The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1898-08-26
TAE CUBAN DEBT
Gan Be Assumed By No Other Country
than Spain.

By no rule of justice can the
so-called Cuban debt be assumed
by any other nation than Spain
itself. In the first place. the
claim that it is distinctively q
Cuban debt is unfounded. There
| is a Canadian debt, but the mon
ey was raised and expended by a
colonial legislature for the bene-
fit of the provinces represented
in that body. The misnamed
Cuban debt is based on loans
which passed direct into the
Spanish treasury and were spent
to make Cuba completely sub.
missive to the will and interests
Of the government at Madrid.
Canadians contracted a debt by
their own free act under home
rule and entirely for their own
purposes, one of which was ex-
tensive internall improvements.
The difference is vital. In one
case is a debt willingly created
under vital free government. In
the other is loan raised by royal
authority used to force a colony
to yield to an oppressor and con.
sent to perpetual despotic gov
eminent from Europe, without
the hope of home rule or the use
Of local revenue for the develop
ment of Cuba. What is termed
the Cuban debt is by every con.
sideration of right a legitimate
part of the debt of Spain. Let
those WHO hold it look to Madrid
for payment.
About 5000, 100000 is the face
value of the securities represent
ing the Cuban debt, so artfully
named and contrived. Whatever
money was raised by the sale of
the bonds was spent to feed,
equip and pay the army and navy
of Spain engaged in war to sub
due insurgent colonists, and fin
ally to huddle them in camps,
under guard, to be starved INTO
submission. To ask the United
States to assume any portion of
this expenditure would require
surprising assurance. We are
not in the business of paying the
bills incurred by European mon
archs to crush outraged Ameri-
cans. This country has acted
generously toward Spain in ask
ing no money indemnity at the
end of completely victorious
war. The Cuban debt is SPANS
own affair, negotiated and dis
bursed not only without the con-
sent of the natives of the island,
but for their destruction. Any
thought that the United States
will pay it is wildly absurd. And
as for its payment by the Cubans.
as we'll might we have agreed to
make good the outlay of George
III, in his eight years war to de-
feat the struggle for American
independence.
In amount the Cuban debt is
an enormity. Its per capita on
the Cubans would be $500. SPANS
per capita of debt in 1890 was
s78. The per capita in France,
with the largest national debt IN
the world. is but little more than
third of that piled up for Cuba.
A spirit of recklessness has pre-
vailed in Spain toward the alleg-
ed Cuban obligations. Every
dollar that could be borrowed on
the resources and commerce of
the island has been charged
against it. The monstrous total
can never be paid. Spain incur
red it to back up medieval ideas
in governing American colony,
and to Spain alone must the
holders of the Cuban loan look
for the redemption of the bonds.
Spain has played the tyrant and
financial autocrat in Cuba and
has lost the game. Cuba has
suffered deeply and is greatly ex-
hausted. 1t has a right to begin
anau unhnrdened nv