Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-01-04
Policy Toward Cuba
Not in Sympathy With Mckinley
FOREIGN Committee of Each House is
Against Administration.

A special correspondent, writing
from Washington to the Philadelphia
Times of President McKinley's policy
toward Cuba, gives publicity TO the
following:
"President Mckinley is sowing To
the wind and he will reap the whirl-
wind "
That statement is not made upon
the authority of mere scrlbbler OF
news. 1t is eproduction OF the
declaration of one of our greatest liv-
ing statesmen, and was uttered in the
privacy of his home library.
"Whatsoever a man soweth that
shall he also reap" continued the
statesman, who is as great in biblical
criticism and ccriptural lore as he Is
eminent in the domain of interna-
tional law. He very impressively
added: "Before the God OF nations
land l believe in a supreme being as
the arbiteT Of all our fates), this coun-
try is as responsible for the Starvation
brutality, atrocity and murder OF
more than one hundred thousand NOR
tails in Cuba as Spain is Responsible
and accountable.
"Being in political life," he said, 81
am a coward. The men about me
having similar environments, are
towards. Charles Summer, Roscoe
Conkling and other men of superior
ability learned that no man can
openly antagoniZe PRESIDENT and
hone TO keep his head above water 10
political sea. Therefore, fearing that
we may be submerged, we stand idly
by AMI see the angry seas sweeping
into the,malestrom of death all others
than ourselves Mabe, after all, we
are rather prudent than cowardly.
POLICY TOWARD CUBA.
Nevertheless, 1T is fact that we
Republicans know that our president
is doing a great wrong to our country,
and to all our people, by pursuing the
policy which he has adopted concern
ing Cuban affairs. He is certainly
sowing to the wind, and he will reap
the whirlwind Moreover, he is en-
quilting his party in the storm Of
popular disapprObatiOn which is sure
to come. Under the neutrality laws
we are spending millions of dollars to
prevent hllibustering; and every in
ternatiOnal lawyers knows that the
neutrality laws do not apply and can
not apply to existing conditions. The
neutrality laws can only be invoked
WIltu UlltIc IL d SUdUC VI wal OCOWSSh
an established government and rec
ognized belligerents. The govern
ment at Madrid declares that no state
If War exists in Cuba, and the insur-
gents there have meyer been rec
Ognized as belligerents.
"How, then, can Spain invoke The
exercise of a neutrality lawat this
time? Before God and men, and ma
tions, Spain has no right to make any |
such a demand upon this nation The |
Canoyas and the Sagasta ministries
are at one in declaring that no state |
war exists in Cuba. Therefore, all |
lawyers know that
Spain has no shadow of right to look |
to this government to observe the |
laws of nations. |
But this government is assuming |
that a state of war exists in Cuba, |
when Spain says that no state of war
exists. In other words, Spain is de- |
of us an atrocious misinter--
probation Of international law; and
our government is shamfully and |
shamlessly accepting that misinter-
pretatiOn.
OFFICIAL DECLARATION AT MADRID. |
"Since there is no state of war eX-
isting in Cuba, according to the Of |
ficIal declarations of the government |
at Madrid, why should the warships |
and cruisers OF the United 'Staes be |
acting as the police of the seas be-
tween Florida and Cuba, for the |
purpose of preventing our people from
selling merchandise to the people of
Cuba, who are not in a state of war?
Why should we he spending millions
Of money annually for the purpose of
actinga as thea most powerful ally OF
Spain in this matter?
"It is an official declaration, you
must remember, that no state of war
exists in Cuba. Spain herself said 1T.
Let us take her word for 1t.
SIT is the duty Of this government |
to accept that official announcement
as correct. Then, this being the case |
there are numerous peaceful Cuban
citizens who are not engaged in |
warfare, not engaged in revolution,
not engaged in insurrection, who
want to buy food, arms, ammunition
and other articles of common mer-
chandise, from our people. Why |
should our government preYeLt
our citizens fromI selling
goods TO the people of Cuba, since
there is no state of war in that |
island?
"Of course our people ARE not in
ternational lawyers, and they dc not |
nave either time or inclination to |
study problems of such moment. |
But IL they only knew the situation
they would resent the misinterpreta-
tion of international law under which |
this administration is acting.
VARIANCE WITH THE PRESIDENT.
"These facts are being considered |
by senators and representatives. Il |
you want to tell the people the trnth |
you can tell them that all the men, |
bers of the senate committee on for
eIgn relations, with two exceptions, !
are at variance with the president;
and those senators are in possession OF |
every fact which is available in the |
department of state. Furthermore,
you may state that the majority of
the house con- mmittee on foreign !
affairs look upon this great question
in the same manner. The gentlemen
who compose that committee are we'll
versed in international law, and they
know that the neutrality laws do not
properly apply at this time.
"You ask me what we are going to