The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-09-17
"A Soldering Thought. y

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ing thought, and from the fabric of
its dream snatches a few lines for eX-
hibition. But it is not a SOLDERING
thought; on the contrary, it is the
sort of thought that, bubbling up
within the perturbed mentality of the
World" has induced a state as far
as possible from sObriety, or is the
product of this lamentabie state.
The thought in question was evoked
by the following sane, proper, and
rather commonplace statement by
President Roosevelt:
We believe that the progress we have made
may be taken as a measure of the progress we
snail continue to make il the people again in
trust the GOV rnment Of the nation to our hands
We do not staHd still.
In its augUry as to what continue
ton of such progress would mean,
the World" specifies a revision of
the tarin-upward; the fOrcible seiz-
ure of slice of China, following the
conquest of the Philippines and
the establishment of a dictatorship
over the Western Hemisphere. 1t
also includes vast sums to be ex-
pended for the army and navy by
1913. Probably large sums viii be eX-
pended on the army and navy but not
more than necessary nor more than
the establishments are worth.
There is neither tendency to in
crease nor need for increasing the
tariff From high source within the
Republican party has come the sug
gestion of reducing it in some in
stances. The suggestion irritates De-
mocracy, for it desires credit for any
move in the direction indicated, and
realizes that it is helpless 10 make
the move.
The probability of Selling any por-
ton of China is as remote as that of
filing a miners claim on the noun
tains of the moon. The United
States has done more than any other
power to preserve the integrity OF
China, and by the others and by
China itself. is regarded as the first
and greatest obstacle TO encroach-
ment. The conquest of the Philip
pines" cannot in fairness be thus
termed. The islands were thrown at
us. and there could have been no
honorable evasion of the trust, com
ing as it did through circumstances
unforeseen and beyond control. To
abandon these islands to themselves,
or to the mercy of nations anxious
to COLOMBO or to obtain a hold upon
the Orient would have been an act Of
brutality and cowardice that would
have earned lasting shame.
Mention Of a dictatorship is folly
so gross as to expose the absolute
and pressing demand for a really so
bering thought" Let the World
grasp one and cherish it until
wooed back from a region tenanted
by phantoms. No inclination has
been displayed TO dictate or even to
interfere outside the limits of mani
fest propriety with any Of the lesser
governments of this continent 1t is
true that occasionally one has acted
in a fashion SO obstreperous as to
subject itself TO admonitiOn, as a mis-
chieyous urchir might be told by a
big brother to behave, and threatened
with a spanking as penalty of refusal.
Neglect to bestow this attention
would have been neglect of a plain
duty
tOn the north is the vast expanse
OF Canada, wholly without any at
tempted jurisdiction by the United
States. and on the south the teeming
states Of Mexico prosper unmolested
and unafraid. Beyond the narrow
isthmus there are republics, so-called,
with which the United States has far
less intimate relations, social, dipIo-
matte or commercial, than are held
with them by England and Europe.
Money transferred between the United
States and Brazil has TO pass through
london banks II any portion OF
South America fears the United
States it must be that It has, like the
World, grown inebriate upon
strange, psychological processes, va
carries, visions. disguised TO serve as
thought.