West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-03-29
MCKINLEY MISTAKES.
One OF Our Correspondents Takes Up
the Challenge OF Senator Thurston.

EDITOR ARGUS:
Senator Thurston, in his glowing defense
of the Mckinley administration at Parkers-
burg the other day, defed anyone to point
out one single wrongful act of this admins
tration or people. The Senator, probably.
was too enwrapt in the glow of his ardor TO
be clear on the list of mistakes and wilful
oftenses of the Mckinley administration.
To'start with, we suppose it was not con-
sidered a mistake or ohense by Mr.. Thurston.
for Mckinley 10 place himself and his cam
paign for the presidency in the hands Of
syndicate of monopolies and trusts whose
agent, barrel-holder and dispenser of the
great campaign Doodle fund was Mark
Hanna, of Cleveland, Ohio. Then. IL was
no mistake in the eyes of the Senator and
those who applauded him, for the President
to use the influence Of the administration TO
promote the election of Hanna TO the Sen.
ate Of the United States. Mr.. Hanna had
proven himself most successful getter of
money, but neither before nor since has he
displayed any of the high qualities of states.
nanship which alone ft man for the great
and powerful station of a Senator of the
United States.
From first to last the patty is blind to any
mistakes on the part Of the President in the
affairs leading up to and growing out of the
Spanish war II the Republicans in Cong
ress, acting in accord with the President.
had not opposed and thwarted the Dem.
ocraiie plan of recognizing the independence
Of the Cubans, il might have been attained
without going to war. Aud if President
Mckinley had not in January, 1898, sen,
the Maine to Havana against the advice of
Fitzhugh Lee. then Consul General of the
United States at Havana, the lives of a6s
brave American sailors would not have been
sacrificed and the real cause of the war
would not have come to pass. After that
dasiardly act Of Spanish treachery and re-
venge there was nothing left for the adj
minisiration 90 do but prosecute the war
vigorously to drive Spain out of Cuba and
Cuban waters as authorized and directed by
the Congress. But as an incident of that
war he was no, authorized by Congress nor
the people 70 take permanent possession of
and responsibility for the low, mongrel
people Of the Philippines, the fruitless and
psof,less war upon whom has already cost
thousands Of good American lives snd hun
dreds Of millioAs of good American money,
to say nothing Of lavish expenditures Of the
same sort that will be necessary in the fu
ture. The clause in the Treaty Of Paris by
which The Mckinley administration slip
ulaled that the United States should take
the Philippines and pay Spain sac, ,ooo,o 900
therefor was one Of the greatest and most
costly Of all the mistakes Of Mckinley.
Then, his secret alliance with Great Britain
and his Treaty with that Power abandoning
the Monroe Doctrine and surrenderine our
right TO build and control the Nicaragua
Canal withou, the consent or advice Of any
other nation on earth are mistakes hardly
less fatal than his false moves in the matter
Of the Philippines. The supreme mistake
Of the Mckinley outfit is in sapposing for
moment that The American people are going
20 allow their government to b. rai, for the
sole beuch, aal profit Of the fIanaa-MeKin.
syndicate. r.
Reedsvillc w. Va. March 10