The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-10
AN oBsoLEsCENT DOCTRINE.

Events have brought the Monroe doctrine
under discussion again. Whether the dis
cussion is due to Secretary Roots recent
statement that If we expect to maintain
the doctrine we will have to fight for it,
or whether 1T grows out of Germany's colon
izing movement in Brazil or the rumored
negotiation for the purchase of the Danish
West Indies does not matter. 1t takes very
little to bring the Monroe doctrine under
discussion. 1t is on tap all of the time.
and a turn of the spigot sets 1t running.
1t is a very much overworked doctrine. and
as it has lone duty for -three-quarters of
a century under a great variety of circum-
stances Ii is worth while to inquire whether
we had better not formulate a new doc
trine for the twentieth century. In fact,
1T is worth while to inquire whether the
Monroe doctrine is not a~ntiquated, obsolete
and played out. Without asserting positive
ly that this is so let us consider the matter.
For a growing nation and progressive
people we Americans are wonderfully sub
ject to cast-iron dogrnas and doctrines.
4iiAo II paity OWAuS O0i Con-
s~ervatism and partly to our reverence for
the doctrines of the fathers. This is an
admirable trait, but 1t may be carried to
an extreme. Times change and we must
change with them. Conditions at the end
of the nineteenth century are very differ
ent from those at the end of the eighteenth.
What may have been the ultima thule of
political wisdom a hundred years ago may
be untitled to the present times. The Con-
stitution of the United States. wonderful
spect. and worthy of reverence, has some
serious defects Of omission in matters re-
iating to present conditions which could not
be foreseen or provided for when IL was
formed. IL it's trainers were doing the
work over again in the light of a hundred
years of national experience and progress
they would do it differently in some re-
spects and would insert some important
provisions concerning conditions which did
not exist when the Constitution was
framed.
The political conditions OF the present day
and those which prevailed when the Mon
roe doctrine was promulgated differ beyond
the power of anguage TO describe. New
nations. new governments. new dynasties.
new interests. new policies, everything has
changed. A glance at the conditions under
which the doctrine was proclaimed in 1923
will show how completely they have
changed. After the overthrow of Napo-
leon. France. Russia. Prussia and Austria
formed the so-called Holy Alliance in
September. 1916. for the suppression of rev.
olutions within each others dominions
and for perpetuating peace. The Spanish
colonies in America having revolted, II
was rumored that this alliance contempIa-
ted their s~ubjugation, although the United
States had acknowledged their indepen-
dence. The Holy Alliance was a Catholic
alliance. George Canning. English secre-
tary OF state. proposed that England and
America. two Protestant nations. unite to
oppose Intervention by the Holy Alliance
with the revolted colonies of Spain. After
consultation with several American states
men OF the period President Monroe In
serted q declaration of the doctrine In hts