New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-08
er.rrsuAv AND SOME CRITICS.

4
ro,,, hostile criticisms are maue upon III"
Presidents Message. Two of then" are "o'''
tic and two foreign r.,o t.,
First it IS said that the Message f'' "'''' ."
horui,o on the subject of Cuban JIG "l' n"'"'
This criticism seems TO arise from i i".''''
rood or 10 understand the part OF the N'N>'-
dealing with that subject. Leu "S H"''
,hc Presidents exact words:
4. ,oor &C we are in possession Of Cupa anu ~,
have pacifed TIE island. it VIII re =, fIr1,
rN.. aid and direction t. us pt"P,e -, na ~
h,.crnroont for themselves This ShouIu .' ~,
1o~taken Mt the earliest possi'ie nl"''s."'
sietont with safety ard asSuren ,sor,, tn form
/, sho,,ll be our duty to assisl ihvin ,na,dn,t
- rn,,ent which shall he free ana ihuepV C
inns realizing the best aspira',o"' ,Ioc"d nv q
han people Spanish rue must we 49,, rro-
. , iLn,n,olont and humane govern ,.'-'', 49,,
y.I ~, The nee ple Of Cuba. capapie 81 PEI :, ~
;ry olI International obligations when I,'" Ind
courare thrift. industry ana pr 80 ,oo tn
,rn,rotA ncace and goodwill among All % ''' 80
habitants. ,,
v-,o+ noro should have been said: SAon'n
.n,, prcsidont have dictated the exact form %
,,o,.or,mcn; thr Cubans are TO establish AZ
I,o,. ro,rca the officers They arc to elect 10 ''"
,ro, T.. tn have done that would have been
.an o,1 +, infringe upon Cuban indcpch-
dance Trio fact is that instead Of being i''i'
|
r,or,v definite. explicit. straightforward an"
co,,c,,,six.c II SAWS precisely what should oe
..id in accord with tho solcmny expressed l'oi
,,,. and nron'scs of the Govcrnmrnt-no more
and no less -.
cussin., in detail the disposition 10 h" !na"' "l
rar.o nico ord the Philippines. and for not die
,,.in,, fin. system Of government to be applied 10
,,nin = II.
boundary advice of Mrs. Glass is apt-"tirSt'
catch your hare" First let us have new po'-
soesions with title fully confirmed. Then 1t VIII
hc time 10 consider what 10 do WIN th'Hl' W.
Gro not aware that ,hr President was &u'l'! vi
my undue delay in dealing WITH llaWah al'i
tho annexation Of those Islands mere - Nv
reason 10 suppose hc will be Negligent III "''h
inc with any other lands we may acquire ~"
rottcr Of fact. We have not yet acquired III!
others. But Il is said. h ought to tell Wha' h'
,voull do 50 hat W" may decide whether OF l"'
We want to take TIE Islands, ana should zen j"
advance what sort Of Il treaty ne IS GONG 10 H.
.>otiatr SO that we may deed" whether or HOO
| 10 ratify it, No. The President was no. 'ioc''"
70 Answer Hypothetical que 't.onS, nor 10 co!'"uc'
the diplomacy of The Nation IN toWh-m''fli-'
As 70 the other point. it is 10 he observed 'l'''
,ho constitutional function Of the Frcsldch' j.
uot 10 dictate but to execute the vlil o. the
,.coplc rs expressed in Congressional l'Sisiat!oh'
and that l. IS the function Of Congress 10 make
on rocIful rules for the control Of the Nation :
properly.
Third. foreign critic not noted for frlcndl-
moss toward The Administration or toward 'liS
country. complains of the conspicuous absence
Of any alusion to Free Trade" The criticism
would hc of greater weight if it were ac"ompa-
MED with Il demonstration of the necessity Oh
mentioning Free Trade. Careful scrutiny OF
tle Message fails TO discover any allusion to the
Einomlal Thcorcm or to the lota SuDscrip;, but
wc do not think that the document therefore
violates the provisions Of the Constitution.
| Tioallv some other foreign critics, conslicu-
ous chiefly for their tendencies toward carpinS
and toward scnsatlonallsm. object 10 the prcsi-
! dents references 10 the Nicaragua Canal rs an
ATTEMPT TO set aside the ClaytOn-Bulwcr treaty
and TO ignore British treaty rights. Seeing that
the most authoritative and intelligent of British
papers are practically unit in approving such
modification or even nbr0gatiOn OF the Clayton
Hulwcr treaty as will give this Government Il
free hand in constructing the canal. that criti-
clsm need not be taken seriously to heart.
TO paraphraSc Il hackncycd remark. the Pres
ilCnt's Message is vndcated by the criticisms IL
has provoked.