The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-04
SERIOUS CHARGES AGAINST
MR.. CLEVELAND.

James Creelman, who gained consid-
cradle reputation as correspondent in
the Chinese-Japanese war, is now in
Madrid as the correspondent of the
| New York Journal and the San Fran
cisco Examiner. In a dispatch dated
! December 81. he makes the direct
charge that President Cleveland and
| Secretary Olney are in a conspiracy
/ with Spain to aid her to overthrow and
suppress the republic OF Cuba. On this
point he says:
Actual facts show that Cleveland S
Cffer of mediation was simply a means
through which the American govern
ment secretly proposed to help Spain to
overthrow and suppress the republic of
| Cuba and to enforce peace in that
island on terms which the patriot army
would not accept.
This offer was not made in the form
Of written document, transmitted
through the usual channels, but, for
the sake of greater secrecy, was con-
veyed in a formal note by Secretary
Olney to the Spanish minister at
Washington. De LONE, who cabled the
whole matter TO Madrid.
The understanding was that if the
Cuban leaders refused to Law down
NAANAA aIiilo OPOii tic tOilditiOiAS VI lOOdi
self government to be proposed to them
through the United States, the whole
influence and power of the American
government would be exerted to crush
the new republic
The slightest investigation by con-
gress will reveal the truth of this
statement.
That is all very direct and positive,
and, if true, most serious. Mr.. Creel-
man says he has the facts upon the
most unimoea enable authority. In so
important matter he should have
given his facts, even if he were not at
liberty to name his authority In such
cases facts and not opinions are the
things wanted. Had he given facts all
the explanations he makes would have
been self-evident to the people.
The American people will not be-
lieve that their president and his secre-
tary of state secretly or otherwise
proposed to help Spain to overthrow
and suppress the republic of Cuba. Nor
Will they believe that Mr.. Olney sent a
formal note TO Minister De LONE
making any such offer. Fer him to
do such a thing would mark him down
as the biggest fool among 100000 of
people; and no one has ever charged
Mr.. Olney with being a fool
1t is stated that the understanding
was that if the Cuban leaders did not
submit and lay down their arms. the
whole influence and power of the
American government would be ex-
erteG to crush the new republici Well !
those leaders have not submitted |
neither have they laid down their |
arms, yet the whole influence and |
power of the American government |
have not been exerted to crush out |
been done is not explained.
The American people have been very
impatient with Mr.. Cleveland because
of mis- apparent apathy towards the |
Cubans and would have had |
him accord them the rights of bel
ligerents long ago, but they viii never
believe, until lit is proven beyond Il
doubt, that he and his secretary of
state are guilty of the baseness
charged in the Creelman dispatch; and
his allegation, unsustained by proof
positive, is wholly insufficient to con-
vince them of it.
He says that the slightest investiga>
ion by congress will reveal the truth
y the statement. BY all means let
here be such an investigation that the
ruth or falsitY of the statement may
De ascertained. We have TO doubt in
he world that it will be found to be
absolutely false