The times., 1898-11-15
TUESDAY. NOVEMBER Is. 1898.
The Real Truth.

Secretary Long has expressed his
opinion as to the significance of the
elections with some care. He says. in
general way, that he regards the re-
-- suit as a very striking and unusual
Endorsement of the Administration; that
il is many years since, in the middle of
a Presidential term, majority of the
House has been elected favorable to the
existing administration. We do not
think any fair-minded person will deny
that this unusual event is. in fact, an
Endorsement of President Mckinley.
But is it very striking one? Is it all
he had a right to expect in the cir
cumstances? 1t followed a successful
war which had united men of all parties
and all sections in support of the Ad-
ministration. Partisan lines were wiped
out and the tide of patriotic sentiment
reached higher point than ever in the
history of the nation. The Republican
campaign was based wholly on the is
sue of the war and the question of
preserving its fruits, on which the peo-
pie We're virtually unanimous. The
Republican orators and journals advo-
Gated the retention of the Philippines
about which the Democrats were silent
The old issues-the tariff and the finan-
cial question-were put aside by both
parties, while the Republicans laid
stress on the affirmation that their de-
feat would mean repudiation of the
war and much encouragement to Spain.
Can Secretary Long deny that if there
had been no adverse criticism of war
administration, the Republicans should
have swept the board clean? While the
saving of the House was unusual, the
circumstance of a successful war, the
most popular in our history, and unit
ed people, was unique. 1t seems beyond
question that if there had been no Alger
scandal there would have been no Dem
ocratic opposition worthy of the name
1t is for this reason that we do not
regard Republican success in the
West and the capture of hitherto Dem
ocratic States like New Jersey and
Delaware, and of such doubtful
States as New York and Indiana,
as surprising, but as the natural
result of the war. No one will deny
that the loss of certain Congressional
districts in Pennsylvania was due TO the
disgust of honest men with the Repub-
lican adherence TO Quayism, and not to
any dissatisfaction with the Admins
tration. The awful cause was enough
TO drive self-respecting men not only
out of the Republican party, but out of
the State. We may take the extraordi-
nary gain in the Senate. too as an ex-
preston of the desire to support the
President by the people who had rallied
around him in the war with Spain. We
had every reason to expect this. and
more, but for the taint of Algerism,
which the Republican campaigners did
their best 10 conceal or to misrepresent.
But nowhere can We find the least
reason for the opinion of Secretary
Long that the ultimate result of all
these unusual, but quite reasonable
gains, is to sustain the Administration
in the policy and principles in view of
which it came into power-revenue laws
which maintain the national credit and
abundantly supply the national treas
ury; the maintenance of a sound cur
rency and the further promotion of its
soundness and stability" etc. In passing
it may be interesting to note that Sena-
tor Hanna does not agree with Mr..
Long that the revenue laws maintain
the national credit and abundantly
supply the national treasury. Hanna
affirms that under the tariff I'VE are
not getting very much revenue. and
something must be done to meet these
new conditions and as the first ster
he proposes duty on tea and coffee
The Republicans will make a grave
mistake if they assume. with Secretary
Long, that the elections warrant sitter
customs duties to meet deficiencies, and