Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-11

to us to help 1t In turn, and not only every
principle of wisdom but every generous In
stinct within us bids us.respond to the ap-
peal. The conditions in Santo Domingo
have for number of years grown from
bad to worse until recently all society was
on the verge of dissolution. Fortunately
just at this time wise ruler sprang up in
Santo Domingo, who, with his colleagues,
saw the dangers threatening their beloved
country, and appealed to the friendship Of
their great and powerful neighbor to help
them The immediate threat came to them
In the shape of foreign Intervention. The
previous rulers of Santo Domingo had reck-
lessly incurred debts, and owing to her in
ternal disorders she had ceased to be able
to provide means of paying the debts. The
patience of her foreign creditors had be-
come exhausted. and at least one foreign
nation was on the point of intervention
and was only prevented from intervening
by the unofficial assurance Of this govern
ment that 1t would itself strive to help
Santo Domingo in her hour of need. OF
the debts incurred some were just while
some were not of a character which really
renders 1t obligatory on. or proper for
Santo Domingo to pay them in full. But
she could not pay any of them at all unless
some stability was assured.
Trying to Help Dominicans.
Accordingly the executive department of
our government negotiated a treaty under
which we are to try to help the Dominican
people to straighten out their finances. This
treaty Is pending before the Senate. whose
consent to 1t is necessary. In the mean
time we have made a temporary arrange
ment which will last until the Senate has
had time to take action upon the treaty
Under this arrangement we see to the hon
est administration OF the custom houses.
collecting the revenues. turning over 45 per
cent to the government for running ex-
penses and putting the other 55 per cent
INTO a safe deposit for equitable division
among the various creditors. whether Eu-
ropean or American. accordingly as, after
investigation, their claims seem Just
The custom houses offer well nigh the only
sources of revenue in Santo Domingo, and
the different revolutions usually have as
their real aim the obtaining possession of
these custom houses. The mere fact that
collecting the revenue with efficiency and
honesty has completely discouraged all
revolutionary movement. while 1t has al
ready produced such an increase in the
revenues that the government is actually
getting more from the As per cent that we
turn over to 1t than 1t got formerly when
it took the entire revenue.
This is enabling the poor, harassed peo-
pie or Santo Domingo once more to turn
their attention to industry and to be free
from the curse OF interminable revolution
airy disturbance.
Offer in Mutual Plan.
1t offers to all bona fide creditors Ameri-
can ana European, the only really good
chance to obtain that to which they are
justly entitled. while 1t In return gives to
Santo Domingo the only opportunity Of de-
fense against claims which it ought not to
pay-for now If it meets the views of the
Senate we shall ourselves thoroughly ex-
anime all these claims, whether American
or foreign, and see that none that are i'm
proper are paid Indeed. the only effective
opposition to the treaty will probably come
from dishonest creditors foreign and Amer
ican, and from the professional revolution
lists of the island itself
We have already good reason to believe
mat some OF the creditors who do not dare
expose their claims to honest scrutiny are
endeavoring to stir up sedtion in the island
and are also endeavoring to stir I'D onposi-
uon to the treaty both in Santo Domingo
and here trusting that in one place or the
other 1t may be possible to secure either the
rejection of the treaty or else its amend
ment In such fashion as to be tantamouut
to rejection.
Under the course taken. stability and
order and all the benefits of peace are at
last coming to Santo Domingo, all danger
OF foreign Intervention has ceased and
tnere Is at last a prospect that all creditors
VIII get justice. no more and no less If
the arrangement is teEmina ted chaos will
follow; and II chaos follows, sooner or later
this government. may be involved in seri-
Gus difficulties with foreign governments
over the island. or else may be forced itself
to intervene in the island in some unpleas-
ant FASHION.
independence Scrupulously Respected.
Under the present arrangement the In
dependence of the island is scrupulously
respected, the danger of violation of the
Monroe doctrine by the Intervention of
foreign powers vanishes, and the interfer-
ence or our government Is minimzed so
that We only act in conjunction with the
Sahto domingo authorities to secure the
proper administration of the customs, and
therefore to secure the payment of lust
debts and to secure the Santo Dominican
government against demands for unjust
debts.
The present method prevents there being
any need of our establishing any kind Of
protectorate over the island and gives the
people OF Santo Domingo the same chance
to move onward and upward which we
nave already given to the people of Cuba
1t will be doubly to our discredit as a ma
ton II we fail to take advantage of this
chance; for 1t will be of damage to our
selves and. above all. II will be of meal
culable damage to Santo Domingo. Every
consideration of wise policy and above
all. every consideration of large generosity.
bids us meet the request of Santo Domingo
as we are now trying to meet It.
so much for one feature of our foreign
policy Now for one feature OF our domestic
policy. One of the main features of our
national governmental policy should be the
effort to secure adequate and effective Sill
peTN!sofS ana regulatory control over all
great corporations doing an interstate busi-
ness.
Legislation Ineffective.
Much of tie legislation aimed to prevent
the evils connected with the enormous de-
velopment of these great corporations has
been Ineffective, partly because 1t aimed
at doing too much and partly because it
did not confer on the government a really
efficient method of holding any guilty cor
poration to account.
The effort to prevent all restraint of com
petition, whether harmful or beneficial has
been ill-judged; what is needed is not so
much the effort to prevent combina ton as
a vgilant and effective control of the com
blnatlons formed. SO as to secure lust and
equitable dealing on their part alike toward
the public generally. toward their smaller
competitors and toward the wage workers
in their employ.
Under the present laws we have In the
last four years accomplished much that is
of substantial value; but the difficulties in
the way have been so great as to prove
that further legislation Is advisable
Many corporations show themselves hon
orabiy DESTROYS to obey the law; but. I'M
fortunately some corporations and very
wealthy ones at that. exhaust every effort
which he ~ no biuia