The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-12-08
EX-MINISTER TAYLOR,

EA-Ml lD i.lt "A LUX.
houses of the cortes unanimously be-
cause 1t was utterly worthless. Two
years later, when Canovas was forced
10 put forth a scheme Of home rule, he
resolved to make 1t apparently genuine
upon its face, and for that reason he
well knew the cOrtes would never enact
1t into law. Under such circumstances
he invented an expedent for circum-
venting the Legislature by assuming
that the entire legislative power of the
Spanish kingdom is vested in the crown
alone.
''Sagasta, confronted by the same
difficulty, has in like manner resorted to
the unconstitutional attempt to legis-
late by royal decree. Knowing the
nation is against him, he does not dare
to state his proposals clearly upon the
main question, and it is certain that
II he should assert even his incomplete
scheme to the present cortcs II would
be either rejected entirely or so amend
ed as to deprive It Of all vitality.
I'm ore particular the cabinets at
Washington and Madrid are in identi-
cRlly the same situation. Both are
striving with all their might either to
defy or circumvent the national will as
embodied in their respective legisla-
lures.
But even If the Sagasta plan pos
scssed constitutional validity u careful
inspection of its artful terms must re-
veal the fact that, like the pretentious
sham put forth by Canovas, 1t con-
tains two cardinal provisos that would
enable the home government to reduce
the whole scheme at any moment to
zero. The aUtocrat Of Cuba has ever
been the governor general, and the
present plan contemplates his contn-
uence as such, with full power TO crush
by veto any and every act of the
colonial legislature. The governor gem
cral can destroy any act Of the lnslIar
parliament by refusing 10 sanction and
proclaim 1t. He can have it destroyed
by the ministry OF Madrid of which
no Is the mere agent. The fact that
the members Of such an LApotcnt as
Rembly arc to be elected Is of no i'm
pcrtance whatever.
'"The difficulty can never be removed
until Cuba is Independent or possessed
Of an insular parliament that can reg
ulate absolutely her own tariffs. Moth
ing could be more Gi%ingenuous than
the device employed to obscure the
fact that 10 such concession IS con-
templated. A Cuban parliament Is to
be given the power to form its own tar
if. fixing both impor, and export
duties, provided the assent of the home
government can be obtained thereto.
In case Of a disagreement the point
In dispute shall be submitted to COM
sisting of an equal number of penin-
Elllars and Cubans. Everybody knows
the Cuban deputies in the cortes at
Madrid are mere men of straw re-
turned by the governor general. Even
II they were independent no change
could ever be nado in existing tariffs
Without the consent Of the pcnlnsular
Eraniards, WHO would never listen to
Euch thing.
AT tic end OF three years of whole
sale destruction, provoked by Spain
through UNPRECEDENTED political and
economic oppression that has brought
death and famine tn hundreds of thou
sands tle Spanish crown at last con-
fessss the CubIns are right and that
their wronFr will he rtdrossed by a
generous ana genuine grant Of home
rule. When the uyo!fercd schcme is
examined i! Is found t. BE- not only In
definite and illegal. lut absolutely
want!n: III sincerity uECn the two vital
points at issue. Such IA proposal
has been eHtoEted by the results Of u