The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-10-17
Moral Incentives.

There are some Cubans far-sighted
enough not to expect miracles the min
ute the flag of Spain is lowered at
Havana. One of these, a member Of
the famous New York Junta, +. G..
Pierra. writing to the Chicago Record
from Havana. holds that the political
aspects Of the immediate future of that
island are of vastly smaller moment
than questions of popular education
and employment. He recognizes that
a community is likely to have under al
most any system just about as good
government as it's average intelligence
and morality will call for and sustain,
hence his chief concern is as to how
the next generation of his countrymen
shall be educated
I'VE need" says he. "to engage some
experienced educator who will come
here not for the salary alone, but with
the same spirit that American troops
came recently to Santiago, take the
raw conditions here and evolve a COM
school system for the future ages.
Leave behind the mistakes. Take the
"
of the United States and plant them
here. Then, when the common schools
are in operation, we want some schools
like Hampton and Tuskegee-indus-
trial, scholastic. Christian. We
want also such schools as the various
religious bodies have in the south.
VIII the United States help us to have
them? Where are the moral forces
that sent American ships of war to
our coasts"
This line of thought is capable of
indefinite elaboration. Not to our gov
ernment alone has the war with Spain
brought new opportunities and respon-
sibilities. The peoples over whom
we have by reason of this war ac-
quired guardianship make appeals to
American phiianthrophy benevolence
and Christianity entirely apart from
matters of state. The spirit which
sends missionaries and martyrs to re-
mote centers of semi -barbarism and
which recognizes no limits of moral re-
sponsibility narrower than those which
bound the habitable portions of the
globe cannot fail to take an especial
interest and to put forth especial en-
engy in these provinces which a war
for humanity has recently put under
direct American trusteeship. No long
er will these provinces fall within the
sphere of foreign missions" respect
ing the propriety of which there are
some differences OF opinion; they will
hereafter be parts of our own domain,
temporarily il not permanently attach
cd to the great republic; and human
ity, neighbOrly considerations, fair
play and a sense of civic pride will
unitedly prompt good Americans. in
dividually not less than collectively,
to do for these new wards even more
for alien unfortunates under other
flags.
1t is an axiom peculiarly true of
the American character that the best
that is in q man does not show un-
til extraordinary conditions force it to
the front. IN the rast generation the
people of the United States, busted
C'lltilN Will lllltllldi pIoDlellE Dl DuS-
mess development have seemed in
some degree mercenary and deficient
in responsiveness to moral and spirit
nal nromptings. The finer clay was
there, but ii was not drawn to the
surface. The war with Spain has put
before this people new conditions and
new duties; while it has opened new
vistas to commerce and new incen-
tives to business enterprise it has
immeasurea6ly enlarged and inspired
the public's moral vision, calling into
exercise dormant capabilities and lift
ing incalculably the level of the peo-
pies ideals. We should have in con-
sequence not simply better results in
politics and in government, but also
appreciable improvement in individual
li~rg. The appeal of Cuba, Porto
Rico and the Philippines is to every
American citizen; in calling him 10
help others it will necessarily uplift
himself.