The times., 1898-03-04
The Record of a Year,


ton was in gala dress. Mars, the god !
Of the Presidential month. for the first !
time in years consented to smile on the /
proceedings. and all nature halted in !
its seasonable exasperations To make t
the advent of the new American child /
of glory pleasant and propitous.
on that momentous occasion the sun
which once shone upon the Inaugural
tion of a Washington. jefferson, a
Jackson and Lincoln. vouchsafed to
give forth almost summer rays upon
the national festivities which marked
the coming of him who had promised
the nation prosperity and honor. Never
did a President drive from the Capitol
to the White House with greater or
hearter acclaim. Never did one mount
the chair of state with more heart
felt hope or greater confidence that,
whatever might be the differences be-
Ween his domestic policy and that of
his political opponents, he would be
found always the man and the sterling
patriot; ready at all times 10 sink per-
sonal interest and partisan advantage;
TO uphold the honor and glory OF the
flag and nation.
William Mckinley came into power
at a time and under conditions peculi-
arly favorable to the accretion of popu-
larity and fame by patriotic and able
man. Personally. he came to the ma
ton already endowed in popular es-
timation with the nimbus of straight
forward and patriotic citizen, in sue
cession To a President whom the ma
ton had learned to regard as ut
terly devoid of both those qualities.
The legality of his election was conced-
ed by all parties The platform upon
which he had been brought TO office,
and the inaugural address with which
he assumed it. rang with the loud peal
OF good Americanism: with the gospel
Of bimetallism, the money of the Con-
stitution; with the ardent doctrine Of
help TO the cause OF human liberty in
this hemisphere; with all and singular
those things upon which all patriots
have been wont to unite. irrespective
of party; and. it may be said truth
fully, that the whole American people
united from one end Of the Union to
the other in hailing him as a harbinger
OF new and better things. Cleveland
had given him most amazing open
ing They could not well be worse!
What do the American people think
Of Mr.. Mckinley today. exactly one
year from the date of his Inauguration?
Aside from a triumph OF native spirit
4 over the designs of a foreign con-
) spiracy against our national interests,
ambitions and political integrity, the
history of Mr. McKinley's first year of
administration is without redeeming
feature 1t has witnessed the imposi-
ton upon the country Of a most vicious
and corrupt fiscal system, conceived
and executed only for the benefit Of
trusts and menopoies which contrib
uted to his election, utterly defensive
of public revenue, which has created
and was intended to create a Treasury
deficit in order that more Government
bonds should become necessary in time
Of peace. and violently oppressive to
the toiling masses of the country
From the day he entered the Execu-
tive Mansion. To the present time, the
foreign policy of MIR. Mckinley has
been a shame and a disgrace to the
American people. We viii make one
exception. He has seemed to be honest
in desiring the annexation Of Hawaii,
but even in that the elements which
control him in all other respects are in
opposition to the project
That having been conceded, the coast
( is clear Nr. Mckinley inherited from
bis maleyelent predecessor the policy
g ~
erty in Cuba TO the interests of a Wall
Street and foreign syndicate. whose pur-
pose il was, and is, to assist Spain in
crushing the patriot cause in cuba, or,
if that could not be done, 10 manipulate
the settlement of the war in such
way as to make a profit of one or two
hundred million dollars for the con-
spirators allied with the present Ad-
ministration.
II Mr. Mckinley, at any time during
his brief lease Of power. had done what
American precedent, duty or the ac-
cepted canons of international law
made mandatory upon him, the Cuban
war would have been settled without
trouble TO America, the island patriots
would have been free, and the foul
. Spanish incubus Of debt upon their
country would have been wiped out.
4 The common sense Of the people today
and all future history viii be evidence
that the sole. reason why William Nc
Kinley has been recreant TO the high
trust placed in him by the nation is
that he wished to further the views Of
the Spanish-Cuban bondholders.
In their behalf We charge him with
allowing the wholesale outrage and
butchery of Cuban women and chill
dren. the inhuman murder of honor
able prisoners Of war the torture and
murder Of American citizens, the in
suits Of a cOntemptuous Spanish Dip
lomat. and finally, the condoning Of the
crowning piece of Spanish atrocity and
. treachery. the massacre of Havana.
Even the Administration organs have
now abandoned the idea that the Maine
was blown up by accident. Indeed. it
would be absolutely impossible for them
10 hold to such a theory. Since the New
York Herald published the conclusive re
port which showed that the massacre
was the result Of a definite movement on
the part of the Spanish government the
spanish-Hanna organs have been forced
TO admit the fact while our rulers have
been endeayoring to break its force,
preliminary 10 a Cuban message, which,
according 10 present information, is to be
sent in as soon as public Indignation over
.,,I,efdas disrt9tcbaS uf