The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-01-18
SHALL WE HELP FREE CUBA ?
FORoIBLE FERMENTATION OF THE QUESTION BY REV. DR. PHILLIPS.

Shheron bill SmRcKs or JlhSoism-Dr.
 Phillips Proposes to Settle the Question
 by Buying Cuba-An Outline Historical
 Sketch of the Island.
 At the Church of the Redeemer last evening Rev. Dr. Phillips discussed the Cuban Question as 1t Appears from the Pulpit" to a large audience. He spoke as follows from Proverbs 26:17, He that meddleth with strife belong ing not to him is like one that taketh a dog by the ears:''
 Tt is grained into the genuine Amer ican to sympathize with any people struggling for a larger liberty and bet ter forms of government. His first inn pulse-an impulse which does credit to his heart if not always to his head-is to help them by any means at hand. But 1t is also an American principle to keep out of our neighbors' quarrels. We have had some experiences memor- able if not pleasing; our hearts did not thrill with joy when foreign powers rec OBHlIeu tHe COnIeQeFdCy.
 Tn the case of Cuba, whose indepen- dence we are asked to recognize, there is not even a Confederacy; only an in Surrectlon. What about this little is land, whose troubles are so much in evidence? Let us refresh our memor- ies. Cuba is the largest island of the Antilles, perhaps the most important, 130 miles south of Florida. But she is only 7S0 miles long and from twenty five to 130 miles wide. She has one city, Havana, with a population of about 100000, but no other town as large as New Haven. Her climate va ries from agreeable and healthful in the hill regions to moist, hot and sick ly in the lowlands. She produces cop per, gold, silver, iron and coal, but her greatest natural wealth is in her fer tile soil and vast forests of valuable timber. She raises large crops of rice, maize, cotton and tropical fruits, but sugar and tobacco are the principal products. Johnson's Cyclopedia says that she produces about 900,00 bales of tobacco yearly. In 1891 she raised 823,- 096 tons of sugar and 103000 tons of molasses, and shipped 22000,000 cigars. Her chief exports are valued at $3O,- 100000 yearly, the bulk of which goes to the United States.
 'The religion of Cuba is Catholic. Education was made obligatory in 1880, and schools are provided in the towns, and there is a university in Havana. The population of the island was, in 1890, estimated to be about 1,631, ,6s7. The public debt is $176, 000-some ntt nd tho i1, come of the inhabitants is about ESQ., 000O00 annually. But you are to re- member that the population is of very mixed and uncertain character about one-half Spanish, one-quarter ne- groes, and the other one-quarter ere oles, Asiatic coolies and whites of vari- ous nationalities. You are also to re- member the immense annual drain of taxation laid by the Spanish govern ment.
 "The island has had varied history. Discovered by Columbus, colonized by Spaniards in 1511, the Indians being so cruelty treated that two years later they were practically extinct. During the first two centuries it was attacked by the French, the Dutch and the Eng lish-always getting back into the hands of the Spaniards-and ravaged by filibusters, for whom it has always seemed to present unrivalled attrac- tions. It early became the center of the slave trade for Spanish America 100000 slaves being brought in between 1789 and 1S45, but slavery was finally abolished altogether in 1SS6 In the negro insurrections of 1S44 and 1S4S many negroes lost their lives. In 1868 began the remarkable struggle for in- dependence, which continued with va rying fortunes until 1880, when it was apparently ended, though the island was left in disorder and distress, and the present troubles are doubtless the outgrowth of that struggle.
 Now, so far as the island itself is concerned, it seems hardly worth fight ing for. We do not need it; 1t would be a burden to us. Besides, we would risk being involved in a quarrel with other nations which have interests there France and Holland, and Russia as the ally of France. We have financial in- terests there, it is true, and citizens to be protected, but we can protect them without plunging into the fight and recognizing a rebellion. So the ques- llOIl UtCOIIltS UU6 O1 sentiment ana lu- manity. The time will come when we must interfere in humanity's name; but the question now is, Is this the time, and is the method proposed by the Cameron bill the best method?' That method smacks too much of the jingo. Who are these Camerons, and what have they done for the country that entities them to the privilege of pro- posing war? To threaten war for par tisan purposes, or to call the peoples attention from domestic problems that bother the bosses; to disturb reviving business by alarming returning confi- dence, seems to me little short of crim- inal
 This is purely a question of human ity Cuba is tired of Spain, as is ev- erybody else in this part of the world. She knows that she has nothing else to expect but treachery and cruelty. The Spanish record in Cuba has nothing to commend it. It Is a record of slavery and bloodshed; of injustice and saw agery. And she has meddled with us. President Monroe charged Spanish of ficials with melting the Seminole war, and with furnishing supplies for car rying it on. President Jackson com plained of gross outrages by Spanish abipc aoaipSt ol1r merchant marine