Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-25
WISDOM IN WAITING.

unto Its most remote extremities. there
is a tension existing that becomes
more and more strained with each re-
curing day. It is such n state OF
feeling among the citizens of the
American republic rs must find a
speedy conclusion one way or another.
1t can be terminated by either Of two
widely divergent courses-a declara-
ton Of war against Spain. or the adj
mission on the part Of our government
that there is no foundation for the
painful tensty and nothing therefore
calling for bellgerent action. The for
mer course would end the trouble by
passing II entirely and going away be-
yond and above II, would have the
Same effect that a bugle blast sounding
the notes of command to charge in
force has upon veteran soldiers of the
line; the rush. the struggle would be
made while that which caused IL
would be the merest nothingness. The
other course would be like pouring
water upon a bed of glowing Goals;
there would be n flash and an up
heavai, but the fash would be that
and the upheaval would at once fall
to the ground us the Dead Seas fruit
-ashes. One would be accompanied
by shout OF exultation which would
echo and re-echo throughout the entirc
domain. the other would have the eff
feet of at once hushing the a1l-prev-
alent murmurs first into the slightest
ripple OF sound which would soon be-
come so low that nothing could live
between It and silence.
The martial spirit is rife and II the
people could have their way the coun-
try would at once be plunged into
foreign contest the outcome OF which
cannot be coniectured. hut which
would inevitably result in the
death and misery OF many
souls" the destruction of count
less millions OF property. the I'M
settling Of settled conditions. the ex-
penditure of inconceivable sums OF
treasure and the increase of indebted
ness to an awful extent. 1t would not
likely, MS some few seem TO believe be
short. sharp and decisive war by any
means. as would unquestionably be the
case II we had to fight Spain alone. 1t
is very doubtful indeed II that puny,
bankrupt power could by itself be
dragged by any kind of provocat.on into
war with the United States. Spain
stands in the same relation to some of
the other powers that a man does who
owes his neighbors large sums of
money which he cannot pay at present
I'm at tTl, nj
least promising; now If those creditors
saw some outside parties preparing to
seize the property and crush the debtor.
does any one suppose the creditors
would permit such proceedings without
protest followed up II necessary with
antagonistlc proceedings? OF course
not. The Spanish kingdom and its
people are indebted to the French re-
public and It's people several hundred
millions of dollars. perhaps to put it at
billion would not be an exaggeratlon,
and the only hope OF ever getting It is
for the Spaniards to maintain their
government intact and hold on to their
colonies. 1t is Idle to believe that the
French would quietly permit the
United States or any other power to
pounce upon Its neighbor-de when
such attack, unless outside aid should
be forthcoming, would mean the
speedy conclusion of the war in which
Spain is now engaged. the abolition of
Its present form of government and
the loss forever of cuba, its princlpnl
source of revenue. And France is only
one out of several. although the prln-
cipal one. Then, again. the
queen regent OF spaln is
an Austrian and that government
would not be likely to keep its hands
off in such an emergency. especiallv
when emboidened by France leading
the way. Austria is one of the Drei-
bund. which has GERMANY nnd italy
as the remaining fnctors and those
would sympathIze more or less active