The San Francisco call., 1898-04-04
THE SOONER BEGUN THE SOONER
 ENDED

H ISPATCHES of yesterday announcing that J the Presidents message to Congress the
 crisis with Spain which was expected to be sent in to-day may be postponed until tomorrow and possibly until Wednesday far froIi satisac- tory to the people At this juncture delay increases rather than quiets popular excitement It serves no good purpose It cannot aid the of peace. It simply gives time for the Spanish torpedo hotilla to make its way the to point of hostile vantage against coasts
 Ever since the report of the Naval Board of In- quiry removed all doubt that the Maine de- stroyed by Spanish mine the nation has expected of the President not only hrmness of decision, but promptness of action. It received with indignation every rumor suggestion that the treacherous mur der of American seamen would be treated by dipo- macy minor incident in dealings with the Spanish and that the issue of Cuban relief would be given precedence over it. The cry of the people for that justice which takes the form of vengeance and had the report of the naval board been followed by an immediate declaration of the armed strength of the republic would have responded at once and the civilized world would have approved.
 As the destruction of the Maine were not enough the Spanish Government immediately set about gv ing our Government another cause for war This done by the dispatch of the hotla of torpedo boats to Havana Under the circumstances it was clear to all that this action war measure Spain designed 1t a of striking blow at the United States We have stood comparatively in- active and permitted that weapon to be drawn and aimed at our heads Had it not been for the accident of a storm at sea the fotilla would even now be in easy reach of Havana if not actually within the port We have delayed long enough. Unless Spain at once yields to demands and makes every reparation possible for the murder of seamcn there should be war.
 Moreover, it should be made clear to all the peo- ples of the earth that the when comes is made by the American nation not for the relief of Cuba however desirable that may be- but for vengeance on the assassins that wrecked the Maine The moral of the battle should be made plain that the republic will protect its flag and its in every under the whole heavens. That lesson should be made so inn pressive and terrible that such ofense will be committed again long America remains powerful and nations fear her wrath.
 It would be, in fact, anti-cnax to turn aside from the high outrage of the ends that exploded the mine under the Maine to consider the of the people of Cuba made destitute by war We cannot as nation right the wrongs of suffering humanity. There has been ntolerable cruelty in Armenia there is spoliaton in China, and doubtless there have been many foul offenses committed against humanity in the incessant revolutionary struggles going in the South and Central American states. We cannot right all these evils. We cannot protect everybody We can, however, protect wherever they may be, and to do that Is our duty matter what the cost.
 Unless Spain makes complete surrender war must come, and it should be waged with such effectiveness to make it short terrible. It would be false economy to begin with half measures The fighting should be forced from the start Spain should have no moment of respite from the time war is declared until it is ended by her complete subec- ton. The whole struggle should be finished in time for harvests be gathered in peace and shipped across sea untormented by the Spanish flag