The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-02-13
Public Critics.

Reviewing an article in the February
North American "Musings Upon Cur
rent Topics" by ex-President Harrison,
with severe justice the Brooklyn Eagle
says of the class of critics represented
by the New York Evening Post ard
the Springfield Republican:
The ex President observes that those
who uphold The armed enemies of their
country do not like the terms used by
the friends of the country to charac
terize them and their uctlons. He could
have added that upholders of their
country do not like the epithets which
the enemies of the cause OF their coun-
try cast at them. There are room and
reason for the neutrality-suspicious." for
instance, to reflect on large array of
terms they have themselves employed.
The Evening Post, for instance, in
1895, said Grover Cleveland wrote and
acted like bully, a barbarian, Draw
Ter and murderer in The Venezuelan
matter. The same paper in 1898 de-
clared that the board OF enquiry into
the destruction of the Maine cast the
blame on the Spaniards under orders
from Admiral Sampson and President
Mckinley, at all costs to insure war, by
course of concerted perjury, out of
glory and power anu money through
murder.
From the same and other sources has
been raised the portraiture of President
Mckinley as alternately mawworm
and u monster, as now a coward and
anon tyrant, and always hypocrite
and fraud. That sort of thing has
been going on for nearly three years.
| Secretary Root, General Otis, General
Macarthur, till his death General Law
ton, and majority of the Congress,
have been similarly complimented-
without known protest by these souls
now shocked and huttered when harsh
words are turned ON them. Our armies
in the Philippines have been pictured
as drunkards, robbers, ravishers and
the like by the leaders of these now
shocked darlings, yet with no objec-
tlons from those who resent pay in
kind. The administration of a bit of
their own medicine to them has stirred
them to the core.
The Eagle advises them either to be
manly and stop whimpering, knowing
that when blows are given blows will
be returned, or to address their reform
atory circumstances TO those for whom
they are responsible and whom they
aid with their applause. They should
depress, not welcome, the practice of
charging the movement for peace in
the Philippines to the bribery of ras-
Gals by men of the spotless honor of
Judge Taft and his associates. They
should discourage, not encourage, the
industry of charging on Congress and
the President a conspiracy to cheat
Cuba. They should deplore, not ap-
prove, the habit OF throwing at Nc.
Kinley, word for word, the abuse
which the Copperheaos of other days
not 80 far off that some of them may
not remember them, threw at Lincoln
Instead of saying that the Spooner bill
is strange and awful and unconstitu,
tional, they should note that it is lit.
eral copy Of the law under which JET
ferson was authorized to pacify anC
govern the Louisiana purchase-anC
that it was held to be constitutional.
Carrying its remarks stage further
with wholesome force and severity the
Eagle reminds these seditious and viper
ish malcontents that
There are other truths for them t
learn. One is that elections decide
things in this country. The last cleo
ton decided as question of fact OF
the evidence that the Filipinos begar
war of aggression on our troops, no
, out troops on them. Another is tina
never for moment did we make then
our allies. Still another is that GU
forces only seek to establish in thu
Philippines the order, safety and peac,
under which men can abuse and Villif,
our government in New York, Main'
: and elsewhere, without further punish
ment than being voted down and on
and being prevented from carrying int
over acts at home the sentiments FIJI
q | ininna con wort into nnurdar xuhara Tho,