Show DEFINING THE MONROE DOCTRINE down and To any one who will sit calmly read the message of President Monroe in which he puts forth the celebrated cele-brated doctrine that bears his name that doctrine will seem perfectly clear I and easy of comprehension Within a than month it has become more famous ever because of President Clevelands invoking of it in the Venezuelan boundary boun-dary dispute so famous that public men are anxious to link their names shine from its reflected with that they may flected glory Within the week there have been two sets of resolutions Introduced into Con The I gress to define anew this doctrine resolutions of Senator Sewell were in the nature of a condemnation of Mr Cleveland and may be regarded as a party measure They are restrictive of the doctrine as enunciated in the Venezuelan message Friday the senate committee on foreign for-eign affairs adopted a resolution drawn up by Senator Davis the full text of which has not been made public pub-lic The telegraphic synopsis of it shows it to be even a broader interpretation inter-pretation of the Monroe doctrine than Mr Cleveland gave It The resolution it is said asserts that when disputes on the American continent between foreign for-eign governments and American governments I gov-ernments are decided by arbitration i agreement purchase or in any manner man-ner whatever the United States shall j be the sole judge as to whether the Monroe doctrine has been violated in such arbitration or agreement The telegraphic synopsis further says that this means that arbitration or agreement agree-ment between foreign governments and governments on the American continent conti-nent as to boundary disputes cannot become binding or effective unless sanctioned by the United States and that this government must be satisfied I that no part of the American continent conti-nent has been ceded to a foreign power I by such arbitration or agreement Whatever else this doctrine of the Davis resolution may be it Is not the Monroe doctrine nor the doctrine that President Cleveland invoked and championed cham-pioned Mr Cleveland was particular to draw the distinction between the peaceful and warlike acquisition of territory ter-ritory Assuming the telegraphic account ac-count to be correct what does this Davis doctrine assert It practically asserts that the independent and sovereign sov-ereign governments of the American continent are not independent and sovereign sov-ereign for a single limitation on their powers deprives them of independence and sovereignty Under this new doctrine doc-trine it would be an impossibility for France which is a republic to enlarge en-large her Guiana boundaries by friendly friend-ly negotiations and purchase unless the United States government should consent and France were not willing to make enemies of us and go to war Moreover this new doctrine will have the effect to alienate the republics of Central and South America from the United States rather than to draw them to this government If this government gov-ernment should see fit to dispose of Alaska to any foreign government no matter what its form we would brook no interference from the republics to the south of us And in this case can we demand for ourselves more than we concede to our sister republics In American polity the Monroe doctrine doc-trine stands out as clear and distinct as Teneriffe rising from the ocean It should not be beclouded by commentators commenta-tors It requires no definition it only needs enforcement |