The Portland daily press., 1898-03-11
Forces Impelling Us Toward Hos.
tiIities With Spain.
CONSTANT PRESSURE EXERTED
BY MANY INFLUENCES.
Conviction Growing Stronger That No Ac-
cident Caused the Maine Explosion
A Congressman Who is Said to Have
Heard From a Diver-Even Worst May
Capable of Adjustment.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.1

Capable of Adjustment.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.1
Washington, March 1O-Now that Con-
gress, by the enthusiastic and united
voice of both HOUSES, has given to the
executive department a free hand and
plenty of money with which to prepare
for war, the state of feeling at the capital
is less tense, and there is more disposition
to consider calmly the real impelling
forces that are urging us on towards hos
tilities with Spain.
Sympathy with the Cubans and horror
at the terrible suffering incident to the
war is one of the most potent Of these i'm
pelling forces, and on the Democratic side
of the House, where there is no feeling of
responsibility for the conduct of the
affairs of the United States, there is the
very general expression that the Spaniard
should be cleaned out Of Cuba. Thissslack
of responsibility on the Democratic side
should not be interpreted as lack of
patriotism; but as an incident to their
position as minority party. The Re-
publicans are entrusted with the admins
tration of the government. If there is
war; the Republicans will have to levy
the taxes to sustain it, administer 1t,
and reap the glory or the criticism of the
successes or failures. Therefore, the
Democrat is free to profess whatever ne
wants to. His sympathies and profess
ions can be as liberal as were Artemus
Ward when he proposed to sacrifice all
his wife's relations in the cause of the
country. If united vote of the Demo-
cratic side Of the House of Representatives
could declare war today there would
probably be an united vote on that side
1t being understood, of course, that the
responsibility of the conflict must rest on
the Republican party which is admins
tering the government. But if there were
q Democratic executive in the White
House-a Democratic executive in SYM
pathy with his party and recognized as its
leader-there would be very different
state of things. Ever since this war be-
gan in Cuba the Democrats of the House
have been in position of irresponsible lity.
While Cleveland was in they were very
ready to force his administration into any
thing, because they did not consider him.
as Democratic President. They repeat
eddy told the Republicans that he was
not the executive of the Democratic party
And now that Mr.. Mckinley is in charge
they hardly feel less responsibility for the
=. CO ha in
ton must be discounted in considering
the real reasons for going to war.
The Republican position is of real I'M
portance, because the Republican men,
bers are those upon whom the response
bility rests. They are feeling very strong
~ at this time, but are determined not to
yield to sentiment, or clamor or the in
trigues of interested parties. In the first
place 1t is to be remembered that war
between this country and Spain probably
would not help the starving recon cent
radios of Cuba. Before we could defeat
the Spaniards and get into Cuba in snch
way as to rescue the starving, they
would probably have succumbed under
the added depriyations Of the new war.
And many others also would have been
brought to starvation. The private
charity now operating Is much more effec-
tive than war would be. OF course it
would be pleasant to many people to see
the Spaniards punished; but q man level
headed enough to Re elected to Congress
and being in position of responsibility
would hardly vote his country into war
for such sentimental considerations. 1.-The
State department is now preparing for
transmission to Congress the con sular re-
ports ON the subject Of the suffering, and
it is said that these reports will be of q
very infaming nature. 1t has been ex-
pscted that their publication will cause
great Indignation in this country, and
probably on this account their transmits
sion has been delayed until the present
excitement shall have subsidized. The
House called for them several weeks ago.
Those who are interested in Cuban
bonds and the foreign firms that would
like to sell us war ships are said to be
very active and adroit in tanning the
embers of excitement. Mr.. Cramp, who
has built SO many men of war for this
government, is quoted as saying that this
foreign syndicate has an extensive organ
ization and thai it has several great news
papers assisting in tanning the popular
excitement for war. Then of course the
honorable emulation of army and navy
officers for "a chance to show what they
b.ye been educated for should not be for
gotten. An army or n navy-if good for
anything--is always for war, as duck
is always for the water. And the in
fiuence of the army and the navy i'll the
counoils of the executive branches of the
government is always very powerful.
They also have an influence on the legis-
]ative branches, although to q less extent.
These Influences some of them good
and some of them not good, are exerting
constant pressure on the sentiment of
the country and Congress. But they can
not alone produce war. There must be q
GOOD reason for it; and that ruason is not
Vet apparent. 1t may be more apparent
when we know more about the Maine
affair. The conviction is growing strong
or and stronger in Washington that no
accident caused the explosion, although
If is difficult to find any real, tangible
reason for this opinion. 1t seems to have
arisen from private communications re-