The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-08-17
~ a one.mnn War.

Not ORe.man War.
It is well in several ways that the
so-ealled anu-expanslon organs and the
Anti-Imperlallst League have begun
their campaign so long In advance Of
next year. There is nothing like the
advantage of mapping ont an issue this
year based on probabilities, regardless
Of the fact that within the period which
must elapse before a campaign is even
begun tine entire situation may chang
or win change. one OF the most FIRE.
auent reference phrases that are being
used now by the anti-explnsion pap RS
is '.McKinley's war on the Filipiaos."
1t originated with the Antl-Imperlalist
League, ana 1t Is suggested by the
washington Post that 1t would havs
been wiser on the part of the more
conservative opponents of the admlH-
istratlou had they kept their hands of
that piece of property and permitted
the At!,insonlans to have the sole use
OF their invention"
It does not pay In politics more than
It does In business or society to be I'M
truthful. The voter may be deceived
for short tine by misrepresentation
or even falsehood, but finally the truth
comes to the top. It is possible that
there are citizens in the country, per-
haps a number OF them, who are go ig-
norant of the constitution and laws, and
the facts OF the situation now before
the public. that they can be actually
convinced that one man. one soli-
tary individual has made and is carry
ing on the alleged war on the Flip
mos" However, 1t does not appear that
this number Is extraordinarily large; 1t
could not be So for they would have
to be abnormally credulous, and to i'm
agine that would be to reflect on the
Intelligence of the population.
There Is no use OF theorizIng, but let
us deal In facts, in Justice to President
Mckinley. The fact may be recalled
that II the President could have had
his way there would have been no war
whatever between Spain and the Uni
ted states--the war which led up to the
philippine complications OF the present.
Some of the partisan papers that are
now calling this "AicRinley's war;"
should remember that had the pressure
for war not been increased beyond the
Presidents or any one else's power Of
resistance by the blowing up of the
Maine, peace would have undoubtedly
been preserved and the freedom Of Cuba
would have come through peaceful
means. and all eausefor war would have
been removed. 1t was when President
Mckinley, in spite Of the bowls for
Interference by force. was working to-
ward this end, that the Maine crime
was committed, and every hope he had
for peace was dissipated.
on this line Of justice to the President,
It may also be recalled that had he not
insisted against opposition) on the
right course, we should have gone into
Cuba to make war on Spain as an ally
of an Imaginary republic, Just us the
antis claim we did In the Philippines.
our army would have been subordinate
to Cuban generals; Cuban bonds would
have had value created and our gov
eminent would have been in an embar-
RAISING position. We could not honor
ably have gotten out of 1t.
Having done all he could for peace
full settlement and for Cuban freedom
the President was obliged to obey final
" the mandate of Congress. That war
was uneuualled In history for greatness
of results and smallness of cost. The
contemporary above referred to truth
fully makes the point that 1t was "as
much McKinleys war on spnIn, as the
supplemental work in the Orient is Nc
Kinleys war on the TllIpinos.'"
The Post sums up the situation, and
makes the point above stronger In this
manner:
II were folly to speculate on what might
bnve been our business as n nation IL with
what huSaud what II. BY treaty, by the &C.
ftnn. NOT OF the President alone, but by
fhe concurrent action OF the senate We
tnok ths soVcrelgnty OF the Islands. We
took ii in good faith, and with the kind,
Iiest notiyeB and Intentions townrd all
fbc inhabitants But while We we're mop
ing and praying for peace. small irhc'
lion or one OF the tribes opened war oL
ogr soldiers That was rebellion against
our lawful authority. that was lnAurTtc'
lion, and the President was bound to SUP,
IFess Il, The President would have beer
ifupeaehed and the nation lrretrloyably
dlsgraced II We had evacuated Luzon "
stgad OF taking our measures "a esthb,
ilsh our authority there and throughout
the archipelago.
An apt comparison may be added
More than n quarter OF n century ago
during our clvn war. it viii be recalled
ahat there we're thousands Of people or
the northern side Of the line whose
Svmpathles were with the southern side
They called It "Llncoin's war" de-
nounced It as n failure and one party
convention demanded the Withdrawal
Of the troops. 1t was false to call II
ILlncolns war" and was not intended