Evening star., 1901-09-21

he also was thinking Of an earlier decla.
ration. Those who knew him best ucder.
proper time and occasion for making i'm
portant declarations or for taking advanced
ground. Once in private he spoke almost
regretfully of the freedom with which
those who were not charged with the re.
sponsibility of public office could ute,
their own opinions. 1t was concerning 2
subject on which he felt the most intense
personal conviction, yet believed it to be
due to his own position to go much slower
than public sentiment was demanding; but
usually he was only waiting for what he
believed to be the right time.
Two years ago at Canton he talked OF
the Philippine policy to which he had then
committed his administration. The Ohio
platform adopted In June had been weak
and vague During the summer there had
been much criticism and much lmpatiencs
on the part of some Of the republican
leaders.
Announced Philippine Policy.
President Mckinley spent that summer
at Lake Champlain. One or two utterances
Of his gave a hint of his views, but moth
ing more. He waited till he was coming
home to Canton. A Pennsylvania regi-
ment had just returned from the Philip
pines. President Mckinley made a speech
to the regiment at Pittsburg, which at
once struck the patriotic chord of the
whole country. At the same time 1t gave
1t was a few days after this speech had
been made and when its full effect on the
public mind could be judged that he talked
OF the Importance Of the time and occa-
sion for important declarations. Incident
ally, he also spoke approvingly OF speech
which Governor Roosevelt had made a little
earlier on the same line. The impatience
Of the politicians, he said was not always
the best criterion for the popular judgment.
Sometimes they were too slow and often
times
could wait for the mass of the people with
out harm to themselves or to their cause.
Felt Public Opinion Behind Him.
1t undoubtedly was President Mckinley s
belief that public opinion was becoming
ready to sustain what he called the coun-
try's policies that caused him to make his
explicit statements at Buffalo. How IA
vorable the time and the occasion were, the
immediate response to the speech showed.
The message In which he meant to put
argumentatively as a state document the
reasons for reciprocity and for its kindred
developments never will be written. but
the Buffalo speech crystallizes and p.rpet-
yates 1t all.
President Mckinley was not much given
to philosophizing about his own career or
his own administration yet after his re-
of suggestion of the historical perspective
OF his administration. Always 1t came
through the discussion OF some measure
growing out OF the events of the last four
years. Once before he assumed the duties
OF his high office and once only within my
own personal knowledge there was the
suggestion Of expansion. 1t was during
the period between election and Inaugural
tion at Canton when he was engaged in
forming his cabinet. At that time the tariff
and silver were what were in most men s
minds, yet 1t was realized that other SUBJ
jects were looming up In the background
Hawaii had taken new hope with the pass
ing of Mr. Cleveland's administration,
while Cuba was full of graver possibilities
and also greater uncertainties.
President-elect Mckinley then was chief
ly concerned with the tariff and financial
legislatation which would be the first meas
ureS of his administration. He wanted
above all things to insure the prosperity of
the people of which his election gave
promise.
His COnservatism.
One day an official Of the Hawaiian gov
ernment, which had overturned the mon
archy and which in spite of President
Clevelands efforts was maintaining itself,
came to Canton. He was very anxious to
get some assurance that the Mckinley
policy would be annexation.
Naturally in the circumstances existing
he could not be gratified with any state
ment Of presidential purposes. but his
presence gave rise to some gossip. That
evening in the library two or three enter
prising journalists were seeking to sound
the President-elect. He parried them good
naturedly till one suggested interrogatively:
After the tariff and silver perhapa Cuba