LAD #22: McKinley's War Message

President William McKinley

McKinley says that the current revolution is just one of many that have occurred in Cuba against Spain over the last fifty years. The revolutions have been a lot of trouble for America, since the US had to enforce its neutrality laws, and the revolutions were a disturbance to the American people. And, American trade has been hurt by the revolutions, and the money that citizens invested in Cuba had been mostly lost. McKinley says that a victor in the war is unlikely, and what will probably occur is that one or both sides will get tired. He cited a previous speech in which he said that a proclamation of neutrality would not help towards calming the situation in Cuba, and he still believes this. He then suggests ways to help end the war - either as an impartial neutral, by suggesting a compromise, or as an ally of one of the countries. McKinley advocates for an armed intervention to free Cubans from the Spanish.

President James K. Polk

McKinley's War Message is similar to Polk's War Message since in both instances, the President recommends war to solve an issue that is detrimental to the American people. In Polk's case, there was violence on America's soil as America was in the fight for Texas, and in McKinley's case, the revolutions in Cuba are an irritation to the American people and have hurt trade and the finances of the people.