The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-23

lection of Spain and the United states.
In other words, Canadian autonomy for
Cuba. Spain will hold titular sover-
eignity, but practically her sovereign
ity will be- q mere thread, thinner than
that which England holds over Can
ada. Cuba is to govern herself, have
fun control CT her own affairs, her inn
posts revenues, expenditures, civil and
military establishments The effect
of this is obvious-nominally Spain re-
tanning sovereignty; actually the con-
trolling and restraining power is that
of the United States.
As a necessary precedent to such a
government Spain must withdraw her
troops from the island. There must
come an end to that military rule
which the mother government has
maintained for four centuries. 1t goes
without saying that the moment Spain
evacuates Cuba the island becomes vir-
tually independent. 1t is believed the
moral pressure of the United States
would be strong enough to maintain
order and adherence to the compact
without the employment of armed
forces. In other words, Spain's ttular
sovereignty. empty and meaningless,
might be preserved for some time to
come. But it is apparent that in the
end even this would be thrown off. To-
day the people of Canada are virtually
as Independent as the people of the
United States. They rule themselves.
They make their own laws, raise their
own armies. If they were to declare in
favor of severing the tie which binds
them to England all the world knows
they would be permitted to go without
restraint, Great Britain holds Canada
through the loyalty and mother coun-
try love of the Canadians, not through
force.
NATIONAL ALLEGIANCE
AS long as Spain can hold Cuba in
the same way Cuba will owe nominal
allegiance to the crown. But it re-
quires no prophetic power to forsee a
Cuba in which all relics of loyalty are
destroyed, all loyalty to Spain abond-
oned. The question then becomes SIM
ply one of the ability of the Cuban
people to rule themselves. They may
or may not prove equal to the emer-
gency. The guiding hand of the United
| States may help them to pass safely
through the transition period in which
new nation is being securely estab-
lished. Perhaps the probabilities are
that ere many years have passed the
! United States would find it necessary
to take actual as we'll as moral control.
! This is a contingency of which the
president is even now not unmndful.
Indeed there are members of the ad-
mnistration who believe Cuba will, in
less than four years, be colony of the
| United States.
| ACQUISITION of Cuba is not the pur-
pose of our policy but it may easily
become an incident thereof. Minister
! Woodford is instructed to state most
explicitly to the Spanish government
| that the United tSates is not actuated
| by a spirit of conquest or aggrandiZe-
ment. Stress is laid upon this in Cen
eral Woodford's instructions, because
on the other side of the water diplo-
matists have no other thought than
that the United States is trying to
grab Cuba. Landhungry themselves,
eagerly reaching out for territory
wherever they can lay hands upon 1t,
the European powers cannot under
stand why the United States should not
step in and take Cuba. Any one of them
would do so were they in our place.
Our proposed annexation of Hawaii
will intensity the European conviction
that at last the United States has
Joined in the struggle for new terri
tory. But President Mckinley wishes
it distinctly understood this is not a
game of grab and greed. He wishes
the world to know that our motive is
a higher one, that it has to do more
with the establishment of free govern
ment and the development of western
civilization than with any selfish plans
of this nation.
DOESN'T WANT WAR.
The presidents policy is distinctly
one of peace. He does not wish to
make war, but rather to suppress war.
He does not plan to rob Spain of her
colony, but feels it his duty to insist
that the colony shall not be destroyed
merely tc satisfy SPANS pride. Under
present conditions Cuba is worthless
to Spain. If retention of nominal SOW
ereignty is an effective sop to Spain's
much-vaunted pride, the president does
not object to it. But active control
must pass to the hands Of the Cubans
themselves. President Mckinley be-
lieves Spain can be brought to a real
ization of the fact that as a subject
colony Cuba is lost to the crown for
ever, and that this revolution can be
effected without war between Spain
and the United States. Already there
is talk that Spain will anticipate the
action of the United States by oner-
ing Cuba complete autonomy.
Others are not SO hopeful of peace
full solution. Dupuy de LONE, as
Spain's buffer in America, has so as
siduously cultivated the idea that any
intervention means war that many
observers here belve the president s
policy, If persisted in, will inevitably
lead to fostilities. 1t may be said, how
ever, that the administration will &c
ahead, no matter what attitude be as
, sumed by Spain. If Spain will not
gracefully accept the inevitable this
country is willing to incur any respon-
sibilities that may arise.
, OPINION SOVEREIGN.
Minister Woodford will be able to
show the Spanish ministry that in the
United States public opinion demands
action The best evidence of that is
found in the belligerency resolutions
which passed the senate by a large
: majority, and which would go through
; the house with a tremendous vote
were it not for the prevailing under
standing that the executive is prepar-
ing to move.
I General Woodford will be able to
show that the president has restrained
congress thus far, but cannot restrain
2 1t beyond next December unless Spain
: meanwhile co-operdtes in a settlement
: of the problem. He will be able to
show them that this is a country in
I which public opinions rules, and that in
l this Cuban matter the president could
!, | not continually restrain congress- ~ he