The times., 1898-11-09

qualifications, out tne e"iuc"sso " 80
awful. a murderous incompetency and
neglect on the part of the persons ap-
nointed TO responsible offices in the
army, over the heads or to the rejection
of qualified men of large experience. De-
came TOO clear to be doubted or con-
ceaIed. Mothers and fathers cried out
that their sons had been fouily MUIR
dered by the abuse of power of man
who Gould not rise to the heights of DIS
interested patriotism on which the great
body of the people stood Through all
the apologies, quibbiing. confusion,
Misrepresentation and evasion, the
fatal incompetency and selfish indiffer-
ence that made a magnificent army an
awful ruin are plain to the sight OF
honest men: r.'s..~t-,
Instead of condemning and Furnishing
this monster crime. the President once
more a partisan if he had ever been
anything else, defended and shielded 1t.
commission to investigate the crime
Almost in day the Presidents support
fell away from him. Men did not speak
his name often in connection with the
scandals, but also they ceased to speak
it in association with the glory of our
| victory, won in spite Of the Washing
| ton authorities Then the Hannas came
out of their places of concealment.
The President had erred in their favor
They had the unspeakable audacity to
claim for him the glory the country mad
| so spontaneously set on his head, and
proposed to use it to advance the IN
terests of the partisans in whose behalf
! the great crime was perpetrated. Real
| izing what he had forfeited, threatened
| with Democratic House even before
the peace had been achieved-a condi-
ton that would have seemed impossible
and undesirable by Democrats as well
as Republicans before the exposure OF
Algerism-the President made a speak
ing tour in the hope of pacifying an in
digrant people. That the most saugulne
Democrat could believe a Democratic
House was possible before the peace
treaty could be signed, is itself proof OF
an astounding change in popular SEN
timent since the fall of Santiago. Such
appeals as the President was forced by
tie exigencIes of the situation to make
| were huiniliating and piteous. The
head of the nation just emerged trium-
phant from a war that had the enthusi-
astic approval of the whole country
TO support him yet little while unit
the enemy was fully disposed of. Tit
Republican campaigners-orators ant
ewspapers-were forced to represen
Spain as still dangerous. in order to vii
popular support of the President, who
: before the revelation of Algerism, wa
the idol of ALL To retain its control o
the House, the Republican party, claim
ing to be distinctly the war party of I
war of unparalleled popularity. had t
invent Spanish scares. had to bleed tn
protected manufacturers and the poo
Femployes of the Government for fund
for Hanna business" campaign, AM
all the rest of an ordinary campaign
system.
If victory won at such price ha'
= been complete, it would still have bee
. | defeat and censure. Those Republican
who came to the Support of the Admin
. istration, came reluctantly and at tn
last hour. persuaded to forego theirpur
, pose of condemning it by the misrepre
sentation of Spain's temper and powel
of the danger of foreign interventio
| and of the loss of the Philippines.