The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1898-09-23
THE BLUSH 0F SHANE.
Caused by Leedy's Bad Break at
Valley Falls Where
he CALLED PRESIDENT M'KINLEY WEAK.

Ehe Old Soldiers Do Not Complain Tor
Anyone Else Except the Governor of
Kansas, Whose Mouth Il Too Unwicldy
to lie Control ed Burton ON Mckinley
and Leedy.
"But, come to think OF 1t, nobody
has ever heard any veteran of the last
war join in these criticisms against
President Mckinley and his cabinet
But, as / said, it is well to study our
president and his administration care
fully during these trying times. We
were not prepared for war. In times
of peace we had prepared for peace.
We were without guns powder and
shot We had not even enough ships.
The very capitol was exposed. The
country was shouting for revenge for
I. the Maine and urging the president to
act. A majority of congress wanted
to recognize tho independence OF Cuba.
The president said: No, when our SOL
diers invade Cuba, the fighting must
be done under "Old Glory" and not
under the Cuban flag, and further
there is no Cuban government worthy
of recognition We nll know now
that the president was right. He gave
ear to every one. He heard the voices of
the people pressing him forward, but
he knew what war meant; he had been
a soldier himself and he proposed to
exhaust every resource for peace; he
also proposed to get ready for war, If
war was inevitable. He outwitted
the Spanish ambassador in diplomacy,
and when he was ready, delivered 10
Spain our country's ultimatum which
was that she should forever furl her
flag in Cuba. Failing which, he declar-
ed war and ordered Dewey to Manila,
Shafter to Santiago and Miles to Porto
Rico. In three short months it is all
over. And the work accomplished has
astonished the world. During the
time of the war without offending the
president adhered steadily to the pur-
pose of the party and forced the an
nexation of Hawaii. The governments
of the world were served with notice
of the fact that this was fight be-
tween Spain and the United States,
and that no interference of any kind,
from any outside power, would be
tolerated.
when it was apparent that our
enemy had enough and begun in dip
lomatic way to secure peace, Spain
was politely, but firmly, informed
that no one other than an am brssador
from Spain with credentials direct
from Madrid would be received, and
before even protocol would be
signed, or peace commission would be
appointed, Spain was required to give
up Cuba, cede to us Porto Rico, and
pending the discussion of the terms of
peace by the commissioners our flag
should remain in the orient, where it
has been planted by the valor of our
soldiers and sailors; and, mark my pre-
diction, it is there to remain forever.
Whose hand has managed all this?
Whose brain has planned it all?
Whose watchful eye has been
over it all? The man the peo-
pie trusted in 1896. The man the
people trust even mora now than
ever before. The man who is the
greatest diplomat, the greatest poll
tician, the greatest statesman and the
greatest man who has ever been presi-
dent since the immortal Lincoln filled
that high Office. And the man who
stood by him the closest, who has been
with him the most, is his great secre-
tary of war, that the president knows,
trusts and loves. And, now, what do
you think, Kansans, of the proclama-
ton of the governor, that Mckinley is
a weak man, that he is in the hands OF
corruptionists. What populist or dem
ocrat or Kansan, whose cheek does not
blush with shame when he remembers
what our governor has said about our
president We accept the gage of bat
tie thrown down by the opposition.
We shall stand by Mckinley, while
they stand with his critics. From j.
B. Burton's speech at Lawrence.