NAV deem it n celebration of the success Of
| their drainage canal jubilee over Chicago's
recovery from the big fire. We do not know 1t
| is all too common, there as elsewhere, to mis-
! take or ignore the real purport of anniversaries
| Decoration Day has been abominably perverted
! for example, from day of solemn and pathetic
| memorials to a day of rOllickng revelry and
sports. Thanksgiving Day. too has lost almost
| the last vestige of it's true purport. But such
facts are no excuse for pervCrSioDs such as this.
! If q dav is to be observed at all it should he
in the proper spirit. with full regard to the cir
cumstances which suggested setting it apart for
celebration. And invitations issued for any oc-
casion should be dictated supremely not by q
sprit of sef-expoitation but by a thoughtful
and iudicious sense of fitness and propriety.
| Under such rules of action this Wretched affair
| Of Chicago and the Spanish Minister never
| could have occurred.
| oNL on TUE TNnJ-STPJ