Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-22
New Methods Necessary.

is 1t not time to change these methodsp
win an executive who knows his duty and
Is wiling to do it. all this may be rightly
changed as our statutes are now formu
lated In the absence of any official
knowledge of war in Cuba call home our
ponce OF the seas, and permit legitimate
trade TO run its course. This policy Of
DONG nothing with our gunboats to
trammel our trade, will set Cuba free let
ing loose, as 1t would. the foodgates of
American generosity toward the insur
gents. But as this plain road of duty seems
loo much to expect from American execu-
tives, then belligerent rights, when granted
by Congress, will surely bring the victory
to Cuba, for which the heart of Chr:sten
dom has prayed.
but autonomy is interposed to stay the
hand of destiny. Too late! Too late! Spain
by perttdious diplomacy, now tries to win
the triumph her sword has failed to gain
1t Is an impudent attempt to repeat his
tory. Twenty years ago practically this
same offer of autonomy was made and
yielding to the tempter, the insurgents
then laid down their arms How basely
that promise was betrayed by Spain the
world knows and the present revolution
certihes. This scheme of iniquity surely
cannot succeed the second time. Spain ex-
tends the hand of pretended kindness be-
cause she IS compelled to do so; and grant
ing as little as possible, she will fulfill even
that under compulson only. When this
compulson is dissolved by peace then will
come the betrayal. and then again another
revolution. Spain is on her knees why not
keep her there, powerless for future mis-
chief to mankind. Over the past she seeks
to spread garment spangled with pledges
of repentance; but with this she cannot
give back the lives she has needlessly de-
stroyed, nor blot from memory the unut-
terable horrors which crimson her record
The viper is known to exist still beneath
the cloth of tinsel. 1t would be the most
ycl-p1 ohan fnr If ha ofrrrx
rehabilitation to Spain in Cuba The bur-
gar foiled in his villa.ny is not the man to
place in charge of the bank he would have
ruined And the American, whether an
official or a private citizen who lends his
aid TO this scheme of Spanish perfidy, jeop-
ardizes his reputation as an honest man.
Autonomy is only another name for impo-
sition and fraud. So say those who have
the best claim to speak for Cuban inter-
ests. The statesmen Of Cuba repudiate it.
Independence or Death.
Her commanders In the field say "Inde-
pendepce or DEATH" And lately the exiIes
| of Cuba who together represent more than
half of the property values of the entire
island. merchants. bankers and planters
who today bear the burdens Of the war by
their contributions to it's treasury. at a
mass meeting held in this city, in very de-
| cided language declared that no offer from
| Spain will be considered short of absolute
| independence.
The threat Of war is put forth at times
| to check the generous impulses of our peo-
| pie Here the insincere craven is BETRAYED
| again by the absurdity of the proposition
There cannot be any war with Spain be-
| cause we grant belligerent rights, since in
| all history this has never been considered
| as a casus belli between nations Spain
| granted belligerent rights to the confed.
| crate states but our nation did not trea,
/ 1t even as grievance. We are peaceful
i people, and do not want war. No man who
| is above the brute in feeling does But
there are some things worse than war and
among them is a cowardly subserviency tc
such national crimes as Spain enacts in
i Cuba. But even If cause for war existed
| Spain cannot make war on US, and will not
From her nature she will bully from he,
necessity she will threaten, but strike She
| never will. Her vessels must cross the
ocean to assail u.s. With a coaling capaci