The times., 1898-11-22
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER %, 1898.
Honing for the Worst.

If Montero Rios, and the other dele
gates who have been sent to Paris for
purposes of delay, withdraw from the
peace negotiations, nobody on this side
Of the water need lose sleep in conse-
quence on the contrary, it is not GER
tain that such course would not prove
advantageous at once to American in
terests, and to the future glory of Mr.
McKinley's Administration.
If the Spaniards We're to accept the
American ultimatum and sign treaty
of peace, including abandonment of
Spanish sovereignty in Cuba, and ces-
sion Of Porto Rico and the Philippines,
there is reason to fear that what are
called 'afterclaps" might be of a dis
agreeable nature, and that their effect
possibly might prove dangerous, if not
d-s strous, TO the ambitions of President
Mckinley and the desire of his syndi-
Gated associates to perpetuate their
control over national affairs.
In other words, if the solution of our
differences with Spain We're TO be found
in an arrangement under which each
country should undertake to settle the
claims of its own citizens against the
other. it is probable that good deal of
unkind suspicion against the Admin
istration might be excited, because of
the possibilities of corruption and knav-
cry which such a situation would
create. Adopting the existing claims of
Americans against Spain, as a treaty of
the kind limited at would amount to-
would notoriously open the door for not
only the claimants of forty million dol
lars loss and damage during the Ten
Years and the recent war in Cuba, but
leave a loophole for the entrance of
claims by the Administration Spanish
bondholders' syndicate, whose imme-
diate interests appear to have been
overturned through force of public opin-
ion, in connection with the operations
of our Peace Commission in Paris. No
body familiar with the methods of Sem
ator Hanna and the coterie of politico-
financial spectators connected with his
movement to make the United States a
personally conducted plum, such as Mr..
Croker has made the city of New York,
will fail TO understand the golden op-
portunities which would be involved in
a treaty of peace which should bind
this country to settlement of all the
coloI able claims of its citizens against
the kingdom of Spain.
The press dispatches suggest that the
Spanish Commissioners may be true to
the traditions and history of their coun-
Try and may refuse to sign a treaty
which alienates former Spanish terri
tory. Out of the abundance of our good
feeling for President Mckinley we hone
that this may prove to be the fact Ifso.
would constitute repetition of his
tory agains; which no American ought
To complain, while it would undoubtedly
create much pain among the aspirants
for personal advantage and loot out of
the situation. Ii should be remembered
that throughout the history of all the
losses of territory by Spain in the West
ern Hemisphere she has never executed
treaty of cession. In the case of Mex
leo Spain did not surrender her sover- |
eighty. Being whipped out, she merely |
evacuated. II was not until fifteen |
years after the fact of Mexican inde- |
pendence that she acknowledged it, and |
then only in the way of establishing
diplomatic relations. Practically the |
same thing happened in the instances
OF Venezuela and other successfully re-
voting South American colonies. There |
Is no present reason for thinking that |
the same ostrich idea of honor" may
not govern Spain's action with regard |
TO the West Indies and the Philippines.
And that course, If adopted would be
an aii-around blessing. Dumped on our
Eands through.th the operations of a peace
treaty, the consequences of which would
De our responsibility to treat our new
possessions in the ways of peace and
civii government. it might be difficult
II not impracticabIe thing for us to do