The times., 1898-09-29
As to Facing Both ways.

As to Facing Both Ways.
The course of Republican politics in
New York during the immediate past
has offered some grounds for surprises
and not few for suspicious that things
may be not altogether what they seem,
and that there are visions about.
The ordinary observer of human af-
fairs would have expected the monkey
and the parrot to sleep three in bed
together before the world should be
startled and crushed by the spectacle of
a political coalition composed of the
Easy Boss and Teddy the Terrible Ter
ror. But that has happened and consti-
tutes one Of the surprises.
AS to suspicious, let it be recorded
that such are entertained regarding
many matters, and particularly in re-
spect of what has all the appearance of
being a smooth deal plank in the plat
form adopted at Saratoga. AS our Jap
anese friends would say. il has the hon
orable, high graciousness to read as fol-
lows
We have abiding confidence that the President
viii conclude this peace upon terms that will
satisfy. the conscience, the judgment and the
high purpose Of the American people. We realize
that when the necessities of compelled our
nation 10 destroy Spanish authority in the An
titles and in the Philippines we assumed solemn
duties and obligations alike to the people of the
! islands we conquered and the civilized world.
/ We cannot turn these islands back TO Spain.
! We cannot leave them, unarmed for defense and
uutried in statecraft, TO the horrors Of domestic
! strife or TO partition among European powers.
! We have assumed the responsibilities Of victory,
and wherever our flag has gone, there the liberty,
| the humanity, and the civilization which that
| flag embodies and represents must remain ard
| abide forever.
Now, nothing could be finer or more
pleasant for TO see'' than the excellently
patriotic and expansive American Ian
! guage of that utterance. 1t breathes
the pure, fiery spirit of a whole peoples
peremptory demand that our Govern
ment, having acquired the Philippine
archipelago honorably in war, shall
/ hold every inch of it. The genesis of
! the plank is of interest. IT was sawed,
! planed and sand-papered by Stewart L.
Woodford, who was minister to Spain
until the outbreak of the war, and who
has been seif-sacrificing enough TO
draw the salary of that extinct office
until the other day, when he thought
there might be a ghostly chance Of his
wearing the shoes that now pinch the
corns of the lagerphobic ex-policeman.
1t is political history that Woodford
/ forced the piece into the platform after
that stage property structure was 9TH
erwise complete. Having in mind his
late connection with our Spanish rela-
tions, and the known confidence placed
| in him as an unquestioning henchman,
| by Mr. Mckinley the necessary deduc-
ton is that the Philippine plank was
manufactured under the eagle eye of
that great and good man, and was
| piously intended to give the most public
/ and solemn assurance to the country
! that the occupant of the White House
/ is repeatedly all right.
Taking that logical view of the mat
| ter, as we feel compelled to. il is impos-
sible to escape a sense of blood-curdling
astonishment. Woodford the Spanish
mouthpfecc of the Administration.
through the Saratoga platform, in eff
| feet, makes affidavit that, under no
possible circumstances, would Mr.. Nc
! Kinley consent to a surrender of any
captured island to Spain. The incon-
sistency of this position with that taken
by the President in the sinister text of
| the Edmunds-Ireland protocol is too
| apparent to require analysis. In the
protocol the whole question of Philip
pine possession was relegated to a
! &.
| is significant of the construction of
which the language employed is suscep-
| tible that Spain is today confidently
contending for full restoration of SOW
ereignty under its terms, as condition
precedent to the conclusion of treaty
of peace.
In view of these things we can hardly
avoid asking a delicate question. Did
Mr. Mckinley intend to fool the Span
! iards when he adopted the surrender
| text concocted for him by his anti
| expansion private. political, and prelat-
| ical advisers? Or did he mean honestly
/ to the enemy at that time, and really
entertain a wish to win the love of
! desirable financial and other important
organized influences at home, by turn
! ing the unfortunate Filipinos over to
| the robbery, outrage and murder of
! Spanish misrule?
Is, then. the policy announced on in
spiration at Saratoga the result of a
| change of base, or is the Administration
still favorable to surrender and now
only firing the American heart for the
purposes of November? In other words,
are we to stand by the true intent and
meaning of the protocol, - expressed
most plainly and directly in that docu-
ment; or, are we to ignore the protocol
and its constructive conunittal of the
Administration to surrender, and pin
our faith to the new gospel preached in
the Philippine convention plank?
But right here comes the painful
thought of the thing. If we mount the
golden second horn of the dilemma, we
must conclude that Mr.. Mckinley has
been unkind, shifty and disingenuous in
his relations with Mr.. Edmunds, Mon
signor Ireland and others of that ilk If
we impale ourselves upon the first, then
we are afraid some people might think
that the country is being hoodwinked
as to the real purpose of our pastors
and masters, and that, as soon as the