The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-18
Is It OnIy a Diversion p


The third Napoleon plunged France
into the Franco PrusSian war to divert
the attention of his people from his
administration, which was creating a
restlessness that promised another rev.
olution. 1t gave them something else
to think about. Some horse, more in
telligent than his fellows, gets to think
ing about his condition and balks. The
wise driver opens his mouth and fills
it with sand or tobacco juice. The
thought of the horse is diverted and
he resumes his functions. Mothers
are familiar with the advice of get
ting the squalling infant to forget its
aches and pains in looking at or hear
ing something that attracts its atten-
ton. One wonders, as he pauses to re-
fleet upon the present condition of ma
tional affairs and the present activities
of the administration and it's journals,
whether or not it is possible that the
people are merely being diverted from
their prolonged attention to the effects
of the financial panic and the various
panaceas offered. How much of real
ity and how much of politics is there
in this war scare?
Some things become clear on analy-
sis. Clearly Spain does not wish war
with us; some of her hotheads may
just as do some of ours, because they
are a rattle-headed set, but the mass
do not, neither does the government.
Just as clearly we do not. No indignity
has been offered our government or its
citizens by Spain, although the report
of the court of inquiry on the Maine
disaster may reveal one. Some of her
papers have been abusing us and some
of her people have protruded their
tongues at us, but these are hardly
casus belli. We naturally sympa-
thize with Cuba's efforts for independ-
ence, but so do we with the Philippines,
or the Cretans' or the Greeks or Arme-
mans efforts to throw off the Turkish
yoke, but we have not felt impelled
to go to war with Turkey or Spain be-
cause of it. Our sympathies are so
strong that we have not paused to in
quire what freedom means to the Gu
bans, although we have had seventy
years of illustration with the other
Even if the annexation of Cuba. fol-
lowing her independence, were the ute
rior motive, war would be fruitless,
for we have the stout assurance of
leading Cuban revolutionists that they
do not want to be annexed. SO we
have no cause to go to war
And yet all around us we see prep
arations for a war that cannot come
unless somebody blunders. Congress
puts $50,000000 at the presidents COM
mand; troops are moving to the sea-
coast; warships are being put into
commission; others are being pushed to
early finish, and still others are being
bought in foreign yards. The gun fac
tories and armor plate plants are run
ming full-handed night and day. Were
war in progress, the activity could not
be greater. All this is reconcilable with
sanity only on the theory that the adj
mlnlStratlon is intending early hostil-
tiles to be initiated by it or seriously
believes that Spain meditates an ur,-
provoked attack on US. On any other
hypothesis, save one, all this pother is
not only wasteful, but positively fool
ish.
That other one is that the admins
tration is firmly convinced that, if it
is to retain the house, something must
be done to divert the attention Of the
voters. Conditions of business are not
what they were promised to be. Pros
perity has not come in the measure
predicted. There has been a too open
utilization by the trusts of the oppor
tunities afforded them by the Dinglev
act, while it has not been conspicuous
success as a revenue getter. The mon
etary or currency question was not
eliminated by the decision of 1896. and
voters are still pottering over coinage
and ratios. State and municipal cleo
lions have gone against the party.
Nothing like impending war to divert
attention and unite it on the exciting
events of preparation. Democrats and
Republicans forgot their animosities In
1861 and joined hands in supporting
the administration. If war is imminent
now, like results may happen. Is it all
only an attempted diversion?