The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-25
Mr.. Longs ENpia

Mr.. Longs Explanation.
On last Thursday night the Hon. John d
Long, Secretary OF the Navy. poured tea
with the MiddIesex Club, of Boston, and
in the course of the evening proceeded to
make the current weekly report on the
policy OF the Administration.
The first Cabinet officer used as White
House spokesman was inspired to address
himself to Congress. 1t was in the nature
of a sighting shot: in theatrical parlance-
trying il on a dog. But Mr. Long was pro-
duced in Boston to mingle his explanation:
with tea. OF course, it would be indecor.
Gus. il not uniustifable, to say that h,
talked down to his audience. He simply
talked, and his apology was neither in
genious nor sincere. Line by line the
speech answered itself to the confusion OF
the cause it sought to defend.
Mr.. Long began by attacking the Demo-
cratic party, and stated that he could not
find thing it had done during the last four
years to show that it had or has a
policy of any kind. THE Spanish war, -
said Mr.. Long was precipitated upon us
and never was victory achieved in a right
eous cause more swiftly ard surely ard
effectively" The Democratic party had
nothing to do with this. of course, but who
but Democratic Senators and Representa-
tives in Congress, backed by an over
whelming public sentiment "precipitated''
the Spanish war and forced an unwilling
Administration TO champion the right
eous cause and drive the Spaniards out of
the Western Hemisphere?
The. Secretarys reference to the St.
Louis platform and the manner in which
its pledges have been carried out, was
equally unfortunate. He said: That the
principles of that platform have been ex-
ecuted goes without saying Does il in
deed? The document in question declared
for international bimetallism which we
1.-THE Republican party] pledge ourselves
to promote" How has the promise been
fulfilled? Without that plank Mr.. McIlin-
ley might not have been elected. II was
inserted hypocritically and without the
remotest thought of giving it effect. The
money of the men who demanded the gold
standard furnished the means of victory.
No one today can doubt the insincerity or
the conscious mendacity of the utterance
By way of seeming to obey the letter of
the platform, a bimetallic commission was
sent to Europe, and. at the same time
the Governments to which it was accred-
tied were privately notified by the Nc
Kinley Administration that the movement
was perfunctory. and only intended for
effect at home. and that ON no account
would the Republican party consent TO
anything but the imposition 0: the single
gold standard upon the people OF the
United States
The St. Louis platform declared its de-
votion to the principle of civil service
reform, and pledged the party and its can
didate to maintain the merit system in
appointments to public office. and 10 ex-
tend it wherever practicable. How has
the principle of that plank been executed?
With stroke of his pen, Mr.. Mckinley
swept away the merit system, as system,
and decreed return to the OLD and in
famous one of political spoils.
Mr.. Longs defence of the Administration
backdown on the Porto Rican Tarih bill
is lame. but we need not blame him for
that. Angels could hardly be expected to
successfully defend a thing so obviously
and ludicrously indefensible. He very
properly puts Porto Rico on all tours with
the Philippines, and praises President
schurman for his wise and patriotic ad-
vocacy of the Administration policy in the
archipelago But he fails to say anything
about the same gentleman's denunclation
of the perfdy displayed toward the Porto
Ricans. In his airiest tea table manner
Mr. Long expresses complete confidence in
the power of the Executive and Congress
TO treat part Of the United States as II
it were foreign soil, and its government
and administration utterly unrestricted By
any provisions or prohibitions OF the
American Constitution. Naturally. he is
silent as TO the reasons which actuated the
President in abandoning the original Ad-
ministra;ion attitude Of justice to an
American Territory and respect for the
fundamental law OF the landau attitude
clearly stated in the Presidents annual
message to Congress. the report Of the
Secretary of War. and the report of the
Governor General OF Porto Rico.
Things which are inexplicable are lodged
at tea pourings as well as elsewhere We
sions. II would have been as painful as
impolitic for him to have confessed that
the trusts fell in a fury upon poor Mr.
Mckinley and HIS Congressional coadju-
tors and demanded the violation Of the
national promise to Porto Rico as the
price OF any contribution to the Hanna
campaign fund. Yet the whole country
knows that this is exactly what happened
and Internationally for Mr. Long aud his
political masters and eoparceners. IL is
awsre that the hurniIiating submission Of
.he Administration has come 50 thor
oughly within public knowledge as to
raise the greatest popular storm o: the
decade.
II the President expects 20 square him
self with the American people through
apologies Of the kind Offered by Mr.. Long
at Boston he is once more indalgiug in a
grievous mistake; and If the sec-eiary's
asfence is the best that can DO offered it