The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-11-20
TIE CUBAN Hxc1rENENr.

1
The Yankees pillow runs to land, and for
more than twenty years the spirit of
adventure, which has covered this CONT
nent, has been squirting one eye on Cuba.
The cooler, better Judgment Of our people
does not encourage this rash race for land
and money and power, but is content to
cultivate what we have and live in peace.
There does not yet appear to be any rea-
sonable ground forwar This country can
not espouse the cause Of filibusters and
pirates. Ryan was filibuster, an adven-
turer. We knew him in New York. He
was laughed at, there, as a visionary fool, |
who would not only get other people into
trouble, but would come TO grief himselfat
last. The people who followed him knew
that they were violating the laws of neu-
trality, and that they must look out for
themselves And yet, in the large cities,
where thousands of people are out of EN-
ployment, there is clamor for war with
Spain because fibusters met the fate
which everybody knew they would meet it
captured. There are hundreds Of ex-con-
federates in our cities, some in various and
precarious employments, and more in no
employment whatever They want war,
not only for employment but for the graf
ification of that spirit of adventure which
always characterized the southern people
Thousands more, foreign and native born,
are out of work They want war for en-
ployment and possible gain. Thousand of
spectators, sharpers, shysters, gamblers,
etc., want war, for the chances or profit
it brings to them. The leaders of the Ad-
ministration party want war. 1t would
give them contracts, jobs, and cash, and
help keep their tottering party on its legs.
The vast majority of people do not want
l. ever to see another war,-certainly not
without cause. War means a vast in
crease of debt. 1t means more taxes; ad-
! ditions to the burdens of labor and indus
try ;sufferings untold thousands of deaths
!. more widows; more orphans; an increase
of the pension list, and Generalization anc
! corruption everywhere If mere adven
f turers, who know the consequences of theil
h acts, violate the laws of nations, shall w
+ espouse their cause, and embroil the work.
in arms, and go into the business of muir
Il der? bet us, at least, know whether W,
n have a Just cause, before we do this. One
A half of the kilograms sent over the coun
Al try in regard to the affair in Cuba ma.
!, safely be set down as falsehoods, manufac
tured by those in the interest of war, an'
d sent out only for the purpose Of Great
E. ing a sensation and arousing war spiri
among our people. Very few of them wi
'' find any place in our columns,
E Many people talk glOwingly of the valu
l. of Cuba to us, in sugar and tobacco, bu
he they should remember that the chief valu
of the products of the island comes trOI
no slave labor-unpaid and unrequited toll
II that the the poor negroes, imported frOI
N the African coast, only last about an a'
IN erage of seven years each. They do nj
n even depend upon the natural increas
Al of the race for keeping up their labor SUI
"a. ply, but import it from abroad. If Cub
nm were to come under our government a
this would be changed. The negroes fire
and labor paid for, the profits of tobacc
and sugar raising would be very small, an
st the products OF the island would be less an
ct less, year by year 1t may be desirabI
that all the West India Islands shall b.
long to us-or at least that We have foo
al hold there-butif we get one, let us hay
al a just cause before we get it by war \
in territory was ever yet added to the Oh
h. Thirteen by conquest. We can buy Ian
~, cheaper than TO go war for it,