Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-08-16

HOW SroFSkuAfShe Ascpt-s~sA'S .tes - =
Being Used by Republican Cam
paixn Managers.
[speeIal Washington Letter.l
Mckinley now pretends to know less
than ever where he is at on the Chi
nese trouble
When the alleged news came that the
minister and our citizens were safe on
! July 10, the administration cabled Ad-
miral Remey to get the powers to CO.
operate with his tiny force and go to
their assistance promptly.
Remey sent the expected but some
what discouraging reply that the
troops belonging to allied powers did
not mean to move before Aug. 10 and
that the powers believed the dispatch
In relation to Conger's safety to be
merely Chinese fake. This reply act
ed like a cold shower bath on the con-
gratulations which were being heaped
on Secretary Hay and Minister WI
Ting Fang for their joint cleverness In
getting alleged news where everybody
else had failed.
1t is now clear that even if Minister
| Conger and his friends were alive on
July IS they win be killed before any
rescue party VIII reach them. The dis
patch claiming their safety declared
that they were In imminent danger
from hostile Chinese forces.
Mckinley hustled FROM Canton to
Washington aud back again without
accomplishing anything which Secre-
tary Root could not have managed
i without his assistance. The 1900
troops which can be seraped up by
taking lhem from Cuba and Porto
Rico ana from this county VIII be
sent across the Pacific and VIII land
ION the Chinese coast about the LIST Of
September
The roads from Tien-tsin to Peking
are almost lmpassable and viii pre-
sent great Obstacles to a rapid advance.
Amid ali the confusion and uncer-
tainty which has attended and still
characterizes the Chinese trouble only
one thing stands out clearly. The adj
minlstration missed its opportunity to
perform a heroic deed and compel the
admiration of the world
If Mckinley were a man of energy
and decision and good Judgment, he
would have thrown 10000 troops into
China at the first news OF serious trou-
BILE, marched them to Picking and res
cued our citizens. He could then have
withdrawn with honor and let the con
tinental powers fight it out with the
Chinese II they chose TO attempt
grab for territory.
If the administration has been tell
ing the truth. 1t had at least 10000
troops In the Philippines who should
have been available. 1t has been de-
claring for months that the insurrec-
ton is over and that the troops would
shortly begin to come home.
The sad fact is that the Filipinos are
no more conquered than they were the
day our troops provoked hostilities.
The astounding truth is that not TO-
600 of our troops in the Philippines are
In condition to fight. They have been
decimated by disease, forced marches
and oppressive climatic conditions.
The Chinese crisis has stripped the
Administrations policy bare of every
pretense and it stands forth for ex-
actly the failure that it is.
1t is an imperialism that has already
cost millions of money and sacrificed
thousands of lives In a fruitless at
tempt to force an unwilling people to
become our colonial subjects
This same costly Imperialism which
sent 5000 soldiers to crush the Fill
pinos found itself absolutely helpless
when our citizens were threatened by
great and barbaric power.
The administration is now forced to
admit that it has been concealing the
truth about the Philippines.
Every charge that the Democrats
have made as to the failure of the adj
ministration's policy In the Philippines
is more than justified by the facts.
Mckinley declares that he will not
call an extra session of congress. He
prefers to take the awful responsibility
of the Chinese matter upon himself
The handful of troops that he is
sending there will dawdle about and
get hopelessly involved in the jealous
quarrels Of the various commanders
representing foreign powers.
According to the Administrations
real plan. our troops win be there to
participate in war for the partition
ing of China.
This actual purpose has been masked
as far as possible under a pretense of
solicitude for the safety Of our citi-
zens, but the only thing which would
have saved them has been left I'M
done.
The Democratic leaders, from Bryan
down, have put themselves on record
as courageously on this matter as on
all otner vital Issues. Bryan declares
that our citizens should be protected,
but no war entered into for territorial
conquest. And this is practically the
unanimous opinion of the Democrats.
This Republican administration is
likely TO be held responsible for put
ting the Chinese into a state of suspi-
cion which made them regard our
citizens as on the same footing as
those of the continental powers.
The yaporings of the administration
forces about becoming a world power
and securing q sphere Of action In Chi
M and the acquisition of Manila have
all led the chinese 10 believe that this
government had receded from its for
mer attitude of friendliness and non
interference. The complications grow
every day and Mckinley is doing his
best to drift into a more costly and
disastrous war than this country has
ever known.
Ali departments of the governments
are being pressed into service by the
Republican campaign managers. The
latest instance is brought to light by
Representative Richardson, chairman
Of the Democratic congressional com
mittee. He discovered that the bureau
of education has been sending out pro-
British accounts of the Baer war,
furnished by an English firm. 1t is
said that the postage is paid from the
same source. The clerical force of
the bureau of education has been utiI-
lied in sending out these documents.
They are being sent to schoolteachers,
especially III the doubtful western
states, In order to counterfeit the sym
pathy felt for the Beers.
This shows clearly how far from
I