The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-22


Republican campaigners in Pennsylva-
mia. New York and elsewhere are trying
60 impress the voters with the belief that
! the war is an issue; thai the success of
the Republican party in the approaching
| elections is necessary TO a vindication Of
| the Administrations war policy, and also
as notice to Spain and Europe that the
American people are behind the President
in his demands in the peace negotiations
That they resort 10 such arguments in
dicates the lack of the Republicans for
! good campaign material, and also that
they have serious doubts of their ability
to win on the real issues. In Pennsylvania
the Republicans are saying on the stump,
IF you do not elect Republicans TO Office
you refuse a vote OF confidence to the ad-
ministration a the moment when it is en-
gagged in negotiations for peace with
Spain" In New York the other day Col.
Roosevelt said: 1.-The chief cause for the
hitch at Paris is that the Spaniards have
not made up their minds. and the people
of Europe have not made up their minds,
whether the American people viii sustain
the administration of President Mckinley
in insisting that we shall reap the benefits
of our triumphs and suferlngs in the late
war and in insisting that the Americans
shall have what, by victory, they are en-
titled to have"
If Spain and Europe have not made up
their minds respecting this matter they
must be dun of comprehension. If Col.
Roosevelt thinks the American voters can
be led to accept The point of view which
he presents. he must not have a very high
opinion of their intelligence.
The truth is, as ex-senator Hill said the
other night, that the Democrats are as
much responsible for the war as the Re
publicans. 1t was not a party war. The
President, indeed, opposed war as long a.
he consistently could. When war became
inevitable the Democrats were among the
first TO back up the administration, with
both soldiers and appropriations. The hero
of the Santiago campaign was a Demo-
cratic congressman. Unanimous votes
were given in Congress when money for
The prosecution of the war was wanted
The Democratic ex-candidate for the pres
dency volunteered and took the field In
support of the administration, as did tens
of thousands of other Democrats. Does
that look as if it were a partisan war?
And Spain and Europe know these things
quite as well as they are known in the
United States.
AS the Democrats supported the admin
istTation during the continuance of the
war, so have they supported 1t in its peace
| negotiations. There has indeed been, as
there still is, opposition to this govern
ment's embarking upon an imperial policy;
but that opposition has been in the Re
| publican party as well as In the Demo
| cratic The fact is that In SO far as the
war and its consequences are concerned
| the administration needs no vote of con-
I idence. Nobody except a few Republican
candidates and orators in extremely doubt
! full states has ever suggested that the adj
mlnistration in its war policy had not the
confidence and support of the country ir-
respective of party. To foreign foe the
| American people present a solid front.
| The internal issues, especially in so far
as the Pennsylvania and New York cleo
lions are concerned, are just what they
would have been if there had been no war.