New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-10
THE POINT or VIEW IN CUBA

Announcement is said to have been made,
semi-ollicially Of the forthcoming scheme Oh
autonomy for Cuba. Tho report may or may
not he true At least. il is entirely crenloie.
In one essential detail the scheme announced
is similar to that put forward by Senor ADar-
zuza. lust before the present war; and TO others
that have from time 10 time been proposeu'
and that is one which. it is to be feared, VIII
make the scheme unacceptable to the 'npa"s'
entirely apart from the financial considera-
lions to which we lave already referred. Inc
detail in question il that the Spanish Io'erhoi
General appointed 10y the Madrid Government
and responsible to il alone Is to nave absolute
veto power from which there can be 10 ap-
peal over all acts of the local government.
That would. beyond dispute, place the real
authority in all matters. local ana general III
the hands Of the Madrid Government, just as
much ms il il to-day. such system wouio
surely not he such autonomy rs the people OF
Cuba desire.
There will b, some attacks upon ms poil'y
Of the Spanish Government as tricky ana III
sincere They will not ne founded on just JUG
m,nt. There is no cause for impeaching the
straightforward honesty of Senior Sngas'a ana
his colleagues. Or for doubling that they re-
gard this scheme of autonomy fair and gen
crous Neither is there cause for wonder IL
the Cubaus regard il as insufficient and in
equitable The case simply illustrates the an
ference IN point of view between the island and
the peninsula. Spain i II monarchl'ai couh'
try Its traditions are mollarchc;l. us s'aus-
men, even those of the Liberal party thihk
munarchica thoughts. Cuba has for Il hihor"n
years been in close contact ana lntihihte reia-
iions with II republican country ana repuDli'ah
institutions lis statcsmeh and most of ITS
people think republican thoughts and have re-
publican aspirations. Now. agreement ne
tween two 80 widely different schools OF
thought is scarcely 10 l'c expected. What seems
10 the monarchSi measure of advanced I'D
.rtv NAV well seem 10 the republican reac-
,ionary and dcspotic. What the republican
would deem n reasonable concession to popu-
lar rights might seem to the monarchist little
short of anarchy.
That is why agreement between Spain and
Cuba Is so difficult II effect And that Is why
the further extension Of monarchica rule in
thi, hemisphere is Objectionable and Us or
DERBY withdrawal desirable. American States
are republican in spirit. and cannot satsfacto.
lily be ruled by monarchical governments. The
British States get along we'll enough. because
Great Britain, though noninaly monarchy,
is really one of the purest republics III the
world. and grants 10 her colonies, or TO most
Of then. truly republican measure Of an'
tonomy II Spa!r had year, ago given Cuba
such home rule as Great Britain gave Canada
th" island nigh, b. to-day a. contented and
loyal ~ the Dominion. But that Spain could
have done 80. even under the republic OF
CASTELAR,. l. not conceivable. The republican
demand j. not 10 be- supplied from a non re-
publican If not actually anti-repuocan, source
What, then. remains; one Of three things
Repression and oppression must be continued
or the monarchcal country must become re-
puhlicanized: or separation must occur.