Sistersville oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1896-1901, 1898-03-02
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The Crisis with Spain.

The senile whining of the admin
istration newspapers regarding the
conduct of Mckinley and his advis-
ers since the exposure of de Lone
and the destruction Of the Maine,
would be amusing if it were. not ut
terly contemplate. When it looks
warIike in Washington. they are for
war; when it looks as if Mckinley
were still dominated by the Wall
street holders of Spanish bonds,
they are for groveline. dishonorable
peace, and denounce the iadepend-
ent press as reckless, red-handed
meters of public disturbance.
This policy deceives no one. The
organs are merely trying to carry
water on both shoulders. They are
struggling to keep in touch with
the sentiment of the people, and at
the same time keep up with the
Hannaized sinuosities of the admin
istration's trail. The situation is
simple. The frightful disaster to
the Maine puts peace and war In
the balance. The issue depends on
the silent testimony of the sunAen
vessel and the facts that may be
learned from the inquiries that are
now in progress. Ii the plates OF
the Maine prove to be bent inward,
Spain may as we'll withdraw from
Cuba at once. If the loss OF the
ship and of the gallant lives she car
ried proved to be the act of an en-
envy, a declaration of war can be
avoided only by the promptest and
most complete reparation.
The bearing of the American
people under the shock OF the dread
full fate of the ship has been most
admirable. They have been con-
tent to await a knowledge OF the
facts, and suspend judgement. The
attitude of the people has been typi-
fed by that of Congress, where the
news OF the disaster has been re-
ceived in partial silence. The noisy
Threats and the beating of the yer
bal drum that have been heard on
minor occasions have been omitted
in the face of the crisis.
There is but one thing plain. A
fine battleship has been destroyed
and over ESQ American lives have
been sacrificed by an explosion that
tore the ship to pieces and Redeemed
Havana bay with the blood Of her
crew. How it happened is yet but
conjecture, but it must be said un-
willingly that the probabilities point
to the conclusion that the destruc-
ton of the vessel and the loss of
life was the result of design.
It is difficult to believe that
treachery could 60 so far as to de-
stroy a vessel under the circum-
stances that surrounded the visit
of the Maine to Havana. 1t would
be an act of assassination without
apparent object. The sole advan-
tage that Spain could get from it
would be the weakening of the
United States navy by single bat
tleship in case war should come.
Yet it is to be remembered that
the theory of accident is ex-
tremely improbable. The United
States have been running ships for
a good many years and nothing of
the kind has happened. At most,
two or three foreign warships have
been destroyed by explosions of
their magazines, and the ingenuity
OF generation Of ship builders has
been directed to the task of making
an accidental explosion impossible.
The chances of such an accident
to a warship are exceedingly small.
The chance that if it was to occur
to warship of our navy it would
occur to the only one which was in
the harbor of a semihostile power
is much smaller.
Yet it is due to the dignity of the
American people, and to the sense
of justice that always characterizes
them, that this one chance be re-
membered, and that nothing be
done except on sure information
and in an orderly way.-Charleston
Gazette.
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