The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-28
PRosTITUTINe PATRIOTISM.

PROSTITUTiNG PATRIOTISM.
When in April last the United States
declared war against Spain that Cuba
might be free and Spanish atrocities
in America might cease, that declara-
ton was the declaration of the whole
American people, and not merely of a
part of them. When the president is
sued his calls for volunteers the whole
American people responded, and not
merely a part of them. When millions
and millions of dollars were asked for
carrying on the war, the congress OF
the United States voted them, not ask
ing whether they would advantage this
party or that. Congress voted aDDro-
priations for defraying the expenses OF
the war because the members were the
representative of the whole people. No
people ever stood behind a leader or
ruler more unitedly than the American
people have stood behind President Nc
Kinley; they have known no politics,
nothing but country.
But today the presidents party and
the president are trying TO turn the
war and all its grand results for liberty
and humanity TO their political advant-
age. to make it appear that it was
Republican war. and that the Demo-
Gratis were opposed to it. Such course
is that of deInagogues, and not of pa
triots Thus we are told by an admin
istration organ that President McKin-
ley, understanding the danger of any
division that would give excuse
for European Intervention, is ex-
horting the people to stand together
until the war questions are settled. The
diplomatists at Washington most famil-
lar with European politics and Spanish
intrigue support the president in his
view. 1t is clear from the tone of the
dispatches from Madrid and Paris that
the Spanish peace commissioners be-
lieve that, with a Democratic majority
in the next congress, Spain win be able
to get back in peace what she lost in
war. 1t is clear from the comment of
the London and Paris journals that the
reports of division in this country have
weakened the American cause, and that
further evidence of dissension will de-
stroy American prestige. Europe IS
waiting for the congressional elections
to determine her own action in the final
settlement of the great issues of the
war, and the SDaniards. in intriguing
for delay, are doing their utmost to
provoke intervention"
The administration and its supporters
are conjuring up bugaboos with which
to brighten people in this country. Be
nighted and backward as are the Span
ish statesmen in many things, even
they do not have the remotest idea that
the result of the congressional elections
Will have any effect whatever upon the
peace negotiations; they know, as all
Europe knows. that there is no divis-
ion among the American people when
it comes to the Spanish war and what
Spain must do before the final terms
of peace are agreed upon.
Europe determined her own action
when the war was declared, and Showed
what that action was when it was in
progress-neutrality, and to allow mat
tiers to take their own course.
II Europe is taking any interest in
American congressional elections, she
must wonder how the president and his
party can reconcile the lofty senti-
ments of the declaration of war with
their efforts to make the war party
matter, in which they are to receive
all the benefits. And Europe's convic-
ton will be- if the attempt to turn the
war into a party question succeeds,
that the declaration Of war was piece
of hypocrisy, whose purpose was to aid
a discredited administration to retain
its hold upon the people.
The administration organ from which
we have already quoted, closes its
article with this:
If the elections show that the people
are standing together, that the presi-
dent will be sustained that the nation
is committed to the expansion policy
beyond recall, then there will be no fur
Their insolence from Spain, and no
threat of Intervention from Europe,
and the United States government will
be LEFT to reap in peace the harvest
that it earned by the force of its arms
on two hemispheres.
If any conclusion can be come to
from such stuff as this, it is that the
administration proposes TO surrender 10
Spain unless a Republican house Of
representatives is elected.
The whole business of trying to be- !
little the patriotism of She Democrats
in the war is disgusting and scandalous |
in the extreme. The Democratic party |
would scorn to engage in such petty |
business The Democrats have known
,,ott,;vc, b,,+ h,,a,ica aDd Anaaricapc in !
the war. The people will stand by the |
president so long as he is president of
the whole people, but he must not try |
TO make it appear that his party is
the whole people.