The age-herald., 1898-03-05
WILL BE NO WAR
 CUBA WILL BE FREE
Special to The Age-Herald.

Wdr C1 account or Un6 Maine incident" said a senator to me this morning. He was republican, a member of the upper body who is In close touch with the ad- mtnistrathon. and one of the most con- servative men in public life today. After declaring that the Maine incident would not bring bout a war, he continued:
 But the Maine incident affords splen- did opportunity to prepare for war, and am glad to see that the administration is taking advantage of the occasion to put our sea armament and coast defense into proper shape
 Mark my prediction and remember 1t when 1t shall come to pass. The court of inquiry will not be made public until all our ships are in commission and we stand ready to answer a challenge from Spain.
 ''That report will not precipitate matters, but affairs will reach a crisis soon there after. It is my firm belief that the presi- dent will issue a proclamation before con- greS9 abdtOuFnS recognizing the indepen- dence of the island of Cuba. The admin istratfon does not want ito take the iniat- i've in and if the truth were ac- knowIeidged there is casus belll in the Maine incident unless 1t can be proven that the Maine was sunk by design, in which the government had knowledge.
 But the administration will recognize the independence of the Cubans. There is nothing left for 1t to do if it has any hope for controlling the next congress or If Me- Kinley hopes to be renominated or re- e.ected. He would have recognized the in- depence of -the Cubans before this session ever ended had not the DeLome letter been made public or the Maine blown up. think he had fuily intended to do so and if any thing, the recent excitement has delayed that recognition. It certainly has not hastened it."
 It would be betrayal of confidence to give the name of the senator speaking but the important fact remains that he is one not given to idle talk ar5a one who seldom hazards a prediction. I~e pointed out the fact that the president had prom ised independence if autonomy should be a failure and that if anything was to be believed that had not been made public, Lee had already reported on the utter fail ure of the autonomy plan.
 Despite the careful attitude of the ad- ministration during the whole of this af- fair Secretary Long is being severely criticised for seeming to pass judgment on any branch of the courts inquiry re- specting the cause of the explosion. He has denied or rather modified the state ment attributed to him wherein he exon erated Spain from all cutpabiHty. He says that he merely expressed the opinion that Spain was not responsible for the explos- ion still he admitted he had no guarantee of that fact.
 
 nary evidence which is sitting through to it from cabinet circles. Members of the house do not know what to make of the positive statements from administration men that there will be no nor is there danger of one when these worlds are fol- lowed by requests for resolutions and bills allowing the war and navy departments to strengthen themselves. Every move of the departments look to the coasts. The re- quest for two extra regiments of artillery men is based on the fact that we need more men to handle the big disappearing guns which point to sea from our shores. The navy wants more sailors to man the ships noY out of commission. These facts contradict the official t4 tpqaass.pts of the administration to the extent of compIetG, mystifying congress
 The democrats or rather a few of them, who are indutiging in adverse criticisms of the administration are making. a mStake. It would be in better taste at the present tune to let all criticism come from within the party in power and which is reSpon- sible to the country for Mckinley and his official acts. There is only the slIpposltion that Mckinley may fail to rise to the emergency and force a settlement which
 would humllate Spain to make. Even should he preserve peace at nominal sum there wild be found many to back him and praise him for his stand. south- ern senator said, in talking on this sub ject yesterday:
 q do not believe the press of this country was ever mistaken as it Is now in representing the sentiment of the peo- pie. I believe the great rank and file of the citizens of this country are opposed to war, and would gladly see it averted by any honorable means" In this latter statement the press will bear the senator out, but the thought that has found time to let all criticism come from within lodgment in the minds of most people here is that there can be no honorable means of clearing the score save those which humiliate Spain.
 In the midst of all the excitement here the president has kept perfectly cool and collected, while some of those in con- gress have gone off half-cocked. Chief among those who have lost their tempers and incidentally lost some of the respect of their friends is MT. Boutelle, of Maine, chairman of the naval committee. The remark attributed to him to the effect that the public could go to the devil was correctly reported. He has been irritable from the first Both he and Reed have done everything in their power to prevent the preparations now being made from being successfully carried out MT. Bou- telle says that he takes MT. DuBoscs word and denial that Spain had no mines in the harbor as true, and upon them bases his whole theory of an accident.
 This form of reasoning, if carried out to its logical conclusion, would indicate that the Millinium was upon us and had been for some time.
 If suspects word could be implicitly relied upon there would be no excuse of courts, judges or juries. All that would be necessary would be to ask the crimi- nal, Guilty, or not guffty?" If he said not guilty there would be no cause to go further and summon witnesses-n MT. Boutelle's reasoning is correct.
 Up to the present time there is noth- ing sufficiently definite to base any con- clusions upon or to give sufficient grounds for criticism of the president. Until some thing of a positive and official nature is made known it would be well for every one to follow the example of the presi- dent and keep cool.
 HAROLD EVERETT CLAY.