Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-12-22
vii, Directors Fix a Limit tor p.tience'

cause on several former occasions
Spain has committed atrocities in Gu
ba, destroyed American property there,
outraged American citizens n THIS
country refused to go to var about 1t,
accordingly we should submit just as
tamely as before. This is establishing
precedent with a vengeance.
II is even said by some hat dur
ing the previous Cuban war recogni-
lion would have been more appropriate
Than now and would probably have
resulted in Cuban independence, but
that after the wal was over all the
limoges were glad the steps had not
been taken. But are they all glad now
that another war with devastation OF
Cuba and destruction of American IN
terests there is on, and that it exists
because it is impossible for Spain to
govern Cuba without such depiorabie
results? If they are, let them say so.
And while they are about it why not
have them say whether they favor the
continuance of this sort of thing until
Spain becomes exhausted and Cuba
devastated and the property wholly
destroyed?
Has his country any right to inter-
fere at all? If not what did President
cleveland mean by giving Spain to UNI
derstand that we should do so undo
certain conditions? 1t was n Pres
;lept who said: 1T should be added
that it cannot be reasonably assumed
that the hitherto expectant attitude OF
the United States will be indefinitely
maintained" He told the naughty
don there would be a limit to our pa
thence.
Patience with what? If there be no
Grounds for our interference in Cuba,
if that people have no claim upon u.s.
if there be no precedent that permits
now as well as in the future
us to interpose in their behalf, we are
exercising no patience we are SIM
nlv attending to our own business.
But the President assumes that we
have a right, a duty to interpose at
some time and while in his opinion that
time has not arrived he does want
the world to credit us with exercising
more patience toward Spain than any
other great power would do under the
circumstances. OF this he aid in his
message: NO other great power, 1t
may be safely said, under circum-
stances of similar p~erplexity, would
have manifested the same restraint
and the same patient endurance
Throughout his reference to the Gu
han matter the President admitted
this country is inextricably involved in
the Cuban war. We spend large sums
policing our coasts in the interests OF
Spain, we are constantly under the
strain of caring for American citizens
under peculiar and eXacting circum-
stances. Fifty millions of American
dollars were invested in property there
much of which has been destroyed.
Our trade amounting to 500. O0o. OOO. and
more. annually during peace. is largely
destroyed. Our attitude toward Cuba
has been that of encouragement as
well as sympathy-there is encourage
ment in the Presidents message.
Moreover there has been and is being
practised a kind of warfare not per-
mitted by the rules of civilized nations.
We would not let any other foreign
country interfere to stop it. for we
have been willing to fight the biggest
of them in support Of the Monroe doc
trine within scope of which Cuba
comes. Surely we have some duty in
that respect to perform ourselves when
Spain murders pacificOs and wages the
war of determination. There are, it is
seen from the u%tterances of h Presi-
dent and secretary, ample reasons why
we should interfere, sometime,
whether the insurgents happen to
have and hold a seaport Or not. So
it is largely a question of ~expediency,
o: delay in the hope that something will
turn up to relieve us of the RESPONSE
bllity. Meanwhile the time is APP
preaching when there will be little to
interfere for and this country is
harassed with the certainty that it will
never be relieved of its responsibilities
towards Cuba SO long as Spain has
control there as in the past.
Accordingly there arises. very nat.
urally, a difference Of opinion as tC
the time for the United States to per
form its manifest duty toward Cuba
whether now OF later when we have
more coast defenses and other than {
deficit surplus" A good many friend.
of the Cubans do not agree with tn,
attitude of the Cameron resolution, bu
ought they NOT while dopoupo;,r ~.