The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-03-10
Cuba.

Our sympathies are always with the
underneath dog in the fight. Our In
stincts and inheritances, are with the
insurgents, the oppressed, without ask
ing the reason why. The Irishmap was
right at Castle, Garden, who being
asked where he stood in politics an
swered: "agin the government" But
the question as to Cuba involves not
individuals, but the nation. The Span
iards nodonbt, have and are showing
brutality of the savagest kind towards
the insurgents, still this country be-
fore Involving itselfin war should care
fully look into the status of Cuba. Be-
fore the insurgents are entitled to re-
cognition they should show some pre-
tence of established authority over q
given territory, q show Of civil gov
ernment, q constitution, a capital, a
port, or something in distinction from
a mere band or bands of guerillas,
fighting from pillar to post with a gov
ernment in the saddle. The action of
Congress is not to be relied on. They are
mostly a band Of guerillas themselves;
candidates, adventurous, lingo, quaker
guns. Cleveland's head is level and
we have confidence in his discretion
The whole Of Western Europe will SYM
pathize with Spain; not an organized
government but will antagonize the
Monroe doctrine; not O statesman in
Europe but will readily conclude that
we mean to gobble up the Island of
Cuba. We could lick Spain, but we
cannot meet Spain, England and France
on the high seas. We should not for
get the case of the boy on the muster
ground, hungry for a fight, hinging off
his coat, exclaiming, however,-"hold
me, daddy, hold me-"
While our s%ympathies are strong
for the oppressed and against the bru-
tai oppressors, the Island OF Cuba is
not worth to us five hundred millions
and q pension list that will last till the
crack of doom. The action of Congress
was pure jingoism--not one fact shown
as to the state Of the Instruction
upon which to ground its action.
~
q. Walt Whitman, o leading Re-
former and who stumped the State
with Tillman, and Evans in '94 for SUI
pe%rintendant Of Education. has this to
say about the twist given the Dispen-
sary profits from the school fund. We
leave distinguished reformer to speak
for us. AS a contortionist our young
Attorney General, is paraded by broth
er Whitman, and not by us. Let Whit
man speak:
What are the people going to do with
the attorney general, who assisted the
mouse to escape O direct conflict with
the new constitution by showing them
how to whip the devil around the
stump"
They broke the new constitution in
more han n place even while it was
yet hot, to save the presumptuous from
the consequences of their own presump-
tion. The legislature refuses to make
an appropriation for the benefit of At
lanta, the governor Of the State buys
an exhibit with his own borrowed
money and then ask the legislature to
give him more than the cost of the ex-
h1blt, after he has used it in the At
lanta snow, TO be used by the State in
some western city for the same pur-
pose; n this same legislature, which
not be trusted to grant the power
hibit to get the governor and treasurer
out of a hole. God save the country
when the peoples representatives can
play hide and seek with a brand new
constitution Of their own making in
that way. 1t is "incipient rotteness."
We trust THE ADVERTISER will be
pardoned for quoting the most talented
and distinguished reformer and the
honestest n in the State. If he don't
know what he is talking about, we
can't help it.
~.