The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1895-03-21
NATIONAL CAPITAL,
rhe President and His Secretary
of state Said to Have Had
Stormy Interview.
secretary Gresham Was Preclpi-
tate In His Demands Upon
spain In the Alliance Case.
Especial Correspondence.1

A verbatim report of Mr.. Cleveland's
conversation with Secretary Gresham
concerning the diplomatic happenings of
the past week would unquest,onably
make what the late Horace Greelv would
have called mighty interesting read
ing," but as neither of the principals in
that interview are likely to tell what
was said the country will have to wag
along without the knowledge, 1t has
leaked out, however. that Mr.. Cleveland
thinks 1t would have been Just as well
had Secretary Gresham, who is still far
from well. not been in such hurry to
prepare and send that demand to the
government of Spain, and that he would
have been better engaged in trying to
nurse back his strength.
Allowing that the facts are as thew
have been stated by the captain and
| other officers of the Alliance. the Ian
guage of Secretary Gresham's demand
for an apology from Spain and for the
issuing OF such orders to the commanders
Of Spanish warships as will make # cer.
tain that no other vessel flving the II
S. flag and engaged in legitimate busi.
ness will be fired upon was ali r,oht
although unnecessarily strong. hnt
there was no occasion tor such undue
haste. Americans with all their other
faults are credited by all the world with
love OF fair play. 1t is therefore un-
fortunate that an American secretary
OF state has been guilty OF Threatening
weaker nation upon an ex parte state
ment OF case. in the face, too, of an
assurance from the Spanish minister tina +
ne would present statement of the
other side as soon as the Spanish author
tiles IN Cuba could communicate with
the gunboat which is charged with hay.
ing fred at the Allienca, and OF the
trrther assurance from the Spanish min
lister that his country would apologize if
the hiring had taken place as charged
unless it could be justified in manner
satisfactory to this government. While
it was thoroughly undiplomatic for the
Spa nish minister to have publicly cr,ti-
cized Secretary Gresham's action in ig-
norlng his assurances and MAKING q
direct demand, which really is an ulti.
matum upon Spain, it certainly is not
surprising. One docs not cease to be q
man upon becoming diplomat, whether
he tie Spanlard or an American.
Inc commissioner OF pensions has met
another defeat in court, and it is the
belief OF lawyers that it furnishes a pre-
cedent tor the restoration of every pen
! sion which has been reduced or stopped
since Dec. IL, 1898, until after the pen
sIoner has been served with the legal
thirty days notice containing a full and
true statement OF any charges or allepa-
tlOns upon which it was proposed TO
reduce, modify or drop his pension. The
case IN which the commissioner Was
defeated was that of Gen. William
Shakespeare, of Michigan, whose pen
sion YVES reduced from $72 to $50. Tine
commissioner ackno wledged in his
answer that the contention of Gen.
Shakespeare's counsel as to the thirty
day notice was correct. and stated that
the pension had been restored.