Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-01-16
Annextng Cuba.

Chicago Herald.
People who knew that James g Blaine
would make brilliant secretary of state,
and people who knew that he would make
as rascally q secretary of state as be dared
to be, will alike be interested In the effort
OF Senator Call to embroil this country
with Spain on account of Cuba. For that
Call represents Blaine there can be no
doubt.
The pretense put forward now lie that
American citizens baye interests In Cuba
which are already suffering through the
ineff1ciency Of the Cuban government. and
are liable TO be total loss In case the ISIS
and should fall into the hands OF the Ger
man creditors OF Spain. to whom 1t Is said
to be heavily pledged. Senator Gall
would like to have this government In
tervene for the protection Of those Amer.
lean holders of Cuban property, and then
wrest the island from Spain AID annex II
TO the United States. In less diplomatic
phrase, he wishes this country TO pick q
quarrel with Span, and manufacture a
prctext for robbing her OF her western
possessions. in order TO create boom for
James @. Blaine. and elect him president
IN 1892.
There can be no doubt that the claim
that the interests OF American citizens are
not protected in Cuba is q trumped up
one. IL probably amounts TO nothing
more than that all sorts Of business would
government. In the same way IL might
be said that the German farmers in Wis
consin are oppressed by the American
government, which, through the protec-
tive tariff. taxes them for the benefit oil
the eastern manufacturer. Germany
probably has just as much of grievance
against us on this score as we have
against Cuba. To attempt to make a
casus beili out OF such n complaint as this
Is both puerile and immoral. II we are
to steal Cuba let us do 1t openly and
above board. and not add hypocrisy 10
theft.
In the meanwhile Il may be worth our
while to inquire whether we could wrest
Cuba from Spain IL were TO try. 1t
should not be forgotten that Spain has a
formidable navy and that We have none.
Her recent experiments and achievements
In submarine navigation have arrested
the attention Of the whole world.
II may be that single cruise OF one OF her
ironclads down the Atlantic coast might
cost us more than Cuba is worth. In
deed, IL, as Senator Call says, other Eu-
ropean nations have even greater inter-
ests 10 Cuba than we have We might have
to resist, not the Spanish navy only, but
European coalition. Now, every good
American believes that we could whip
the world in just quarrel and long
fight, but very few wish this country TO
become involved in such war. or in any
way at all, for the glorifcstion of James
G.. Blaine and his stool pigeon, Senator
Call.
Indeed, IL the island of Cuba could be
bought peacesbly and honorsbly. by this
country, for one dollar in hand paid, IL is
doubtful whether any party or section OF
the country would approve Of the pur
chase. Unless Canada were annexed at
the same time. the acquisition Of Cuba
would give the south q strength in the
government TO which the republican pars
" would never consent. II would also
introduce an immense additional negro
population into the country, and compli,
cate rather than simplify the race trou
BILE. Moreover. the island would be 80
difficult TO defend 10 case Of war, that for
this country TO acquire 1t would be like
voluntarily giving hostage to the enc
my. Cuba will not be ours at present.