The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-04-19
STALLINGS TALKS
OF ANNEXATION
NJ JAY F. DURHAM.

emphatically against the annexation of
Cuba, there is strong undercurrent In
| creasing with time favorable to the idea.
Away down deep in the hearts of Mark
Hanna, Steve Elkins and others of that
kind, who represent the Spanish bond
holders, they want annexation for gain and
greed. Upon the other hand there are
many others-a number of them democrats
who believe the only outcome is contain
annexation. Mr.. stallings, of the Mont
gomery district looks upon the plan of
annexation as the proper one, and he has
| his reasons for it, which cannot help APP
| pealing to the better judgment. of the
| southern people. At least that Is the view
| Mr.. Stallings takes of 1t.
1.-THE political history of this country
| shows that it has always been the design
| of the best informed statesmen that Cuba
| should properly become a part of the
| United States,'' said Mr.. StalIngs- ITO
| acquire Cuba and control its affairs will be
| worth millions and millions of dollars to
| the people of the southern states Spain
| has possessed Cuba for more than four
| hundred years, and during that time the
mother government has systematically
| robbed the colony, and left nothing with
| the people of Cuba other than the bare
necessity with which to cover the expenses
| of the island. No internal improvements
| have been made. No highways have been
| constructed The harbor of Havana has
| not been cleaned out for centuries. 1t is the
cesspooI of disease for the western hemis-
| phere."
h. of mil.
| lions of dollars to dredge and otherwise
purify the harhor as 1t should be done, but
when once done, yellow fever will have been
| stamped out. The killing of the disease at
| Havana will mean it's extinguishment from
| the southern coast and the southern states.
Nothing has SO retarded the progress of the
| south as the yellow fever. The origin of
all the epidemics in the south is located at
| Havana. Last year when the business in
terests of all the southern states was COM
pletely paralyzed, entailing the loss Of
| millions of dollars, to say nothing of the
| great loss of life, the whole trouble came
| from the harbor at Havana.
$50 long as Spain has had or may nave
| tho island the condition has been and Will
be unchanged, nor can there, be any hope
with the aid of the United States estab-
| lish government of their own 1t VIII take
| years and years before they will be able 10
| sufficiently improve the Havana harpor
| that the germ of the disease may be IN any
| way removed. The United States can and
| will do it, should the island be annexed An
| nexation is, in my opinion, the only soiu-
| ton to that one particular problem, and III
| that problem the people of the south are
| more interested than all others concerning
| the future of the island"
|
I sT believe this is the opinion Of ma
| fority of the people of the south. know
| full we'll the past policy of the democratic
| marty with reference to the extension of
| this nations territory. We must take into
| consideration the fact that the situation
| has changed The conditions are just the
| same as they have been. 1t Is decreed
| that Spain must evacuate the. island. The
Spanish flag is menace to good government
| on the island of Cuba, as 1t is on the west
| ern hemisphere. Cuba is but short dis
| lance from our shores. 1t will not take
| Io,e until the Cuban people, through more
| frequent commercial intercourse with this
| nation, will fast assimilate with our people
| and like the annexation of Texas and New
| Mexico, the difference in customs, ideas,
| ETC., win soon be thing of the past. 1t
| is not American to permit a place like the
| Havana harbor to exist so near our shores
| when 1t is possible to take such measures
| as will remove the menace and keep 1t re-
| moved. This one cause alone should be
sufficient excuse for annexation. If an.
| nexation Is to follow and from the point
| Of view above indicated, nothing could
| contribute more to the benefit of the south
ern states, the cause is now ripe, and moth
| ing can be lost by the United States in
| thus acting. Annexation must come hon.
| estfy and not through piracy. Spain must
| give up. That is certain. 1 do not be-
| lieve the Cubans will object to becoming
| part of the United States. They should
be recompensed but not beyond justice
| and right
SIT will be remembered that for years
| yellow fever prevailed at all periods of the
| year at Vera Cruz. and would still be rag
! ing there had not President Diaz of Mexico
forced the Mexican government to make
| fabulous appropriations for the improve
| ment of the harbor, where had fingered for
| hundreds of years the yellow fever germ.
| The disease in that city now Is more spor-
| adic than otherwise. The condition of that
harbor is no longer a menace to the health
| of the Mexican people nor those in the
| Spanish states further south. The same can
| be done with Havana, but there is no one
| to do it but the United States, and an
| nexation is the only way this can be ac-
complished."
|
"With the yellow fever stamped out OF
| Havana the south need 10 longer fear
yearly vistatons of that most dreaded OF
| all diseases. The advantages that will ac-
| crue to the south will be incalculable
| While we now have quarantine laws which
| do not quarantine, and so long as the har-
| Dor at Havana remains as 1t always has.
| there will be no relief. The power and
| authority of the United States is the only
| o.oro,, chat cap rarooye this blot T am not