The evening times., 1898-12-06
SOME PRESS OPINIONS ON
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE


had not said more or written less in his
| message to Congress,
True to his habit of throwing down the
reins. the President in this inspiring mo-
ment of our history has nothing to sug
gest, takes no initiative, strikes the key
note of no new policy. He merely collates
dreary report presenting numerous
facts, and leaves the rest to Congress and
to God. There are some facts, however,
which he does not give.
In the 1000 words devoted to a history
of the war one searches in vain for any
expression of sympathy or regret for the
gallant soldiers left to suffer, and many,
alas. to die of starvation ana fever in hos
pitai and camp through official indlffer-
ence or incompetence. on this subject,
which SO deeply moves the heart of the
people, nothing is said. There is no such
word in the message as Aiger or 'Alge--,
ism.
New York Journal: "Ptes!d eat Mex nley
has a habit of disapp0in ing expeditions
in his messages. and in the portento1s
document submitted to Congress yes erday
he did not devia1e from the rue / he
Unprecedented circumstances of the tima
invited and seemed compel the proluc-
ton of a state paper that should rank as
one of the colossal landmarks Of our po-
litical history But Mr.. Mckinley suc-
cessfully resisted every inducement to pre-
duce such a paper. The proof sheets
of all the 20,t30 words of the message
might have been left unguarded over
night without tempting any journalistic
burglar to appropriate them
;,fa
in the Presidents message centers in is
observations on the war and its settle
ments.
las the proclaimed object of the war
was to secure the FREE dom and ind pend
ence of Cuba, the first inquiry vi natu-
rally be as to the Presidents attitude
| toward that island, the sovereignty of
| which has been surrendered b. Spain.
| Even the most captious foreign critic
must admit that the President stands
| squarely by the resolutions Of C)Lgre. 5.
Next in order and of more immediate
! interest and Importance are the Pfesi-
| dents views as TO the Phlippines-the
great unsettled question left open by the
protocol and not definitely settled b. the
| treaty conditions to which Spaia's Com
| misSioners have asseuted. And on III
question, as on the government OF PO 10
/ Rico and our other new possessions. M.
| Mckinley withholds his ids as. 'SucI dis
cussion,' he says. will be appropriate
after the treaty of peace shall be rai-
| fed
Philadelphia Record: "A longer or a
| duller message has not been sent by the
/ President to the Congress since We iiTsI
! had Presidents and Congresses. The dull
ness is not in the topics. it is i'll the dis
| Cussion. Al no time since the ending OF
| the civil war has there been more stir
I ring event or more commonplace COM
ment. The barrenness Of important
! recommendation is in part accounted for
! by the reasonable suggestion that until
! a treaty -Of peace with Spain shall have
I been ratified it would be inappropriate 10
propose plans for the future government
! of our new possessions. But aside from
! this important topic there are other
matters of high import that are barely
touched as the message skins over them.
| The Congress is left practically to its own
| initiative.
Baltimore Sun: THE Presidents mes
sage reviews the controversy which led
to the war with Spain and discusses the
military and naval operations and the
/ measures which were taken To prosecute
the war to a successful close. 1t will
prove a distinct disappointment to those
who expected that il would fully outline
the policy of the Administration in regard
| to territorial acquisition and other inn
portant issues connected with the war
! with Spain.
The President makes no recommenda-
tons in regard TO the future of our new
possessions or the form of government to
be established therein Discussion of this
subject, the President says will be ap-
propriate after the treaty of peace shall
be ratified. In the meantime. and until
| Congress has legislated otherwise he
! will continue the military governments
which have existed since our occupation.
and give to the people security in life
and property and announcement under a
just and beneticent rule.
Philadelphia Inquirer: THE message of
the President to Congress is largely a
| summary of the events of the past year.
There are some recommendations, nota-
| bly, regarding an increase of the army and
navy. the building of merchant marine
the reissue of the United States notes
only in exchange for gold. and an appeal
for an appropriation large enough to
make suitable exhibit at the Paris EX-
position. That there are not more recon-
menda tions. and especially devoted 10
problems growing out of the war, is be
cause the treaty of peace is not Yet sign
ed"
| New York Tribune: 1T is the distin-
suished lot of President Mckinley both to
make and to write history wisl master
hand For more than twenty months he
has been the central figure active puis-
SAINT and triumphant, in one of the most
| gigantic dramas of the age. Today he
lays before the world the written record oi
his deeds, impartial, dispassionate. con-
else. comprehensive, marked throughout
| with the mature judgment generally found
| only in the historian in posterity The
message is. in its major part, volume
| of authoritative history; a sequel to that
| of year ago 1t sets forth few theories
there is no need of them when We have
already reached the stage of accomplish
| ed practice. 1t contains few arguments
| save those which are most direct and con-
| vincing of all, the arguments of deeds and
| facts. Self-restrained self-reliant and
frank and lucid in an exceptional degree
it is the typical utterance of one who is
at once man of action and a man OF
thought, and always and above all a man
of principle.
| ITO everyone who wishes to have right
knowledge of the origin and circumstances
of the colossal crisis through which this
nation has just passed, and from which il
is at this moment emerging resplendent
| and victorious, the Presidents words are
to be commended manual as authori-
! tative in history as their author has been
and is in the statecraft of the nation
New York Sun: "The well-known facts
/ "