Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-03-23
GRESHAM AS A ANdo.
Cleveland said to be wrOthy-ImpOr-
tant Pension Decision.
IFrom cur regular correspondent. !

~9's'e ~ W Vfotuy -tHhpoF-
tant Pension Decision.
From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, March 1s-A verba-
tim report of Mr.. Cleveland's CONVEX.
sation with Secretary Gresham con
corning the diplomatic happenings Of
the past week would PROFESSIONALLY
make what the late Horace Greedy
would have called mighty interest
ing reading, but as neither Of the
principals in that interview are like
ly to tell what was said the country
will have to wag along without the
knowledge 1t has leaked out, how
ever that Mr. Cleveland thinks it
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 better engaged in trying
nurse back his strength.
Allowing that the facts are as they
have been stated by the captain and
other officers ofthe Alliance. the LAM
guage of Secretary Greshams demand
for an apology from Spain and for the :
issuing OF such orders to the COM
manders Of Spanish warships as will
make it certain that no other vessel
flying the U S. flag and engaged in
legitimate business will be fred upon
was all right, although unnecessarily
strong; but there was no OCCASION for
such undue haste. Americans with
all their other faults are credited by
all the world with a love of fair play.
I is therefore unfortunate that an
American Secretary Of State has been
guilty of threatening weaker nation
upon an ex parte statement of case,
in the face. too, of an assurance from
the Spanish minister that he would
present a statement of the Other side
as soon as the Spanish authorities in
Cuba could communicate with the
gunboat which is charged with hay
ing fired at the Alliance; and Of the
further assurance from the Spanish
minister that his country would apol-
ogize if the firing had taken place
as charged unless it could be justified
IN manner satisfactory to this gov
eminent. While it was thoroughly
undiplomatic for the Spanish minis.
ter to have publicly criticized Seere-
tary Gresham's action, in ignoring
his assurances and making a direct
demand, which really is an ultima
tum, upon. Spain, it certainly is not
surprising. One does not cease to lie
man upon becoming diplomat.
whether he be Spaniard or an Amer
lean.
1t is not difficult to put ones finger
on the reason for Secretary Greshams
hasty action. Nor is that reason
creditable to him from any point Of
view. His action is nothing IN, re
nor less than an attempt to restore to
the present administration the popu-
larity which it has by its incompe-
tence lost, by putting in il the posi-
ton of championing the American
flag. He knew there was no danger
in sending a buneombe ultimatum to
Spain; which would necessarily sub
NIT 20 any humiliation to avoid war
with the United States He acted
hastily because he feared that il he
waited reasonable time the matter
would be explained and the opportun-
ity to tickle the jingoistic faculty
(Which Notwithstanding their love Of
money is a prominent national trait)
of the American people. would be
forever lost.
1t is rather late for this administra.
ton to try to pose as the protector Of
anything American, either abroad OF
at home, after having turned over
much of our manufacturing to for
eigners aud even allowed syndicate
Of foreign bankers to raid the U. s.
Treasury. The people Of this country
know what real Republican protection.
at home and abroad, is, and they can
not be taken in by any such rank
counterfeit as that now put forward
by Secretary Gresham
| The Commissioner Of Pensions has
met another defeat in court, aud II IS
the belief of lawyers that it furnishes
precedent for the restoration Of
every pension which has been reduc-
ed Cr stopped since Dec. II. 1895, nm
til after the peusioner has been served
with the legal thirty days notice con-
tanning "full and true statement OF
any charges or allegations upon
which it was proposed to reduce.
modify or drop his pension.
The case in which the Commission
er was defeated was that Of Gen. Viii
liam Shakespeare, Of Michigan whose
pension was reduced from SO to $50.
The Commissioners acknowledged. in
his answer, the contention Of Cen.
Shakespeare's counsel as to the thir-
ty-day notice was correct, and stated
that the pension had bee.sosestcred.