The Irish standard., 1900-05-05
ABANDON DOCTRINE OR FIGHT.

MShllllSy SECRETARY VI Wal, DclOlG
banqueting plutocrats at the Waldorf
Astoria in New York City on the night
of April 81, which has attracted atten-
ton in both hemispheres. The bellicose
gentleman who took the place of Russell
A. Alger, of embalmed beef fame, said
more than he intended after getting his
brain inAaned with champagne, and is
now trying to evade the responsibility
of his utterance by claiming that his re-
marks were garbled in the newspapers
The following words OF his were taken
down by shorthand reporter:
mo intelligent man can read the
signs of the times to-day and not realize
that the hour is coming, and coming be-
fore many years, when we, the Ameri-
can people, will be forced either to aban-
don the Monroe doctrine or fight for it.
Should that happen, are we going to
abandon the Monroe doctrine? Never.
We may have to fight for it, but we
can never abandon it. Should such a
crisis find us unprepared, o, what would
we not give then for one hour of Ulysses
Grant?"
What did Secretary Root mean? Some
think that it was hit at Germany's
scheme of colonization in Brazil But
the Berlin papers deny that there is any
official intention to found independent
colonies in the great South American
republic. Others think that the secre-
tary expressed the personal convictions
of President Mckinley, who is quite
anxious over the disposition by con-
grcss of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty, and
who has been informed by John Hay
that the United States cannot proceed
with the construction OF the Nicaraguan
canal without inviting France and other
continental powers to enter protest
that will lead to war unless the United
States is prepared to abandon the Mon
roe doctrine. 1t is said that France has
treaty with Nicaragua whose terms
give the big European republic rights
and powers in any canal that may be
projected which the United States could
never recognize. She is to enjoy equal
privilege with Nicaragua in the matter
of tolls. to have the power to land SOL
diers under certain contingencies, and
always to enjoy an open passage for her
ships of war. Mckinley and his pro-
British secretary of state want England
as partner in the canal scheme and are
cxerting every influence they possess in
favor of the Anglo-American treaty.
Therefore they directed Secretary Root
to sound the alarm at the New York
banquet in order to impress the senate
with the idea that it is absolutely nee
essary for it to act Immediately and rat
lily Secretary Hays diplomatic entan-
clement and to pass the Nicaraguan bill
before adjourning.
There are others who think that Sec
rotary Root, as the mouthpiece of Nc
Kinley, was driving at something else,
though he has since declared that his
remarks we're rather of "an academic
nature" The imperial party in this
country wants an increase in the army
and navy to such an extent as to make
the republic great world power for
conquest and spoliation. Whatever the
people may think OF charging the navy
for the protection of the country from
foreign aggression they are decidedly
opposed to big standing army which
would be menace to themselves if TN
der the control OF an ambitious presi-
dent like William Mckinley, who is
merely the puppet of the moneyed class
es. who are bent on the acquisition OF
foreign territories for their own selfish
ends. If the imperial policy of the ad-
ministration is endorsed by the people
this FALL the Monroe doctrine must be
abandoned or they must fight for it at
some future time. If this republic gets
entangled in foreign complications by
the policy now pursued by Mckinley
and his masters, European nations will
be apt to ignore the Monroe doctrine.
II this republic attends to the govern
ment of its own people on the western
continent and abandons the Philippine
policy and the intermeddling in Asiatic
affairs, the continental powers of Eu-
rope and our would-be ally, England
will regard the Monroe doctrine with
profound respect. Ii the infamous policy
Of the plutocracy is continued why
should not European powers scott at
our doctrine and fight us if we don't
keep off the eastern continent? They
have just the same rights here that we
have there. Ii we remain at home and
withdraw our army OF occupation from
the Orient as soon as possible after al
lowing the Filipinos to govern Them
selves in any way they deem proper,
there will be no occasion for increasing
the regular army to more than it was
at the breaking out OF the Spanish
American war. If the country is ever
menaced by foreign foes there arc mil
lions of citizens ready to grasp their
rifles and protect their shores from in
vasion. But the powers that be at the
J. IL = ~. sass II = =.