Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-03-18
The Monroe Doctrine

Two eminent Americans expressed themselves in
public lately on the subject of the Monroe doctrine.
Ambassador Page. in an address in London, descria
ed the doctrine: TINS =; 8 W. sEt.fssF
'Tne United States would prefer that no European
governments should gain moro land in the new
world"
Former President Taft, in a lecture delivered at
Amherst, Mass, said this: Y.
I'VE have maintained it for 100 years without
firing a shot, and why should we abandon it now
when it stands as an effective warning to bid Europe
to keep its londgrabbing out Of America?"
To show that Mr.. Page was in euphemistic. not
to say jocular, mood, it is only necessary to quote
President Monroes language. in laying down his
famous doctrine. 1t runs: ,~1r<
The american continents by the free and indie.
pendent condition which they. have assumed and
.aain,a:!. arc h~enceforth not to be considered as
81 j,,:s for future colonization. by European pow
KS. " " g We should consider any attempt on
their part to extend their system to any portion of
this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and
safety. n With the; existing. colonies or dependencies
of any European power, we have not i%nterfered and
shall not:interfere. But with the governments who
have declared their independence. and maintained
ii, andslEhose independence we have, on great con-
sheraton, and on just principles. acknowledged,
we colldanot view any interposition for the purpose
OF o%pprnssing them. or controlling, in any other man.
ner, thalr destiny, by. any European power, in any
other light than as the, manifestation Of an unfriend.
~ disposition toward the United States g " 8"
Mr.. Pages would prefer translates thus into
"Thou skslt not; and Europe has always understood
the translation.
Mr.. TAFT is right. We have never had to fire a,
shot o.smaintain the Monroe doctrine. and only
twice hayc had occasion to announce ourselves ready
to do 10 One announcement was made to Louis
Napoleon, and that sufhced to bring his operations
in Mckee to a Close, and the other was made to
Great Hrhain, and that suficed to bring about ar5i
tration"nf the boundary dispute between that govern.
ment and the government of Venezuela.
In the Venezuelan case. Mr.. Cleveland was criti-
cised for The stand he took by some prominent Amer
lean newspapers. But public sentiment in this country
applanded him. In fact, that episode today stands
out luminously from the welter Of disaster that
marked his second administration. He touched the
pride OF the country without regard to party; anu
had Great Britain accepted his challenge the country
would have supported aim in whatever might have
followed. S&H
1t is not likely that the Monroe doctrine will be
abandoned now or soon. Such a thing would not be
attempted without consultation with the electorate;
and the proposition IL submitted at the polls wonlo
be rejected overwhelmingly.
This issue has never entered distinctly into any
of our national campaigns. The; first campaign aftcr
Mr.. Cleveland's Venezuelan message-that of 1885,
was fought on the silver issue, with the Monroe doc
trine quite lost in the shuttle. But il our Mexican
embarrassments continue. and the issue of Panama
canal tolls is not satisfactorily settled at this session
Of Congress-. we shall hear no little from the stump
next fall about the duty of this government toward
maintaining and encouraging republican forms o.
government in the western hemisphere.