The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-19
Circulation Statement


The Confession OF Mr. Hay
A confession that the proposed Hay
Pauncefote Convention was accepted YER
batim ct literatim by the British Govern
Ment exactly as it was written by Mr..
Hay, was given out at the State Depart
ment yesterday, thus realizing our worst
fears and establishing the truth of M.
Stead's charge against the Secretary OF
State.
The object Of the confession evidently is
10 relieve Mr.. Mckinley of responsibility
in the matter. but We fail to see how it
can accomplish that We are not to sup
pose that so important a treaty could
have been forwarded 10 foreign
Government without being first sub
mitted to the chief of the prepayment State.
II Mr. Mckinley was given an opportunity
TO read the draft of the convention, it is
Inconceivable that. shrewd politician and
lawyer as he is. he could fail to detect its
unpatri6tism and general Ticiousness On
the most careless psrusaI- Il is not 70 be
believed that he would think Of passfag
over matter so mementoHs in a merely
perfunctory manner. We are justified in
assuming that the document was fully dis
covered by the President and his Foreign
Minister before il started On its travels
via London, TO Paris, Berlin, Vienna,
Rome. and st. Petersburg as a secret
state paper, the existence OF which was
not known to any member OF the Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations until it
was sprung upon both committee and Sen
ate as a painful surprise.
Mr.. Hays effort to shoulder all the
blame in the matter strikes Us as wasted
generosity. He has enough 10 bear in
the character of principal in the offence,
and as the confession phrases it, he may
be sure that whatever odium there is in
connection with the so-called Hay
Pauncefote Treaty." viii adhere TO him
10 the end of his days, and remain for
ever an unpleasant blot on the history OF
the State Department. 1t is quite use
less for him CT anyone TO essay the task
of showing that the President was not &C
cessory both before and after the sact;
simply because the American public VII
refuse to believe anything of the kind
Since all doubt has been removed con-
corning Mr.. Hays responsibility and
cuipabiIity in the connection and on his
own admission, there can be no ques-
lion in regard to the propriety of his in
slant resignation or removal On his
own showing, he is a dangerous person
TO be left for another day in a position
which permits him for any reason that
may strike his errant fancy as sufficient
Il gratuitousIy invite foreign nations to
combine their forces for the purpose of
compelling the United States to reverse
its American policy OF seyenty-five years
standing, and to surrender its para
mountcy IN the Western Hemisphere 10
England and The Concert of Europe.
Mr. Hays personal friends insist that
he is a true patriot, and q lover Of his
eountrs. Notwithstanding any evidence to
the contrary, and that he has always he
lieyed and still believes the proposed Hay
Pauneefote Convention to be the best nos
si5le thing for the Government and peo-
pie Of the United States. But, even ADOPT
ing this partial and charitable view. ii
can have no effect in changing the inev-
liable popular verdict that man vino en-
tertains such opinions OF the true inter
ests and honor of the nation is as fit TO
conduct its foreign relations as Cehenna
Is 1T for q. powder house. No doubt. as
his admirers assert, the Secretary Of State
Is scholar aand gentleman He IS
also poet, and his work IN assisting
Colonel Nicolay to prepare the Life Of
Abraham Lincoln" has given him some
reputation as a historian. But the Ameri-
can who, from his inner consciousness
could evolve such a blistering outrage
upon native patriotic sentiment as the
proposed Hay-Pauneefote Treaty .rannot
be considered statesman from any view
point On this side Of the Atlantic. what
ever golden opinions the feat may have
won for him in Downing Street.
The Hon. John Hay should wait rot
upon the ordes- Of his going. but % at
once.