The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-01
TEN PAGES.
d p II I, 1898.
Not Ready Yet.

nj Monday at the latest the presi-
dent will have something def
mite to lay before ngress in the mat
ter of negotiations with Spain. The
republican house members who held n
conference for the purpose of deciding
on a programme have. to all appear
ance. made up their minds to bide the
presidents time, For that matter. the
committees on foreign affairs in senate
n house apparently have concluded
to let things run along the presidents
way during the next few days.
According to the figures given in one
Of this mornings Washington dis
patches. there are 179 house republic
cans who will stand up first and last
for Cuba's independence. II this figure
is correct. there can he no question az
10 the action congress VIII ultimately
take; at the beginning OF the present
congress-. a little more than a year ago,
the total number Of house republicans
was 204: IL Cuban independence may
count on 179 Of these, the right outcome
is assured.
Yet the situation has one curious side.
All the news that has come from Mad
rid within forty-eight hours speaks of
negotiations between that city and
Washington which are as remote from
the question of independence for Cuba
as they can well be. Yesterday morn
ing and again this morning the Madrid
dispatches outline a proposition which is
about to come from the Sagasta minis
try which provides for an armistice be-
tween Spain and Cuba, the Spanish
government to let the reconcentrados
return to their homes-or to the places
wher their homes were-Spain to as
sist them; the understanding being
that. IL during the pending of the
armstice Spain and Cuba come to no
agreement. President Mckinley shall be
the arbitrator, and he shall decide for
independence for Cuba.
II the presidents policy Is outlined in
his arrangement, we believe IL to be
one that will not please the people of
the United States. 1t will complicate
matters. II will needlessly involve this
country. When the time for armistice
is expired. Madrid will be setting up
the cry hat. in fact. Spain has come TO
a friendly understanding with Cuba
Half of Europe will assume that this
claim is well taken. Our own country
will feel the restraint of conditions fool
ishly imposed upon itself. AS umpire,
President Mckinley. on the one side.
will be implored not to decide in favor
of Cuban Independence, and. on the
other side, he will be conjured to decide
for Cuba: and il is the bipartisan truth
tina William Mckinley is one of the
worst men in this country TO be put in
that dilemma. because there isn't an
important issue before this country on
which he has a record for frankness or
firmness or courage.
4. All this is written on the assumption
that there is considerable truth in the
messages of the past two days from
Madrid. These messages may be
wrong: during forty-eight hours they
have not been denied or their accuracy
called in question by any person con-
nected with the administration at
Washington. IL these Madrid mes
sages are true, then the question
which the Spanish cabinet is consider
ing and the conclusions soon TO come
from Madrid are World wide apart from
the proposition which the American
people supposed the president had SUBJ
mitted-that proposition simply was in
dependence for Cuba. but not independ-
ence contingent on the future and on a
promise with a string to IL.