The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-12
FRIDAY, FEB. IL, 1904.
is 1T INCREDIBLE?

Inc apprehension LnaL PFeSl0enl
Roosevelt is an unsafe" man to have
in the executive chair is explained and
justified by the situation at this mo-
ment We think neither friend nor en-
envy will deny that if President Nc
Kinley were alive, or if almost any
other of the great party leaders of to-
day were in the White house, the mere
suggestion that the United States
could by any possibility get itself in
volved in the Eastern war now raging
would be laughed at as the illusion of
a mailman.
So it deserves to be. We have no
more part or lot in this matter than
if it were a smashing collision between
the asteroids. 1t would be the most
monumental crime of the century were
the peace and property and lives of
this country to be placed in the slight
est jeopardy because Russia and ia
pan are fighting over Korea and Man
churia. Yet it is the plain truth that
wholly satisfied and secure upon this
point today.
With disturbing iteration the rumor
comes from Washington again and
again that the United States may pos
sibly be drawn into the Eastern trou-
BILE. 1t rests principally upon the
nf
known character. That he would do
this thing wantonly and wickedly we
do not believe. That he is very likely
to do it with equally criminal conse-
quences, solely because of the defects
of his character and mind, we think
very probable. The government has
certainly taken one step already to-
ward getting entangled in this ques-
ton by calling for the limitation of the
conflict to the areas Immediately in
volved, and for the maintenance of
China's integrity. Morally considered,
these ends are wise and well enough;
but what business have we with
finger in the pie?
The step simply discloses the danger
of the situation. This lies in Presi-
dent Roosevelt's restless conviction
that he has somehow been appointed
the agent Of Providence for carrying
out upon earth large plans invisible to
other men, and that he is the custo-
dian of the rights of civilization. des-
tiny and those other vague and coIos-
sal forces which ordinary men are best
satisfied to let alone. When a man is
ridden by this nightmare, you know
not what he may do next. Judgment
and the sense of responsibility and the
care Of mighty interests yield to an
impulse that is essentially fanaticaI.
If the conscience of President Roosa-
Velt-for he has a conscience-was
sufhciently scared by his untamable
disposition to carry him through the
scandalous Panama episode. whittier
may 1t not now lead him and us?
1t is certainly the part of every true
American to sound the warming and to
be prepared to resist and to thwart anv
policy or any step looking toward our
ENHANCEMENT in the war now under
way. Nations get involved In outside
squabbles almost always without i'm
mediate and direct intent. Some rash
or careless meddIer commits a country
to an act or an expression which tha
body of its people, if consulted. wouId
never have approved. Having been
done, however, national pride imme-
dlately flames out after the fact. The
country is felt to be the country. after
ALL and must be supported, right or
wrong. Better to fight in a bad cause
than to yield to outside pressure. is
The dictation of human nature; and so
"iiii0ns Of lives and treasure may be