The Forrest City times., 1900-05-18
Status of Affairs of National Inter-
est and Doings of Political
Leaders.
0ISkPpRoVAL OF THE PORTO RlCAN BILL
Mark Hanna's Hand I'm Various Mat
ters-McxinIey's Cabinet and Sec
retary Roots Talk-The Proposed
Subsidy Grab VIII he Nailed By
the Democrats.
Especial Correspondence.l ]

senator Hanna and his colleagues
have returned from the recent state
conventions and are in excellent hu-
NOR over the harmony" which pre-
vailed. Senator Fairbanks is gleefully
announcing that Indiana is entirely
satisfied with the Porto Rican tariff
bill. Hanna contemplates with pride
the platforms which he and Represent
atiye Dick made and had adopted in
various states. They claim that har-
mony has been fully restored even in
Ohio-the state where factions always
flourish.
In Washington there is disposition
to regard the republican harmony in
such states as Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin
and Massachusetts in another light.
The reaction from the storm of popu-
lar disapproval came too quickly to
be altogether genuine. From the sur
face point of view it is conceded that
Messrs. Dick and Hanna give a fine ex-
hibition of thorough party discipline
when they write the state platforms
in Washington and have them adopted
without a murmur.
But what has become of the opposi-
ton of the republican press? Itvoiced
deep and sincere protest of the peo-
pie in the Porto Rican matter, and
there is no indication that there has
been any change of heart since the bill
YVES passed. 1t seems suspiciously won
derful that state conventions can so
thoroughly obey the behest of party
bosses and at the same time reflect the
real sentiment of the people-especial-
ly when the two were as wide apart as
heaven and earth only a few weeks
ago.
There is belief in Washington that
the disgusted and angry republicans
are staying away from party conven-
tions. That they are sulking in their
tents now, and that they will do the
same thing on election day. 1t is a
good deal easier to impose party dis
cipline on a convention than upon the
mass of voters. 1t would be more
healthy indication if some of the re-
publican indignation against the vacil-
lating policy of the administration had
broken loose in the state conventions.
The harmony which prevailed savored
very strongly of the harmony of the
graveyard.
Hanna and Dick have practically
| foreshadowed the republican national
platform, and they show clearly that
they have no adequate grasp of the new
| issues that have arisen in the last fouI
years.
They deal in justification and eva.
sion of administration blunders, and
the fulsome praise of its imperial policy
is not likely to conciliate the people
who believe that constitutional princi
pies are involved and that the future
of the nation depends upon their prop
| er solution.
McKinley's Creatures.
Members of Mr.. McKinley's cabinet
have lately been diverting themselves
and other people by attending ban
quets in various parts of the country
| Most of their utterances are harmless
enough. OF course they praise their
master and take credit to themselves
for various good things which they i'm.
| agine they have done. But Secretary
Root was more unfortunate than his
colleagues when he chose the Monroe
doctrine for his topic and suggested
that we might yet have to fight in its
defense.
He overlooked the very obvious fac,
that our intermeddling with matters
| in Pacific waters left the administra-
tion with very little reason to object
if European nations chose to assume
| the aggressive on this continent. Sure
ly Monroe never contemplated this ma
ton waging war of subjugation on
the Filipinos and massing war vessels
to grab share in the Chinese partition
when it comes off.
Secretary Root might have talked
very instructively on the coming of the
rainy season in the Philippines, which
will suspend hostilities and leave the
Filipinos no nearer subjugation than
| they were before. He might have
cheered his auditors by telling them
that the war department is constant
ly sending fresh troops and supplies to
the Philippines. He might have called
attention to the fact that its costs
nearly a million dollars day to carry
on the war in the Philippines, and that
the average exports from the United
States to those islands amount to
about 5000 a day. They would be
much less if we were not supplying our
own army with many requirements.
He might have playfully explained
how necessary it is to allow our army
officers TO have a free hand when il