The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-12-10

| manifest
RETIRE THE GREENBACKS.
On the currency question the Presi-
dent favOrs the retiring of green
backs, and the gradual substitution
| of silver coin for the silver certifi
Gates. National banks should be al
lowed issue circulation up to the par
value of the bonds deposited, and
! the tax on circulation should be re-
! duced from per cent. to Ope-fourth
of one per cent.
The President goes into an argu-
ment to show that the effect of aggre-
cation of capital is to stifle wholesome
| competition and to crush out individ-
ual enterprise.
WHY WE ARE INTERESTED.
| The spectacle of the utter ruin of
an adjoining country, by nature one
OF the most fertile and charming on
the globe, would engage the serious
attention of the Government and peo-
! pie of the United States in any cir
cumstances. In point of fact they
have concern with it which is by no
means of a wholly sentimental or
| phiIanthrOpic character. 1t lies so
near to us as to be hardly separated
| from our territory.
Our actual pecuniary interest in it
is second only to that of the people
and Government of Spain. 1t is rea-
sOnably estimated that at least from
$50, 900, 600 to $4,000, 600 of American
capital are invested in plantations
and in railroad, mining and other
business enterprises on the island.
The volume of trade between vTTf1e
United States and Cuba. which in
1890 IN IL
rose in 1898 to about $103, 600, 600, and
in 1894, the year before the present
insurrectiOn broke out, amounted to
nearly $3.50, 100000 Besides this large
pecuniary stake in the fortunes of
Cuba, the United States finds itself
ineXtricably involved in the present
contest in other ways, both veXatious
and costly
THE CUBAN PROPAGANDA.
Many Cubans reside in this coun-
Try and indirectly promote the insur-
rection through the press by public
meetings, by the purchase and ship
ment of arms, by the raising of funds
and by other means, which the spirit
of our institutions and the tenor of
our laws do not permit to be made
the subject of criminal prosecutions.
Some of them, though Cubans at
heart and in all their feelings and in
terests, have taken out papers as
naturaliZed citizens of the United |
States, a proceeding resOrted to with |
a view to possible protection by this |
government, and not unnaturally re-
garded with much Indignation by the |
country of their origin.
THE SYMPATHY OF A FREE PEOPLE. !
The insurgents are undoubtedly en-
cOuraged and supported by the wide
spread sympathy the people of this |
country always and instinctively feel |
for every struggle for a better and |
freer government, and which, in the |
case of the adventurous and restless
elements of our population, leads in |
only too many instances to active and !
personal participation i'll the contest.
The result is that this government !
is continually called upon to protect !
American citizens, to claim damages ,
for injuries to persons and property, |
now estimated at many millions of |
dollars, and to ask explanations and |
apologies for the acts of Spanish Off |
cials, whose zeal for the repression of
rebellion sometimes blinds them to
the immunities belonging to the I'M
offending citizens of a friendly power. |
DEMAND FOR INTERVENTION.
These inevitable entanglements of |
the United States with the rebellion
in Cuba, the large American property |
interests affected, and considerations /
of philanthropy and humanity in gen |
eral, have led to q vehement demand |
in various quarters for some sort of !
positive intervention on the part of |
the United States. 1t was at first !
proposed that belligerents rights !
should be accorded to the insurgents |
"a proposition no longer urged be- |
cause untimely and in practical Oper-
alton, clearly perilous and injurious
to our own interests. 1t has since
been, and is now sometimes cOntended |
that the independence of the insur
gents should be recognized. But i'm |
perfect and restricted as the Spanish |
government of the islands may be, no
other exists there-unless the will of
the military officer i'll temporary
command of particular district, can
be dignified as a species of govern
ment. 1t is now also suggested that
the United States should buy the is
land-a suggestion possibly worthy of
consideration, if there were any evil
dence of a desire or willingness on the
part Of Spain to entertain such a pro
pOsal.
RIGHT, NOT MIGHT.
1t is urged, finally, that, all other
methods failing, the existing inter
necine strife in Cuba should be ter
minated by our intervention, even at
the cost of war between the United
States and Spain-a war which it's ad-
vOcates confidently prophesy could
be neither large in its proportions nor
doubtful in its issue. The correctness
of this forecast need be neither af-
tirmed nor denied. The United States
has, nevertheless, character to main
tain as a nation, which plainly die
tates that right, and not might should
be the rule Of its conduct.
PEACEFUL NATION.
Further, though the United States
is not nation to which peace is a
necessity it is in truth the most pacific
of powers and desire nothing so much
as to live in amity with all the world.
That our conduct Spain and all her
dominiOns has constituted no excep-
ton to this national disposition is
made manifest by the course of our
Government, not only thus far dur
l