The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-12-15
Cube III Yet be Free.
SplrIted Reply TO McKInley's
Message.

fetess 90 the ts1h5n question.
Patsiag aside the irreteyant matter
by uhsch il H.e1c 1cumbsred. i the sub:
Stance sc the only Recommendation ac-
tuslIy made 81 the executive to con-
greas upeo thai subject j, that this
govern ment cannot venture 10 do any
thing "a pat an end %: the fahnman
serife mich daring the last thsee years
has reduced The island almost to q de.
sers, because there Is the prospect Of
the sestlemsps between the combasaBts
upso The basis Of so-called plan ot
s sarsonony lately put forth By the Sagas;
fa ni0istry
believe that congress should firmly
aud scorafuily reject such policy OF
irresolution and roB-acsion because the
assumpsioa upon vhioh It IS founded
si Sis 81 empty iilusion TIE vital ques.
tiea 81 issae has not been touched by
thasresolusionary effort of Sagasta to
end the ear by means of : crafsily in-
incomplete proposi.ioa that carries with
& no constitutional guarantee whatever
All who are familar With the Spanish
leeislasien know that 8 valid grant Of
a. autonomous colonial syssen, that in.
wolves not Only the repeal Of all exist
ing lass upon that subject but also the
! strsnster of the: control Of 8 large part
I nf gths uatinnad reVeunas of SDaio &Osa
colonial Iegtslaiure. cannot Be made ex-
cept by 40 act passed By bosh houses Of
the eofies and approved By the qaees
regens The effort just made 10 secure
thas result by : mere royal decree, IN
supported bg parlimeDary aetioB. bas
tbeFefore beel Justly derided By Romero
Robledo. the minister OF justice, as .
purely revolutionary proceeding in
defiance Of she consultation
Only one lay looking to bone rule
il Cubs has ever been eaactea. the
Ahsrsrza Law Of 1895, which passed
both houses Of the cortes aniaons!y
bsssase It vas utterly worthless. Two
yearr latter, when Canovss Has forced
10 pat forth q scheme Of hone rule he
stied 70 make it apparently genuine
npop its face and for that reason he
veil knew that the cortes would never
enact It toto law Uoder euch circum-
stspces be invented 90 expedisn: for
cirsamsent,Dg the Legislature BY as
sur,ipg that The entire legislative power
of the Spanish kingdom is vested in
The crovn alone. Sagasta. confronted
bE Che same difficulty, has 10 like man-
ner resorted to the unconstitutional at
tempt to legislate by royal decree
Knowing that the oafioo is against him
he does not dare TO state his proposals.
clearly upon the maio question; and
Il is known that if he should assert
even his Incomplete scheme TO the pres
ent cortes II would be eithsr renounced
entirely or so amended as to deprive it
of III vitality. Uns;l the Sagassa plan
has 6rst been enacted into Law by the
cartes, it cannot rise to the dignisy Of
proposal from legal poiut of view
It Is only SO much waste paper.
10 oue particular the cabinets at
Washington and Madrid are in inden-
tically the same situation. Both are
striving With all their might either
10 defy or circumveos the national will
as embodied 10 their respective legisla-
tures- But even if the Sagasta plan
possessed constitutional validity a
careful inspection of its arsful terms
must reveal the fact that like the preten
sious Sham put forth By Caoovss it con-
saiDs two cardinal provisos that would
enable .be home government to reduce
the whole scheme at any moment TO
zero. The susocrat Of Cuba has ever
been the goveroor-geueral aud the pre-.
sent plan cootempIates his continuance
as such with power to crush BY veto
soy and every act of tbs colonial legis-
iature. The following are the terms
Of the provision 10 question.
.The supreme authority shall be
vested in the governor general, act.
ing for the crown, to which he shall
swear allegiance. AS q represents
tive of the home government be shall
have command of the military forces
and sha!, act as delegate of the de-
partments of State, war. navy and
the colonies. he is empowered to
suspend the publication of national
laws should he deem such publica
ton inadvlsable As executive u
the insuIar government it shall be bis