The War

There is little reason to hope th.it war with Spain can be averted. The people, through congress, have demanded that the Spanish flag be driven from the island of Cuba and that th Cuban people be invested with th practical fruits of a freedom they hav so dearly won. It is hardly amona; th possibilities that Spain will acquieso in this peremptory demand without a least a show of resistance. How mud that resistance will amount to will de' pend largely upon the promptness and decisión with which our govenimen meets the crisis. The weakness and indecisión of the president has alrealy lost to us advantages which it wil cost blood and treasure to regain. Con gress passed the war resolutions Sat urday night. The Spanish authorities were in possession of our intentions be fore sunrise Sunday morning. Presi dent McKinley took untll Wednesda noon to affix his signature to the resolutions and formally notify Spain of their import, again giving that government untll tomorrow to communicate to us its intentions concerning the same. In the meantiine Spain is nastenng preparations for the struggle which is inevitable and every hour adds to the magnitude of the task which the American people have set thcmselves to accomplish. The vigorous and pronouneecl acti ui of congress, taken as it was in the face of executive protest and the utmost efforts of the administration whippersin, only serves to make the nerveleas incompetency of the administration the more apparent. But this is no time lor carping criticisms. The die is cast and it is the duty of every citizen to give a loyal and consistent support to every efïort of the president to cc.rry out the instructlons of congress. There is no question but that the president will receive this support in all sections of the land. Let us hope that this fact wilrnerve him for the emergencies with which he is confronted ana that the war will prosecuted with a vigor and decisión consistent with our tanding as a people.