The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-05-17
CURRENT COMMENT.
MONROE DOCTRINE AS A CATS.
PAN.

PAN.
(Nsw York Commercial Advsrtissr.)
The Monroe Doctrins 10 likely 10 be
worn oct in the service of men who want
TO get bills passed. secrssary Root used
unOffioially. His country men shrugged
and smiled, but foreigners wondered
when We were going 10 learn internation-
al good manners with our International
or course, Mr.. Root
meant no III to any body In Europe: he
ouly wanted 70 strengthen his army re-
bill--a very good bin. too,
Lodge brandishes the same Monroe Doc
trine In the face Of ths sane truculsnt
Power for another worthy object; to try
20 put an end 10 the armor plate deadlock
and allow construction OF the navy to
proceed. The American public has great
pride and 10 terest In the navy, and q
sneaking kindness for the Monroe Doc
tfiue. but this Is the way to make 1t very
sick OF both. Nobody cares much for the
feelings OF Gevmhny. This 10 fayorits
trick OF the emperor and he deserves to
have It returned to him. He 10 always
raising the cry OF war or danger to Ger
man interests to get an army or navy
bill voted. But IL makes our own gov
ernment and our own people little too
ridiculous. Even when foreigners under
stand 1t. their oontemptuous tolerance
should make rs blush.
THE BoERs AND INTERVENTION.
(Bsston TTansoript.)
The answer TO the pleading Of the Bears
for our Intervention has already bean
given. We have completed 10 officially by
our friendly SER ioes In the transmfttal
Of proposals, which were at once declined
~ Great Britain. IL takes the acceptance
OF two powers to enable third to act as
llgsrents has positively refused the offer.
hat refusal put an end to our friendly
services. We can do now NO more than
we did then without taking q dangerous
departure from our national policy OF
non-intsrventiop In the affairs OF the Old
World. That departure would involve
our choosing bstw cen accer ting q rebuff
In silence. or taking up arms to make
good our pretensions to aojudicate
quarrel In which we had no concelvabls
public Interest. An individual who
would intervene In the quarreIs Of others,
but shrinks back on the brink OF fight,
and goes on his way In peacs, thanks
cannot do the same thing without show
ing itself craven In the eyes OF world
apt to rem emil Der the precedent. Such a
nation invites humiliation, and usually
has not long to wait for 10.
POST CHECK MONEY.
boston Transcript
Everyone must sporsoiate the diff guilty
of sending small sums OF money by mail
and all have logged for some form of
postal currency which will be always
to tbs post office % taking tue risk OF
sendipg bills or silver In letter. What
Is kpown as the MoMillan.Ientz bill.
now before Congress proposes to I'LL this
Iong-Sslt want BY the issue Of money
which may be converted into check BY
the act OF the sender, and which shall be
generally used In business transactions.
It is Intended TO substitutes for all out
ct sndipg money Of the 81, 90 and Is de-
nominations currency OF likc'den0mina-
lions containing blank spaces which can
be filled In by the holder, and which then
become oheoks on ths Government. In
the ordinary course Of buainess such
money may bs used By anybody. When
one 10 filled In. 1t becomes personal
cheek. redesmnbl, at the post office. or
payable through the bank In the usual
manner. The check thus made Is oan-
celled at the post office, and In due time
goes to the United States Treasury for
BY new blank curFenoy..of the
same denomination.
~ u tlso ptoPuseus w tne paii, 70 ibsue
$50, 600 600 OF fractional currency Of the
same ohara ,tsr, In denominations OF i've,
ten, twenty-five and fifty cents. This,
however, IL not to replace tbs present sil-
yer currency, but to take the place Of the
same amount OF bills Of denominations
greater than $40 II suoh fractional our
reney IL to come into general uss, how
the smaller silver currency. The pro-
moters Of the plan seem to think that the
fractio nal currency is far more necessary
In business transactions than the large
BILLS. But 1t Is not with the large bills
that such money Will come into competi-
tion, and It would seem, therefore, that
II the people are to have this money con-
at hand to uss In the malls. IL
will have to take the plaoH OF an equal
amount Of silver.
Thsrs are risks, net all to be foresesn,
that the proposed ensctment will be too
radical q departure In the use OF our cir
oulating medium, notwithstanding that
the ordinary paper money Ii nothing
more nor less Than the Government's
check, payable 10 bearer. That such q
check should be made payable only to
one individual would not entail any great
change In private person way Of doing
business, while Il would greatly faoili-
tate those small transactions which de-
pend 80 largely upon the oonvenisnt use
Of the malls. There Is an objsotion to
the plan In the fast that such paper
money might not long remain clean
enough to serve rs o check to be written
upon. Possiblv ways might be devised OF
meeting this difficulty. In the smaller
Sen ordinations. at least, the inareas ID
use OF this ourrsncy for mail TRANSACTIONS
wsuld result undoub tedy In the daily
Of large quantity Of money.
bringing new and clean currency at once
into circulation. The present inoonvsn-
fences OF sending small sums BY mail
should be done away with, either In this
maner or some other.
PIL3RIM FATHERS.
Portland Colony, No. s, United Order