The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-09-16
EDITORIAL COLUMN

4
EDITORIAL COLUMN
A WAR INVESTIGATION.
For the past two months tie news
papers have been full of denunciations
of the conduct of the commissary and /
hospital service of the army. The
democratic press saw in this the only
hope of even attracting attention to
their party and they have worked the
vein for all-and perhaps good deal
more than it was worth.
It's undoubtedly fact that many
serious mistakes and blunders were
made, and it is not the part of the re-
publican party either to defend them or
to seek to cover them up.
President Mckinley, who has never
failed to do the right thing, has ordered
an investigation which is intended TO
cover the whole field. In doing this
the President has shown that he has no
desire to shield the guilty and that he
wishes the American people to know
the whole truth. The commission will
consist of seven or nine members and
such men as Robert T. Lincoln, Daniel
Lamont, General Schofeld have been
selected. James A. Sexton, COM
mander in chief of the G. A. r., will
also be asked to become member of
the commission. The character of the
commission is a sufficient guarantee of
| its impartiality and thoroughness.
| When the Maine disaster took place
the people of the United States re-
NAMED patient until the commission
had made its report, and we believe
that in this instance the people will
Wa the decisions Of the Investigating
committee with the same dignified COM
posture andlthat they will frown down
any attempts to make political capital
out of the investigation until the results
are known and the blame placed where
it belongs.
4 THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
| In our last issue we discussed the
platform of the democratic party of
Crawford county. The fiat currency
plank is the most dangerous of the
resolutions but there are others which
. if not so dangerous are much more
absurd.
One of the curiosities in this remark
i able document is that relating to the
Ipolicy of this government toward the
! former colonies of Spain. 1t breads
s we'll" until one endeavors to reason out
}, the probable result of the policy pro
posed.
: The plank reads:
y "Resolved. that peace having beer
q secured, Spain should be compelled t,
d abandon her possessions in Americ,
y and permit her former colonies to chOOs
IS their own form of government by Ia
o. Jefferson said) the free consent Of tn
:, governed"
We quite agree that Spain shout,
a abandon her American possessions, il
,t fact the democrats of Crawford ar
IF thoroughly in harmony with Presiden
r Mckinley on this point. But the plat
form writer failed utterly to perceiv
/: that the United States has by the wal
incurred responsibility and an obi
cation which it must in honor, fulfill
: When the humane society takes tn
, helpless child from the hands of crue
n parent, the society has fulfilled but hal
). its mission. 1t is all very good t.
= rescue the child, to free it from cruelt,
and neglect, but when the society take
the child from the parent, it thel
places itself in the parents steat
and it is its duty to see that the chile
is surrounded by good influences, tina
it is directed into right channels, ant
liz it be necessary. that it be taken un
der the roof-tree and made part O
9 the society's family. Before God ant
before the world, the society becomes
responsible for the welfare and we'll be
ing of the child. If the child commits
a depreciation, the society will be helt
. responsible; if it falls into disgrace, i
it become murderer or a thief, tn,
society which assumed to take it from
its former guardianship, however bat
that guardianship may have been, will
and should be held accountable.
The United States witnessed fol
years the cruelty and oppression o.
Spain toward her colonies. We tried tt
make ourselves believe that we were
not our brothers keeper, that we should
not interfere in the affairs of Others
but should attend to our own affairs
without regard to their wrongs, or tc
their sufferings. Finally, however, the
great heart of the American nation was
filed with love and sympathy, the