The times., 1898-04-11
WAR IS THE ONLY THEME.
Americans Everywhere Say the
1aine Must Re Avenged.

Patrick Henry developed from dry
goods box orator to a history making
statesman: Abraham Lincoln first intro
duced his doctrines in that famous in =
stitution. "the corner grocery" and from
the birth of our country street corners
have been the Democratic gathering
places of men who think and have opin-
ions on great issues.
The expressions and declarations heard
on the streets. in idling places and trade
shops cannot be called the irresponsible
and valueless vociferations of "howiing
jingoes" who we are led 10 believe
would speedily eVaporate and disappear
If really needed to defend our nation
honor
On the contrary. the true American
democratic principles of which We boast
so loudly are really responsible for the
opinions and convictions we hear alred
by the throug. 1t Is the sacred privilege
of every American citizen to have an
opinion and an aggregation OF Opinions
and he is in no way bashful or diScrini-
mating in his manner of exploiting them
without regard to time or place. Hence
/ what is heard these times on the streets.
on the corners in the street cars ana
| other places where talking is not re-
stricted is intensely interesting.
One learns many things while minSiing
] with the multitude.
| Just now one learns that. by the peo-
! ple. the Cuban question is held unani-
| mously to be of secondary Importance
| as compared with the Spanish treachery
! that conspired to assassinate 266 AmeTi-
| can seamen and destroy the Maine. The
| conversations quoted here are necessarily
| without names, but they are bona-f1de
| expressions. picked up in many places
| Two old c.. A. r. veterans meet and
exchange ''hellos' in front of the Treas
| ury Department. The one with the
| empty coat sleeve says to his friend with
| the wooden leg:
| Pete. times hev changed since We mt
! together in tn Wilderness. Wonder what
happen eff tn old Lincoln Administra-
ton wuz runnin' things now?''
well. something would happen purity
quick" responded the One-legged old vet
II don't know so much about the Cuban
question, 'cept tn pore devils er-starvin'
to death en- need help, but what do know
iz this: When our ships er blewed up
by tn Spaniards, en- when our jackies er
murdered by tn hundreds, then sez its
time 20 fite En- while we're fightin we
might ez well give the Cubans lift
| too.
Now, here is what don't make little
bit of a hit with me-" declares the mar
of connections to a conservative friend
''In the good old days when honor was
held in higher esteem than money, anC
when diplomacy was of no account to
avenge the spilling of blood or the viola
ton of American rights we went to wal
with a power like England, because sht
persisted in searching our vessels at sea
Now a third-class power like Spain car
blow up our warships. annihilate 26
American lives, and diplomatic compli
cations follow. There is no room fol
diplomats in the settlement of this ques
ton. We want no indemnity. What W.
do want is revense-war.'
The man of convictions is interrupted by
the man who has written poetry on thC
subject. Must our flag. by angel hand.
to glory given. be humbled and disgrace(
by treachery the most fiendish, while We
sir and await the result of diplomatic
correspondence. with nothing to hope FOL
but the severance of diplomatic rela
tions?' He is answered by vigorous neg
atives, too vigorous for print.
| A Pennsylvania Avenue street cal
passes the White House, and the fat
man hanging to the platform railing
sighs in disgust, II wander how Spain's
sense of honor and justice progresses
today?"
"Oh you can't expect anything from
over there says the slim man. nodding
| over the conductors shoulder toward tht
| Executive Mansion. THE people vii
have TO mix up in this question before
long We've got to declare ourselves anC
show Wall Street that the people ruI
things in the United States when it come:
to a showdown"
Nobody says Good morning thes'
days 1t is ''How's the war today?" II
there anything new about the war;
whats the news from Havana ID
yoa think Congress Will act Monday
O-er the counters. in the cafes. around
hotel Hobbies. in fact, everywhere, theT
is nothing talked but war. In the ciSa
store a man lights a cigar and says l
the proprietor: There's no use in talE
ing we're going to have war. The peopl
won't stand for any monkey business.
they think sentiment will grow cold wit
delay they're mistaken, and that's
cinch.
Maybe the President will come to th
front with the right kind of a messag
after ALL" interrupts a new customer.
'.Messagel There amt going to be an,
Congress will have to take action, and
it doesn't the people will. and don't 70
even think they won't. Monday is gOin
to see a swift finish to this suspense.
; well" says a third. I'VE can wait
little longer, but 1 think myself that We
blow Spain off the map before We 81
done with her.