The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-12-10
PRESIDENT m'KINL EY's MESSAGE.

PRESIDENT m'KINLEY's MESSAGE.
The message of President Mckinley at
the opening of congress last Monday is
so lengthy that we have not had time to
read 1t from beginning to end. He COM
, mences the document by commenting ON
the war with Spain and its consequences,
and concludes by recommending the
| alien labor law problem to the consider
| alton Of the national legislators.
Touching the new possessions result
ing from the war with Spain he says
discussion of their government will be
appropriate after the Paris treaty of
peace has been ratified. Not syllable
does he utter regarding the disposition or
government Of the Philippine islands,
but he says as soon as Cuba passes into
our possession and the island is pacitied
1T will be necessary to give aid and di-
rection to its people to form a govern
ment for themselves" He asserts that
this should be undertaken at the earliest
| moment consistent with safety and as
, sured success" We are glad to have
him speak thus, though the period at
which Cuba may be handed over to its
own people for government may be
far distant. II American carpet-baggers
once get firm footing on Cuban SOIL
Until this government considers the cap
tured islands fit for f-government the
president announces it as his duty to
which have existed since our occupation
of them. Whether the insurgents who
had fought Spain SO long will be satisfied
or not with this arrangement does not
seem to bother his excellency a particle.
He refers to the Nicaraguan canal in
a roundabout way and declares that Its
construction is now more than ever in
dispensable to that intimate and ready
water communication between our east
ern and western seaboards." 1t is to be
desired that this country shall have
exclusive control of the canal and ignore
the pretensions of Great Britain in the
Clayton-Bulwer treaty, under the terms
OF which the American government
would be prevented from exercising any
control over the waterway and debarred
from fortifying the entrances to the ca
nal without the consent Of England. The
London Times in referring to British
rights in the canal, says that IL the free
dom of 1t is secured to ships of all ma
tions. as in the Suez canal, I'VE shall
not need to stand strictly upon claims
which originated when the circum-
stances were altogether different"
The fact is that England secs the flu
tility of claiming any rights in the canal
which would be recognized for a moment
by congress- and during this time Of
Anglo-Saxon love-feasting she deems it
better to forego the alleged claim and
keep on the right side Of Uncle Sam. IL
there is nc open door" in the Philip
pines for the benefit of British trade we
may be sure of hearing a fierce roar
from the lion that walks like a man."
But the secretary of state is too English
to cause the lion to roar.
The president, of course. refers with
delight to "our friendly relations with
England" He does not say, however.
that the United States is under any OBJ
legation to England for preventing other
European powers from meddling in the
late unpleasantness. Were there any
foundation for that friendlness of Eng
land, of which the newspapers so fire.
quently prate, President Mckinley would
he happy to mention it in his message
when speaking of our friendly relations
with his mother country" of which he
is SO fond. But he could not in the face
of the foreign ministers at Washington,
who would promptly contradict him.
say that this country is indebted one iota
to England except for soft sayings that
signify nothing In diplomacy.
The message has elected different
opinions as to it's merits. The Repub-
lican papers think it an admirable doc
umcnt and so do the Republican politi-
clans of the Mckinley stripe The Dem
ocrats, on the other hand, fail to see
anything in 1t to eXtol. In our opinion
1t lacks the candor and straight forward
ness that should characterize a message
at this critical period of the country's
history. We hope that congress will
deal with it as it deserves.