The San Francisco call., 1898-04-19
REMEMBER THE MAINE.

HlLE Congress IS discussing the bearing ot w international law upon the affair with Spain l hostile preparations go steadily ahead That war can be avoided is the dream of vain hope That there must be the clash of arms is as certain any thing known to the human intelligence, death alone
 Dlscusslon concerning the of procedure IS | necessary There prescribed methods which needs De respected, forms which have to be duly weighed the opinion of other nations, precedents consequents. To all this Congress is expected to pay que attention. he people wait with patience until conclusion shall be reached They do not much tor the manner in which the final step shall be taken They are interested in the step and the result
 But the men who will do the fighting, the brave sailors of the navy, the marines the volunteers the commanders ot batte-ships, the regular soldiers Hlarching away to. nameess graves, have but one thought It IS of the Maine. Diplomacy may in duge Ill sounding periods, may delay, may hide its purpose behind an array of verbage, but the truth that the wreck ot the Maine to be the real cause of war cannot be hidden. The navy feels that crime has been committed It longs for proper vengeance To achieve this it is willing from admiral to the hum ble passer of coal to go out upon the broad and there do battle, not for Cuba; but that great wrong has been done and expiation is necessary and right lhey demand this They ready to give their lives
 
 In this sefsacrifce there is mighty lesson Peo- pie who have nothing but money at stake willing to forget the Maine, anxious leave to arbitra tion the adjudication of the price of ship and But the navy is actuated by different and otier feeling. It favors no tribunal no regretful dole of coin It is convinced that such concession would be stain upon its honor that at the cannons mouth its appeal for retribution must be made It will the cannon. It will challenge the peril of the deep, the torpedo the broadsde it will send its gunners up the military mast, there to perish, and the gunners clamorng for chance to go to their doom They are saying to each other, Remember the Maine"
 To any who will make inquiry of his neighbor, of hs own intelligence, will come the assurance that the war with Spain is not because that country has abused its subjects not because 1t has used famine as weapon and spread desolation throughout fair and productive land, but because the bones of a noble craft are bleaching in the harbor of Havana. It IS not competent now to say why they are there Even if accident sent them to the bottom with their human load Spain treated the catastrophe in way which has given to it all the sinister aspect of design ing fleet The explosion which marked her going down marked also the end of the power of Caste in the West There ships still a1oat which may thunder at the walls of Morro. But there is ship silent, moonless, tenanted only by the dead tangle of steel, tomb and monument, which is still the notent factor in shaping the destiny of nation Its guns will never speak again, but for every one Of them hundred guns are ready. When first the ships of the United States and Spain meet our sailors will remember the Maine and in the remembrance will be the strength of purpose and power in action Remember the Maine' it is righteous and in- sDirtnp war cry