The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-24
TT HAS NO POLICY.


1 would 1t is f1dgeting about in its un-
comfortable position, trying to find a
way of egress from its dilemma that
shall not be either pusillanimous or dis
honorable. Nothing could be more hui
initiating to his party, nothing Is more
disappointing and disgusting to the
nation. than the attitude of the presi-
dent. Men respect strength, even when
Joined with error. It is for weakness
that the world has little liberation.
What a spectacle this administration
has offered and now offers to the
world. While both houses are ringing
with fiery speeches In behalf Of Cuban
Mr.. Mckinley are patting the orators
soothingly upon the back and endeav-
oring to quiet their transports. Do not
embarrass the president, they beseech
of the lingo senator or representative,
in the negotiations that he is now car
rying forward. We are not at liberty,
said Mr.. Hit, in the house the other
day, with an air of portentous mystery,
to reveal the purposes of the admins
tration. But we can assure the house
and the people that the interests Of
Cuba will be fully taken care of. "The
details Of the plan which President Nc
Ktnley has in mind have not yet been
-
the last cabinet meeting. But he has
made up his mind to take another
forward step" and has come to a de-
termination to use his powers to stop
the bloodshed in the island so far as
he can without involving this country
in war with SPAIN"
What mockery and makeshift this
is for the party that has been calling
heaven to witness for the last year or
more that the Cleveland policy in Cuba
was cruel and ignoble, and that It's own
accession to power would be the signal
Of Cuban liberty. This was no new
issue thrust untowardly upon an mex
ley had all the facts before him. Moth
ing has occurred to change or modify
them. He had months in which to de-
eide what attitude his administration
would assume toward Spain. What has
he done? Nothing. What does he pro-
pose to do? Only to feed the people
on empty generalities. and while with
one hand he fans the glowing flame Of
public Indignation, with the other he
fcounsels vague delay. Great swelling
promises these are to be sure. He is
is going to use his best efforts to Sc
cure peace for Cuba without involv-
ing the United States in a war with
Spain. What else has been done by the
government at Washington ever since
this insurrection broke out7 What
point has been neglected? What plan
consummation so desirable?
The plain truth, obvious on the face
of the facts. is that President McKin-
ley is without any Cuban policy. He
would satisfy the jingoes by an appear
ance Of Intervention. He would not Of
fend the advocates Of peace-at-any-
price by jeopardizing our friendly re-
lations with Spain. And so he sails on
that fatal course which so many poll
ticians have followed to their doom,
endeavoring to steer the narrow and
tortuous channel between the choices
from which q brave man would select,
and that passage runs direct upon the
rocks Of ignominious failure. The pre-
lenses that are being put forth to cover
the hating of the administration are
shallow and worthless. The Cuban
matter has been canvassed too thor
oughly for them to be able to deceive.
Mr.. Mckinley, honest and well-mean-
ing man as we believe him to be in
many particulars, Is not large enough
to cope with the emergency that con-
fronts him. He shrinks from a course
that Is Inevitable. A man competent
to be the ruler Of nation like this
would take his life in his hands and
achieve greatness, formulating for this
nation a stern policy instead Of the
shifty vacillation that party politics
has substituted for it.
Instead Of greatness, Mr. Mckinley
desires safety. He plays for time. He
hopes that the unaided drift OF events
will somehow show him a way out of
this embarrassment without obliglng
him to abandon Cuba or to break with
Spain. It is method Of treatment fore
doomed to failure. The new president
has been unfortunate in that there
arose SO early in his administration an
issue that tested his mettle and took
his measure. He has no Cuban policy,
nor has the party which, having used
the Cuban question to unseat his prede-
cessor, finds It strung like an unendur-
able burden about its neck. It ia not
command the respect or retain the al
legiance Of q free people.
MISSES THE IMPORTANT POINT.
The New York Evening Post discov-
ers what it regards as an inconsistency
in decisions Of the federal supreme
court relating to the power Of corpora
lions to fix traffic rates and of govern
ment to supervise the exercise OF this
power. It refers to the decision in the
trans-Missouri case as holding that 1t