Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-12-13
The limited States and The Beer War.

Inc OUNGO ot0ASS eho s"S wv
Bourke Cochran appears to be re-
tanned for the Eoer cause, and u GER
tainly is a subject that affords VIDE
ouportanities for the display Of his .lo-
,t,,euce. m a recent speech lie says:
providence has 50 ordered events
that the President Of the United states
can compose this bitter quarrel. 1t is
an extraordinary opportunity offered 10
an extraordinary man. II would not
be necessary to draw the sword, 20
make any threat OF armed intervention,
or to take an unfriepdiy attitude. one
word spoken 10 thc' EngliSh ;tInnaSsa-
cor or in the hearing ot th> t.u@iish ma
lion would restnr;e peace. cStao!iSh JUS
lice, secure liberty to thes, hurEAcrs.
promote enormously the prosperity Of
rh,. human race. and bring imm"a-ur-
able glory to the American nation
VIII that word BE- spoken? Never in
history have such molnentCrS results
hung on the lips Of 4 human being
Will Theodore Roosevelt inrro&" this
opportunity for himself his country.
and tie whole human race"
Very beautiful. and Very s"uorors:
,}tt Mr. Cochran fats 70 Si. MS the
Inasc2! word. which. falling from the
lips Of President Roosevelt IS Ia pro-
duce such marvellous effect upon
puenacious ana tenacious "lG l:ueitnd.
Neither docs he make il eCtilciy 'lcar
where Tie " iut" rL,uau rI''.' = :" 10
- .,rcltiy banc'i',I. # ~ rri..' .''!
correctly Americans were rs much
aliens in the Transvaal rs Englsi!men.
They were permitted TO n%T taxes but
he Eoers reserved the exclusive ri%nt
10 say when and whore and EoW they
should be expended. They built bcau-
tlful schoohouses and hired capable
teachers. ana :hen h. i;ocr st"I'rcd iE
and insisted that all instruction. given
in the schoolhouscs they had built BY
the teachers they had hired shou!d hs
in the DutC:l language. Since Iii" W"r
mas been on. the Beers have rvinccd
Willingness to make concessions on tha
suffrage and tn. right Of English
speaking people to educate their chill
dren in their own way. II these liberal
views had come to them /" h.tle sooner
it is possible that they might never
have needed Mr. Cockrau's eloquencc.
The whole, world can but admir-. the
desperate valor with which they have
defended their cause. There ar" many
admirable traits in these people: but
Ih,. fact remains that At the begin
ming Of the war their government al
though nOminally a Republic vas 4
hundred years behind that OF England
in point of liberalty. They wrr9 2
well meaning people: but c!annisA.
could not bring themselves to see
wherein the foreigner whom the. had
admitted to their country was entitled
10 any special considerat ton. TO them
ne was always an "out-lander. The
idea Of assimilation vas Ut
terly beyond the pale Of their consid-
ttdtlo'i. MS WIS perhaps tltiI HIS
fortune rather than their fault. Their
mode Of life while it vas We'll calcu-
lance. and to build NJ within their
breasts a spirit Of religious devotion
that was both decp-scated and genuine,
did not tend to promote political lib-
-rality. Perhaps the lessons of war
may have done this The friends
whom these people hay" made in their
tenacious and courageous
struggle against vastlv stronger
power will earnest, hon. that such
may be the case
Ii is natural for III, dsinterestnd
sympathies Of the strong To go out -
the weak. 1t il not wise. however. 70
permit sympathy To blind us to the
logic Of the situation, or To impei III 10
IN unwalranted interference" in other
peoples affairs. However bitter th,.
desperate struggle now going on III
'ut'i ~ ~ iilstN i''th1li'', me i1''f -
mains that the interests of this cnun-
Try are not directly involved. AMI that
F'e are by no means without troubles
If our own.
If it Wer" possible Tor This country
by any exercise OF its friendly Offices to
brin" the War in South Africa to an md
on basis o. mutual concessions On the
part Of The contcnGins parties. ana
ipon terms alii;e honorable. to both. it
would indeed y" 2 noble achievement.
II, however, this is not possible. nnth-
Ing remains fer rs save to continue
the same attitnd" Of neutrality that is
observed ny III" rest of the world.
lie estimated cost Of the Nicaracuan
canal is ls9,S64.o62 The owners of