St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-19
ANNEXATION OF CUBA.

Wellman may be taking counsel
with his imagination in saying, in
his Times-Herald Washington letter,
that the administration would vel
come a complication with Spain
growing out If the Alliance affair
that would warrant it in taking
steps to annex Cuba either by pur-
chase or conquest. He may be serv-
ing that quite common practice of
all administrations of putting out
feelers to get the public opinion of
projected measures. But whatever
the source Of this suggestion, the an
nexation Of the island that, under
a foreign dominion, is a standing
menace to our gulf coasts, from
whose sheltered and fortressed har-
bors war ships might emerge and
ravage a defenseless and harborless
coast, has been favorite Demo-
cratic policy for fifty years
The chronic condition of revolt of
the native Cubans against the harsh
and arbitrary rule of their Spanish
masters, with the natural repug-
nance Of Americans to European
holdings on this hemisphere. and the
natural sympathy of our people with
all efforts to throw off a foreign
yoke, form the basis Of a policy
never distinctly announced and
never distinctly denied, but which
nevertheless existed. Since the war
its only open expression was in
Grants purpose to annex San Do
mingo, but before the war the an
nexation of Cuba was seriously con-
templated. The filibustering expe-
dltions of 1S50-52 of Lopez in Cuba.
and Walker in Nicaragua and
Mexico, terminating with his execu-
ton in Honduras, gave prominence
to the policy of buying or taking
Cuba. The plank in the Democratic
platform of 1856 barely concealed a
declaration of it.
1t was in 1854 that President Pierce
directed Minister Buchanan at the
court Of st. James, Minister Mason
in France and Soule in Spain. to
meet and confer as to the advisa-
blllty OF taking steps to secure the
fertile island for this nation. The
result of this conference was a letter
TO the president, written from Aix
la Chapelle, but known historically
as the 'Ostend Manifesto" in which
they urged the acquisition either NV
peaceable purchase or by force CON.
tending that either course was iusti-
liable as measure of self-protection.
Inc republican platform of Sc Bit
terry denounced the scheme. moved
more by its suspicion of purpose
10 gam more territory for the slave
power than by opposition TO the
annexation itself.
The slavery question was ranid1,,
overshadowing all others and co.,,
peillng everything to bend to it's i'm
porous progress and the scheme of
bringing Cuba into the Union was
submerged by the greater Issue
though the Democratic national CON
Vention OF 1860 favored the acouisi-
tioh Oh the island of Cuba on such
terms as should be honorable +o
ourselves and just to Spain, Tho
questlon mas rested in allegiance, I'M
I'll now it is again suggested as a
possible policy of another Demo-
cratic administration.
Ihere are economic as we'll as
strategic reasons supporting such
a policy. The production of sugar
Immense as 1T is, is but imperfectIv
developed in Cuba, and with q sta.
ole government under which the
people were contented as we'll az
sa1e IN their property, a government
that did not look on the island &c
financial orange, to be merciIassI1,
squeezed, the production would
equal the demand of this country
me tobacco industry, now hammered
by excessive taxes, would inoreasa
ana IN return the free trade relations
would greatly increase the consn,,,,,
ton of the farm products of the
west. Ii, as the advocates of Ha-
Wallan annexation urge, it is essen
| tial that this country have a station
IN mld-Pacific to fend off noss;h1a
assaults, it is very much more neces-
sary that we hold this kew to tho
Gun OF Mexico. Add to this our
predisposition to the Monroe doc
tr1ne, and that, aside from tba
holdings Of England, Cuba is tbe
! sole possession in the Western be-
msphere of any European power
and the popularity of such a policy.
II adopted, would be assured.
HILLS HEAD LEVEL,