Washington sentinel., 1899-10-21
Our PresIdent Right or wrong.


he ought to have had more re
splendent courtiers in his train
than Smith and Griggs, even in
their best estate; and as a plain
stump-speaking and vote-begging
expedition. he certainly excited
alarm by impressing his whole
Cabinet into service, as for a dts-
perate emergency, and cheaPened
his Secretaries as we'll as himself
by exhibiting at every cross roads.
Another thing that Mckinley
cheapened was the American flag.
He really was violating the statute
which forbids its use for advertis-
ing purposes. Never, IN any
speeches, has any President made
so many and such maudlin refer
ences to "the flag" He waved it
out Of the car window; he Haunted
it along the street; he wrapped its
folds about him as il it were an
armOr against all criticism. Whit
tiers heroine was willing to die
herself If her eountrY's flag were
spared, but Mr.. Mckinley identi-
fes himself with the flag. To write
or speak or vote against him is to
strike down the flag. The flag,
c'eSt 1sos. This, then, is the new
doctrine to which we are asked to
subscribe--our President, right or
wrong. It is to take the place OF
our country right or wrong. This
is no caricatuTe OF the reasoning
which maintains that we are all
bound to stand by the President,
and see him through his Philippine
trials, even If we admit that his
policy was from the beginning
mistake, and has been carried out
with a vacillAtion, lack Of fore
sight, iumbling and blundering
which have daily increased its diff
culties. All the Wretched old
shibboleths about party differences
ceasing at the waters edge, about
the nation being absolutely one in
"controntIng" foreigners. are drag
ged out to Pae the mouths OF Tree
people. Mind, it is not merely the
large question Of anti-imperialism
that they are hidden to be silent
about; not simply whether the
treaty with Spain was a mistake;
not any fat GecombH whatever;
but the actual policy actually being
pursued in the Philippines. On
that Americans are expected to be
dumb. Whv9 Because the Presi-
dent has decided. Right or wrong,
he must be supported. BY waving
the flag to tatters he makes himself
and his policy identical with the
country, and everybody must sink
away in silence.
This is new doctrine for Ameri-
cans, Such alleged immunity and
sanctity Of the President when deal
ing with questions Of foreign pol
icy, or even with questions Of var,
never have existed in this country
and never will exist. Americans
are not in the habit OF thus deliver
ing themselves over bound and
gagged to their chief executive.
II they do not like a treaty with
foreign nation, they say so. The
fact that the President thinks it
wise does not still their cries.
Would Mckinley be more immune
than Washington The President
spoke OF Lincoln on last Saturday.
Now Lincoln stood up in his place
in Congress and severely criticised
President Polk for his conduct OF
the Mexican war. That was a war
which Congress had declared.
There was ten times the reason for
asserting it to be the country's war
that there is in the case OF the war
which Mckinley is carrying on OF
his own motion in the Philippines
Lincoln openly attacked his Presi-
dent. He poured ridicule upon
him. He charged him with pre-
cisely the faults that are alleged
against President McKInley--con-
Trajectory arguments, va ;illation.
weakness, making the war neither
flesh nor fowl nor good red her
ring. A 6ne time anybody would
have had who should have gone to
Abraham Lincoln and told him
that when the President of the
United States had spoken, il was
the part of all go cd citizens to put
their hands over their mouths anc
lie in the dust at his feet.
The absurditY OF this new con.
tention that the President, wher
dealing with distant and uncivilizec
peoples. is impeecable and pos
sessed Of royal prerogative, will bs
admitted by anybody whose mem
orv goes back as far as 1898. II
that year we had a President who
had knottY problem on his hand: