The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-26
Worthy of n Better Cause.

The overture of Spain at this time
for y new treaty of reciprocity with
tn" United Sta'os Illustrates the i'm
nr"Hurahie sGperiorliy Uf Spanish Gver
American dipiomacy and causes one
almost to admire the skill with which
Spanish statesnanship pockets it's real
feelings in order 10 keep uD appear
anCes. AS a coup d'etat in dissimula
tion it is quite the NOSE noticeable
Spanish achievement of the generation,
and vet, withal. there is A stiug in it,
a sting which Is d triumph Of art.
Bear in mind that for more Than
three years :he Spanish government
and indeed the Spanish PEOPLE have
been serving as the targets Of criticism
not only for American newspapers and
members of congress bur more or less
directly for the very head OF the Amer
tcan republic, the president himself. In
the main these criticisms have not heen
purpusaly softcned The president. it
is ,rue, has cushioned his words with
diplomatic circumspection. but the bulk
Of the comment, in both the press and
the public halls OF congress and of
state legislatures. has been character
ized 10y the candid franlincss and di-
rcctnCss of uttcrlnca common to the
English speaking race. We have not
hesitGted to employ in our discussion
of Spanish officials and Spanish meas
ures the strongest weapons in our vocal
armament. More than that congress
has once and the senate twice passed
a resolution recognizing the belliger-
ency of Spain's revClting Cuban sub
jcCts. under circumstances, we'll calcu-
lated to make that action offensive to
Spanish pride. We have not. as a gov
ernment, gone quite as far as we have
wanted to go, or as Spain we'll knows
that we now want to 50, in the drcc-
tion of embarrassing OF thwarting her
efforts to regain a satisfactory Sovcr-
eiSnty over Cuba: hut in a thousand
ways the sympathy and the ultimate
intent of the people If the United
States with regard to the Cuban insur-
rection has been manifested to all
classes of the effective Spanish popu-
lation; yet observe Spain's course.
Step by step she has parried our
thrusts with fent here, a conces-
sion there and all the time with a
semblance of friendship utterly alien
t. the real feeling in her heart. In the
face of incalculable difficulties and dis
Couragements, under circumstances
that long ago would have inspired in
the Anglo Saxon character a rash de-
termination TO put all hazards to one
decisive issue, Spain, officially speak
ing, has flattered and cajoled us with
patience and a versatility and q
profound tact worthy of a far better
cause. And now. while we are sending
our warships within the area of ready
accessibility to the center of SPANS
greatest trouble, and when the Spanish
heart is black with hate, Spanish dip
lomacy, never at a loss. comes at us in
the freshest of poses with an offer "a
negotiate general treaty of recip-
Tocity.
We are "a nation of shopkeepers, -
and Spain will therefore play on our
commercial greed in the hope Of in.
ducing us yet further to compromise
with our conscience! The sting of it is
admirably planned. but it remains tC
be seen whether Spanish finesse car
outbid the claim of Etarving and desc.
late Cuba upon our attention.