The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1898-04-30
tional pride, of dreadfully burdensome

llOudl pElue, VI ureduIuliy DuIueuSOiu'
incumbrance.
The next beneficiary of that war viii
be Cuba. How much Cuba will bt
benefited by it's results will depend upor
the ability of the Cubans. when set free
to maintain an Independent, stable, anc
| orderly government, or to find a paterna
power or person that will maintain such
government among and for them
While we may not be very sangaine in
this respect, it is reasonable to assume
that the Cubans will at least no longer
be exposed to any dictatorship like that
of Weyler. and their government, good
or bad, will, at any rate, be their own.
What, then, are the advantages the
American people may expect to derive
from this war with Spain? Ifthey we're
really instigated by anything like sell
fish impulse, they would, of course, care
fully calculate beforehand whether the
possible profit would be in proportion to
the certain sacrifice to be made for it.
OF this sacrifice the blood item cannot
be easily computed in advance. Even if
our sea power is greatly superior to that
of Spain, we cannot hope to disable the
Spanish feet without the lose of many
lives. And we cannot put land force
on the soil of Cuba to drive out the
Spaniards and to establish an independ-
ent and "stable' government there,
without booming many more young
Americans to die. not only on the battle
field, but, worse than that, in the hospi-
tails of that unwholesome country.
American mothers, too, may know Cuba
as the place to which their valiant sons
go, never to return. AS to the money
item of the sacrifice, we have already
made a beginning. The grant by Con-
gress of the S50.000,000 for war prepara-
tions is, no doubt, we'll nigh exhausted.
A war loan is now contemplated of $780,
100000, and war taxes on bank checks,
tea, coffee, beer and tobacco are expected
to yield about S10O.000,000 annually.
But as war NAV last longer than we now
anticipate, and as our ways of making
war are rather expensive, the present
figures fixed for loans and taxes may
soon be found sadly inadequate. This,
however, is not ALL The pension roll
will be largely increase, and thus an ad-
ditional load be put upon the people, to
burden them for generation. Further
more, the losses we suffer through the
business disturbances, and in the inter-
ruption of the revival of prosperity, and
the retardation of the necessary none
tary reform, which are caused by the
war and it's uncertainties, can hardly be
estimated. Nor should it be overlooked
that inasmuch as Spain, through her
cruisers and privateers, may sweep our
commercial flag from the seas, partly by
actual capture or destruction, partly by
means of greatly increased rates of in
surance, we substantially make present
of the larger part of our carrying trade
on tho ocean to other maritime nations,
such as Great Britain, Germany, Nor
way, and others.
But even here the list of our probable
sacrifices is not closed. For, in what
moral and financial responsibilities, in
what political complications, in what
international embroilments, war under
taken to give Cuba independence and a
"stable government" will involve us, no.
body can foresee. Historic experience
as to the establishment and mainten-
ance of stable republican governments
in tropical regions is certainly most dis
couraging; and if we undertake the task,
we may, after much sore tribulation.
find ourselves exposed to very costly dis
appointments.
What, then, may we expect to gain as
compensation for our sacrifices and
risks? Certainly not glory; for there is
no glory to robust young giant in kick
ing poor old cripple. The annexation
of Cuba must be considered out of the
question, for, as the president said in bis
message, it would, "by our code OF
morality, be criminal aggression" Nor
could it be called an advantage, for it
would be like the annexation of house
infected with an .inexterminable con-
tagious disease. The only business bene-
fit we could realize would be the restora-
ton of our trade with Cuba. But
that trade would necessarily be limited
and if it's net annual profits became as
large as ever before, they would not
amount to as much as the increase of
our pension roll and of the army and
navy budget in consequence of the war;
not to speak of the cost in blood and
treasure of the war itself. Thus all our
real compensation for our sacrifices and
risks in that war will consist in our
moral consciousness of having delivered
Cuba of Spanish misrule, of having
given the Cubans an opportunity for
showing how fit they are of having free
institutions. Now, in view of all this,
the world may indeed say that we would