New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-18
PRESIDENT wKIyLEY ~ BOSTON,.

President McKnley's speeches have long held
high place in public estimation. He possesses
IN \ remarkable degree tho faculty Of present
ing his views and policies with clearncSS ana
showing TO all who VIII Dee reasonable their rca-
condolences. When he takes his fellowctizens
into his confidence he leaves his critics small
opportunitv for constructive criticism They
can cry out that he is going wrong and predict
that he will pull down the National structure
I'm ruins but ne makes their thundcrS harmless
when he asks them what they would do in his
place. how they would meet Tie actual problem
which confronts him without doing vastly NOR"
evil than that on which they lay So much stress.
In his speech before the Home Market Club. Of
Boston. the President dealt in this fashion with
the problems growirg out Of the Spanish war.
lie revealed 10 the people his spirit and motives
in adopting the expansion policy. and he did II
with rare felicity and carneStncss.
Mr. Mckinley confcsSes himself nm opportu-
MIST. He has no cut-and-dricd programme which
lie is going TO drill this country and IFS depend
encies TO fit. He has no formula for the solu-
ton Of all questions He does not pretend that
every feature of the situation pleaScs him, that
every act he has 10 do Is the act he wants to do.
But he does tell the country that he IS trying 10
meet every emergency with practical common
sense. and to adapt his policy 10 actual condi-
tons as they are unfoldcd. That has been the
opportuniSm Of most statesmen who have borne
successfully the burdens Of government The
people who don't have 10 do il are the ones who
know how 10 surmOunt all difficulties by q rule
OF logic. The President did not make the war
and is not responsible for the embarrassmcnts
and new burdens il has placed upon MS. Those
who were impatient for the conflict have left
him TO meet the consequences of their worl,.
Did they forosee results that they now complain
Of because the force Of arms has carried the
country further INTO new paths than anybody
foresaw? Should he have stopped the war be-
fore We won it so completely because they
plunged us into 1t so heedlcssly?
The Presidents explanation Of the Philippine
dilemma is clear and convincing What were
we 10 do with them? We had broken down
Spanish power and must put something In its
place. Even If unwilling TO accept them our
"sclves, 1t would have been a weak evasion Of
manly duty TO require Spain 10 transfer them
"to some other Power or Powers, and thus shirl,
"our own responsibility. Even If we had had.
"as we did not have. the power 10 compel such
"a transfer. It could not have been made with
"out the most serious international complica-
"tions Such 4 course could not be thought Of.
And yet had we refused TO accept the cession
"of them, we should have had no power over
them. even for their own good OF course 1t
IS easy for the Presidents enemies 20 snccr at
the idea OF forcibly reducing the Fillpinos 10
order Cor their own good. Friendship at the
niuzzle of gun. civilization going forward on
powder cart Is a convenient subject for satire
and high moral disquisitions. But the critics