The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-10-01
A Eight to the Finish.

toward the adoption or an enlightened
colonial policy for Cuba. AmorS those
who have this opinion is President Nc
Kinley. There is warrant for the as
scrtion that his aim has from the
earliest moment been to induce Spain
by pacific representations to offer TO
the Cuban insurgents a proposition of
complete autonomy, and trus- worthJ
adVices represent that he is today more
encouraged in this aim than at any
previous time. He feels, as indeed cur
rent events conspicuously show, that
Weylerism is breaking down of its own
dead weight, and he no doubt believes
that when it's collapse is complete
Spanish craftsmanship will come to
its senses and the negotiation of an
honorable peace for Cuba will proceed
to speedy conclusion.
The ambition to be the chief agent
of such triumph of reason over earn
age and passion does credit to our
presidents heart; but what If events
should befall otherwise? We think we
may safely say that the leaders of the
insurgent cause in Cuba will never
sheathe their swords until their is
land is rid for all time to come of
every Spanish official now on it's soil.
We were recently privileged to peruse
certain private communications from
generals high in the estimation of the
revolving Cubans, and their tone and
tenor, corroborating much public evil
1pnpn m piN- ohc
ground whatever for the hope that any
basis of compromise can be reached
between Spain and the followers of
Gomez. These eminent warriors for
liberty say they have suffered too great
a sacrifice in their present struggle to
discontinue it before they are either
utterly beaten or utterly victorious;
and foreseeing unqualified victory in
the comparatively near future they are
determined they say, to await its trl-
umphant arrival rather than antici-
pate it in part only by means of du-
bious compromise.
And, after all, are they not right?
Could any American, situated as these
Cubans are situated, remembering in
Spanish sovereignty only one prolonged
agony of cruelty, arrogance and op-
preston, and having already accepted
the EXTREMIST hazards in the laudable
ambition to be free, by any possibility
imagine himself willing to compromise
the issue and re-avOw even nominal
fealty to such a perfidious and disrep-
utable sway? That is the only fair
way to look at this matter. Let Amer
leans put themselves in the Cubans'
place. The transpOsitiOn, even if i'm
aginary, will serve at once to indi-
cate the slight basis of probability
which there is for President McKin-
ley to build a hope for autonomy on.
The time for autonomy has gone by
1t existed once, but that was long ago
before Spain broke faith at the end
of the previous war for Cuban inde-
pendence; before bloody WeyIer was
put into the field to turn the fairest
spot on earth into a literal hell With
this chapter of horrors open before
them the militant Cubans are not like
ly to accommodate Spain by softening
'iib NohhlIlollS VI SPAIN > surrender,
and it seems to us that no American
who looks at the subject from a Cuban
standpoint could wish them to do so.
The cold fact is that Spain is at last
conscious that she is beaten and is
casting about for some means to break
the shock of her fall. President Nc
Kinley in the warmth of his generous
nature, appears to be disposed to help
Spain out of her dilemma. He appears
to sympathize keenly with Spain's in
creasing distress and embarrassment
and to be determined to go a great
way toward minimizing it by the ex-
ercise of tact, patience and fastidious
nicely of expression. All this is cred
liable to his heart and eloquent in it's
testimonial to his amiability; but in
the meantime down in Cuba men and
women and innocent children are be-
ing starved or maltreated to death by
the hundreds for no other reason than
having dared TO rebel against an in
human and an intolerable government,
and it sometimes occurs to us that ii
is pity so much consideration has to
be shown by the head of this republic
to the disreputable monarchy of Spain
and so little to the young but we'll
established and certainly praiseworthy
republic of Cuba.