The sun., 1900-12-07
An Unexpected and Momentous Sit.
uatiOn.

The Republican platform Of 1895. upon
which Mr.. MCKINLEY was elected for his
first term. declared that all our interests
in the Western Hemisphere should be care
fully watched and guarded" The Hawaiian
Islands should be controlled by the United
States. and no foreign power should be-
permitted TO interfere with them" They
are now so controlled. The Nicaragua
canal should be built, owned and operated
by the United States" That declaration
was made squarely in the face of the Clay
ton-Bulwer Treaty, which not long before
had been described by JoHS SHERMAN, WILL
LIAM VI. EvARTs. GEoRGE +. EpMUNDs and
WILLIAM p. FRYE as extinct and inopera-
tive, either in view of public law or good
morals. For the defence of the Nicara-
qua canal we should secure by the pur-
chase OF the Danish Islands "a proper
and much needed naval station in the
West Indies" We have acquired in another
way that naval base in tlt West Indies
for the defence Of the futurN canal. We
reassert." continued the Republicans at
81. Louis, the Monroe Doctrine in il. full
extent"
That platform breathed Americanism
IN word and in spirit. No human being
before the advent of the Hon JoHN HAY.
would have dreamed of interpreting the
ownership of an American canal as
meaning a mere trusteeship for the benefit
of the worlds commerce without sover-
eign possession. or of interpreting con-
troll" as meaning mere administrative
agency under the supervision Of a concert
Of foreign powers. and without sovereign
dominion.
The Republican platform OF 1900 ventured
upon no contradiction OF that OF soc. II
likewise asserted d" our s,eadfast adherence
10 the policy announced in the Monroe Doc
trine," Its declaration concerning the
canal was this: We favor The con-
struction, ownership. control and protection
Of an isthmian canal by the Government
OF the United States"
In the ordinary American sense of the
words this means much. In the John Hsv
sense il means little save decentralization.
Tor the introduction Of European control
Of an American canal across American
territory is nothing more or less than the
abandonment Of steadfast adherence to
the Monroe Doctrine.
The unsatisfactory character of the
Philadelphia declaration Of 1907. as COM
pared with the St Louis decaration Of
1890. Is due simply To one fact Between
those dates SECRETARY of State appointed
by President MCKINLEY to succeed WILL
LIAM X. DAY had come over from London
to Washington. lmpeiled partly by ao-
Anv
by personal pride of initiative. he had
undertaken OF his own motion and on his
own responsibility to reverse the obvious
American policy regarding the defunct
Clayton Bulwer Treaty He had aban-
doned the position held by not less than
four Republican Secretaries Of State re-
Gently his predecessors In office He had
consulte British interests rather than
American interests He had gone TO work
with Lord PAUNCEFoTE to frame a new
treaty which. II ratified. cures the notorious
violations OF good faith by which Great
Britain forfeited yenrs ago whatever right
she ever had To cite the Clayton Buwer
convention Of 1850 as an agreement binding
on us. The Hon. JoHN HAY did all this.
and did it behind closed doors. And when
he had finished his work and announced
another triumph for American diplo-
macy the character Of his achievement
was speedily discovered. TO the indignant
surprise of the country and the serious
embarrassment Of Mr.. MCKINLEY's Admin
lstration and Of the Republics party.
Such were the circumstances under which
the canal plank was written in Philadelphia
last June. No wonder il had 10 he written
so vaguely rs IN he unsatisfactory to
American sentiment.
These declarations ot the Democratic
platform. on the other hand. are both posi-
tive and right; and they commend them
selves at once to Americans irrespective
of party:
w. insist upon the strict maintenance Of the Mon