New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-17
movement which might have the acquisition OF
Ct,Ia ito ol.io

movement which might have the acquisition OF
Cuba az Its object.
John s. Wise, in speaking Of the possible recog
milton or the Cubans and the action in that d.
rection taken by the Southern members In Con-
gress. said: I'm my young days can remember
,, that 1t was the ambition of the South to acquire
Cuba because II would have given the South
two or four additional Senators In Congress. At
that time the opposition came from the North
the people OF which charged the Shareholder
with Willingness TO precipitate with a
friendly nation in order to make himself
powerful. 1t would be interesting to turn to the
Congressional debates Of that time and read Of
the horror expressed by the Northern repre-
sentatives at such an outrageous course toward
friend. Spain. Things have changed since
then, and the thinking people of the South now
say that this country has negroes enough But
there are Jingoes in the North who want Cuba.
and there are politicians In the South who think
the possession of Cuba would furnish two more
shotgun States. / cannot speak for any other
Southcrner. but | do not what advantage
there would be to the United States in adding
such mongre horde to our already conglomer
ate mass. | speak from the point of view of
selfishness and without much regard for Spains
rights any admiration for the Spanards.
ut is amusing to me to see the enthusiasm Of
certain Northern statesmen for the struggling
rebels. 1t is a political paradox with a duplex
movement. The late conqueror OF rebels has be-
come the sympathetic friend OF that class. The
Southern politician whose excuses for violence
and fraud for thirty years have been the pre-
tended fear Of negro domination Is anxious to in
crease this danger. it would seem. In my opin
they are obtain their independence. the next
step. quickly taken. will be to seek admission
into the Union. | can conceive of no greater
folly on the part Of the Republican party than to
admit cuba as state. or as two States Not
since the enfranchisement of the negroes Of the
South for the benefit of the whites whom they
had Just whipped. thereby doubling the repre-
sentation OF the South. has such transparent
proposition Of suicide been presented.
what do we want with Cuba asked Mr.
Wise. I'VE get all that she has that we want
now. and we get IT cheaper than could IL
we owned her. BY taking Cuba. what do in
vite? Northern people will rot go there and
If they do they will not remain long. The
whites who go will Immediately. through race
prejudice. affiliate with the Democrats I'm what
ever minority the whites may be, they will OBJ
tain control. by fair means or by foul-and that
means by foul-for everybody knows that the
Democratic party makes cOncealment Of it's
sympathy with control obtained in that way; and
any thinking man must see that such a step is
equivalent to presenting two new States
10 that party in this country. which whether
1t calls itself the Democracy or anything else
has no political morals where the negro vote Is
involved. We would only increase the area
where the pretence Of majority rule is a mock
cry: would only increase the danger Of
destroying the faith Of our people in the theory
Of majority rule and hasten the time when wide
spread fraud and violence would bring the pre-
tended popular rule into general contempt and
lay the foundation for some new experiment in
government.
AS an ex-rebel I feel inclined to sympathize
with the under dog in the Cuban fight but not
sufficiently TO want any more friends and broth
ers' Of that description"