The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-17
THURSDAY. MARCH Il. 1s9s.
Perkiness. Pietr and Peace.

What is il that constitutes official
piety and religion in this country? Mr..
Mckinley would rather his Administra-
ton should go down in '-ignominious
failure, Than that 1t should be respons.-
bic for an unholy war against Spain
That is the official and the hypo-
religious idea Of the situation
When Mr. Mckinley came into Office.
or shortly after, he knew that Ameri-
can citizens We're being tortured in the
dungeons Of Cabanas and Guanabacoa.
He knew that honorable prisoners were
being executed. He knew that women
were being outraged and murdered af-
terward, everywhere where the Span
ISL columns went He knew that little
babies were sliced to death in the pres
ence Of their aeonized mothers il
the main street Of Artemisa And
he knows now that the horrible massa-
ere Of the Maine in Havana Harbor
was the deliberate act OF the Spanish
government.
How. in the name Of God, can he
withhold the evidence which should in
yoke American vengeance?
As FAR as surface appearances go. il
is on the plea Of piety and religion. We,
know that Spain has blown up one of
Americas best battleships and massa-
cred its crew; but il would be unchris-
tan 10 make trouble for a friendly
power for a small reason like that.
We know that the deviIish persecution
Of Spain has led TO The premeditated
and officially ordered murder, by star
walton, Of four hundred thousand inno-
cent people, ana that two hundred
thousand more must die. But pisty re-
strains Us from an "unholy war"
We dislike TO indulge in The yernac-
ular Of Wall Street. Every word Of it
means disgrace and national dishonor:
but this Presidential utteTance, if true
means a straight tip 10 the combined
influences Of the stock ticker and the
subsidized pulpit II means that Wall
Street and the hired theOlogians are 10
join in paean Of praise to the force
which would make America infamous.
and sell its glory 20 an international
combination Of bond sharks. whose
prospective pIuEder is estimated at
three hundred million dollars
No "unholy war" against such a sum
Of money could be tolerated. The mute
appeal Of untold thousands who are
dying under the Spanish persecution is
az nothing, Religion does not enter
into the problem for their rescue. The
glorious achievements Of the Cuban
heroes. who have won their independ-
ence, are not to be considered.
Piety commands US TO support TIE
sovereignty Of Spain, and TO use our
Army and Navy. in order that the
Spanish-Cuban bond deal may be car
ried through. and that if we shall rec
osnize the independence Of the Repub-
lie OF Cuba it must be with the provisg
that ii shall assume the debt in
CURED by its tyrant in an effort to
suppress its God -eiven rights Is
this piety2 is this religion?
We are glad TO say that the Tip"
given 10 Wall Street and the subsl-
died pulpit VIII not affect the Ameri-
can people in the least degree. The
American people have not asmuch con-
fdence in their representatives in CON
gress as they once had. Without re-
SalA 10 par y CONSIDERATIONS, tnCN nave
seen them, in numerous individual in
stances, ready 10 sell their constituent
cies and their honor for things which
do not need 10 be mentioned. But, in
this case, the people will not be
baked They viii insist upon the
official truth as to the Maine disaster.
the real truth Of what they know al
ready aud they will hold NJ AFrE<iy
ley and The Administration Of which he
is nominally the head responsible for
action In consequence.
The mute appeals Of those dead
sailors uhs were sent To their doom By
Spanish treachery, are not to be for
gotten for the benefit OF the Spanish
Cuban bond shaIllsi Nor are they to
b. quieted by any SNUG and hypocIiti-
cal remarks upon the beatitudes OF
peace and Christian tolerance TO the
friendly" power Of Spain