Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-03-30

For the United States.
The use of the senate's dislike OF
the Santo Domingo treaty We're sup
| Piled by the president himself. In
making this statement we allow full
| weight to Secretary Hays disclaimer
for his department and for the presi-
dent of any antecedent knowledge of
| the celebrated memorandum Of a pro-
| posed agreement" drawn up and exc
| cuted by Commander Dillingham; and
Mr.. Dawson. The making Of that
agreement, which was to take effect
on Feb. 1 without the advice or con-
| sent of the sente, was an act of the eX-
ecutive department. 1t was the act OF
| government officers within the control
! Of the president. Their act on coming
to the public knowledge was not at
once disclaimed by the executive. 1t
| was thought sufficient for Mr.. LOOMS
to explain that the memorandum
would find it's way to the senate in due
time. Moreover, a dispatch manifestly
authorized and inspired at the state de-
partment on jan. % and published in
the columns of the New York Trib-
n on the following day conveyed to
the world the information that in view
Of the gravity Of the prevailing condi-
tons in Santo Domingo 1.-The president
has deemed it wise at this time to as
sent to the strongly expressed wish Of
the Dominican government for the
fiscal arrangements provided for in the
protocol.
With the best disposition in the world
toward the president and his agents
and advisers, many senators find it i'm
possible to rid themselves of the be-
lief that an attempt was made to
make a treaty with Santo Domingo
and to establish control over the fiscal
affairs Of that republic without con-
sulting the senate.
When the treaty of Feb. Z had been
drawn up in due form and submitted
to the senate it was found to be in
many ways so defective and objec-
tionable that the ~unfavorable impress
sion created by the memorandum es-
capade was deepened. The senators
were amazed that the president should
ask them to assent to the principle
that the Monroe doctrine binds us to
consider as an unfriendly act any at
tempt on the part Of a European cred
itor nation to collect just debts from a
spanish-American republic.
All that preposterous stuff was struck
out, and other amendments were made,
but the treaty still suffers from the
discredit of the circumstances which
gave it birth, and Furthermore it ap-
pears to be the judgment Of the SEN
ate that the executive department has
i'not maturely considered where and
how far the policy established in this
treaty will lead us or whether it is to
u advantage to establish and follow
it even for q limited time and a lin
tied distance.
The haste, the heedlessness and the
irregular name in which the proposal
to entangle ourselves with the affairs
of Santo Domingo has been brought to
the attention of the senate and the
country have sufficed to make the
treaty unacceptable. All these errors
Of procedure are, of course, chargeable
against the executive department, and
they were all committed by persons
who if they were not acting under the
direction Of the president were at
least fully within his control. If the
treaty is dead it is fair to say the pres
ident has killed it. He has also suffer
ed an evident reverse at the very first
attempt to apply to our relations with
u smaller sister republics the princi-
n1nc orf1 tho 1nufrinn nf ro1icy which
he has often and somewhat emphatical.
~ enunciated in public utterances.
= 1t is no doubt true, as Senator Spoon
1 er pointed out in the debate on the
treaty, that the relations Of the mis-
governed or u~ngoverned and semi
bankrupt little republics of this hemi-
sphere to their creditors across the wa
f, ter will always be a source Of uneasi.
ness and of possible danger to us un,
less we can in some such way as that
sought to be provided in the case of
Santo Domingo assume control ovel
them and arrange the payment Of the
debts.
To assume control over the customs
revenues and a large part Of the ex
p]enditures Of these republics or of any
Of them, however, to guarantee thei,
domestic tranquility and to undertake
the sitting and auditing Of claims pre-
sented against them or any Of then
is q new venture for the United States
Secretary Seward made such an offel
to Mexico when that republic was
threatened by Great Britain, France
and Spain forty years ago, but thu
creditor powers withheld their assent
Santo Domingo is eager to make til.
arrangement, and If we make it will
n there is no logical reason why W,
should not make it with all.
The scope Of the new policy broad
ems rather startlingly as we contem
plate the possible field Of its applica
ton. 1t is not strange that the sena
tors hesitate. They are justified il
feeling that the country has not hat
time to make up it's mind. The treat,
will go owe to the next session; tn
people will think about it; the senator
: will have the whole summer for deliL