The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-04-22
Where Are We At?

When the Michigan delegation In con.
gress visited President Mckinley last week
Wednesday-as they are reported as doing
they belied and misrepresented the con-
stituency which they claimed impelled them
to act, and caused Michigan, together with a
portion of the congressional delegation
from Illinois, to stand as the only state which
failed to support President McKinley's
Cuban policy. We have had some shocking
specimens Of asininity In the House Of
Representatives, but nothing before that
could reach the idiotic grandeur of the pres
ent incumbents. The simple fact is that
level-headed men of all parties are unit in
praise of the. Presidents course, under such
trying circumstances.
| And then to have these so-caled repre-.
sentatives dance around there and bark at
the Presidents heels. through William Al
den Smiths little umbrella for a mouth
piece! Bah! Give us rest.
Spain deserves punishment, and she ,uiu
get 1t all in due time and in such way as
will command the respect of the civilized
world for US. This delay has been for our
own good, and for the best interest of the
army and navy. So that when war is de-
clared--if at alive shall be ready for 1t,
In concentration, in force, and In ,tnity.
The Spaniard is a cruel and merciless
foe, as evinced in her wars with Mexican
revolutionists, which were especially
marked for ferocity of Spanish soldiery,
but they had to relInqush that territory,
and so they will thrice desolated Cuba, which
tho doubtless incompetent as was Mexico
can travel up through the same road of riot,
revolution and bloodshed as Mexico did, till
she arrives at as high point of excellence
as our friend Stanley K. Parkill placed her
in recent speech down at Pontiac.
Now we all know that Stanley is bril-
liant speaker and could make good speech
on the mistakes of Noses" or that "Heav-
en-sent messenger" Bryan, or Bob Inger-
soil, or In fact on anything to which he
might turn his tongue, but we cannot dis
remember that he rode down to Mexico in
palace car, and was feted, and banqueted,
and wined, and dined, IL he preferred, in
solid silver service, and that he is looking
through silver spectacles all the while,
which naturally colors everything he views
with slvery sort of sheen.
Nor can we forget that 1t is less than two
decades since Mexico had any boon or
''boom," except misery and suffering, to
talk about; but that within fifteen years or
so she has settled down to temporarily
semi-stable government that mines its own
money out of the bowels of the earth, both
gold and silver, but sends the former away
for imports and to pay interest on her debt,
while she keeps the latter-in the absence
of anything better-to use as the currency
of the realm, instead of sending 1t home as
Alaska does, which, by the way, also has
both metals and mines, and nearly as much
area of square miles.
Mexico has a greater number of people to
the square mile than Alaska, but not so
many as the United States, by considera-
BILE, and they doubtless have schools,
churches, newspapers, etc, in the cities or
places where palace car would naturally
travel, but in the sparsely settled region, the
only public conveniences or buildings one
would be liable to find in that land would
be churches. and that is due only to the
kind and character of the dominant religion
of the land.
No. 1t is not probable that away back
where the burro and the pack-mule flourish,
and wages are about half what our common
laborers receive, and that deprecated one
hundred per cent in its purchasing power,
the honest democrat of our country could
be deluded into wishing-if he were there
that he could have things so at home. No.
His only wish would be "Lord let me live
to get home and will ask no more"
A friend of mine down there wanted to
send dollar up here to pay for newspa.
per, and the $1.00 draft he bought on N. Y.
he says cost him $2.15. Nice country, nice
currency, nice lie.
Laingsburg, April 4, '9s. WARD.
p. S.-Since the above was written COM
plications have arisen involving actual and
immediate war with Spain.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES thO ViouohA VI thO AOoh-
dent, and his effort to 60 slow In the mat
ter, the lingo element in congress forced
immediate Intervention In Cuban affairs,
and before this time undoubtedly Spain has
received the ultimatum Of our government.
1t Is sincerely to be hoped that we never
shall regret our haste In this matter, but
have vague supicion that we have "bitten
of more than we can swallow" and like the
80 days in which we were given to whip
the southern rebels, the 80 days given to
clean out Cuba may llnger In years instead,
and further, with loss of life and treasure
that is of more value than the fever infested
island is worth, twice over.
If armed Intervention could have been
delayed till after the rainy season, which is
just beginning end lasts four months, the
chances would have been much better, II
indeed, the cause had not passed by that