The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-26
THREE HoWLs at CLEVELAND.

The presidents Venezuelan message was
a bolt out of a clear sky. II consists as
little viii, o1,r ifea. OF the man. based on
his official record. as L does with our 10
tons of propriety and expectancy l,
was hailed with reclamation, and 4 SOLD
millions Of newspapers, but = was mis-
take-a saddening. amazing, Illuminating
mistake. These United States have grown
great and prosperous by mindlng the-r
own business. War has sometimes been
their business, but L has always been
based. except on the occasion Of the Mex
lean war upon obvious principles anu as
obvious necessity. When dispute IS TOO
obscure for the average American lay
man 10 comprehend, when its seat IS re-
mote in space and even more remote from
the life OF this people. when there is no
unanimity among authorities as to rs
merits such a controversy can never fur-
nish sufficient justification for the Amer
lean official who suggests war.-Dry Goods
Economist
In our view Of President Cleveland 5
message TO congress on the Venezuelan
question must be considered in every way
unfortunate. When the people of the
course which IS but one degree removed
from a declaration of war, the warrant
for the step should at least be clear and
unmistakable. In this case we are I'M
able to persuade ourselves that the right
is indlsputably on our side. Then.
also, the language in Secretary Olney s
letter was not of a character we are &C
customed to see in diplomats papers.
There are many passages in it that are
clearly not in accord with the require
ments of international comfy. In fact,
is not the whole tone of the letter more
or less offensive and calculated 10 pro-
woke hostility instead of securing friendly
compliance with our views?
The extreme. stand taken by the United
States is the more TO be regretted that,
by the admission of Secretary Olney HIM
self, in his communication TO Lord Sails
bury, the merits" Of the dispute between
the two countries have not yet been
''aUthoritatively ascertained'-that thus
far we have only the Venezuelan side Of
the question. Hitherto President Cleve-
land has always proved a safe counsellor,
and his course on public questions has
been such as TO win the approval of con-
sentative classes. In the present instance
he is committing the country TO a line of
policy most mischievous in its tendency
and effects, and which in our estimation
cannot be justified either on national or
moral grounds.-Financial Chronicle.
1t is putting the case mildly to say that
neither friends nor enemies recognize in
the Cleveland of the message about Ven
ezuela the Cleveland whom they thought
they knew. Here and there a character
istically turgid quality of style may sug-
gest his hand, but the recklessness of the
production, tested either by the standard
of morals or of craftsmanship, reveals an
entirely new side OF his character The
unthinking applause with which in very
many quarters this has been received IS
an illustration of popular heedlessness
which may well arouse concern for the
future of the republic. But Mr.. Cleveland
has changed mere radically than most
men do all at once if this will console him
for the unsUnted condemnation which
this production has elected from many OF
his most steadfast and most discriminat-
ing friends. The humiliation and amaze
ment with which these men regard the
president in his new role of reckless Jingo-
ism have been but partially expressed.
For them his assumption of r4ch a role
marks the ignoble ending of a great public
career. II reduces him TO the level of the
demagogues, who are as forward in cheer
ing him on to the execution of the dis
astrous work to which he has set his hand
as they have been in obstructing and mis-
n inc 81
Iightened craftsmanship. Cleveland was
once lauded for the enemies he made:
now he has brought himself 20 the pass
of being d.strusted and forsaken for the
friends he has gained. Among these there !
are men who see with but half-concealed !
satisfaction that he has undertaken an /
enterprise from which he can hardly /
emerge without being the target Of pOpu- !
lar execration or public contempt.-Jour- |
nal Of Commerce