Washington sentinel., 1898-04-09
A Costly Postponement.

The country was surprised and
disappointed at the Presidents
failure to send in his message last
Wednesday.
Information based upon the very
highest authority explains that the
postponement was due solely to a
despatch from Gen. Lee saying
that the Americans in Cuba would
be in danger il the message should
be sent to Congress before they
could get away.
This is a reason tor delay which
must be accepted as conclusive, if
true; but as the President ought to
have known the nature of his mes
sage as soon as he read the report
of the Board of Inquiry, it seems
strange that our citizens in Cuba
were not quietly notified to come
home some days ago.
The universal confidence in Gen.
Lee disposes the public to believe
him when he says that massacre
of Americans would have followed
the publication Of the Presidents
message, and OF course nobody is
willing to take the risk OF causing
such massacre, but this does not
diminish in the slightest degree
the popular wrath against those
who have brought the country into
this predicament. Mr.. Mckinley
knew the danger of Americans in
Cuba two weeks ago as well as he
knows il now. He could have
made arrangements TOR their re
moVal in ample time to- prevent
any interference with the military
plans of the Government He has
deliberately chosen to delay the
arrangements for their withdrawal
in order that he might have one
last chance of obstructing the act
ion OF the United States in behalf
Of Cuban freedom. The order for
the recall of the American consuls
was drawn up a week ago last
Thursday, a week later than it
should have been, and then was
held by the President, against
the remonstrance OF the State De.
partment, until Monday. Thus
Mr.. Mckinley created the very
difficulties Of which he now avalls
himself as an excuse for breaking
his solemn pledge.
The damning fact that the news
OF the Presidents intended action
was known in Wall street two
hours before IT came through the
regular channels from Washington
throws Iurid light on the char
acter of the proceeding. The un-
derground connection between the
Capitol and the Stock Exchange is
bad enough when a tariff bill is
under consideration, and specula-
tive craftsmanship is concerned
with nothing more important than
the question of diferential on
sugar. But when the issues in
volved are our most momentous
International relations, the liberty
or bondage OF whole people en-
titled to our protection, the lives
of hundreds of thousands of starv-
ing women and children, and retri-
button for the cowardly assassina-
ton Of 400 American sailors with
the destruction Of their ship, the
shameless partnership between the
Administration and the stock job
bers becomes a scandal whose in
iarny is unmatched in the whole
range OF American history. Com
pared with it the Credit Mobilier,
Belknap, Robson and Whiskey
Ring iniquities OF Grants second
Administration become harmless
indiscretions.
The withholding ofthe message,
after the day and hour had been
fixed for sending it in, is part Of
the mystery in the management OF
the whole affair by the Admins
tration which a trustful people still
hope will soon give way to a pub
licity more in harmony with a gov
a~.~na,.k ~. Al ...~..r-