Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-19
AFTER THE WAR IS OVER.
Same Political Questions That Are
Snre to Present Themselves.

49,, Positions Will the Great
,,,,erican Parties Take on These
Questions, and What Should Be-
~ Policy of the Democracy-Im-
.ortance of Having Some Well
noAned Line OF Action Mapped
O,+ Before 1t Is Too Late to Dis
- Questions of Vital Import-
o,ca Before the People-A Prom
went Democrat Makes Some Sug-
eestions,
s,.,iaI to the Register.
''chqrleston, ". Va, May 16.-While
49,, var between the United States and
',..,, i the universal topic here at the
.r;,ol and the people are a unit on
...ostions touching the vigorous prose
-,,ion of the conflict, the after-the-
.... programme is giving rise to many
s,rsrent opinions. Strict party men
.ro already considering how the two
,- nolitical parties will be affected
a.. .be novel conditions which the war
&. so rapidly developing. Now and
..o, ,be representative of the Regis
+er is approached by members of the
,.s,sran guard corps to know just
,.bere tbey are at and especially to
,..rn rhe future party attitude on
.oss+ons now forging to the front.
r5ev are waiting somewhat impatient
" for the keynote of the fall cam
rejon if there is to be any.
What are we TO do in the near
e,.ureq" said one of this kind to-day.
.r rale ID that the flag of free coinage
cf silver will remain nailed to the
u4,I-head as the paramount issue,
INIT shall we not place side by side
with il the position of Democracy on
+ba great question of foreign policy
Than must shortly be met and Crap
MED with? We of the old guard can
he relied upon TO follow the banner
under ordinary circumstances, but we
ovgbt to know just where we stand,
n3rticuarly upon such questions as
war iDdemnities and the acquisition
nj foreign territory. You see so many
nj ONT old leaders, having fought the
good fight of faith, have either gone
IA their reward or are rendered unable,
bv approaching age, to take active
interest in politics; we don't know
inst where to look for the one, and the
Register being the leading paper, hav-
inc always been regarded as the or
gam Of the Democratic party, ought
TO see that these new questions are
considered seriously and thoughtfully
before the Congressional conventions
meet
DO I think there has been any
change among our people on the ques-
ZION of free coinage? Well, no. On
the abstract rights of the question
there has been but little, if any, change
Of opinion, but upon the eXpediency
Of making it the all-absorbing issue of
the approaching campaign there is
clearly a divergence of views. Many
ley0ut believers in the unlimited com
age Of silver are apprehensive that
the cause may be injured by too per
sstent advocacy of it just now. Ac-
coFding to this class, the correct
course is for the approaching conven-
tons to reassert formerly expressed
conventions on the currency question
in unmstakable terms, and then set
forth in clear, ringing tones the Demo-
cratic doctrine upon the vital ques-
tons that are bound to arise at the
close Of the war and which may now
L. seen looming up on the horizon"
What are the more important of
these questions, and what is likely
to he the stand taken by the great
parties on them?" asked the Register
representative.
1T is at present difficult to say pre-
clsely what platforms the two parties
will adopt on these questions, as Meth
er Of them is at all unanimous. The
questions are, Of course, shall We
exact
A WAR INDEMNITY
from Spain, and what shall we do with
territory acquired during the war?
Both Of these are included in the
larger question, Shall the United States
continue strictly American country,
Or shall it become a quasi European
anw colonizing power? If the former,
we must finally drop anything we may
nave picked up during the war; let
ll0a severely alone for all time, and
U 'onJent wtth-the high moral plane
W. shall have reached as the only re-
ward Tor our exertions and pains. If
lle after we keep the Philippines and
Iofto Rico in lieu of indemnity, per
maps ultimately annex Cuba, and are
d. once launched upon the untried sea
VI commercial expansion by means of
'oohlzatlon and naval supremacy.
perhaps the war will be over be-
43'V me November elections, and the
Summation Of active hostilties, it may
Ne larry presumed. will see us in mill
.a.F possession of Cuba, Porto Rico and
we fhlilppnes. Under these circum-
o,r-; e-40 OAIleu states, IL II Is u NC
o.lS-sjeHt and maintain its high moral
SS.u'aae must deliver Cuba to the Gu
r1As i.ee from all Spanish control, re-
rtu Az captured territory to Spain and
IAN from exacting any indemnity
-ls letting the world perceive from the
.-1 mat we were in sober earnest in
WA WA repeated solemn declarations that
va war Was undertaken at the beheSt
Y. Christian civilization and humanity,
r11 no' with an eye incidentally to ter
I'.g''al aggrandizement. This is the