The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-12
ing else, ii is our bounden duty to in
fiict just punishment.


| fiict just punishment
| Before the massacre there was every
reason for America to stop the butch
cry of the innocents; but our Admins
| tration tolerated all the atrocities OF
| Spain, with scarcely a perfunctory pro-
test. 1t is too late for Mr.. Mckinley
to placate the American people by
going back to the position that ma
tional honor. God, and humanity COM
manded him to take a year ago. His
fellow-citizens now demand that the
overt act of war which Spain COM
mitted on the 18th of February shall
be his warrant, and the warrant of
America, for the action which must be
had Immediately
This demand is peremptory. The pub
lie is not dense enough not to see that
the pretense of intervention on strictly
humanitarian grounds is calculated, if
il is not designed, to give the Concert of
Europe an opportunity to come in and
either participate in the holy crusade
or step up at a convenient moment and
impose the terms of peace settlement.
OF course, such a movement, follow
ing the diplomatic introduction of last
Wednesday, would amount to funeral
for the Monroe doctrine; but that is
matter of small consequence compared
with the immediate advantage which
the Administration would derive from
having united Europe at its back,
against the sentiments and demands of
the American people. 1t would afford
Messrs. Hanna and McCook an invinci-
bic hand in the game to impose upon
Cuba the Spanish bond debt controlled
by their friends, or even to compel the
Cubans to submit to autonomy under
Spanish suZerainty, as was done by the
same European concert in the case of
Crete.
This is what intervention on strictly
humanitarian grounds would accom-
plish, while acceptance of the Maine
massacre as a casus belli and decla-
ration Of war based singly upon it,
would leave neutral governments with
out the shadow of an excuse for inter-
ference.
Indeed, it may be said with perfect
safety that none of them would have
ventured upon the movement begun
in the joint note of last week il they
had not been urged to do so, as a boil
ster to the Administration and the
Spanish bond deal against Congress.
But once having been solicited to inter-
vene, and having the diplomatic ice
broken for them by the connivance of
those who control the American EXecu-
tive a precedent has been established
upon which any further steps which
may suit the interests of the signato
understanding. will become easy, and |
will be undertaken in defiance of our
objections.
The Administration has deliberately |
dug the grave of the Monroe doctrine. /!
IL Congress consents to the Mckinley |
program in connection with Cuba, and |
does not insist upon assigning the de- |
of the Maine as the cause of |
war. the corpse will be ready at the /
proper time. and will be buried to the
tune of a dirge played upon the stock |
ticker.
To this prospect the country is awak-
ening. 1t will hold its representatives
for consequences. No |
amount of spreadeagleism; no ava
lanche of assumed philanthropic pa
triotism. can ever cover the fact that
the motive behind avoidance of the
Maine incident" and Intervention,
without reference to the Cuban govern
nent. army. and people, is to be found
n plot to fasten upon Cuba the Span
sh debt incurred in its attempted sub
and all for the benefit of the
syndicate" of Spanish
)ond sharks.