The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-09
Secretary Long An
swers Criticism Of
Mckinley.
COURSE APPROVED.
Has No Desire to Become
First Great American
Expansionist.

Boston, May S.-The editor of the
Christian Register of this city receiv-
ed a letter from John D. Long, secre-
tary of the navy, in answer to COM
munication in which the editor in his
private capacity as an American citizen
tried plainly to report public opinion,
/ the drift of parties and some political
consequences which will within the
next year it seemed, will be likely to
follow current events and embarrass
the administration.
Secretary Long says in part: Il have
no doubt the stock of public feeling
to which you refer exists to some ex-
/ tent but the tide always GIBBS and flows:
| You remember it was so during the civil
war; and 1 should say from my mem
DRY and my reading that there is Moth
| ing like the falling off from President
! Mckinley which there was at one time
| from President Lincoln.
while there is truth in what you
say, there is a great deal which you
| left unsaid on the other side. / do not
think the matter ought to be approach
ed exclusively from the point of well
! fare of the republican party of which
| y
is it a question of the personal popu-
| larity of the president or the admins
tration, 1t is a question of right. II
| you or those to whom you refer would
only read President McKinley's dis
patches, messages and instructions, you
| would see at once that he is not weak
| ly leading us to disaster, but is meeting
the situation in exactly the spirit you
would have him. AS for any ambition
| A .ff1sl71 n
( sionist he is so far from any ambition
of that sort that the suggestion seems
l like joke.
Nor is there the least intention Of
subjugating the Philippines. All his
military efforts are directed solely to
! the preservation of the law and order
there; and if the Filipinos would CO.
| operate in this respect, he and the
! peace commission which he has sent
| to them would enter at once upon the
work of their political regeneration
with a view to giving them all the priv
| ileges which the territories Of the
United States between the Atlantic and
Pacific now enjoy
II wish that you or some leader OF
public opinion like yourself could come
! to Washington and go over-as l
should be glad to aid you in doing-all
the instructions to our people at Ma
Mia which embody the action of the
president, and then whether it resulted
! in your approval or criticism frankly
develop your views and communicate
them to the public. / claim that you
would find a record that for human and
helpful direction and dealing, is unpar-
alleled in political history"
In conclusion, Secretary Long says
that whatever the cause Is JUSTIFIED or
not. "the feeling undoubtedly may ex-
list as you say, and may be growing, as
YOU say I cannot however, help
thinking that with these Filipinos now
on our hands a great trust and respon-
sibility are upon us for their condition
and future. ! can hardly believe that
you feel that we ought to abandon the
trust at once. have no doubt that
you feel that we should first Of all
things, and that is the presidents pol
! icy, although you suggest that ne mas
none, restore them to a condition OF
law and order.
THAT is itself great labor, and
earnestly believe that if the whole
country would unite in securing its
first STEP and if those who are doing
all they can to embarrass the president
in his efforts to take it would help him
in that respect, it would be the best
and most patriotic thing that can be
done.
After that the step to take should be
considered in the same patriotic spirit
I believe it should be a step toward the
| self government of the islanders as
soon as they show themselves fitted for
/ it. and as soon as peace and good order
are guaranteed-probably under some
proteetorate of our government, as our
| territories are under its protectorate."