Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-04-25
HARVARD AND MKINLEY.


Can you tell your readers why Har-
ward University should corfer its
highest degree upon William Mckin-
ley? The reasons which have been sug.
gested are hardly adequate. ~
Ill 1t was at one time the custom
to confer the degree upon the incum-
bent of high office. irrespeotive OF other
con iderations. This practice was dis.
continued when Ben Butler became
governor of Massach usetts. The grad
yates and probably the country at largs
applauded.
q. The degree implies legal wis
dom ard so has been conferred on great
lawyers. The most CONSPICUOUS incur
sion into the field of law for which Nc
Kinley as President is entitled TO orsdit
ia his "beneyolent.a ASST milationr proc
lannation. This was drafted for use at
Santiago 10 advance of the capture,
when 1t was Anticipated that stiff
military proclamation, addressed to the
enemies OF the United States, might be
needed 10 promote order In that neigh
borhood. While the craftsman of this
proclamation was at Paris attending
the Peace Congress, it apparently &C.
Cured to Mckinley that go excellent a
the State Department, SO it was adj
dressed to the friends and allies Of the
United States in the Philippine Islands,
AID published by McKinley's direction.
Any graduate OF the Harvard Law
School could have told Mckinley that
the United States then had no color Of
title to any part OF the Philippines be-
yond the limits of Manila and Cavite,
and that the attempt by this proclama-
tion to assert jurisdiction elsewhere In
the Philippines was gross violation
OF the rules of international law. Nc
Kinley's best excuse for its publication
is ignorance of law.
49, The motto of Harvard Univer-
sity is Christie ct ecclesiR, aud consist
emily with its motto Harvard might
confer its degree for signal service in
that behalf. War is hell. The Philip
pine war is of Moliinley's making.
Gen. Reeve, on his return from Manila,
said the proclamation brought on the
war. Mckinley had the. power by .
word to stop tho war at any moment
after it began. The responsibility for
its continuance is therefore his. His
is the responsibility for the death of
thousands of United States soldier:
killed in the war, for the disease and
wounds which waste the lives ofiothel
thousands, for the death of tens o.
thousands Of tho little brown men, fol
all the burning and rapine OF a wal
now more than two years old. Reward
for conduct of this sort gives anew
meaning to Christie ct ecclesie.
a.. Harvard g other motto is Veritas
Mckinley seems to think that the truth
is too precious for common use
Through his press censors and in hi
own speeches he has been telling. VI
not the truth and the whole truth, bu
only SO much Of the truth Us he an
pears to think expedient II the peopl,
have not lost their sovereignty, they ar,
| entitled to know the whole truth, il
order to judge with full knowledge tn,
acts of Mckinley's administration
There is maxim of law about sup
pressio veri which most laymen under
stand.
t5.) One of the cardinal virtues i
faith. How has Mckinley kept faiti
with the people about the civil service
| His promise to extend the application
Of the law has been kept by extending
the exemptions from the law, and b.
appointing as commissioner one Of th
declared enemies Of the system.
| (6. Mckinley's minor virtues ar
well illustrated by his endeavor to he'll
the unspeakable gas man Addicks int
the Senate, assuming, of course, tina
the newspaper information on thi
point is correct.
| q. Mckinley's wasted opportunitie
| entitle him 10 particular distinction
He might have gone down In history a
tho great liberator, as the supporter @
the first Asiatic republic, as the apostl
OF peacs He 10 likely to go down Il
history as the man who was elected b
good crops, who was re. elected, not b
the RoGd deeds which he had done, bu
by the fear Of the misdeeds which hi
opponent might do, and whose reputa
tion Harvard University sought t
patch UP by its degree honoris causa.
III Theodore Roosevelt and Senate
Hoar and other Oversesrs of Harvar
University succeed in making it aocel
sorry after the fact to Mckinley
actions by stamping them with Hai
wards seal OF approval, they will
violence to tha sentiments OF gres
numbers OF its graduates. At the Hal
ward dinner in THE city year ago th
statement of President Eliot whic
aroused the heartiegs applause was tia
Gen. sOtis, who edited benevolent al
similation'' out of MoKinley's proclt
nation as published at Manila, ha
been student at the Harvard La
School, SO that Harvard might right
claim part of the credit for his actor
Otis, in the cause of right, displaye
courage amounting almost to insuhorb
nation. Mckinley IN the cause {
q wrong, has displayed u persistent
amounting Amos. to desperation
Which should have Haryard's highe.
degree? II.