The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-12-18

MIRROR Is worthy Of patronage to this
subscription published above.
The death of ex-Speaker Reed has revived the
discussion as to whether not the war with Spain
might have been avoided. It is we'll known that
Reed was opposed to the war and that he believed
the trouble could have been settled without resortng
to arms. He himself yielded to the wishes of the
House, but still he blamed Mckinley for yielding
to the will of the nation.
The Spanish war might have been postponed
had second General Grant occupied the presiden-
tia chair but sooner or later it was bound to come
It not tho result of the destruction of the Mane
nor was General Weylers treatment of the recon-
centrados responsible for it, atho these things in
famed the public mind and brought dormant feel
ings to the surface. It was the inevitable outcome
of the misrue Spain had exercised in the new world
since her mariners first set foot on tho beaches
of San Salvador Her mental attitude was and still
is to large extent medieval; it is antagonstic to
the spirit of the age The old empire tried to re-
main stationary to force evolution to pass either
side of her. It closed in and she suffered It sim
ply had to come sooner or later. The "White Mans
Burden" is not the uplifting of the other
side of the Pacifc they will shift for themselves and
find their own level in time It is the legacy Spain
has left the western hemisphere inhabitants of
Central and some parts of South America. And each
year Spain retained her power in America that
burden became heavier
The nearness and complexity of human events
makes the analysis of them difficult, but as they
recede into the distance it becomes apparent that the
forces at work in the affairs of men as in
the inanimate world of nature. There is no effect
without cause; no cataclysm occurs except the
forces behind it have been storing energy since the
beginning of time One event does not cause war:
man, unless he represents the will of the people,
cannot precipitate conflict between two races, nor
he, the other hand, do more than postpone it,
1t Mr. Reed had been president in '98 the best he
could have done would have been to leave the SUBJ
DUNG of Spain to future generation. That war
would have come sooner or later was inevitable.
THERE is no doubt about it, this is one of the
times when the average American wishes the Monroe
Doctrine possessed of elasticity not to say
discernment. Up to date the purpose of that admi-
rabIe work of craftsmanship appears to have been
limited to aiding and abetting Venezuela in her
pristine devilishness and mischief making Just now
no sane person can waste any sympathy on Vene-
zuela. The demands of England and Germany are
legitimate and reasonable, and the powers waited
long time before attempting to enforce them. From
the first President Castro's purpose has been APP
parent. He determined to force Germany and
England to open hostilities, and then fall back on
the Monroe Doctrine to save himself from the
quences of his policy The first part of his scheme
has been successful the forts at Puerto Cabelo have
been shelled by the warships and it remains to
be seen whether or not the United States can con,
tinue to remain neutral Italy has taken advantage
of the stuatonto try to collect her Venezuelan claims
and the Argentine Republic is said to be willing to