Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-27
OPPORTUNITY VS..
ACHIEVEMENT.

silly assertion that 1t Is Populstic, is
that 1t is strong only in opposition;
that Its leadership is destructive rather
than constructive. The corollary is, of
course. that the Republican party is
strong where the Democracy is alleged
to be weak.
Is this. however. really the case? Has
the present administration made good
such claim? Has 1t SO managed
affairs as to be able to justly claim the
confidence OF the American people that
1t Will meet wisely the problems that
must be met somehow? The last
Democratic administration was not q
source of pride to the party by any
means. but did 1t blunder more eyre
giously than has its successor?
If it be asserted that the Mckinley
administration has had new and vast
responsibilities thrust upon 1t, it must
be remembered that 1t has likewise en-
joyed new and splendid opportunities.
has had to do were the war with Spain,
the DISPOSITION of new territory that
came as a result of that war; the tariff
and trusts, the currency question and
the proposed Isthmian Canal. Herein
lay opportunities for Mr.. Mckinley to
make his administration one of the
most notable in our history. How has
he used them?
The war with Spain was most re-
markedly successful, we are told. And
SO. in a way. it was. The army and
the navy won fresh laurels. But in
those matters that depended upon the
administrative abilities of Republican
statesmen it gave us Algerism. Our
troops were crowded into pestilential
camps and kept there until the war
was over. They were fed on rotten
beef. a small force. by sheer pluck
and dash. captured Santiago in spite of
departmental pet, Shafter. Schley
annihilated the enemy's fleet and has
been ever since subjected to persistent
persecution by Il petty cabal, aided and
abetted by a Republican Secretary OF
the Navy. Santiago being captured.
the American soldiers who had accom-
plished that splendid achievement were
ordered to encamp In district rocking
with yellow fever and were recalled
only after a practical mutlny of the
officers. In short, so rank and offensive
were the scandals of administrative
mismanagement that member of the
Cabinet was sacrificed to popular in
dignation.
Then came the treaty Of Paris. Mr..
Mckinley ordered his commissioners to
To
done. No assurance of their fate. no
promise of liberty or ultimate self-gov-
eminent was given them though they
were under arms and naturally alarmed
and FESTIVE. They knew they had been
bought as chattels; more. they were not
permitted to know. Every one who is
acquainted with the situation believes
that the same promise made to Cuba
would have won the friendship OF the
Filipinos and war would have been
averted. The promise was withheld
and the war. with It's horrors. has fol-
lowed. When it will end none can tell
How Republican craftsmanship has
dealt with Porto Rico is very recent
history. 1t has made OF it n crown
colony, governed by n satrap and an
appointive council. 1t has laid tax
on its trade at the behcst of the trusts.
and has driven the inhabitants to alb
ject penury and despair. 1t has pro-
mulgated n new and revolutionary
theory OF sovereignty and has shrunk
from a test of it's validity in the highest
court of the land. 1t IS preparing to
tn 10 tho rouernnapt of n tvro =, r
over this starving people, with Oriental
pomp and ceremony, in order to i'm
press them with our power" Mean
time in Cuba, it is maintaining horde
of officials In vice-regal splendor in
defiance of law and at the expense of
the insular treasury.
In matters of internal policy the Re-
publican party has built UP the tariff
where it would serve ns n buffer be-
tween the trusts and foreign competi-
tors. and has left these illegal c0mbi-
nations free to crush weaker competi-
tors at home and to rob consumers at
will. 1t has refused to enforce the
statutes against trusts and has blocked
attempts to enact new legislation
hE"inSl theHi. Ahe result ms Deen the
formation of more trusts in three years
than in all our previous history AS to
the currency. it enacted the gold stand
ard law while pledged to International
bimetallism.
There is strong sentiment among
Americans for an Isthmian Conal.
Republican craftsmanship has met this
demand with a treaty that would put
such Il waterway under the control OF