The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-08-16
WASHINGTON.
From Cur Regular Correspondent.

far forget the obligations of the oath
they took upon assuming Office as
! TO go away from their official posts,
for their own personal pleasure,
while the Chinese situation was at
such critical stage; but this week
it has been a cause of shame and
deep humiliation to every patriotic
American. When Minister Con-
gers message, saying that the I'M
perial Chinese troops were daily
firing upon the British Legation in
Pekin, in which he and all the other
foreign ministers are cooped up as
prisoners, arrived in Washington,
neither the President nor the Secre-
tary of State were OH hand to deal
with it, and nobody can say now
what this government intends to do
about it. That public opinion will
compel it to do more than hobnob
with the Chinese Minister to the u.
S. and endorse all the fairy tales he
can invent is extremely probable.
Much as Mr.. Mckinley dislikes to
call an extra session Of Congress to
decide what this government shall
do, which he should have done
weeks ago. it looks now as though
he would not be able to avoid it and
drift along, hoping for some oppor-
tunity to do something or to make
la bluff at doing something that
would be beneficial to his writing
political fortunes. The time for
drifting has passed. Mr.. McKin-
| ley's so-called "ultimatum" to the
Chinese government, sent through
| Consul-General Fowler, at Shang-
| hal, informing China that the situa-
ton reported by Minister Conger
was intolerable, will hardly scare
the Chinese. They are not fools.
| They know that i'll this country
| Congress alone has authority to de-
clare war. For that reason, if for
no other. Congress ought to be call
| ed in extra session. 1t would con-
vince the Chinese that we meant
business.
| Senator Lindsay, whose term will
expire next March, having stated
in an interview published by a
Washington paper his belief that
Mr.. Mckinley would be reelected
democrats are wondering what sort
of a Federal appointment he is after
Democrats are delighted with Col.
Bryan's speech of acceptance, es-
pecially that portion of it which so
clearly points out the difference be
tween legitimate eXpansion-acquir-
ing territory to become future States
and the imperialism which acquir-
es islands to become colonial pos
sessions. The speech is probably
the most complete argument against
Imperialism ever presented in a
single publication, and should be
carefully studied by every democrat
who wishes to fit himself to demol-
ish every argument the republicans
have yet advanced in favor of the
imperialistic foreign policy Of the
Mckinley administration. In fact,
the speech might be called tue
democratic primer of the present
campaign.
| The periodical statement that
this government had sent an ulti-
matum to the Sultan of Turkey
demanding immediate payment OF
those American missionary claims,
which came out this week. has
grown both tiresome and farcical.
1t was from the first laughed at by
the diplomatic corps, the European
members of which know something
of how the Sultan treats demands
upon him for money. A gentleman
who is in position to make a good
guess said: "It would not surprise
me if in the last weeks of the cam
paign Mr.. Mckinley sent a strong
naval force to compel the Sultan to
pay these claims and incidentally to
inject little jiugoism into the po-
litical campaign at home"
| 1t is not customary for candidates
for President to take any hand in
the management Of their own cam
paign, but Mr.. Mckinley is doing
it. He recently became so thoro-
ughly alarmed that he told Hanna
that he intended to reserve the veto
right over every important move
contemplated by the National Com
mittee and that nothing outside of
the regular routine programme
must be done by the Committee
until it had been submitted to and
approved by him. Mr.. Charles G..
| ll1tXne NA,,,,@t.A11..- ~