Omaha daily bee., 1884-05-23
TIE PURCHASE or CuBA.

The purchase of Cuba by the United
States is again being agitated. The dis
patches from Washington inform us that
a part of Minister Fosters mission here
is TO aid in the negotiations to be taken
by our government and that Of Spain Tor
the transfer of Cuba, and that Secretary
Fre~linghuysen is anxious to buy Spain
ia willing to part with the island for the
sum of 500, 900, 600, which is a low figure
when compared with the price mentioned
when the matter was talked of during the
administration of PresidentG Grant. Fifty
millions is, indeed, a small price for SUCH
a productive island, but in buying 1T we
would be obliged to purchase a wholesale
supply of revolutions and insurrections'
and it would perhaps cost us more to AXE
care of it than it is really worth. 1t
might do for an empire to purchase Cuba,
but it would not do forthe republic of the
United States. We have all the territory
now that can be efficiently governed and
| utilized. We want no territory separ-
ted from the great body of the republic
by the ocean.
When Columbus discovered Cuba mill
lions of natives inhabited the island but
they have all long since disappeared,
having been exterminated by the Span
iards. The present population is 1,5Oo,-
600, of whom nearly two.thirds are
whites, the remainder being negroes,
mulattoes and Chinese. II is estimated
that there are 200, 900 Spanyards by birth
on the island, of whom 10000 are troops,
$1,000 are officers, and all the rest are
mere adventurous or fortune -hunters.
The Spaniards monopolize all the places
of honor and profit under the govern
ment, as we'll as more than half the lucra-
tive positions outside of official circles.
The Cubans who number over 500, 000
fill the places that are not occupied by
the Spanish, in merchantile business,
professions and trades. The negroes and
colored people comprise one-third of the
population. There are from 10000 to
49, 900 Chinese all men, forming an i'm.
portant element in the laboring force OF
the island.
The island of Cuba is 700 miles long,
and varies in breadth from 80 to 13G
miles. 1t is a most productive country
in all the exuberant vegetation of the
tcrrid zone, and yields many of the deli.
cious and valued fruits of more temperate
climates. 1t has a perpetual summer,
and two crops are often produced in a
single year. 1t is rich in tobacco, sugar,
coffee, fruits; it has millions Of acres of
forests of the finest and most valued
woods; rich quarries of marble that have
never been worked; and mines of gold,
copper, tin, silver, iron, coal and asphalt
tum are there only waiting development.
The history of Cuba is one of oppres-
sion at the hands of Spaniards, and it is
no wonder that the Cubans are anxious
to throw off the allegiance to Spain and
become annexed to some other country,
or else become independent. We shall
not be surprised if the proposition to
purchase Cuba will meet with consider
able favor at the hands OF men who see
in its annexation a new field for political
office and new avenues to wealth, but
the United States cannot afford to buy
Cuba merely to crafty the ambitions of
such designing persons. What the
Cubans need more than any
thing else is independence.
If Spain offers Cuba for sale for $780,
600, 900 let the Cubans buy the interest
of Spain and thus secure their freedom.
Let them then establish q republic upon
the model of the United States and man.
age their own affairs. If the United
States can assist the Cubans to attain
this desirable result our government
ought to lend a willing hand. The
moment that Cuba becomes a republic,
bearing the friendliest relations with our
government, it will be invaded by enter
prising Americans, with capital to invest
in the development of the country, and
the people will take new life.
/