Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-08-18
AMERICAS DUTY TO CUBA.


The people and the commercial 10.
tereats of Cuba should be assured that
the United States will govern the
island until fhe people give ample
evidence of the ability to conduct
the affairs of the country along the
lines of peace, justice and business
encouragement, and have expressed a |
desire to undertake the responsibility. |
The fear that upon the withdrawal of
the Spanish flag The insurgents will
assume the reins of government is
working great harm to the interests of
the island. The merchants of Cuba,
as we'll as outside capital, are not all |
disposed to risk anything under a |
government by the insure eants, all
though many of them are in sympathy |
with the principles of the insurgents
cause. The insurgeant leaders are
themselves responsible for this want
of confidence in their fitness to direct |
the concerns of the republic.
The fact that the officials of the |
Madrid government could steal more |
than 500. 600, 600 of the islands rev.
enue in about fifteen years, aud still
leave enough to make a good showing.
of receipts on account of the throne is |
proof enough that Cuba is good bus.
mess field. IF the merchants and |
planters submitted to such oppression
and remained on the island, they must
believe that a government under in
surgent rule would be far worse than
that to make them tired. Next to |
relieving Cuba of Spanish authority,
it is the duty of the United States te
see that government is esta blished |
which will not only secure to the peo-
pie proper measure of individual
liberty, but that will make home and |
foreign capital feel perfectly secure.
The resources of Cuba are great and
valuable, and money is ready to un-
dertake their development the NOM
ent it is assured it will have ample |
protection, and until 1t is assured of
that the commercial and industrial in
terests of the island will not expand |
q whit.
1t is very unpleasant to have to ad.
NIT that the Insurgents are disap- |
pointing from every point of view. AS
rule the leaders are far from being
broad minded, nor have they shown
themselves to be patriotic, as patri-
otism is understood in this country. |
So many of them are actuated by q
spirit of revenge, and nearly all Of
them seem to understand national
freedom to mean individual license.
They will grow out Of their narrow
ness and false conception of the func-
tions of a republican form of govern
ment after a while, but meanwhile
they should be willing to be students
rather than teachers of the science
and philosophy of a government of
the people. by the people and for the
people. But they should not be harsh.
" censured for their lack of knowl-
edge of practical politics and econom-
les. For more than 400 years they
have been under the lash of q tyrani.
cal, ignorant and brutal taskmaster,
who kept them 10 ignorance of the
very things they now most need.
While, therefore. they are not to be
blamed for their inability to grasp and
solve the problems of their new ma.
tional existence, they should not be
trusted with such mighty work until
they are fitted for it.-Kansas City
Times.
VIM. Price has gone into the hay
m king husinesa