The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-15
PRAISE FOR M'KINLEY.
lie Has Kept His Finger ON the National
Pulse.

nc hfpN tht Naitpnhi
Pulse.
London. Aug. 15.-The Times this
morning comments editorially upon the
generous universal recognition of the
part which President Mckinley has
played throughout the war between the
United States and Spain, and says: IF
foreign observers might presume TO
have an opinion upon his conduct, IL
would probably be that President Nc
Kinley has kept his finger constantly
upon the national pulse and has known
how to stimulate the direct national
thought without too markedly outrun-
ming it's movement.
Everything has been done I'm the
open. every move has been discussed as
a possibility all over the United states
before the government was irrevocably
committed one way or the other and
the result Of the cautious tentative pol
icy is that where he stands at this mo-
ment the president has the whole
American people at his back. We do
not know that there can be any higher
craftsmanship for a president govern
ing under the constitution Of the Unit
ed States.
TT is noteworthy that while the
Spaniards, who are usually regarded as
chivalrous. romantic and medieval,
have turned first to the financial aspect
are usually supposed to be intensely
mercenary. have as yet hardly given a
thought to the financial or economic
side of the question. What occupies
the American people at this moment is
not the cost Of the war. the value of
their acquisitions or the balance of
profit and loss account. but the moral
result of the struggle and the nature of
the ideas which il stimulates
f'NVhpt her Rryanfgun il dead Dr ppIy
sleeping, whether the smaller issues of
party warfare are suppressed by large
and worthy conceptions of national pol
icy or only thrown for the time into
the background, there can be no doubt
that the war has had and will have a
profound effect upon American ideas
and aims. Not only has l. renovated
the idea OF national unity impaired by
the great civil struggle, but II has sup
piled that sense Of contact with eternal
forces which is probably one OF the
most potent influences in favor Of main
tanning the national spirit.
The Antilles themselves introduced
a novel element into American life and
opened up questions upon which parties
may differ greatly and worthily. This
in itself is a gain and sne which was
more or less conscientiously sought
when the war was undertaken. The
perilous unrest spoken OF by the New
York Times was a real national evil
which sprang directly. so far as for
eigners can judge. from the disappear
ance Of clear. intelligent party issues.
That unrest. we may assume. has van
ished and been replaced by new ankle
ties or solicitudes which may become
acute. but are very unlikely 10 become
morbid.
Beyond the Antilles lies a more diff
fcult questiln-the Philippines-aud
that question does not end with the
Philippines themselves. These islands
may be taken just now as a symbol Of
American awakening and OF the entry Of
the republic upon a new career, which.
Philippines or no Philippines, she Is
henCeforth bound TO follow.
In the peace negotiations no serious
complications are apprehended in re
gard 70 Cuba and Porto Rico. II the
members Of the local commission for
evacuation have not yet been appointed
IL il surely because the government
wishes to appoint officers and officials
ri the same rank as those appointed BY
the United States government. and, at
last nights cabinet council, il was de-