The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-09-16
The United States and Cuba.

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The people of the United States are in
full sympathy with the Cubans who are
making such a brave struggle for lib
erty. The pity is that our people are
| not permitted to extend to these gallant
patriots anything more substantial
than sympathy. The government OF.
the United States occupies a most Pc
culiar position whenever the people of
some other nation, even on this contin-
ent, strike for the same liberty that we
prize so highly. Only once has our
government permitted It's representa-
tives to manifest something more than
barren sympathy for a people striking
for political freedom. The exception
referred to was when the Hawaiian
patriots overthrew the monarchy Cen
eral BENJAMIN Harrison, a patriot of
patriots. was then president. and he
did not hesitate to permit the United
States minister at Hawaii to give sub
stantial encouragement to the cause OF
the patriots. There Is not now any
minister to Hawaii. the success of the
patriots in overthrowing the monarchy,
was largely due. Unfortunately, the
policy of President Harrison's admins
tration was at once reversed when Mr..
Cleveland became president, and the
liberty-loving people. not only in the
United States, but all over the world,
were shocked by the attempt made by
Cleveland and his secretary of state, to
restore the fallen monarchy in Ha-
wall. Happily the wave of indignant
protest that swept over this land was
not wholly lost upon an unpatriotic ad-
ministration at Washington. and the
scheme for restoring the monarchy in
Hawaii was abandoned.
The Cuban patriots are making a gall
liant struggle to throw off the Spanish
yoke that has rested so long and so
heavily upon that island. Less assist
ance from this country than France
| extended to the struggling American
colonies would assure liberty and in
dependence in Cuba Are the hands of
the United States government so COM
pletely tied by International obligations
and comfy that it cannot or dare not
so much as notify Spain that the war
in Cuba must cease? Cuba has been
inhumanly oppressed by Spain. The
yoke placed upon the people of that
island has been made heavier and more
calling year by year. Unable longer to
bear the oppression and injustice, the
people have revolted. Large bodies Of
Spanish troops have been sent there
from time to time, and bloody battles
have been fought, but the cause Of
liberty has not been crushed. At the
very doors of this great and powerful
republic, our patriotic neighbors are in
death struggle for political independ-
ence, and our government not only
gives them no encouragement, but in
terposes an active surveillance to pre-
vent assistance reaching them from our
shores. This is, we repeat, a remark
able position for the great American
republic to occupy. If ours were a
monarchal government, Interested in
preventing the extension and spread of
liberty and independence, it could not
do less than it is doing for struggling
Cuba.
The position occupied by our gov
ernment with reference to Cuba is
not In the slightest degree representa-
five of the Of hn -
the United states. This, too, Is an
anomaly scarcely less remarkable than
was the attempt of the present admin
istration to restore the fallen mon
archy in Hawaii against the all but
unanimous protest of the American
people. Is it not time to cease talking
about our obligations to Spain" and
"our peaceful relations with that coun-
try" Has this great, powerful and
God-blessed republic no mission what
ever in the cause Of human liberty?
Do we owe nothing to the patriotic
and freedom m-aspiring people of
neighboring country? Have we not
even SO much as an official protest to
make against a continuation of the
ruthless war waged by distant gov
ernment against a people on this con-
tnent? The Cubans have been patient
and long-suffering under system of
tyranny, and wrong, and oppression,
compared with which the grievances
against which the American colonists
revolted were almost insignificant.
The so-called and much-vaunted
Monroe doctrine is not sufficiently far
reaching. If Cuba were a republic and
Spain made the attempt to secure
dominion over her our government
would trot out the Monroe doctrine and
notify the government at Madrid to
keep hands off. But when Cuba revolts
against the ever increasing tyranny
and oppression, injustice and misgov-
ernment of Spain, the policy of our
government is to practically assist that
foreign country in perpetuating its
cruel power upon brave and liberty
loving people. The United States Is
today literally doing police duty for
Spain In preventing aid from going to
the Cuban patriots from our shores
Such a policy is contrary to the spirit
of this country; II is inconsistent with
government by the people.
The Cubans have struggled long
enough to entitle them to some recog-
milton by this country Spain La abOtlt