Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1898-02-25
WATT

viewed IN nome ana says tnat ne al
mires the Resignation" of the people
OF the United States with regard to
the Maine disaster. There is no @res.
ignation" about it. This country is
simply sensible and patient. 1t is
waiting for the truth to be learned,
and it knows that the only way the
truth can be learned is through such
an official investigation into the cause
OF the disaster as Is being made. After
that, it will do exactly what a great,
powerful Nation should DO under
similar circumstances.
There has been no excuse for all
this "war talk" and there is none
now. Nobody believes that assuming
the blowIng-up of our ship was not
an accident, Spain as a Government
Is guilty of the monstrous crime. the
preparation Of which upon a country
with which she is at peace would at
once put her ontside the family of
civilized Nations. If IT is disclosed
that the deed was that of a Spanish
subject, this country will make a
heavy demand upon Spain for indem.
nifty, and the demand will be COM
piled with. Iu the event that such a
demand is dis:cgarded, this country
will fight. But Spain Will not disrc-
gard the demand, and there will be
no war. If some unauthorized Amer
lean subject-or American soldier, if
you will-should cause to be expI0d-
ed submarine mine under British
warship anchored in San Francisco
harbor, the result of which act would
be the loss of many lives, does any
reasonable man suppose that Great
BritainF would forthwith command
her Atlantic fleet to begin the bonn
bardment of the Eastern coast cities?
OF course not. She would promptly
demand heavy indemnity for the
loss Of her ship and men, and we
wonld make haste to pay it. She
would demand that we find and pun
lsb the perpetrator Of the outrage,
and we would hasten to do SO. There
the incident wonld end, after probab-
ly, much official correspondence had
pat sed i'll which this country would
formally disclaim any knowledge of
the unfortunate affair and express
great sorrow at the occurrence.
Every Nation has it's Anarchists
and it's murderous maniacs and hui
man devils, and every other Nation
recognizes that fact. Although a
Spanish subject should shoot down
the President of the United States
tomorrow, the deed C itself would
not be an excuse for var. Nor would
there be ground for war If tomorrow
an American subject should elay the
Queen Regent md young Alfonso Mt
Madrid. In each instance it would
only have to be shown that the act
had not received the authority or
sanction of the subjects Government,
and, Of course, it would be followed
by the prompt punishment of the
criminal.
We can afford to go slow in this
Maine disaster matter without in
volvipg the National honor and pride
Our national honor and pride, we
might say, would be seriously in
volved did we do aught else but go
slowly aud calmly about the investi-
cation into the facts. 1t is appre-
hended that Captain Sigsber, COM
mander Of the Maine, and the man
responsible for that magnificent ship
and her crew, feels as keen a
desire rs anybody that restitu-
ton shall be made in full measure
for bis loss, but he maintains. ia
does Consul-General Lee and every
other level headed official connected
with Che incident, that the duty OF
the American people is to suspend
judgment until it is in possession OF
the facts.
Let us hear no more about the