The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-10-13
A Commanding Duty.

A Commanding Duty.
There Is on phase of the Cuban prob
lem which deserves to be taken at this
time into very careful consideration by
American craftsmanship and public
opinion 1t is an established axiom Of
the higher politics to which this prob
lem belongs that no great question of
morals is settled finally until it is set
tied Alright. Americans hold these
truths to be self-evident: that every
man is endowed by his Creator with
certain inalienable rights, among which
are life, liberty and the pursuit Of hap
piness. SO long as all CT these rights,
or any one of them, are abridged by op-
preston from an alien source, the germ
of trouble is implanted and the risk Of
revolution is prolonged.
Having made itself, morally If not
legally a party N interest to the Cuban
controversy the United States for It's
own security no less than for its own
honor must not cease from its partici-
patton in the negotiation until a settle
ment is reached which holds out rea-
sonable promise of becoming perma-
nent. Even though the Cuban insur-
gents Of their own voiition were dis
posed to accept from Spain settle
ment involving the grant to them of
limited autonomy, it would in our iudg-
ment be within the selfish duty of this
government to satisfy itself as to
Spain's ability so to administer the pro-
posed scheme of government as to in
sure in Cuba peace among the inhabit-
ants of that island and future security
to American commerce. In other words,
our rights arising from trade and pro-
pinquity are OF a character emitting
and requiring us to be q satisfied fac
tor in the contract.
This being, from the American stand
point, capable of invulnerable defence,
how much more is it the duty of the
United States to stand for liberty in
Cuba when 1t knows and the world
knows that an Endorsement by it of q
Spanish overture to the Cuban people
would be the deciding infuence that
would cause them to accept? For the
Spanish word and promise Cubans have
nothing hut scorn and contempt. 1t
would be our recommendation alone
which would cause them to accord to it
the slightest consideration. Can we,
then, in morals as a Christian power
dedicated to the principle of human
liberty, or in eXpediency as a nation
that if Spain should hereafter break
faith would have to assume the brunt
OF her not improbable perfldy afford at
this critical iuncture in the affairs of
Cuba, when its entire freedom from
Spain is almost within the grasp of the
patriotic men who have made so noble
fight for it; can we, with these con-
slderations before us and before the
world, afford to give our Endorsement
to any scheme of Spain extending to
the Cuban people a proffer of less
than the entire freedom which is their
moral right?
If it is true, as is asserted by the rep
resentative in Washington of the Chi
cago Times-Herald, Mr.. Walter Well
man, that there is in the cabinet Of
| President Mckinley at Washington, an
| element which counsels him to let the
whole Cuban issue drop as being none
| Of our affair, we blush for it and in the
name of Republicanism, Americanism
and humanity, we repudiate and de-
! nounce it. Such counsel is the counsel
of the devil. 1t shames the man who
! gives it and it would ineffaceably dis
grace the American executive who
should accept it and act upon it. Rather
is it the duty of the president to choose
the fitting time to act, once for all, so
that from the future Of American COM
merce and diplomacy there shall be
completely eliminated a source Of irrl-
tation which has troubled and embit-
| tered our entire past.