The age-herald., 1898-02-15
HE IS USING CUBA
 10 PLAY POLITICS
Will Wait Until the Very Last > Minute to Explode the
 Bomb.
sneciaI to The Age-Herald.

Washington, D. C., Feb 14-There is no doubt but that the president is using the Cuban question to play politics. Recent events have clearly shown that some such idea outlines his course and has been his motive ever since in the past summer. It is a. well known fact that unless some- thing desperate is done the next congress will be lost to the republicans.
 They have no chance of carrying the country on their record in this congress, and that is what they will be judged by. In the extra session they made the seri- ous mistake of passing a. tariff bill, With out allowing time for discussion. This ses- sion their errors have been equally as serious. Instead of redeeming their party pledges and trying to promote the estao- lishment of international bimetalism, they have been talking of revising the cu- rency But they have not even done this So if they want to carry the next elections something desperate must be done.
 Mr. McKinley's plan now seems to De to wait until about June before taking action on the Cuban situation, and then by some coup d'etat to do something which will cause hostilities between this country and Spain In such contlng- ency he could go before the people and in the persons of the republican candidates for congress and ask vindcation Tor ms
 
 course.
 To the Party in Powei
 History shows what the result of each action would be.
 This then, seems to be the plan or the president. Mckinley always was better politician than statesman, and he Will no doubt now be ready to sacrifice statesman ship to party advantage. He is undoubt- edly one of the greatest politicians of the age, and anything he may do in this line will not surprise those who know him. While he has been accused of weakness, there is little doubt but that if he once makes up his mind to this plan, and the indications are that his mind is already made up, he will carry it out.
 There Is Only One Impediment
 There is only one thing that can prevent this plan from being consumated and that is some incident which will tend to break the weak cord of friendship between Spain and the United States and provoke imme- diate hostilities in spite of the president. If this is done it will be the death knell to the hopes of the republicans so far as the next house is concerned. The speaker seems to realize this, and 1t is for this reason that no action on Cuban affairs will be taken by the house, and no chance of discussion be allowed. Everything will be done for political effect, and nothing for humanity. That at least is the present programme
 The DeLome incident is still in statu quo So far as the one-time Spanish min ister himself is concerned the matter is at an end, but the affair has now assumed a national aspect, and there is no way out except for Spain to acceed to our demands and apologize for and disavow the state. ments in the DeLome letter. The president will not now dare to back down from his first demand for an apology. He must keep up stiff backbone until the end. The present plan, it is understood, is to wait until the close of official business to- morrow (Tuesday), and If no apology has been received by that time to break off diplomatic negotiations.