The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-15

Absolutely Senseless Hair plitting.
To the lay mind there does. not APP
pear To be enough practical difference
between the resolution passed by the
house and that reported by the foreign
relations committee of the senate to
warrant the prolonged discussion and
ridiculous hagGling which are threat
ened. The one authorizes and directs"
the president to intervene at once" to
stop the war in cuba TO the end and
with the purpose Of securing perma-
nont peace and order there and estab-
fishing, 10y the free action Of the people
thereof, a stable and independent got-
eminent of their own" Coupled with
this imperative mandate is the phrase:
And the president is hereby author
lied and empowered to use the land
and naval forces of the United States
10 execute the purpose of this resolu-
ton"
The other asserts that the people Of
the island of Cuba are. and of right
ought to he, free and independent; and
it is the duty of the United States
to demand and the government of the
United States does hereby demand that
the government of Spain at once re-
lnquiSh its authority and government
in the island of Cuha ana withdraw its
land and naval forces from Cuba and
Cuban waters,' to effect which the
president is directed and empowered"
to use the "entire land and naval forces
Of the United States" and as much Of
the militia of the several states as may
be necessary.
Let us compare the two. Is their
effect different? Can a stable and in
dependent" government he established
in Cuba "bY the free action of the pcu-
pie thereof while Spanish force re-
mains in Cuba TO restrain such free
action? Can such a government be in
dependent while hampered by Spain?
Can presidential intervention "at once"
he carried into effect without neccs-
sarily resulting in the election Of
Spain? If there Is any meaning in the
English language or any force in the
logic Of recognized facts, answer must
he made i'm the negative. Cuba cannot
be erected into an independent power
while Spain remains,or while one Span
ish armed soldier fingers on Cuban soil
for the purpose of asserting the con-
tnued sovereignty of Spain. While so
much IS one soldier thus fingers the
mandate of the house resolution will
be unfuIfiled and the president. if rec
reant in obeying that mandate would
be liable to impeachment. So that, in
effect the house resolution means pre-
cisely the same as the senate resolution
and differs from ii only in 50 far as IFS
language gives consistency to the con-
t"ntion of the president that Ameri-
can intervention should be primarily
humanitarian in motive rather than
Vndictive.
But, say the extreme partisans OF the
senate resolution: IF you intervene i'm
the first instance to stop the war. YOU
must use force chiefly gainst the insur-
gents, Spain having already suspended
hoStilites' Granting this, are the IL
Surgents going 10 resist an interven-
tion which specifically and uneoulvo-
"ally guarantees the accomplishment of
the sole purpose for which they have
'''iN'A' 'l OF lllN dStillSl Dldll-lalntlN.
the establishment in Cuba, "by the free
action of the people thereof, Of a stable
and Independent government of their
own? The insurgents have threatened
10 turn their armed forces against the
United States if the United States shall
land troops I'm Cuba for the purpose of
forcing them to accept the flag of
Spain. and they would be thoroughly
Justified in executing this threat. But
American troops are not TO he landed
in Cuba for that purpose. Such a pur-
pose has never been entertained by the
American people. Such purpose could
never be executed by any American
official in face Of the existing senti-
ment Of the American people. The in,
surgents have also threatened forciblt
resistance TO forcible annexation, and
here, too. they would be thoroughly
Justified were forcible annexation at.
tempted by this country. That, a.
President Mckinley says, would be a
crime according to the American code
of morals, and the Cubans, whose motto
fs Independence or Death" would have
the moral sympathy Of both the Ameri.
can president and the American peopl,
In resisting to the last man the at
tempted commission by any American
force of such monstrous robbery.
These two causes for forcble resist
ance by the insurgents being elimin
atod, not only by the temper Of tn,
American nation but also by the ex
press and explicit wording of the hous,
resolution, what cause for insurgen
resistance would remain? Absolutely
none whatever. Resistance under tn,
existing circumstances would be 81