The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-09-30
"THE PEOPLE AND THE
PRESIDENT" Ss 81

A few days ago the Minneapolis
Times, which was severe in it's criti-
cisms of the President in the excit-
ing days just previous to..the active
hostilities of the war, intimating
that he lacked the backbone to face
the great questions which confronted
the country and that man was
needed in the executive chair of the
nation who would inspire the COT
fdence of the people, published The
following editorial under the above
head. The article fully illustrates
how President Mckinley has grown
IN the estimation Of the people, and
how unjust was the criticism show
cred upon HIM at the time wnen he
was bending every energy to put the
nation on a war footing. The Times
says:
No public official was ever more IN.
reservedly trusted by the public than
President Mex inley has been. In the
very outset Of the war with Spain
congress appropriated the enormous
sum of S5U, 900, 900 and placed it at his
disposal without check or restraint
of any kind whatever. He has been
recOgniZ3d as the mmander-in-c Chief
of all the armies and che navy OF the
nation, with all that the title i'm plies
and mas been given free course in
every respect. la the matter OF the
terms of the faal settlement With
our conquered foe, the president mas
enjoyed the widest liberty. and the
CRITICISMS OF mis- plans and purposes,
so far as be has made them public,
nave been temperate and with few
exceptions ia a spirit Of the utmost
frienilines3. . ..,s ssA-- "-@ .s ~'
Tnis singular and complete conf
dence in the president OF all perS ms
Of all sections and parties has lie n
one Of the unique features OF the war
and the subsequent peace negOtia-
lions. che sincere affection and ad.
miratian Of the people have treated
him somewhat as convention AID ira
dition treat the person of the king.
The difficulties aud eSp0psibiliJies Of
his position have been appreciated
and the trust Of the nation mas been
given tn him with una ualitied loyalty.
All that he has done has been accent.
ed as right, and all criticism has been
dlr6C 5u a}IainS6 ms suOOrulDateS aud
advisers. And it must be conceded
that at all times, at every point of
the war, theDresident has used all
means in hispOwer TO learn the state
Of public opinion before taking de-
cisive action. He has apparently pur-
sued this policy in the peace negoGia-
tions, and has found that the Only
puolic opinion worth considering was
ready TO trust his patriotism and Idg-
meub 10 make none dishonorab!e or
vantageOus to this country. So
strong has been this feeling that had
peace negotiations failed at any stage,
the people would have cheerfully
made whatever sacrifices might have
oeen involved in continuance of the
war, wholly convinced that the presi-
dent had done his best to terminate it,
Of course. one reason, apart from
confidence in the president, why pub
Tic opinion has been disposed to leave
the question of peace settlement with
the president and accept any terms
he may find satisfactory. is that the
questions Of foreign relations and ex
ternal policy involved in the war are
new to the American people. They
are not all agreed about imperial ex-
panSiOn and are anxious about the
new international responsibilities it
may bring upon US. But the public
mind is open, though not to dogmatic
instruction from dOctriDaires whom
they have learned to distrust in other
matters. They have declined to take
counsel from the Professor Nortons,
but have been entirely willing to trust
hn 70 l,o
lack experience and knowledge to de-
cid for themselves.
1t is curious to note how pub
presidents policy. The only point
upon which there has been any
difference has been that o. the
disposition of the Philippine islands
And upon this point there is some
unce rtainty on the part of the presi
dent. The remarkable general agree
ment between the president and the
people NAV be because the president
has OWNED public opinion and led it
by going where it wanted to 60; but
there is some of the other element in
it, too. The persons of supreme wis
dom and voluble speech who know all
about the question and can settle our
national policy in sentence are a
minority. Most Of the American peo-
pie are honestly ignorant and self
distrustful in relation to the strange
new questions pressing for settle
ment and are quite willing to leave
them to a president in whom they
have confidence. The final settle
ment may not meet with unanimous
approval; but there will be no ran
corOUs dissent from the presidents
final judgment, whatever it may be.