The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-09-26
WHEN WILL THE HANGING COMMENCE?

MT. L cry 10 a iASe NA''A2N
Post Master General. OF course he is
a native of Ohio. While Mark Hanna
was spending the Summer an dear OLD
England and learning its methods of
shooting civilization into dark-skinned
races. Perry HE'D himself to Canada. lie
could not get away to 1.-THE mother coun-
FRY" hut he did the next thing to it
he went to British colonies an America,
and he has come back greatly in love
with British ways and British customs.
He is now bloodthirsty and wants every
body hanged who dares still to believe IN
the Declaration Of Independence and TO
follow the teachings of Washington's
Farewell Address.
w. A. Croffut, of Washington, d. c., a
poet and writer of a high order of abill-
ty, has written IAN open letter. to Mr..
Heath which is the hit of the year. In
short compass, Mr.. Croffut sums up the
situation and shows how ridiculous IS
Mr.. Heath's blood-thirsty language. 1t
Is SO ZOOu tldl We ludhC pidSC III tiAN
letter here. Mr.. Croffut writes:
MY Dear Friend: l am glad to read
that you have got back from Canada
tanned by the suns of foreign Cline,
but am shocked and terrified to further
read that, in the opinion of Canadians,
the treason of Americans who are now
saying things intended to cause discon-
tent among our troops should be sex-
plated on the yard-arm or the nearest
lamp-post' You repeat this counsel
gleefully and approvingly as becomes an
officer of the United States.
Il write to beseech you to interpose
in behalf Of one man-One man only.
make no appeal for Atkinson, for no
punishment is too extreme for man
who has made it necessary for you
to violate the mails. | say nothing in
behalf of Bryan, for to dispose of him
in the way you suggest would greatly
simplify the next election. | hand over
to you Benjamin Harrison and Grover
Cleveland-our only exlpresidents-for
both of them have encouraged Aguin-
aldo in the most barefaced manner. Nor
would extenuate the wicked conduct
Of Secretaries John Sherman, George s.
Boutwell,, Carl Schurz and John q. Car
isle. AS to the other trifiers Speaker
Reed. Edmunds, Hear, Hale, Mason,
Henderson, Pettigrew, Pingree, Comp
ers, Fowler Felix Adler, Leonard Bacon,
Thomas Wentworth, Higginsol, Prof.
Starr Jordan, DIR. Van Wyck, Bishops
Potter and Spalding, Andrew Carnegie,
these are all bad men, and in encourag-
ing their country's foe they deserve
classification with William Pitt and Ed
mund Burke, those high-handed male
factors of England. But l warn you
not to make a fiasco of it. Cleveland,
Mason and Tom Reed will require unu-
sually strong Manila hemp. And why
should your department realistically
suggest that they be hanged with your
boxes ON lamp-posts! However, t..ey
should scarcely be allowed to choose the
weapon.
1T is for another, my dear Heath, that
I.earnestly plead-4an honorable and
useful gentleman, who, let us fondly
hope, has committed an offense of the
head and not of the heart. He boldly
perhaps inadvertently the 9TH
er day that the only way to settle the
Philippine war is to concede self-govern-
ment to the inhabitants. / should like,
he AIDED, to see autonomy first conceded.
Violence ought to stop at once | am
sorry to say that it was Admiral Dewey
that uttered these rash and unpatriotic
words, well calculated to encourage
Aguinaldo. 1t is also alleged that the
Admiral has been overheard carelessly to
remark that he believes in the Declara-
ton of Independence. Yet | beg that
the government will not be severe on
him. / appeal to you to intercede. You
have a tender heart and bowels of COM
passion. Remember that the offender
was far from home and had nobody to
advise or warn him.
If it is necessary to deal with him
violently, let his punishment be postpon-
ed till after the celebration. Do not,
do not interrupt the parade. | offer no
plea in abatement Of his guilt but the
people Of this city have some rights after
they have paid their money. To infiict
at once the extreme penalty which he
has invoked and have the ceremony take
place on the steps of the Capitol in the
midst of the ovation would, of couse, be
more picturesque, and would add greatly
to the programme Of the exercises and
doubtless augment the enthusiasm and
gayety of the occasion. In this case,
however, ordinary prudence will suggest
that the sword presentation had better
be postponed till after the execution
But it seems to me that the hecatomh
will be large and imposing enough with
out him if it contain the other gentle
men | have named, with the knights OF
Labor and the whole Democratic party
Think it over, my dear friend, and ask
yourself if it is not expedient to keep
one of the offenders alive as an awful
example-the solitary survivor of mil
lions of men guilty of the crime of in
sisting that governments derive theii