The herald., 1897-12-08

COMMENT
On McKinley's Message to
Congress
Ex-MINlSTER HANNIS TAYLOR
STATES SOME FACTS AND DRAWS
SOME CONCLUSIONS
Ex-MINISTER HANNIs TAYLOR
The Policy Of Irresolution and Nom
Action Should Be scornfully Re-
jected by Congress

Associated Press Special Wire.
MOBILE, Ala. Dec. Tex Minister to
Spain Hon. Hannis Taylor. gives out the
following:
"The Associated Press has requested
me to express my views as to that part
of the presidents message which relates
to the Cuban question. Putting aside
the irrelevant matter by which 1t Is en-
numbered, the substance Of the only rec
ommendation made by the executive to
congress upon this subject Is that this
government cannot venture to do any,
thing to put an end to the inhuman
strife which, during the last three years.
has reduced the island almost to des-
ert, because there is a prospect Of set
tlement between the combatants upon
the basis Of a so-called plan of autono-
my lately put forth by the Sagasta min
istry. believe congress should firmly
and scornfully reject such policy Of ir-
resolution and non-action, because the
assumption upon which it is founded Is
an empty illusion. The vital question
at Issue has not been touched by the rev.
olutionary effort Of Sagasta to end the
war by means Of craftily incomplete
proposition that carries with 1t no con-
stitutional guaranee whatever. All who
are familiar with the Spanish law know
that a valid grant of an autonomous CO.
lonial system that involves not only the
repeal Of all existing laws on that sub
ject, but also the transfer of the control
Of a large part of the national revenues
Of Spain to a colonial legislature, can
not be made except by an act passed by
both houses Of the cortes and approval
by the queen.regent. ---s.sa.as
1.-THE effort just made to secure the
result by mere royal decree, unsup-
ported by parliamentary action, has,
therefore, been Justly denied by Romero
Robledo, late minister of justice, as a
purely revolutionary proceeding in de-
fance Of the constitution.
I'm one particular, the cabinets at
Washington and Madrid are in identi-
cally the same situation. Both are striv-
ing with all their might. either to defy
or circumvent the national will as en-
bodied In their respective legislatures.
But even II the Sagasta plan pos
sessed constitutional validity, a careful
inspection Of it's artful terms must re-
veal the fact that, like the pretentious
sham put forth by Canovas, it contains
two cardinal provisos that would enable
the home government to reduce the
n1o ~h Of RI
The autocrat of Cuba has ever been the
governor general, and the present plan
contemplates his continuance as such.
with full power to crush by veto any and
every act of the colonial legislature.
II have attempted to demonstrate
elsewhere that the primary cause Of the
endless conflict is economic, and that
difficulty can never be removed until
Cuba is Independent or possessed of an
insular parliament that can regulate
absolutely her own tariffs.
'.At the end of three years of whole
sale destruction, provoked by Spain
through unprecedented political and
economic oppression, that has brought
death and famine to hundreds of thous-
ands, the Spanish crown at last con-
fesses that the Cubans are right and
that their wrongs should now be re-
dressed. by generous and genuine gov
ernment of home rule. When the prof
fered scheme Is examined 1t Is found to
be not only indefinite and illegal, but alb
solutaly wanting in sincerity upon two
vital points at issuance. Such proposal
has been extorted by the result Of
struggle. that has so completely broken
the military and financial power of
Spain that conquest Of the island is
now hopeless. After expending $780,
900, 900 and after sending over the sea
300,000 soldiers, Spain has a fighting
force in the island of less than 10000,
while the revolutionary army, now in
possession Of the greater part of the
country, numbers about $4,000.
ut is generally understood that q de-
liberate conspiracy to thwart the will
Of the nation is to be carried out through
an appeal to the speaker of the house
of representatives, who Is expected to
manipulates it's rules so as to prevent
the passage Of the pending belligerency
resolution, which the senate has al
ready approved.
1.-THE house Of representatives Is either
to be muzzled or called on to declare
that this revolutionary government,
which has virtually crushed the power
of Spain in Cuba, has no such de facto
existence as will authorize recogni-
ton of war between the contending par
ties.''
CUBAN COMMENTS =
HAVANA. Dec. 7.-El Diario de la
Marina. commenting upon President
McKinely's message to congress, says:
1T contains impressive declarations
calculated to strengthen. were that nec-
essary. the Spanish cause in the Island
of Cuba. 1t will dishearten the separ-
atists. Facts are always the most en-
ergetic and decisive arguments, and
the facts in the presidential message
cannot be any less satisfactory to the
Spaniards than to the American legisla-
ture. According to the solemn state
ments Of the American chief magistrate