The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-12-09

POLICY TOWARD OTHER NATIONS
OF WEST19RN HEMISPHERE
1t is not irue that the United States
feels any land hunger or entertains any
projects as regards the other nations of
the 5ne we western hGmisphere save sucn as
try desires is to see the neighboring
countries stable, orderly, and prosper
GUS, Any country whose people con-
hearty friendship. If nation shows
that 1t knows how to act with reason
able efficiency and decency in social
and political matters, If IL keeps order
no interference from the United States.
thrh lic wrongdoing or an impotence
which results in a general loosening Of
the ties of civilized society may in
America, as elsewhere, ultimately re-
quire Intervention by some civilized ma
ton, and In the western hemisphere the
adherence of the United States to the
Monroe doctrine may force the United
States, however reluctantly, in fragrant
cases of such wrongdoing or impotence,
to the exercise of an international po-
lice power. III every country washed by
the Caribbean Sea would show the pro-
gress In stable and just civilization
which with the aid of the Platt amend
ment Cuba has shown since our troops
left the island, and which so many OF
the repulics in both Americas are con-
stantly and brilliantly showing, all ques-
their affairs would be at an end Our
interests and those of our southern neigh.
borS are In reality identical. They have
great natural riches, and If within their
tains, prosperity is sure to come to
them. While they thus obey the pri-
mary laws of civilized society. they may
rest assured that they will be treated
by us In spirit of cordial and helpful
sympathy. We would interfere with
them only in the last resort, and then
only If 1t became evident that their in
ability or unwillingness to do justice at
home at abroad had violated the rights
OF the United States. or had invited for
eign aggression to the detriment of the
entire body OF American nations. 1t is
a mere truism to say that every nation,
whether In America or anywhere else,
which desires to maintain it's freedom,
It's independence. must ultimately real
ize that the right of such independence
can. not be separated from the respon-
sibility of making good use of 1t.
In asserting the Monroe doctrine, In
taking such steps as we have taken in
regard to Cuba, Venezuela, and Pana-
ma, and in endeavoring to circumscribe
the theater of war in the far east, and
and to secure the open door in China,
we have acted in our own interest as
well as in the interest of humanity at
large There are, however, cases in
which, while our own interests are not
greatly involved. strong appeal is made
to our sympathies. Ordinarily II is
very much wiser and more useful for
us to concern ourselves with striving
for our own moral and material bet
terment here at home than to concern
ourselves with trying to better the con-
dition Of things in other nations. We
have plenty of sins of our own to war
against, and under ordinary circumstan-
ces we can do more for the general up
lifung of humanity by striving with
heart and soul to put a stop to civic
corruption, to brutal lawlessness and
violent race prejudices here at home
than by, passing resolutions about wrong
doing elsewhere Nevertheless there are
occasional crimes committed on so vast
a scale and of such peculiar horror as
TO make us doubt whether 1t is not our
manifest duty to endeavor at least to
show our dlsapproval of the deed and
our sympathy with those who have
suffered by It, The cases must be ex-
treme in which such a course is jus
to remove the mote from our brothers
eye If we refuse to remove the beam
from our own. But in extreme cases
action may be justfable and proper
What form the action shall take must
depend upon the circumstances of the
case; that is, upon the degree of the
atrocity and upon our power to rem
edy it. The case in which we could in
terfere by force of arms as we interfer-
ed to put a stop to intolerable cond-
tons In Cuba are necessarily very few.
Yet 1t is not to be expected that a peo-
pie like ours. which in spite of certain
very obvious shortcomings, nevertheless
as whole shows by its consistent prac-
tice It's belief In the principles of civi!
and religious liberty and of orderly free
dom, people among whom even thC
worst crime, like the crime of lvnching
Is never more than sporadic so that indi-
viduals and not classes are molested in
their fundamental rlghts-it IS inevitable
that such n nation should desire eagerly
to give expression to its horror on an
occa sion like that of the massacre Of tho
Jews in Kishcnef, or when It witnesses
such systematic and long-eXtended cruel
ty and oppression as the cruelty and op-
preston of which the Armenians have
been the victims. and which have won
for them the indignant pity of the civil
iZcd world.
Even where 1t is not possible to secure
IN other nations the observance of the
principles which we accept as automatic
it Is necessary for us firmly to insis'
upon the rights of our own citizens
without regard to their creed or race,
born here or born abroad. II has proved
very difficult to secure from Russia the
right for our Jewish fellow-cltizens to
receive passports and travel through
Russia territory, Such conduct is not
only unjust and irritating toward us
but 1t Is difficult to see its wisdom
ceivabe good Is accomplished by II. If
an American jew or an American Christ
ain misbehayes himself in Russia he can
at once be driven out; but the ordinary
can Christian. would behave fust ahou'
any good citizen ought to behave and
auy good citizen ought to behave ana
Where this Is the case 1t is a wrong
against which we are entitled to protest
to refuse him his passport without re
gard to his conduct ana character mere
ly on radical and religious grounds.
In Turkey our difficulties arise less
from the way in which our citizens are
sometimes treated than from the indig-
nation inevitably excited in seeing such
fearful misrule as has been witnessed
both in Armenia and Macedonia
TIE NAVY.
The strong arm of the government in
enforcing respect for its Just rights in
international matters is the navy of the
United States. | most earnestly recon-
mend that there be no halt in the work
of upbuilding the American navy. There
Is no more patriotic duty before US
as n people than to keep the navy adc-
quate to the needs of this country's po-
sitiou. We have undertaken TO build the
lsthmian Canal We have undertaken to
secure for ourselves our just share In
the trade of the orient. We have under
taken TO protect our citizens from i'm
proper treatment in foreign lands. We
continue steadily TO insist on the appli-
cation of the Monroe doctrine to the
western hemiphere, Uuess our atti-
tude In these and all similar matters is
to be mere boastful sham we can not
afford to abandon our naval programme.
Our voice is now potent for peace, and
is so potent because we are not afraid of
But our DrOtpStaIiOnS uDOn behalf