El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-04-09
AFTER INDEPENDENCE.
SpeculatiOns as to the Fate of Cuba
When Spain Lets Go.

SpeculatlOnS as to the Fate OF CuDa
When Spain Lets Go.
1t would seem, then, at first sight,
that Cuba is no better prepared for in
dep ndent government than Mexico
was eighty years ago, the more 60 IN
that the difficulty of the task will be
intensified by race problems which
ton in Cuba is made up OF whites,
blacks aid mulattoes In about equal
numbers, ami it ia needless to say that
the success of the Cubsns in govern
Dent and in oil the pursu ts OF civiI1za-
ton will depend on the extent to which
the white population. as refined and
progressive q class a. exists in any
Lattn-American county, are able to
maintain their ascendancy over the CO.
lored element. For any coun 'ry whore
the black once gains control steadily
declines from that moment in the scale
of civilization and enliR htenment. Lot
us hasten, however, to say that we most
devOutly hope and believe that the
white element in Cuba will be able to
hold its own, though the difficulty and
he menace implied in the facility with
which the negro thrives and multiplies
On the island will always be present.
The circumstances men Toned would
-eem to auRur POLITICAL trouble for Gu
- 0a"SA AOt CPOa00hSO Aoo OSSo
achieved. On the other hand, there
are facts which make for political STA
5ility. Though he has had no expert
nee In Sc government the Cuban In
general possesses . high standard o.
-ducation and enlightenment, far
ni> her up on the average than prevail
cd in ,he present Sp1nish-Amerloan
republics when they threw up the yoke
Of Spain. Th. better class of Cubans
A@
States, where they have studied the
WORKING of popular institutions as
practiced in their bighess perfection.
Moreover, the progress that has been
made by the world in e neral In the
,ctence OF government, the facility Of
communication and Intercourse with
the United Slater, the force of public
opinion there, reacttns on public OPT
ion in the island, the example of the
more i'm oortant Span sh-American re-
publics OF today, and finally, the nero
exhaustinR of the country and tho ne
cessity OF reconstructrg its wealth
'-vor q stable and orderly admin lei ra-
5iOu of effYirs.
The, too, there 10 . very important
negative circumstance that will favo.
tranquility 10 Cuba. Most OF the inter
eciue struggles that have torn this
I'D other Spaui. h-American couutrie.
ave been due to the claeh Of inter-
ests a d principles between tho church
party and the liberals. II IL safe to
The people there are Catholics and
will probably remain so. But there
will be no clerical party; even If there
are some people Of extreme religious
views, they will find themselves too
few in number and too lacking in sup
port to form themselves into the nu-
cleus of political organization. This
Is largely . natter Of climate. for it is
common observation that, in the
sits highly on the people. This ter
dency is intensified In the case of the
the Inhabitants of seaports, as are
nearly all the important cities of
Cpba.
Such, more or less, are the cone and
pros for good government in Cubs.
On the whole we see no reason Why
anyone expressing his belief that the
after outweigh the former-thst tho
prospects for stability exceed tho7e for
unrest-should be accused of allowing
hopes. The friends of pupolar ineti-
tutions have, in fact, solid
reason to feel sanguine a. to
the result of their trial in
Cuba. Let US hope, too, that the Gu
bans will from the start demonstrate
their liberslity and their fitness for
the blessings of freedom by according
humane and magnanimous treatment
to the Spanish residents on the leland
and to those of their country men who
in mistaken sincerity have supporte d
the autonomists or other plans for per-
petuating the connection between Cubs
md the mother country.-Mexican
Herald