The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-21

that such an amount would be so small as
to excite the feeling abroad that our ma
tional finances were weak. Secretary Gage
said that $50, 1900 could readily be taken
from the treasury, and the President i'm
mediate1y favored that amount.
A visitor to the White House who is very
close to President Mckinley called there
that Saturday afternoon previous to the
day of the conference. The President was
so feep b 1he g 4Sst b pr9 fesd
to recognize the visitor. The gentleman in
question is a regular caller at the White
House. and is always welcome. But on this
occasion he was greatly impressed by the
scene which confronted him, and expressed
himself as having serious fears that the
strain The chief executive of the nation
was seated at his desk in an attitude of
deep thought. Had his eyes been closed
one might have thought him sleeping. in
the gray twilight his face seemed almost
ghostlike.
Realizing the intrusion, the caller with
drew. But on Tuesday night he again Wis
tied the White House. AT that time the
House had voted for the appropriation and
the measure was assured. The change in
the Presidents manner and bearing would
have been remarkable had it not been char
acteriStic of the man.
A CHANGED MAN.
All traces of gloom had vanished from his
face. He was positively radiant In place
of the haggard, dispirited figure of three
days before there was the Mckinley of old,
ever of excitement may have surged through
him could only be told by the brightness
of his eye. His demeanor, while clearly
showing the relief which had come to him.
was characteristic of his ever present dig
nifty.
A new man had taken the place of the
downcast executive, filled with gloomy
foreboding that his country was being
forced into a war without preparation,
without money and with possibly hostile
Congress-. President
| dropped his pen after aff1xing his signature
to the document great sigh of relief must
have burst from him. Immediately after
the bin passed the Senate it was hurried to
| the White House by special messenger.
The President was waiting to receive 1t.
The unanimous passage had been almost a
| foregone conclusion. When the precious
document arrived 1t already bore the sigma
lures of Speaker Reed and Vice President
| Hobart. With his usual calm elaboration,
| the President glanced over it, Then he
| dipped his pen into the ink well at his side:
of the pen, and the deed was done which
| demonstrates the confidence repoSed in
their President by the American people,
and which also enables our country to meet
| any emergency which may arise.
| The Presidents first duty after signing
| the bill was to call upon Vice President
| Hobart. Accompanied by Mrs. Mckinley he
drove at once to the Vice Presidents house,
| and Mr.. Hobart met them outside. The
President C., could scarcely refrain from CIV
| grasped the hand of the Vice President and
| congratulated him heartily upon the man
ner in which the Senate had passed the
| bill
| Now that the great strain under which he
| had been laboring has been removed the
| President, it is pretty thoroughly under
| stood, will force matters to head. He has
| outlined definite policy of action, in which
| the disaster to the Maine and the Cuban
| question will be closely linked. He will UNI
| questionably demand PREPARATION from
| Spain for the destruction Of the battle ship.
! He will be in a position to dictate terms
to Spain looking to the freedom of Cuba
! But there is no ntimation that, with the
| appropriation of $50OO6,000 at his command
| he will depart in the slightest degree from
| the careful and considerable policy which
| one would expect from man of his ripe
| judgment. He is still calm.
! Since the passage of the bill the Presi-
| dents self-reliance has been splendid The
mere fact of a unanimous vote has
| strengthened him as Lincoln was strength
| ened by the countrys response to
| his call for 100000 additional troops From
| this time forth there will be confidence i'm
| the White House, because the greatest
| question of the whole situation has been
! answered. The question is. us the country
united?" The answer is. Yes"