The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-12-08
its corrective treatment will remain un-
answered.
THE CUBAN INSURRECTION.

| perceive that any progress mas thus lar
! hcrn made towards the pacitication OF the
! island ar hat the situation ot AFFAIRS as
| depicted in my las; annual message has In +,
! the least improved Ii spain still holds
| Havana and the Seapurt~ and all the con /
! eldrInblr towns the insurgents stu roam |
Ut viii over ut least twC-thirdS OF the
/ inland country. If the determination OF
+ spain to put down the in>utrctlon seems
/ hut to otrrngthc with the lapse OF time
an ! is cvncrd by her Unhr>ttating devo-
! ton of largely ;n'rra-rd military ana
naval forces ~ tn, task. thrr" L. much
! 1ra,on to believe that the inNur-
/ gents have gained in ruint of mum
! tn.rS, character ana rr-"urrH, and
are none the I,.,- iu.lcXiblr in their
resolve not To >ucrumh, without prar-
! trallv securing the great objects Tor
which they took up arms. If spain has
/ rot vet re established her authority,
! neither have the insurgents Nct made
good their title To be regarded aS an lnde-
4 pendent state Indeed, nS the contest
/ has gone on. the prctcnCc that civil gov
. ernmrnt exists on the island, except SO
far as spain is able to maintain it, has
I been practically abandonrd> spain does
! keep on foot such government, more or
les, impcrfectly, in the large towns and
their Immediate suburbs but, that excep-
ton being made. the entire country is
either given over to anarchy or Is subject
| to the military occupation of one or the
other party. 1t is reported on reii-
able authority that. at the demand of the
commander-in-chic of the lnSurgent
army, the putativc Cuban govern
ment has now given up all attempt 10
eucrciSe its functions, leaving that gov
hnf thnrn -
best reason for supposing it always to
have bccn) "a government merely on pa
per Were the Spanish armies able to
meet their antagonists in open or pitched
battle. prompt and decisive results might
be looked for and the immense superior
ity of Spanish forces in numbers, dl>clp-
line and equipment could hardly fail to
tell greatly to their advantage.
But they are called upon to face Zoe
that Shuns real engagements; that can
choose and does choose its own ground
that from the nature of the country l. Wis
ible or invisible at pleasure. and that
fights only from ambush, with all the ad-
vantagcs of position and numbers on ITS
side In n country where all that Is IN
: dispcnsible in life in the way of food,
: clothing and shelter is SO easily obtalna-
bic especially by those born and bred on
the soil, it is obvious that there Is hardly
) u limit to time during which hostllltleS
; of this sort may be prolonged. Mean
while. as in all cases of protracted civil
strife the passions of the contestants
grow more and more inflamed and excess
: on both sides becomes more frequent and
: more deporable. such condition OF
things would inevitably entail immense
l destruction of property, even If 1t were
l the policy of both parties to prevent 1t IA
t far as practicable. But while such
= seemed to be the original policy of the
\ Spanish government, it has now appar
q emily abandoned it and is acting upon the
: same theory as the insurgents, namely
= that the exigencies of the contest require
e the wholesale annihilatiOn Of propert,
4 that it may not prove of use and advan
q tage to the navy.
' 1t is to the same end that in pursuance
# of general orders, Spanish soldiers ar
h now being withdrawn from plantation:
and the rural population required to con
centrate itself in the towns The sure re
suit would seem to be that the industrial
value of the island is fast diminishing ant
that unless there Is II speedy and radlca
> change in existing conditions 1t Will sool
disappear altogether. The spectacle o
J. utter ruin of an adjoining country, b.
nature one of the most fertile on tn
: globe. would engage the serious attention
l. of the government and the people of tn
e United states in any circumstances. Il
" point Of fact, they have concern with
Is which is by no means of II wholly sent
rt mental or philanthropic character
y 1t lies so near to as 10 b
u hardly separated from our territory
y Our actual pecuniary interest in it is see
> ond only to that of people of governmer
L. of spain 1t is reasonably estimated tha
L. at least from $3O,OOo,OO to S50,OOOOOo {
III American capital is invested in plantt
III tions, and in railroad mining. and Ctht
business Enterprises in the island
u The insurgents are undoubtedly el
io couragcd and supported by the wid
III spread sympathy the people of tn
country always and inStinctivcly feel f'
~ every struggle for better and freer GO
q, ernment and which in the case Of the moi
I'll adventurous and restless elements OF OF
+" population leads in only too many il
nj stances tonctive participation in the col
u. tr~.. The result i that this governmei
rt j. constantly called upon to protect Anne
" lean citizens t. claim damages for i
rs iurir~ to persons and property now est
III mated At many millions of dollars and
III ask explanations and apol DgieS for I!
acts of spanish officials whose zeal f
be the repression of rebellion som
IA times blinds them TO the immunitl
ur belonging to the unotfendng citiAel
lS- uf friendly power, it follows from &
It, same causes that the United states
Ks compelled to actively police long line
nj sea coast against unlawful expedition
nd the escape OF which the utmost Vigilan
'rt will not always suffice to prevent. The
"a inevitable entanglements of the Unit
ro. states the large American property
he terests affected, and considerations
re philanthropy and humanity in gener
ms have led to "a vehement demand in vario
ax quarters for some sort OF positive int
"n vent!on on the part of the United Stat
lie
WE CANNOT INTERFERE.
N |