The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-01-09
LEADING EDITORIALS.

II Their Is not any e1eSioa'
RELPrNG but that the United states
= THE government, from "nit-
spAr,ayD, ever motive i, may be DO
Ing SO. is helping the
spzniards to crush the in
surgcnts with the patrol system which i.
has established and maintains around the
coast Of Florida The pretext Of the a3-
ninisiratson is that 1t is patrolliug the
Florida seaboard to prevent the issue
iaerefrom OF filibustering expeditions go
ing TO carry aid TO the CuhGns agsins,
the spaniards. not from any love that the
administration has to the spanlards. bat
because such expeditions intended 10 dam
| age 4 friendly nation are breaches o. tie
neutrality laws and are likely 10 have to
tie atonsd for later with heavy indemnides
| from this country to Spain. Blu. whether
thls preieSt be the real motive Of the all
| mlnisuaiton IN the action II IS taking or
| not al any rate II is very certain that
Tie Geucn, incidentally OF otherwise. Is Q.
/ great advantage 10 the Srauisrds and o.
Iiuch detriment 10 the Cubsns. With the
american revenue cutters End naval VeS-
keiS playing sentry over tic Florida coasts.
1 ana the Spanish Eunboats blockadlng the
coasts OF cuba, 1t Is becoming increasingly
( ciificuit for the Cubans 10 Obtain any ait
| from the outside
sneaking opinion IS beginning TO gath
I er force that the motive which the admin
! lsua''on puts forth ostensihly as lis reason
for pairolling the Florida coasts ls not It's
genuine motive. and thar its real motive
is much less creditahle than the Os;ensiole
one. II is admitted that for several VEGAS
Z pest negotiations have been going forward
tet"een the government OF the United
States and the government OF spain look
!r- 10 patching up OF the trouble be
tween spain and her colony the basis Of
the negotiations being not a recognition Of
'he independence of the island but Of the
4 INTRODUCTION by Spain OF certain reforms IN
the gofernteut Of Cuba. Nov. as Tar rs
can be learned. the Spanish government |
VII not hear OF the introduction OF the /,
contemplated reforms or Of reforms Of any
KIND until such time as the west end OF I
the island has been swept clear of rcvolu- |
'ion- The resistance in the western dis /
ifici is regarded as the reYolution's back 4
bone and when that is broken the Span
iaIis VIII flatter themselves that the re-
nellion is consfructively crushed and then I
they can afford to be generous
i is with this view that 50 much pressure (
iTon Madrid has been PUT upon Weylsr
lately 20 clear out the province OF Pipar del !
hl0. and that The captain general has been
making such heroic efforts in this dlrec-
n0nt u Is coming also TO be believed by }
many keen sighted Americans who have
been keeping their eyes on the situation
that II ia with a view to this same con-
summation that the administration has /
been sending flotilla OF cutters and naval
vessels 10 intercept any material aid co.
Ing To the Cubans from American shores
For the administration is anxious by suas-
i've means to end the hostilities. and Il I
would gain some glory. # thinks. By effect
ing d termination Of the war on whatever
Terms
Such q disgracetul motive on the admin
istratons part would not bear. 81 course
70 be put forward openly; and hence there
fore IL may be that il is yelled under de-
sire 20 strictly observe the neutrality laws.
II were difficult 10 credit the tdministra-
lion with so mean and contemplate a mo-
tive Of its action, yet many people as We
have said. do credit e: and II becomes all
The less Improbable in the light OF the
newest orders 20 dispatch two more naval
yessels the Dolphin and the Nesuyius. 10
guard the Florida coasts Already there
are six vessels engaged in that duty--tour
revenue cutteru and the cruisers Raleigh
and Newark these six vessels, however. are
neither fast nor formidable and tho Dolphin
and ihn Nesuylus will be great accession
20 Jher power-the Dolphin with her rapid
Gre guns and her moderate speed, ani the
Vesuyius with her rapid-fire guns AMI her
very great speed 81 knotsl. There is moth
ing In the shape OF a merchant vessel now
engaged or likely 10 be engaged in he
flihusterlng trade that could either keep {
out OF the Nesuyius' way or could stand up 4
against her
But. whatever may be the motive, it is
plain that he pa'rol OF the Florida coast is
henceforth 20 bs much more vigorous than
II has been hitherto.