Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-01-21
ROAST FOR MCKINLEY.
His Facilitating Policy Is a Peril to the
Country.

His Validating Policy is n Peril to the
Country.
New York Herald Qnd. Rep. Imperialism.
President McKinley's miserable infirmity
of purpose is responsible for the ridiculous
position we occupy in the Philippines to-
day-held at bay and our authority deied
by a motley horde of the lowest type of
F~ilipinos.
The situation is not only absurd but dam
gerous. A special cable dispatch to the
Herald from Paris yesterday showed how
the difficulties created by the Presidents
vacillating policy-or want of policy-as
encouraging a renewal in the press of he
hostile criticism which was silenceI by
the victories of Manila and Santiago.
1t is a disgrace to the United States that
foreign residents, as well as the more
peaceful and industrious Fil.pInos, should
be compelled to fly from their h0mes-send
their wives and children and their treas
ure out of a country over which TIE pro-
tecting Stars and Stripes have been Hnng
to the breeze. There is peril. too. in this
state of Manifestations peril, as is evident
from the London Times leader. a parton
of which, forwarded by special cable, ap-
peared in our columns yesterday.
T Powers are bound to hold aloof.
except in the event, which we are en-
titled to regard as inconceiVable. of
the complete failure on the part of the
Americans to maintain or secure the
liberties and property of citizens of
other countries
This is the warning of a friend. Read
between the lines it means unless me
President ceases pottering and tak4s de-
cisive measures to assert the authority If
the United States and afford full protec-
ton for the lives and property of foreign
subjects located in the Philippines there
may arise a awful preteXt for Interven
ton by one or more of the European
powers. With the "aunties' making
speeches that encourage the insurgenIs
in their insolent attitude and thu prasi-
dent maintaining a characteristic do
nothing pose we are subjected to the risks
of complications compared with which
the war with Spain was mere child play.
Only a firm and decisive assertion Of the
authority and power of our government
can save the islands from anarchy. save
our own dignity and avert the danger %
friction with other Powers. But what is
the President doing? As ever a vabbling
opportunist, he is Sinking his RESPONSE
bilities and again throwing down the
reius. Instead of graphing with the stu
alton like a man he is appointing g COM
mission to make at this late day the slow
and tedious voyage To the Philippines,
study the posture of affairs and advise
him-as if the constant cable communica-
lions of Otis and Dewey had not kept him
thoroughly informed
Before he became President Mr.. Mckin-
ley Nacillated on the silver Question When
the question of war with Spain came up
he wabbled all around tha and ended by
throwing down the reins 10 Congress to
do as il pleased. Although the Constitu-
ton and his official oath required him 10
command the army in time of war. he
threw down the reins to the Wal Depart
ment. and when the whole country rose in
an outburst of wrath against the treat
ment of our soldiers Mr.. Mckinley. ms cad
of summarily removing Alger, again
threw down the reins 10 an investigating
commission. When the time came TO die
tate terms 10 Spain. instead of prescrib-
ing. as was his right, d treaty for submits
sion TO the Senate and settling at once
the disposition of the Philippines, he again
threw down the reins and left the work
of framing the treaty to a commission and
made himself the mere agent OF that COM
mission to submit its work TO the Senate.
And now. after all this wabbiing and
representation. when Spain has surren-
dered the islands and this ridiculous pam
tin. Aguinaldo-this patriot" who's de-
sire for Filipino independence was salts
fed with Spanish g~old-blusteringiy chal-
lenges our authority, does the Pres