The times., 1898-03-03
LoNG SEVERELY CRITICISED.
Members of the Senate Condemn
His Hasty Retreat

ms nasty hetE Ecdt-
Secretary Long found himself the tar
get for rather severe criticism Tuesday
and Yesterday about the Capitol on ac-
count of the remark he dropped Tuesday
after the Cabinet meeting. expressing
tho opinion that the question OF Spanish
participation in the Maine disaster had
been eliminated. One of the men who
of the Senate Committee on Foreign Re
latious, his personal friend, who on all
occasions has championed the position as
sUmed by the Secretary Of the Navy.
This senator stated that the assertion of
Secretary Long was at the best uncalled
FOR and not warranted by the facts sup
posed TO De in the possession of the Ad-
ministration
The Secretary Of the Navy up 10 this
time has insisted that every scrap of in
formation that has reached him has been
given TO the public. and If this be true
senators are asking themselves upon
what particular dispatch Mr.. Long bases
his statement that the Spanish govern
ment has been fully exonerated by the
Court of Inquiry There IS an inconsist-
ency in this matter that is not easily ac-
couEted for by those VINO believe In the
cause Of Cuba. and are inclined to give
the Administration a fair chance to work
out iIS own policy.
1t Is warmly denied by several senators
that Secretary Longs statement can be
accepted as an evidence that the Admin
istratiou IS weakening and trying TO find
a way out of the complication that now
confronts it. This construction is resent
ed by great many people who feel them
selves quite as we'll qualified to represent
the Administration and its views as Sec
retary Long.
A prominent Republican senator. who
may be designated as one Of the stanchest
Administration men in that body in talk
ing on the Cuban question yesterday aft
ernoou. spoke as follows: The truth is.
some Of the Presidents friends. who have
established more or less Of standing on
account OF personal relations with him,
have been iudiscreet in their utterances
and IN their anxiety 70 represent the
President as opposed TO unnecessarily
embroiiing this country in a war with
Spain. In this matter they have gone too
far No remark can be traced TO the
President himself which would bear a
construction warranting the conclusion
that he had thought which was not for
upholding the nations dignity and honor.
or that he would fail to demand the full
est r-paralion from Spain, if the facts
which are brought out by the Court Of
Inquiry Justify such a stand The posi-,
ton which the President has held from
the very start is that Spain must be con-
sidered innocent Of wrongdofng in con-
nection with the Maine disaster until the
contrary is shown by the result Of official
inquiry. This statement Of facts when
it is laid before him and the country is ex-
pected 10 show what degree Of response
bility IL any lays at the door Of Spain
and when these facts are known it Will
then be time for him and Congress to act
This attitude is fully understood by near
iy an Of The Republican senators and rep
resentatives and by ma ajority of the
newspapers of the country. and It meets
with the Endorsement of the conservative
thinking element"
Nevertheless, said this senator by
way Of criticism Of the statement Of Sec
retary Long. lit would relieve the situa-
ton Of annoyance if some of the Presi-
dents over-officious friends would pre-
serve the discreet silence which has been
asked of the rest Of the world. The Pres
ident has stated emphatically that he has
no knowledge Of the cause of the blowing
up Of the Maine which has not been given
TO the public. Secretary Long and the
other members Of the Administration say
the same thing. That fact is made the
basis of the strongest criticism against
the Secretary Of the Navy for his remark
Of Tuesday, which has been given an i'm
Dortance apparently not warranted by the
circumstances"
Public men generally, however, agree
that IL would have been better for Sec
retary Long TO have preserved that reti-
cence which has characterized the Presi-
dent himself His remark that Spanish
participation in the accident had been
eliminated, whether such remark was
made by chance or by design. is subject
very justly TO the criticism that has been
aimed against It. Anxiety for the Board
OF Inquiry TO complete its work is be-
coming yisibly stronger At the same
time there is no disposition to force a YER
Dict until the board has gone thoroughly
into every phase OF the inquiry, and this
is one Of the reasons why Senators and
Representatives are unable to look with
equanimity upon the seIni-oficiaI state
ment Of The Secretary of the Navy. Peace
OF war may depend on the finding Of the
board, and the instinct of self-preserva-
ton would actuare the members to go to