The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-15
1--WE Must Gather the Fruits Of
Victory"

Victory"
In his carefully prepared speech de-
livered at Omaha on Wednesday Last,
| President Mckinley appeared to give
expression to national views solely as
aR instrument in the hands of the peo-
pie in the working out Of the prob
! lens that have been developed as the
result Of the late war with Spain. He
spoke with conservatism that was
cOmmendable in regard to what the
country should do in the way Of avail
! ing Itself of the advantages accidental
! ly acquired as the result of our gem
eral victory. The president was received
! at Omaha with q great deal Of enthu-
/ siasm, for it was, as we have been re,
/ peatedly assured in the dispatches, II
: non-partiSan gathering, as we'll as
non-partiSan speech which was deliv,
cred by him. President Mckinley has,
in the course of his career, encounter
ed many large audiences, and aus
public man he has been esteemed capa-
bic of generally measuring the girth OF
the sentiment which prevailed and
found expression in these groups
| through applause.
But there is always danger to a man,
in his position, of conceiving the idea,
when he receives the p.audits of a vast
aggregation Of people, that the
enthusiasm which his official pres.
ence eXcites and his words in
spire is expressive of the SEN
tlment of the people in general. In
his cautious address of Wednesday the
president seemed quite disposed to
throw back upon the people, and their
common sense Judgment, as~it shall
! come to be developed in the future, the
responsibility of determining what the
nation shall do in the treatment of the
questions springlng from the victories
recently won by our army and navy.
The president was in st. Louis yes
terday. and the reports represent him
as looking very tired as the result of
the fatigue to which he has been sub
Jected during the past week. It is said
that Gen. Shafter inquired of Mr.. Nc.
Kinley concerning his health and the
president replied: well, general, [ am
wearing myself out by this continuous
outdoor speaking, but 1 am standing
it very well under the circumstances,
L think"
At noon yesterday the president de-
liVered a speech before about fifteen
thousand people at st. Louis, In which
he eXcitedly exclaimed, after referring
to our conquests: I'VE must gather the
fruits Of victory!"
This is an affirmative declaration and
of a very positive kind. Does 1T hap
pen that, under the sense of WEAKNESS,
IL
underlying principle of the administra-
ton to reveal itself by a slip of the
| tongue, or was it his purpose to extract
| from the throng applause of his senti-
! ments in this direction? The echoes
associated with his ovation at Omaha
were possibly ringing in his ears, and
| he may have grown holder and made
! this assertion, in the positive degree,
! In the hope that those present should,
| by their applause, encourage him in the
| belief that ACKNOWLEDGMENT was, after
| all, the spirit prevailing among the peo-
| pie.
However this may be, it is apparent
| that the president is either indulging
too freely in ceremonies which excite
! him to expressions that seem to deviate
!
atism which he is supposed to repre-
sent, or that he is gradually feeling his
! way to radical recommendations to the
| forthcoming session OF congress.
The president ought not to permit
himself to be unduly fatigued; neithel
ought he to permit himself to make So
positive declarations as those contained
in the line above quoted. This country
did not enter the war with view to
gathering for itself any so called
fruits Of victory" beyond the pleasing
satisfaction OF having performed the
work Of assisting a struggling colony,
occupying neighboring island, to &C
quire its absolute liberty, This fact
should be held in the closest remem-
brance and not be forgotten, even by
| the executive.