The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-02-19
INTERVENTION
IS UNSUITABLE
Blackstone Holds that the United States
Would be Justified in Intervening in
the Mexican Scrap.---His Paper Read
Before the Chautauqua Circle.
A LOGICAL ARGUMENT

"A few weeks ago. the members of
the Chautauqua Circle listened to a
lively debate between the ,oratorical
giants of that body; the discussion
being whether or not the United
States government weuld be justl-
fed in intervening in III the Mexican
fracas, which Is just now agitating'
the public mind.
The battle lines. were closely
drawn and the chapel floor cleared
for active conflict. The affirmative
army captained by that patriotic
and ever ready vallient commander
Blackstone" made the attack. The
opposition, led by. the mighty and
graceful hurler of forceful adjec-
tives, General Pendennis, met them
bravely, meeting argument with ar
gument. assertion with more asser-
tions and--finally won the day.
But laying all jokes aside. the. de-
bate was we'll worth hearing, and it
demonstrated the fact that the mem
bers of our prison Chautauqua are
up to the minute in both oratorical
ability and the ability to express
their ideas regarding matters Of
public concern.
Below we give Blackstone's views
of the situation, which our readers
will find we'll written and inter-
esting paper
Our duty to Mexico and to those
foreign governments which have
entrusted the care of their citizens
to our keeping, demands that the
United States shall by force of arms
end the bloody civil war now rag
ing in Mexico. Our right to inter-
vene rests Oh the broad structure of
the Monroe doctrine; for nearly one
hundred years of glorolus upholding
of this doctrine, foreign nations have
respected and obeyed it, and now
at this moment our opponents in
this debate maintain that the vital
element in this. doctrine shall be
eliminated and the fruits of one
hundred years of strenuous di.
plomacy be thrown to the winds.
Gentlemen. this argument can
win no support from you because
logic of the situation demands In
TERvENTION.
Our Foreien Policy.
The very structure of our foreign
policy rests on the solid foundation
of that doctrine that proclaims to
foreign nations hands off''-Amer-
lea for Americans. We have forced
this policy upon foreign govern
ments and they have accepted it as
final.
A necessary corollary is the pro-
lection of foreign citizens and their
property. We cannoi permit the
landing of foreign soldiers, hence
we must, if the Monroe doctrine is
to be maintained, intervene and af-
ford protection to all who need it.
If we shamefully relinquish this
right to intervene 1t will only be
question of a few weeks at the most
when European countries will GER
tainly interfere in the government
of Mexico. Even the blindest must
foresee, that if we do not restore
peace and good government in Mex
leo, then an army of allied powers
will presently be marching on the
devastated City of Mexico. just as
in 1901 such an army marched to
the stricken city of Pekin. Then,
what becomes of the Monroe doc
trine? The moment an allied army
takes it's forward step on Mexican
soil the Monroe doctrine is a thing
of the past; we are then deposed
from the proud place we have as
sumed for one hundred years. and
the American name goes down in
the first deep humiliation of it's his
tory.
Our opponent will no doubt try
to convince you that Mexico is not
worth the life of one of our citizens.
That Is true, measured in money,
but when did this nation ever COM
mence to measure its duties by the
dollar standard? This is a question
of principle, and for the maintain
ance of our principles we have been
willing to waste dollars like dirt and
spill blood like water and, may we
never see the day when true Am
erican is un willing TO spend his last
dollar, and pay the last drop of
his blood whatever the cost, TO up
hold the honor, the dignity and the