The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-03-21
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ROOSEVELT AND LOOMS.

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Washington Post on the Santo Domin-
go treaty. That paper warns the
people against the results likely to
follow the ratification of this protocol
They will be undesirable to the peo-
pie, especially those OF the south, and
will be dangerous to the whole II
try. The Post declares hat Secretary
Hay in making denial of the charges
that the treaty vas drafted in the state
department and that 1t was in
tended to be ratified without being
submitted to the senate, was Amisled
by some sinister influence" n was
kent I'm ignorance of certain cable
grams sent to Minister Dawson and
Commander Dillingham; who negotlat-
ed the treaty with President Morales.
In other words. President Roosevelt
and Mr.. Loomis, Secretary Hays chief
subordinate, worked the scheme Sc
cretly, keeping in perfect ignorance
the man whose duty 1T is to transact
such business and whose privilege it
is to know what the government is
doing through his department. Under
ing that Secretary Hay contemplates
resigning from the cabinet. He finds
himself ignored by the president and
superseded by a subordinate IN con-
Quoting a very important negotiation,
with a foreign government.
The attempt t O put this treaty in
effect without the consent Of the SEN
ate was a proceeding which the pres
ident knew would not receive the
sanction of the great diplomat at the
head of the state department; there
fore Mr.. Roosevelt called to his as
sistance a more willing tool, one On
whom he knew he could depend to
carry out his wishes in this wildcat
scheme OF establishing a protectorate
over Santo Domingo merely by exec
rights of the senate.
We think the public las the right
to demand Of Mr.. Hay, and hat lie
owes it to himself. that he publish
those secret cablegrams and give the
full history of the negotiations.
If any one in the state department
sake of the country that it will be
Mr.. LOOMS and not Mr.. Hay. The
country would not like to see the
former an charge of the foreign af-
fairs Of this government under SD
strenuous and aggressive a president
as Mr.. Roosevelt. We might expect
any day to be placed in awkward po-
sition toward some European power.
That pair would make history with
a vengeance.
The editorial comment of The Post
on this matter is as follows:
It is reported that a majority of
republican senators are trying to
make the Santo Domingo treaty "a
party question:" and attempting to re-
quire the surrender of their honest
convictions in this matter by more
than one republican senator a test of
party fealty Such an attitude seems
to us so unworthy of the dignity OF the
senatorial office in questions affecting
our foreign relations. and such poor
party policy. that we can hardly credit
the rumor.
In the first place., the republican
no ,txr will oc a roc111f re ,otifri1r 4 hic
treaty sooner or later, be adding two
millions more to our present negro
population, for which the United
States is responsible. Surely the grave
and threatening problem that popula-
ton presents is already difficult
enough of solution without adding to
it; nor will we believe that any south
ern senator will vote to add the ne
groes of Santo Domingo and Haiti to
the vast numbers of that race now de-
manding what they consider their po-
litical rights-thus greatly adding to
the danger Of that as yet unsolved
problem. We ought first to decide
What is our proper attitude toward
the negroes now under the flag before
seeking to bring an additional horde
under it.
In the first place. such a policy
makes h republican party response
BILE for undertaking the collection of
ali the of Santo Domingo for
the payment of alleged Indebtedness
to European Spectators and adven-
turers, without IN preliminary inves-
tigation into the alleged r|ottenness of
such indebtedness. If this is an hon
est proceeding. why not investigate
first and hen act, if investigation
shows action to be necessary. instead
of acting first and investigating after
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