The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-04


the fact that a state OF war existed be-
tween this country and China had been
admitted, the President might not have
ventured to longer depart from his plain
duty of calling Congress in extracrdi-
nary session to secure its endorsement
of his executive war in Asia. las SON.
says Mr. Mckinley. "as the sacred duty
CT relieving our legation and dependents
was accomplished. we withdrew from &C
tive hostilities'--and from the Empire
leaving our legation under an adequate
guard in Pekin." This. as readers OF the
Message will note. is the sole reference
| to an incident which. at the time of its
occurrence. was heralded throughout the
country as a monument to the splendid
diplomacy of the amateurs who waiKed
with their eyes open into the neat trap
arranged for them by the Russian Charge
d'Affaires. NJ de Wollant: accepted the
Russian proposal for ,ut and scuttie
without notice to the other Powers, ana
so broke the concord at Pekin. The
| President again gives utterance to his
well-known views On the subject Of easy
terms for the errins. and is strongly in
clined to favor arbitration through The
Hague tribunal in case Jasis of settle
ment cannot be speedily reached other
wise.
The American people had naturally been
locking for strong pronouncement from
MIR. Mckinley on the topic of the South
African war Considering the annoying
and hectoring attitude assumed by Great
Britain in respect of our paramount rights
as the chief nation of the Western Henri
sphere. The scarcely yelled threats Of the
British Government TO resist the exercise
OF rights on our part under the Monroe
; Doctrine and its violent seizure of Amer
| lean territory in Alaska-condoned. it is
! true. through Administration timidity--
| there was no particular reason why undue
| caution should be used in the message 10
please the Administration ally. Yet we
! look in gaE for a sentence Or word of
| sympathy for the gallant people of the two
| South African Republics. whose liberties
| have been extinSuished and whose bones
| have been demolished by Engiands ruth
| less hand. Mr.. Mckinley disDoses of the
which he says that or friendly relations
with Great Britain continue and that in
| consequence of the war in South Africa
| .-yexatious questions arose through Great
| Bfitain's action in respect to neutral car
! goes. rot oontraband IN their own nature,
shipped TO Portuguese South Africa Oh the
score of probable or suspected ultimate
destination 10 the Beer States" These
-'rexaticus questions were amicably and
satisfactorily settled, ard the Message
! proceeds to the consideration of other
things more agreeable 10 remember.
| But the one Immediately succeeding can
| hardly be OF that class. It is the subject
| OF the modus vivcndi under which the
| Canadians were allowed TO annex the
| American Porcupine district in Alaska.
| which they had .impudently, and totally
without warrant, invaded and seized, erect
ing their custom houses on American soil
and forcing American goods 20 pay tribute
and American miners license 10 their Gov
ernment. This transaction was enc in
which il was in effect agreed that the
British should be left undisturDed in the
stolen territory: that the Stars and Stripes
should be hauled down. ard the British
ensign hoisted and that the district should
hencefortb be known as the "Porcupine
district OF the British Northwest Terri
tory as it is now officially described The
Message treats the delicate matter as if it
were very thin ice, and skins over ii as.
quickly as possible. Il is referred 10 as
the work Of marking certain provisional
. boundary points for convenience of ad-
ministration. around The head of Lynn
Canal, in accordance with the temporary
arrangement of October 1899. The
r.cdus yirendi " says Mr.. Mckinley. has
so far worked without friction." II ought
10 in a case where England is allowed
everything she seized, and the United
States sunincly surrendered everything de-
manded.
ca the subiec; OF the currency the
President copgra tulatcs the country upon
vast increase in the number and circula-
ton OF national banks. At some future
| day, when they get word from Wall Street
and suddenly contract their circulation.
perhaps that. too, may be ground for exc
cutiye felicitatiCn. Additional legislation
is recommended to secure and fasten th.
| gold standard. We hardly know whether
| this viii please the Republican leaders.
\ In the recent campaign they gathered in
/ great deal OF easy money from the trusts
and financial combinations on the plea
that monometallism was in danger on ac-
| count OF defective laws. To make the
statutes in this connection insurmountahle
might deprive Them of useful club.
II Mr., Mckinley only recommends
! small reduction in war taxes, amounting
10 thirty million dollars, it must be re-
mcmbercd that the surplus in the Treas
ury and likely to increase during the next
year, under normal conditions, will nearly
all be needed to pay campaign debts, and
supply The constantly expanding demands
of the Government. The River and Har-
Dor bill Is good for twenty-five millions,
the Panama syndicate has its glittering
eye on nobody knows how many more and
the Hanna subsidy job must be provided
for at the rate of nine million dollars an
nually for ten years. Hence, in the mat
ter of reducing taxation, it is plain that
the Administration would make haste
slowly.
wise economy in the use of public
funds, Mir. Mckinley thinks. demands
that Congress should pass the Subsidy
| bill Immediately" 1t will take ninety
million dollars from the taxpayers and
| salt that sum down in the pockets of
dozen transportation magnates. thereby
reviving our decsyed merchant marine