Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-03-01

ton of the PracticabiIity of Autonomy.
Congress VIII Not Necessarily Pass the
Morgan Beilgerency ResoIution-The
situation In Its Various Phases.
WASHINGTON, March 1.-The belief is
strong here, in spite OF the peaceful at
titude of the administration, that war
18th Spain must come, even should the
Maine court Of inquiry demonstrate be-
yond question that the battleship met
her doom through accident.
Such verdict from the court might
close the tragic incident of the Maine,
but it could not restore to the Cuban
question the aspect it bore before the
explosion.
The president must move forward
quickly to the settlement of the Cuban
question, which his official utterances,
like those of his predecessor, have bound
the United States to settle because of
humanitarian, political and commercial
considerations.
These are the sober second thoughts
which are coming to many public men
in Washington.
They are based ON the conviction,
made doubly strong by the self reyela-
ton of both Sponiards and Americans
during the excitement over the Maine,
that Spain will not give up Cuba until
she is forced to do so, and that public
sentiment in this country will not longer
tolerate the butchery, starvation and
desolation on the island.
eve have the Cuban question to set
/ tie, we must settle it sooner or later,
! it cannot be settled without fight with
/ Spain, and the fight might better come
! now than later, if we are prepared for
/ it in a naval and military way" is a
summary of the situation as it presents
/ itself to many senator's and members
who have not been III the past noted for
/ lingo sentiments.
These views, of course, are being Laid
before the president with much frank
ness and emphasis, and they cannot fail
to have their effect on the attitude of
the administration.
Still, the president is hopeful that if
the Maine incident ends happily the
Spanish government will be disposed to
accept our good offices in some practi-
cal and peaceable way, rather than a
more formidable intervention, which
would probably lead to hostilities.
The dissolution of the Spanish cortes
announced by Minister Woodford, it is
/ hoped, will result in the continuance of
the Sagasta ministry when the elections
! I-nl AT1fD
having proved failure, the independ-
ence of Cuba is regarded as the basis
for settlement.
President Mckinley had intended to
give the Sagasta ministry until the be-
ginning OF the rainy season to demon
strate the success of the autonomy pol
icy, but the president feels that that
demonstration cannot now be made at
all and that therefore he will be justi-
fed in taking his next step promptly.
Meanwhile he viii send into congress
practically all of the reports of Consul
General Lee and the other consular
officers in Cuba of the condition of
affairs since the beginning of the pres
ent administration as soon as they can
be copied at the state department.
Congress will not necessarily, as has
been reported, recognize the belhgerency
of Cuban insurgents by passing the Nor.
gan resolution i'll the house upon receipt
of this correspondence, exciting though
it may be, because it is doubtless the in.
tention of the administration to explain
privately to the Republicans of the
house its plan of action, which will not
involve necessarily the adoption of such
a resolution.
If the Spanish can delay any decisive
action by us for two months, until the
rainy season begins, it will have a pro
lection in yellow fever against the in
vasion of Cuba more valuable than al
army, but the administration is hoping
so its mouthpieces assert, that it viii
come to the conclusion to let Cuba &c
without much more delay and without
making war
1t is admitted, however, even by tn,
spokesman of President Mckinley thai
there is great danger that this will MOI
be the case