The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-12

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day. the president proposed to send his
message to congressman when he
ought to have sent 1t. The answer
from Madrid which, as the message as
serts. brought Mr.. Mckinley ito the
end Of his effort" was in the city of
Washington March 81. Last Wednes-
day was April IL. Did the president
need more time? No. he said he did not.
Did he expect anything more from
Madrid? No. Was the plea that ON
sui General Lee must first be brought
to safety an honest plea? No; ii was
an excuse such as Mark Hanna would
tip of to a man OF the caliber of Day.
the Canton attorney. Lee was. made
the scapegoat; in the name of heaven
what is there In the messages milk
and-water mummery tha would make
a man like Lee afraid TO be in Havana?
The truth is that the president had
been running a round of cheap diplo-
macy with which the majority in con-
gress was not at all In sympathy-as
far as congress was able to find out
what was going on. II was the purpose
Of the president to coerce congress-his
%lieutenants were turning heaven and
earth in the effort to persuade the con-
gressmen to make the presidents way
their way. Work as they would and as
they could. the presidents agents could
not win over the congressional majority;
to the chagrin Of the members and to
the disappointment of the people, the
message was put In a pigeon-hole. that
there might be more time in which to
proselyte the two houses. Meanwhile
the unexpected happened. How sur
prised Mckinley must have been. Prac-
tically Spain acceded to everything the
president of the United States had
asked. Spaniards were careful to say
that they yielded. not to him, but to
the powers-and a very clever play It
was on SPANS part to halt and refuse
and hesitate until the powers gave her
an opportunity to yield to their urging
and thus become sponsor for her.
Where the pressure came from matters
not for practical purposes. An srmis-
tice is an armistice whatever its motive
or whatever the spirit that prompts its
proclamation. Spain ordered one pro-
claimed. The white house knew his
last Saturday night. Then and there,
President Mckinley had won. His min
lister at Madrid had never discussed in
dependence for Cuba or threatened the
recognition OF belligerent rights or sug-
gested the purchase Of Cuba or limited
at annexation or INDUCED in any of
those things. He had pressed the min
istry for an armistice. lie got it-be-
fore dark. last Saturday, the Mckinley
message was n back number: its occu-
patton was gone Therefore, we repeat,
the message is uncalled for. untimely.
unfair. 1t is uncalled for. because
Spain has granted what 1t had refused
up to the hour when the message was
in type. II Is untimely, because IL tends
to harass Spain IN the effort to pro-
coed to the performance Of her promise.
II is unfair. because II is bad faith
with the diplomats who persuaded
Spain to do what President Mckinley
asked-all that he asked. II the presi-
! dent is so ardent for peace, he ought to
make IL his first business publicly to
thank those who. respecting the cardi-
nal step toward peace, won from the
queen regents ministers what he was
unable To wrest from them. In a worl.
the message is a suggestion to ongres
to Civ the president power to compel
already done. but what she has declared
to the world her willingness To under
take to do. The step taken by Spain
last Saturday makes paper rags of the
message. yet SPANS significant conces-
sion gets nothing better than an eigh-
teen-line postscript in what the presi-
dent sent 10 congress. Ana, strange 10
tell, in his last six lines the president
turns his whole message INSIDE out by
saying of the armistice-the good faith
OF which he does not questionable "if
the measure attains a successful result,
then our aspirations as a Christian,
peace-lcving people will be realized"
Hence. since his anxiety To coerce con-
gress involved him in a delay so ruin
Gus to his state Mr.. Mckinney
ought to have addressed congress in
these words: Il had intended To ask
congress To clothe me with power To
compel Spain to end the CUBAN a
and ! prepared a messcge on The sub
ject. Since the writing II IL. however.
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