The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-09
sEA1rLE, FRIDAY. FEBRUARY Q.



Against Reason. Justice ana Policy.
The politicians who are urging the
United states TO offer mediation In the
South African war are Ineligible.
They. as every one knows, want merely
ID embarrass the administration. They
are ms well aware as any one OF the inn
propriety and impossibility OF the ac-
tion which they suggest. But II will do
for political purposes II the adminis-
tration declines, as It must do, then
they can claim that II is because Mr..
Mckinley and his advisers are Sin SYM
patty" with Great Britain. and this can
be used ~ 9 campaign cry. This. we
say. II Inteitlgfble. 1t IL not lofty poll
itscs. but II Is up TO the level Of any
thing OF which Democracy ~ at press
ent constituted In capable.
The sympathy and support given by
others. and some OF them well-meaning
people. to this movement Is not intelli-
gible. For II II against reason, against
justice and against policy. 1t Ia against
reason because there 10 nothing In the
ufages Of nations to warrant II. The
oiker Qf mediation. II should be UNDER
stood. comes only with propriety upon
request from one side or the other.
When that point is reached. the mediator
IL possible. Even then the task Ia a
delicate one, to be discharged with
great caution under penalty OF giving
offence. But unless that condition ex :
lists. an offer OF mediation Is mere
gratuitous irnpertinence: fruitiess OF
good to either party. subjectlng the In
tervenor to criticism and exposing him
to nj win from both parties to the dts
pute.
The proposition is also. under pres
cnt circumstances. against justice,
The parties 20 a war have right 20
have their quarrel undisturbed by for
eign Influences and sympathies or an
tagoninms. We have but 10 east men,
DRY backward little way to see what
this may mean. when we were at war
with Spain. the continent was secured
By emssaries OF that power to bring
about some Intervention. Even an offer
~ mediate on the part of any other
ration would have been taken by spain
a. distinct gain TO her. II would
have disclosed sympathy. II would
have contained something of hidden
menace 10 us, Even our enemies refused
% interfere. Least of all did Great
Britain ever contemplate such action.
All the world stood aside 10 await the
hsuc OF the quarrel II would be the
height OF imprupriety and the depth
cf meddiesomeness for us now to adopt
the rode toward others which shey re
fused TO al when our interests were at
stake.
The idea Of mediation is contrary 10
public policy in It's widest and best
sense The advocates Of {, point TO the
agreement Of the peace conference at
The Hague az their warrant and justi-
foation On the contrary. " negatives
their idea most completely. They seem
10 have forgotten that there was a
special section added 10 the conclusions
OF that conference. framed by our DEL
egataa. signed BY them, and forced upon
the others as statement OF our posi-
ton. I, reafilrmed the Monroe doctrine
In It's sroadest definition. II announced
that no moyemen, m the interest If
peace should be construed as warrant
,nr Interference with our paramount,
rights ON the American continent II
also pledged us specifically asainst en-
tanglemsnt abroad or meddling with
the aaalrs 81 nations in another hemis-
rfer-, '
AVA & asnact repress feeling OF wonder
tbat these plain and binding consider
atoms working TO our interest and our
xssd as directly IS to that Of others