The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-09-02
years before, to maintain
the honor of our flag

was first demanded 10 carry out another
Republican policy. For the Cuban oues-
ton was soon TO be a national one.
In 1895, three great parties met in ma
| the Populist party, and the Republican
party. There were several others but as
| they said nothing On the subject we are
discussing, they need not be mentioned.
The Democratic convention, speaking on
theCuban question said:
I'VE extend our sympathy 10 the peo-
pie OF Cuba in rheir heroic struggle for
liberty"
/ The Populist convention declared:
I'VE tender TO the patriotic people OF
Cuba our deepest sympathy in their heroic
struggle for political freedom and indie
pendence and we believe the time has come
when the United States the greatest re-
public of the world. should recognize that
| Cuba is and Of right ought TO be. q
free and independent state
/ The last is better rhan the first. The
| sympathy expressed was deep sympa-
/ thy; the independence mentioned was a
| political independence. II recognized the
! greatness Of the United States and was IN
| favor OF recognizing the independence II
Cuba, a mistake that even congress
might have made. If it had not been for
| then 'honest but weak man occupying
/ the presidential chair
| Struggling nations are like struggling
nen-sympathy is all the help thsy gen
! orally get Even while those great con-
ventions met, the story Of Spanish OPP
preston was on every lip. snd the cries
of the struggling, dying Cugan was touch
ing all tender hearts.
pairing platforms ito get in on" that they
had no hand OF mail for Spain and no
hand Of help for Cuba In their impotency
theysaid We. couldn't do anything but ex-
tend sympathy. They took up the wall.
"Right forever on the scaffold. Wrong
forever on the throne but there was a
God in Israel and his servant came out
of the darkness and finished the Quot alton:
Yet beyond the dim unknown
Stitch God within the shallow, keeping
watch above His own
And the Republican party passed reso-
luton in those ringing words:
From the hour of achieving their own
independence, the people of the United
States have regarded with sympathy the
struggle of other American people to free
We watch with deep and abiding interest
the heroic battle of Hhe Cuban patriots
against cruelty and oppression and our
heart hopes go out for the success for
their determined contest for liberty.
The government of Spain having lost
control OF Cuba, and being unable 10 pro-
tect the property or lives of resident Ameri
can citizens or to comply with its treaty
obligations, we believe that the govern
ment of the United States should actively
use dts influence and good Office to restore
peace and independence TO the island"
Before President McKinley's term has
half expired the world stood amazed and
every American was gladdened by the
news borne TO their ears by the thunder
ing of cannon which announced our IN
paralleled naval victory and demonstrated
what the Republican party meant when it
resolved to give independence to Cuba
The war for the liberation of Cuba was
a war for lnumanity's sake and for human
ity's sake alone. was not a war for
agrandizement; not war of selfish aGnbi-
ton; but d war prompted by the Instincts
of the highest civilization. No other ma
ton had ever engaged in such a war and
no other party had ever led a nation
along such a path of self-forgetfulness.
The only instance akin to it was when
this nation went to the black mans land
of bondage and brought him out unfetter-
ed. That too, was an instance of devo-
ton to the cause of others; the great
Magma Charta and the Declaration of In
dependence will live forever but are mon
uments on which are inscribed the achiev-
ments of man in their own behalf. The
only document ever written which is fit
to be placed beside our own declaration
is Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
1t stands as a monument on which is
inscribed the story Of mans sacrifice for
others.
The Republican party was the instru-
ment in Gods hand for freeing the negro
and after a generation it has been his in
strument in freeing the Cubans.
The Republican party famed this lit
tie spark dropped by old John Brown on
Libertys altar in Kansas into such a fame
that In the white neat Of the wilderness
IL burned up the last vestige Of American
slavery and the same party kindled on
Cuban affairs the same fire untn in the
awful crucible of Santiago it consumed
the last remnant of Spanish oppression
in the Western Hemisphere.
The first step in this bright
pathway was when the Re-
publican party laid the
foundation for the splendid
navy which has brought such
great honor to the nation
and which has placed on the
very top of honor's shaft a