Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-07-27
More NIusl-SlinEing.

There appears to be no limit to the
spleen or the senselessness of some of
the partisan critics of the government.
The extreme to which an organ can go
in this respect is well illustrated in a
recent rabd attack on the president
because he does not spend all of his
time in Washington now that the trou-
bles in China have assumed serious
aspect. He should be at the seat of
government, it is charged, and not at
his home in Canton, and he would be
there, it is claimed, if he had proper
respect for the peoples anxiety.
Could anything be more ridiculous or
more unfair? Could anything make
more manifest the rank extremes to
which an organ can go? 1t is another
outbreak of that sort of senseless par
tisanship which is to be rebuked on
whichever side of the political fence it
is shown.
In the first place, it is absurd be-
cause the president can keep himself
Just as well informed OF the situation
in China while he is in Canton as he
could il he were at the White House.
The critics talk as if they were living in
the year 1900 instead of in the closing
year of the nineteenth century. This
is an age of telegraphs and long dis
tance telephones. 1t is an age when a
president in Canton can keep in just
as close touch with the important do
ings of the world if he cares to as If he
were in Washington. He not only can
do this. but President Mckinley does
do it and is doing ii. AS more than
sufficient evidence of it, there is the
message he has just sent to the Chin
ese government through Secretary Hay
a message that for diplomatic tact and
good judgment is not surpassed by any
message ever sent out by any govern
ment. 1t is a message that promises to
do more than anything else that has
DteH Sdlu VI ubhe " ticdl w tHS az
mosphere in this Chinese controversy
and to bring the nations together into
harmonious action. If there is any
evidence to show that the president has
not been keeping in touch with Chi
nese affairs and is not thoroughly post
ed on the subject, it has been very sue
cessful in failing to make its appear
ance.
In the second place, how unfair is
this latest criticism that comes from
partisan organs. 1t is practically
charged that the president is allowing
politics and personal matters to divert
his attention from the grave issues
confronting the country at the present
time, In the name of just ordinary,
decent fair play, which is as good an
American principle in politics as in
anything else, and which the great
mass of the American people of all
parties believe in and are actuated by
in the name of fair play The Dis
patch would simply call attention to a
fact that seems to have been overlook
ed by some of these administration
critics. What was the president doing
when the national Republican conven-
lion was being held in Philadelphia? :?
That was the time when the present
troubles in China were first realized in
their full serious import. Is it not O
fact that at that time the president
was so busily engaged in hourly con-
ferences with his cabinet that he
scarcely knew what was going on in
Philadelphia and the thing he gave the
least time and attention to was his
denomination? Is it fair to such a
man to even insinuate that after this
exhibition of concern in the country's
affairs his stay in Canton means a lack
If such interest in the nations well
fare?
1t is high time that both parties free
themselves from offensive personali-
ties, senseless criticism and mud