The evening times., 1898-09-01
Task of Establishing Good
Government i'm Cuba.
ALIEN DOMINANCE FEARED
In Some Quarters Annexation Is
Preferable to an American Pro-
ternaI Union Between SPaniards
and Natives.


confronts the United States in the pa
cificaton of Cuba and the establishment
of a stable and just government. cnar-
acteristic of a country which achieved
its own glorious Independence and aYow-
ed that Of tne Antilles Pearl as one OF
the main objects of igs war with Spain.
As ] have said in previous dispatches
among those who have anything 10 lose
among those who had property and have
at least been able TO cling to their own
homes in the whitening storm Of Span
ish opressi0n-among Cubans and Span
iards Of that class. alike there Is an
ardent desire to see speedy annexation Ia
America under a strong army occupation
in preference 10 a mere temporary pro
tectorate with a Cuban government as
an ultimate result
Now that / have been allowed ashore
and have had an opportunity OF lnquir-
ing. / am only more convinced that an
nexation is the undoubted preference
of all who represent the wealth and IN
dustry of the desolatJd island. 1t Is true,
indeed. that comparatively few Of those
who actively sympathized with or par
ticipated in the insurrection nave yet
found their way into this city. but ii has
been possible to gain an adequate idea
Of their feelings in the matter from those
thoroughly familiar with their aims ana
the conditions under which they sought
them.
American tobacco dealers-men whose
business training has equipped them TO
Judge matters from evidence rather than
sentiment or prejudice, whose commerce
has brought them in close touch with the
insurgents of outside cities and wherever
tobacco is grown or the people are inter
ested in its culture-without exception
assert the entire unanimity of all with
whom they have come in contact in pref
erence for the absolute domination Of
equitable INSTRUMENTATION princi-
ples TO replace the crooked and corrupt
methods Of defeated Spain rather than
an unstable oscillating of Latin impu!-
siveness as disastrously eXempliIied in
the Spanish-American republics, with
their constant insecurity ana eve:-recur-
rent revolutionary efforts.
From all that can be ascertained op-
position to annexation, ayowed by those
Cubans who have nothing to lose by fur
ther disorder, thanks to the robbery and
corruption OF Spanish misrule in peace
or sacrifice of Cuban patriotism in war
arises rather from misinterpretation OF
its meaning and devotion to a long-cher-
ished dream than from any proper con-
ceptiOn Of the comparative material ad-
vantages Of American or Cuban rule.
Taught by the Spanish object lesson in
the sternest school Of experience to asso-
Ciate with alien government the idea OF
cruelty, robbery and oppression, the pa
triotic Cuban. little learned in the ways
of the world, not unnaturally fears that
anything short Of entire self-gOvernment
must include elements of serious danger
Those who have been inspired to heroic
sacrifices OF ease, home and family and
all dearest IN life. by beautiful senti-
meuts Of unadulterated patriotism, find II
terribly hard when the realization of thai
Ideal ambition is almost within their
grasp to relinQuish ii for something
which. in itself must be somewhat of an
experiment and from their view point an
experiment on lines repellently parallel
to those which led to destruction. Yet
these and even those in the field are bet
ter of than ever they were under Span
ish spoliation, and have been impressed
by the disinterestedneSs of the United
States In making their cause its own.
II seems now that. under genuine au.
tonomy similar to that of Canada or tn,
Australian colonies, Cubans of the mos
irreconcilable type would welcome unior
to the United States under condition.
which left them their own flag and tbei,
own country intact, under the sovereign.
ty of Washington, a little more thar
nominal, yet far simpler and safer as 2
guarantee OF permanent peace and Sc,
curity than any mere protectorate ayoU
edly undertaken for the moment oniv
This, there can be little doubt. would sat
isfy also those Spanish and Cuban repre
sentatives Of business who threaten a he
gira In the event of unalloyed Cuban in
dependence as a result of a temporar,
protectorate
Many of those who have led in tn,
national movement well know the dan
gers which would beset an independen-
government from the combination of ra
cial tmpulsiveness with the ignoranc,
which is among the bequests of Spanisl
tyranny in the general character of In.
Cuban masses. None seriously questions
the disinterestedness of the revolution.
airy leaders or doubts that among them
are men of exceptional ability. but ever
Maru himself was among those who
doubted the capacity of Cubans in bulk
for self-government. veteran of the
ten years war, one of Martfs earliest
and most ardent supporters in the cru
sade he inaugurated for the abolition OF
the Spanish yoke, tells me that Mart
say ON the subject when asked his Opin.
ion as 10 Cuban ability than that Cuba
cannot do worse than Spain has done
Another man, from the province OF
Pinar del Rio, who. while he never took
UP arms, has been a most active support
er of the Cuban cause in giving money
and material moral support of all kinds
who reached Havana within the last DAY
or two, expressed himself with the ut
most vigor and freedom as preferring an
nexation to independence for Cuba 5
sake. He added that he believed that
once a stable and just government was
strongly established its encouragement
10 Industry would quickly undermine and
destroy the opposition of those unfo. tu-
mates whom Spanish misrule has taught
TO fear any outsider in power. while CIV
Ing them freedom and comfort, more
than counterbalancing the discomforts OF
campaigning as compared 10 ilope:lss
servitude, with invincible obstacles to
thrift and individual enterprise.
IN this connection circulars which In
small numbers have only just reached
havana from the secret presses of in
surgents hidden in the woods. cannot
1ail to be OF interest to Americans.
included In these is an address from
DR.. Pedro L. Betancourt. general i'm
chief Of the Matanzas division of the
Cuban army. In this, after extolling the
glories of the Cuban military forces and
the patience of the people, he SAYS:
"A cordial embrace will unite Cubans
ana Spaniards forever in forgetfulness
OF the past never giving sting of fear
or hatred.
Upon this basis viii the Cuban nation
rise majestically. We have assumed sa-
cred obligations, which we will observe
and fulfill, and have won the same rights
and privileges for all under the flag of
the Cuban republic, one nation for all