Evening star., 1895-11-09
ANXIOUS ABOUT CUBA
The Question Said to Be Giving the
President Grave Concern.
OMEDELIVERANCEEZPECTEDFRGMHIM
He Has Learned Something Since
the Hawaiian Case.
MAY RELY ON CONGRESS S

There is high authority for the statement
| that the Cuban question is giving the Pres-
| dent very grave concern. He is examining
| 1t in every aspect, and giving earnest con-
| sideraton to every suggestion and bit of
information on the subject coming to him
| from well-informed and reputable sources.
| He feels that definite deliverlnce of some
kind is expected from him, and he is anxious
| to meet, this time if possible, the wishes and
demands of the great majority of his coun-
trymen.
, He Knows More Than He Did.
1t Is declared, indeed-though not in de-
| rision or as a taunt-that the President is
not In this case the confident and aggressive
man that he was in the Hawaiian case
What has changed him is left somewhat to
| Inference and individual Judgment. 1t may
be the matter of similarity in the two. cases.
w lille there are points of dssslnlarity, the
two cases are enough alike in certain I'M
portant features to make a recognized If
not publicly confessed, blunder in the treat
ment OF the one serve as a check and
warning in the treatment of the other.
A people struggling for freedom, and with
eyes turned toward the United States, must
not be ignored. Appeals from such quar-
teT must be heard, and, if possible, needed.
The President, it Is said. has learned this.
He knows more now about the sympathies
Row strong they are, than he did thirty
months ago, when he sought to overthrow
the Dole government at Honolulu. He
is less inclined now than then to put
transcendentalism above the springs OF
everyday interest and endeavor. The Ha-
Waiians had established popular govern
ment. and were seeking the closest connec-
ton with the people of this country. The
CuhanS want government of their own,
with the view mainly of effecting close re-
iations, commercial and otherwise, with
the United States. Mr.. Cleveland. in the
one case, rejecting or mistaking the cur
rent of American thought, tried to carry
out a policy of his own, and met with
humiliating defeat. In this other case, as
already stated, he is disposed to be eau
tious, and, if possible. go with his country
men, or persuade them by some reasoning
and SHOW OF facts to go with him.
No Special Comm i~sioncr Likely.
What line will the President take? This
Is conceded to be a krotty question There
was talk at ore time about the likelihood
OF his sending special commissioner to
Cuba to investigate and report upon the
whole problem, the full extent of the abuses
complained of by the insurgents; the means
If any, short of independence, by which
they might be abated; the real temper OF
the educated and property-holding Cubans
toward Spain and the United States, and
all that But E'othing has come of the sug-
gestion. The President it is thought must
have remembered the expensive Bicunt.
Had untoward fortune such another arrow
in its CULVER? 1t seemed hardly possible.
The average of the appearance of BlountS
in public affairs Is not over one to a CEN
tury. Still. Mr.. Cleveland mas hestated to
try, thinking possibly there might be two
in this century, and now that mis- hard luck
had set in he na9ght hit them both. Then.
as is pointed OFT, such mission would
have to be secret one, and that, if dis
covered by Spain, would be embarrassing
to the United States. 1t would put this
government in the attitude of uGwarranted
interference since, as matters row stand,
the row is purely of the family variety.
But the recognition of the insurgents
belligerents would open the way for the
manifestation of sti!l further interest by
the United States, even to the extent of an
offer to arbitrate the difficulty between
Spain and her discontented colony.
May Turn 1t Over to Congress.
VIII not, in the end, this line be taken?
In other words, will not MIR. Cleveland
consider that he is best serving all The in
terests involved by turning over the whole
question to Congress. which, at last, is the
great representative OF the peoples
ereiGnty and desires? Just turn it over to
Congress. with such information he may
have collected and such suggestions
may occur to him, and let nature take her
course. There are many eminent men-as
many democrats as repupl!cans-Who be-
'ieve that had he pursued such course
with regard to Hawaii the effect would
have been felt throughout the whole of his
present term. Starting thus on popular
line. he would have gathered to himself and
his administration the good wishes Of all
the people. But his first step being blum
der, he has continued to lose ground ever
since. Like the man who misses the first
stepping stone on a dark and rainy night,
he errS in his measurements straight along,
and splashes his way clear across the
street. Cuba is about the last stone in the
path, ard there is very general and earn
est hope, regardless of party, that Mr.
Cleveland may find that.