The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-07
PRESIDENT M'KINLEY.
Comment from the Capital on His Part
in the War.

Comment from the Capital on His Part
in the War.
| W. G. Nicholas, in Chicago Post
Jingoes are disposed to criticise the Presi-
dent for yielding too much to the Span
| iards. The fault-finding emanates largely
| from the same class of persons who have
been loudest in their cutlery against 'impe-
rialsm' They lined up with Senator Jones.
of Arkansas; young Bailey. of Texas. and
Col. William Jennings Bryan, of Nebraska,
| who were in the forefront of opposition to
| territorial expansion. They were filled with
dreadful fear that the Republic might
| stray too far from the limitations made by
| the trainers of the Constitution as orig
| inally adopted. Now, however, when the
President showed just little leaning their
way and seems disposed to put the brakes
! on they set up the cry that he is going TO
| commit the unspeakable crime of yield
| ing some of the fruits of victory" To
| hear them talk one might imagine that they
/ had been the Presidents steadfast support
| ers from the outset, whereas they have
| been hanging on the TANKS of the admins
tration throughout, first by wild and unrea-
soning clamer trying to force the govern
ment into war before it was prepared for
| the struggle, and then seeking to embarrass
every movement by direct or covert play,
| lingo criticism of the President for his re-
fusal to subscribe without limit to the prin-
ciples of the game of grab-all, regardless
of the embarrassments and responsibilities
which would result, recalls a conversation
with Democratic spellbinder a few days
! ago. We had been talking about the hard
lines upon which the Democratic party had
nd ho oIo fio
prospects in the immediate future He con-
feSSed that on account Of poor leadership
and of circumstances beyond control the
Republicans have every advantage and the
Democrats small hope of making even a re-
spectacle showing next fall. Then suddenly
shifting the conversation he declared that
he must go home to the State of Texas at
once to enter into the campaign.
What are you going to talk about?' l
asked: Are you to make an issue of 16 to
No, l should say not That's as dead as
a door nail. You can't talk 16 to l when
farmers have big crops and are generally
prosperous and contented."
Are you going to demand a repeal of the
D1ngley law and return to the good old
days when the treasury was running be-
hind $5O0OO,0O0 year under the Wilson
law"
IT should say not"
. Are you going to oppose the warp
Are you going to criticise Congress for
making appropriations for carrying on the
WARP?
Anything against war or in criticism of
Congress or the President for his conduct
or the same would be rank idiocy. The
whole people are behind the administration
on that"
You will take grounds against territorial
expansion then, J. SUPPOSE"
mot If / know myself. / am personally
opposed to undue expansion, and / believe
the President is of the same mind. For that
reason think that subject is one of the best
in the list to avoid
What, then, will you find to talk about"
am going to conflne my oratory strict
ly to local issues. ] don't know what they
up"
The Presidents apparent willingness to
let go of something the people never eX-
pected to get and are in doubt as to whether
they want to keep is not going to furnish
the OPPOSITION an issue much as the LIMOGES
might wish: His course in this matter will
not give the Democratic spellbinders an op-
portunity to go outside of a limited field of
If the Madrid government should reject
the moderate terms which the President Of
fers as the price of peace his position and
strong before the world 1t is only criticised
by radicals on the theory that it surrenders
something to which they thought we
ity. If these terms are rejected by Spain
because they are too harsh, then the whole
country will unite in a demand to push the
PEELED from every colony on the face of the
earth.
One of the Presidents most notable char
| acteristics has been brought conspfcuously
into the foreground during the last week
There has never been q better or clearer
demonstration of his anxiety to truly rep
resent the desires of the people than in the
| framing of a reply to SPANS overtures for
peace He has no policy of his own In OPP
| position to the will of the people. and he has
| been at extraordinary pains to ascertain
| what the people wanted and to represent
| them as nearly as possible. No man ever
| tried harder than President Mckinley has
done to get next to the people in this
vitality important matter. He has resorted
| to every known method to sound public
| opinion and to arrive at an UNDERESTIMATE g
| of the intelligent judgment of the Nation.
| Every member of his Cabinet did the same
| thing, and the letter which was cabled to
! Madrid Saturday afternoon by the French
| ambassador is as nearly reflection of the
sober sound sense of the people of America
| as ever went out from the White House or
| Department of State.
| President Mckinley likes to hear the
| views and suggestions of the members of
! his official family and of his friends in
! private life. He invites the greatest free
| dom of expression from people who enjoy
| ing from those who differ from him in poll
| tics upon the merits of any proposition
| which may be pending. Yet it is recognized
| among those who have most to do with
the White House that when the time arrives
| for deciding the ''old man. he is called,
| makes up his own mind Nobody makes it
| up for him. He is like a just judge who
| listens patiently to statements of facts and
arguments and then mpartially charges the
| jury. He appears to be entirely free at all
| times from prejudice or from a desire to
| arbitrarily enforce his own views. He rarely
| gives OffenSe by entering into arguments
with those VITO call upon him or discuss
! questions with him. the whole aim Of his
| conversation being apparently to draw
others out. Nevertheless he has come to be
| recognized as the towering figure of this
! American period and as larger in stature
| than his surroundings And this can be said
without disparaging or belittling the men
who are brought into contact and associa-