The times., 1898-01-01
Lacking Backyard.

| enters upOI the duties or the new year.
II is our wish to help him in his
| struggle toward the goal OF goodness.
patriotism. and mercy. We are not with
out hope for him, though in the past,
we have beer bowed down with sorr) .or
his weakness in Yielding to corrupt and
evil oounscs against his Detter judgment
and his duty as Il man, magistrate and
Christia Still, we have looked with
pity rather tban with anger upon his
shortcomings: seeing in him another Christ
ian,'' with heavy pack upon his back
pack composed of trusts. monopolies. Span
ish hondnolders, sugar and Hanna.
Thus we pity, while sometimes we adj
monish, or gently chlde. Amendment viii
bring love, and higher performance of duty
respect. That these may result from the
good resolutions of the day, 1T is Wei
that the course of the future should be
iliumined by the light of the past; with
its sunken rocks, and rearing reefs. and
its pitfalls into which our protege's falter
ing feet so freq, emily have stumbled.
Early in the year that is gone Mr.. Nc
Kiniey innocentiy lent himself to tue
reasonable Olney-P y-Pauncefote British arbj
tration treaty, which, if adopted, w iid
have wreck ed his country's future; would
have put an end to the Monroe doctrine
and all hopes of al American interoceanit
canal.
Then, under bad advice, and against the
dictates of his own kind heart he formed
a wick ed alliance with Spain, to assist
that power in It's hellisll warfare against
prisoners and captives, helpless woman
hood and innocent infancy. He allowed
an American citizen, guiltlesS of off ansc,
TO berepeatedl ytoIture ed aud allyclubD,d ID
to death in IL Spanish dungeon. He rer-
mtted an American newspaper correspou-
dent, unauncd and non-combataut, TO be
tiel To a tree and hack eel To d cath by :hc
Spanish suldieTy without word of pro-
test,much less anyact of national vengeance.
He refused to allow the Congress of gbe
nation 10 speak its mind in behiif of tie
just cause Of human liberty. In this h 9TH
he much Offend. Nav his penite ice
be deep, and his reformation complete
and immediate!
In promoting aud signing the nefariols
trust and monopoly tariff bill OF la st sum
mer, our poor Pilgrim perhaps was able
to ease his accounts of pressing ante
election undertakings, but think how his
conscience must have priciied and squirmed,
since he C uld not but know that the
measure was not designed to raise pub
lie reveI uc- but IL transfer money from
the pockets Of the people into the hungry
maws of the great campaign contributors
of 1896
Let silence fail upon the Cleveland
Schiff Morgsn deal, and the proposition
to put the Interstate Commerce Commas
sion into the hands of a railroad receiver.
Those matters may be subjects for legis
lative inquiry, which we do not care to
anticipate.
There is ample room for renlofse and re
pentance in connection with the position
into which Mr.. Mckinley has been forced
by the Satanic Influence OF the gold and
bond syndica tes-ais; campaign judgment
creditors. An original bimetallist by CON
viction. and pledged to bimetallism by
party ard personal promises he sent a com
mission tn Europe Il secure an International
agreement. We must not suspect him need
lessly, but somebody also notified the
various foreign cabinets that this com
mission was only created for political
effect aud cautioned them not to pay
serious attention TO its representatives. The
consequence was failure. 1t is not as
serted that the President, individually,
was responsible for this duplicity, but,
suming his probable innocence, it is very
painful that he should have changed Goa Is
about the same time, and presented hiIn
self to the country as a Gag gold advocate.
Here indeed, there is need for prayer, and
much sac%cloth and ashes!
One bright CLEAN shines through the
black clouds of Mr. McKinley's past year.
It is the single CLINT of American patriot
ism H. all the scinber record. 1t is his
sensible and consistent championship of
Hawaiian anne XGtion; measure vital TO
our future trade withthe world, TO the pro-
lection of cur Western coast, and TO IT
control over the Nicaragua Canal. In
thi;; connection we have nothing but praise
to express. Unhappily it is the one and
only redeeming feature that we can find
in the A administration, UP to date.