Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-10-12

Would Make Us Collecting Agent Of
Bad Debts For All Nations-LoS> of
Trade and acknowledgements Dinictlt
TO Evudc the Certain Outcomr.
Senator Lodge in his defense OF the
Santo Domingo treaty declares that
every Democratic senator is opposed to
its ratification. 1t is Well to inquire,
therefore, what that treaty portenlS
and what it will eventually demand OF
the United States in the South A"lcr-
lean republics to the south of her. Sell
ator Lodge says:
I'VE cannot throw our shield owe:
the islands of Santo Domingo and Maj
tt and say to the world. You shall No.
come into those islands: YOU shall do
nothing there and yet stand by our
selves and see them all fall deeper ana
deeper into a hopeless anarchy. We
have imposed upon us Il responsibility
for the maintenance of decency and
order on the borders of the Caribbean
sea which the building of the Panama
canal makes the American Mediterra-
mean. The Santo Domingo treaty is the
beginning of a great policy, one to
which we must come sooner or later
This policy, therefore, if carried out
will entail IN the United States the
management of all the republics whose
financial affairs are disturbed, so that
they cannot Immediately pay their OBJ
legations, or which do any overt act that
is distasteful to other countries or to
their citizens who may be residing
there or doing business there that
brings them into contact with the gov
eminent. In fact we undertake to be
the guardian of the countries to the
south of us. We must see they pay
their debts, however fraudulent. We
must compel them to behave politely
and impartially to the people of all ma
lions that may venture there.
We must act as policeman for all
these turbulent countries, and the job
may keep us quite busy. Already we
are embroiled with Venezuela and
have just sent a war vessel to the Mic
arauguan republic to enforce our de-
mands. Most Of the troubles between
these countries and ourselves and with
European nations is brought about by
"loan sharks" who charge exorbitant
interest and commissions, sometimes
ing to the needs of the borrowers, and
when there is a revolution III foot.
which is not seldom, the demand for
cash to either buy the revolutionary
leaders or arms and ammunition to op-
pose them is so urgent that bonds are
sold for what they will bring. In some
cases the officials decamp with the pro-
ceeds of the bonds to other and less
dangerous realms and then their sue
cessors in the government are called
upon to pay.
If the Santo Domingo treaty is rati-
fed We virtually undertake to manage
the affairs Of that semicivilized people
without any advantage to the United
States and the certainty of having dis
putes with them in due time, when
force will be necessary to bring them
to see they must submit and pay up.
Under such circumstances they are
quite likely to boycott American goods,
and we will have to force our products
upon them at the cannon's mouth or
see other countries monopolize their
trade.
This is what Senator Lodge describes
as a great policy" of which the Santo
Domingo treaty is but the beginning,
and he and some of the other Republic
an senators have inveigled President
Roosevelt into fathering it. 1t is a pol
inJ of DrQQ1 O1.i ina Nv. ,1,.rol ~, now
s%tituents of Senator Lodge and others
who have invested their money in
, bonds and secured other concessions
from Santo Domingo and other coun-
tries, and he people of the United
States are to be tied up With a contract
to act as collector and enforce specific
, performance.
5 h Democratic senators very wisely
decline to enter upon this great pol
I ICY" which will prove very expensive
r without a chance Of any compromising
advantages. The big stick policy is
full Of peril for the future. 1t entnn-
giles us with other countries in Il way
\ that will surely lead to trouble. All
! the chancelleries of Europe are secretly
4 laughing at Gun strenuous e%ndcavors to
f borrow trouble and pull some Of their
burned chestnutS out Of the fire. Once
committed to this great policy by
treaty. VIC cannot withdraw without
humiliation, and that our pride would
e hardly allow us to do. All the fathers
4 Of the republic. from Washington to
: Lincoln. have warned their countrymcn
against just such a great policy as
> we are now threatened with.
Democrats of the senate, stand tc
your guns!