Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-26
Analogy Between 1898 and 1917

The analogy between the political as
poets of the antebelum situation of 1925
| and the present crisis is brought out most
strikingly. however, when one consults the
| history of the former period as written by
no less an authority than the present Chief
| Magistrate of the nation. 1t is inconceiv-
able that Woodrow Wilson when he wrote
his History of the American People even
| dreamed that one day he would be placed
| in almost precisely the same position that
| circumstances forced William Mckinley to
| occupy in 1898. 1t is conceivable however.
| that in the last two years Mr. Wilson has
had occasion more than once to recall what
| he wrote of McKinley's official trials and
| embarrassments:
| There was no calculating the forces
of excitement that were abroad there
was no determining their origin or their
real power. No doubt influences were
| at work which did not wait upon opin-
ION, which made opinion their covert
merely and means of justification.
Sensational newspapers exaggerated
every phase of the disturbing incidents
OF the time. to make news and increase
their sales men who saw personal gain
in store for them amidst the risks of
war bestirred themselves to make in
| terest against Spain in the houses at
Washington politicians were quick to
say and do what they hoped would
| enhance their credit and the influence
of their party with the country.
Thus writes Mr., Wilson In his history Of
| what happened in the weeks following the
| destruction Of the battleship Maine in
| Havana harbor. At least some of the points
| he makes could be made with equal force
| regarding the situation it has existed for
| two years and as it exists now.
| Referring to McKinley's course, Mr.. will
| son says: HE had diligently pressed upon
| the Spanish Government every argument for
peace with it's Cuban subjects. for accom-
| eo- frta i,,ta a,tt h., 70
| United States. for reform and concession in
! the government of the island that diplo-
| matte usage and International courtesy per-
| mitted. and yet the end of the Cuban trouble
seemed no nearer than before. He quick
| ened his pace In the business as he saw
| opinion advance and the houses grow i'm
| Northumberland it very much when the
| destruction of the Maine put touch Of
| fever into mems thoughts"
| Compare that statement of McKinley's
| patience under great provocation with the
| Datience that has been shown by Mr.. Will
son himself, and the similarity of position
| the two men occupied stands out clearly.
With an Ear to the Ground
It is true that Mr.. Wilson ascribes to Nc
| Einley certain traits of character that he
would not admit possessing himself. For
| example he speaks of Mckinley as "a
| leader who received his ideas, not from his
own individual examination of affairs or
| the action of his own originat,ve powers
upon the subject matter of public policy.
hut from the men about him whom he most
| trusted from the subtle airs of opinion
| abroad out-of doors, from those who
brought him the counsels of Congress and
| the news of events"
| Undoubtedly the Mckinley makeup diff
! fered widely from the Wilsonian, but 1t is
| Just possible that some future historian
will incline TO the belief that the President
of 1917 had his ear almost as close to the
ground as did the President of 1898.
| In view of recent dispatches suggesting
| that Germany was inclined to make an
eleventh hour mediation offer. the good
| states, the following passage from Mr. Will
| sons history is also of Interest:
Toward the last it had begun to look
| as IL the Spanish Government were
| ready, rather that let the war feeling
in the United States put things beyond
! all possibility of peaceful solution,
| to make very substantial concessions to
the Cuban insurgents and bring the
| troubles of the island to an end. But
Mr. Mckinley doubted the good faith
of the concessions offered, found them
guarded by proposed processes of exc
cuton which might take perilously
| long in the carrying out believed that
| opinion in the country would not justify
| him in taking any further risks of dis
appointment, and made sudden end
of negotiation.
Finally Mr. Wilson. after telling of the
breaking of diplomatic relations and the
formal declaration of war, declares:
Intervention had come, not for the
| material aggrandizement of the
| United States, but for the assertion of
| the right of the Cover ment to succor
| those who seemed hopelessly oppressed
to recover the peace and order of its
coasts, to free its trade from the tram
mels put upon II by war to which
| there seemed no end, to quiet the
thoughts of Its own people in order
! that they might turn again without
distraction 10 teir own affairs.
once more the analogy is impressive
for II armed conflict with Germany comes
as come It apparently must. il will be an
other war not for the nations material
| Acknowledgement, but solely for the uphold
ing and safeguarding of the rights of its
| people and of humanity.