The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-18
Some other Way!

The position OF Senator Bacon on the
Samoan partition is typical. 1t repre-
sents his state OF mind on everything;
likewise the attitude of sentimentalists
like Hoar, and Vicious renegades like
Pettigrew. and featherheads like Bryan.
Here is what he says. and 1t is most in
structive: IT am willing that the
United States should acquire the island
of Tutuila with its Pago-Pago harbor, II
that could be done in the proper man.
ner. and without violating all our
principles in securing control Of IT,"
II the consequences Of this position
were not SO serious in other parts Of
the Pacific, 1t would be intensely funny.
Senator Bacon says in effect, 1.-THE
thing you are doing is all right. It is
what want done and would do myself
IL had an opportunity. But I don't
want It done your way. just because
it Is your way" He IL the small boy
who insists that game with his COM
rades must be played according to his
own rules. or he will not play at all.
Neither will he be content to sulk in a
corner. He will shy stones at the play
ers, and call them names until he has
broken up the game altogether.
We see this policy stripped Of all
confusing circumstance in the case of
Samoa. Nobody has effrontery enough
to protest against the acquisition Of
Tutuila. It's harbor has been ours for
years. Samoa has been governed by
common consent by triple alliance Of
powers to which we were a party.
There is no chance now to raise howl
or gibber about consent Of the gov
erned." This tripartite arrangement
is failure, and the islands are as
signed. for the good Of their people
and the peace of nations, to the several
powers. We get the best of the bar
gain. No other objection being possi-
BILE, Senator Bacon says that 1t would
be all right If 1t were only done "some
other way"
Some other wayr' The words are
the keynote of all opposition to the ad-
ministration's policy today. What it
has done any true American charged
with equal responsibility would have
tried to do Democrats know it. They
know that the results are good. They
would not, in their secret hearts, change
them IL they could. Some OF them, in
GLIDING Mr.. Bryan at intervals, are
truthful enough to admit publicly that
all the consequences OF the war with
Spain, including expansion, are bless
ings to us and to others. They dare
not face the people and urge retreat,
surrender, retirement to hole in the
wall. But they have to find fault
somewhere. So the chorus goes up.
mot this way but some other"
For many reasons we welcome the
criticism. 1t is confession of weak
ness. When a party can find no valid
fault with the opposition save that 1t
has sought good ends by mistaken
methods. it pays a high tribute to its
wisdom and integrity. It admits that
there is only one opinion about essen
tails. 1t takes issue on the means used
for an end confessed to be good. Let it
conduct a campaign on that basis. And
that, in fact, is what the Democrats are
doing and will have to do. Confronted
with the patriotism, the intelligence.
the high purpose Of the American peo-
pie. they admit the righteousness OF
the Republican cause. They win march
into the campaign Of 1900 with nothing
written on their banners but the assur-
ance that they wish to Go only what
Republicans have done. and the baby
ish pretext that they would do It
"some other way"