Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-11-17
DO WE WANT HAYTI?

The latest outgiying of thought in pub
lie debate is that the United States wants
and ought to take Hayti. The little insu-
lar republic has been guilty of acts towards
us that Justify harsh measures in return,
and at the very least a demand for an ex-
PLANTATION why our ships have been seized,
searched and detained, and our sailors ar
rested and imprisoned. 1t is deemed i'm
probable that the Haytian President can
satisfactorily explain the outrages. They
do not seem to have had much attention
on the part of Mr.. Cleveland's Admin
istration, which has been too busy studying
and bungling the tariff question to attend
to such little affairs as the protection of
our commercial marine from the insults of
the Haytian republic. 1t is, however, the
impression of commercial men that Hayti
has sufficiently offended to be worthy of
chastisement. That would mean annexa-
ton if we wanted it. Besides, it is under
stood that very considerable portion of
the Haytian people-the small, better
class-tired of the dispute: that appears to
attach to the island, are anxious for i'm
proved commercial and social conditions
and would not be averse to having their
republics possession become territory of
the American nation
But we are by no means convinced that
that We want Hayti, or that the acquisi-
sition would be desirable for u.s. or settled
in opinion that the United States does not
want it. In short, it is an open question
with us, and one that has two strong sides.
Upon the affirmative, it is to be said that
we have no tropical possession whatever,
no territory where something of winters
vigor does not interfere with tropical
growth. Hayti has soil unsurpassed in
the world for fertility, and her climate is
purely tropical and in many respects de-
lightful. Under American influences the
island would become one of the most
charming winter resorts in the world,
The Island of San Domingo, part of
which is Hayti, is one of the Greater An
titles, and excepting Cuba, the most beau
tiful and fertile of the West Indies One
third of it, that on the west, is Haytian
territory, which is nearly as large as the
State of Maryland, and one-third as large
as Ireland. Hayti separated from San
Domingo in 1914, and, except for short
time, has ever since maintained its inde-
pendence. The territory is quite near to
the southern point of Florida, and for the
United States would be an invaluable mid
ocean naval and marine station in the in
terest of all commerce between North and
South America, and between our own
country and Central America and the 18th
mus of Panama. A naval station there
would give us absolute control of the Car
ribean Sea, and, with our Gulf stations,
block the entrance to Central American
waters.
The population is about 57S,000, but
there are very few white inhabitants in
that enumeration. Of the others 80 per
cent. are blacks, and 10 per cent. mullatoes.
The debt of the Republic is S13,50O, 900 /;
the annual expenditure between four and
five millions of dollars. For the last three
years the financial condition of the Gov
ernment has very much improved under
judicious management by the Minister of
Finance. In 1886 the Haytian imports