The copper country evening news., 1898-03-16
PROSPERITY FOR CUBA.
What Will Follow the Restora-
tion Of Peace.
A ROSY VISION OF THE FUTURE.

President Feels Relieved by the Action
OF congress-secretary Aiger and the
Kiondike Relief Expedition-story OF =
Parvenu Congressman.
WASHINGTON, March 1e.-[Special. +
| Already there Is speculation as to what
will happen In Cuba In case the rule Of
Spain in that island comes to an end or
| the power of the United States Is thrown
over the colony In such way as to assure
permaneDcy Of peace Men who know
| Cuba from one end to the other tell me In
their opinion the island will enjoy period
OF prosperity such as it never saw before.
The rehabilitation will be among the mar
vels Of the world for swiftness and COM
pleteness. 1t is well known that Cuba is
| rich in soil and resources. All the world
stands ready to buy her tobacco and her
sugar, her coffee and her woods. Given
an enlightened and settled government
given security for capital and business
md Cuba would attract the enterprising
and speculative young men from all over
the world. Property now worthless or
nearly so, because overrun with weeds In
that luxuriant semitropical cline, with its
buildings In ruin and its people scattered
or dead, would be made to blossom as the
rose. Many thousands of men would 90
out from the United States to take share
In the work of rehabilitation, to invest
their capital to give the island the bless
ing Of American thrift and practicality.
There Is hope for the Cubans who yet live,
as they appear to be upon the dawn of bet
ter times.
President's Interest In Cuba.
President Mckinley, says q member of
the cabinet who knows whereof he speaks,
has not gone to bed one night in the last
three or four months without taking the
question Of Cuba along with him. 1t Is
the one question which has absorbed his
energies and his thought. After the wreck
of the Maine the president was for q cou-
pie OF weeks unable to sleep we'll. The re-
sponsibility resting upon him worried him
and led him to fight 1t all out on his pill
low. His health did not suffer seriously,
but he became noticeably paler and more
nervous. The strain, the long hours dur
ing which it was impossible to shake of
thought and speculation and that weigh
Ing of every circumstance and considera-
tion which conscientious man finds un-
avoidable under such conditions, had their
natural effect. But this has now to
large extent worn away. Since the presi-
dent perceived the splendid manner In
which the American people were standing
by him, without dissenting voice In con-
gress, and with jingoism and conservatism
all coming to the same level Of patriotism,
he has slept better and felt more confidence
In the future and in himself.
Compared with the conscentiousness
and hard work of the president of the
United States want to point out to-you
tnc IL % ~
much Importance, and under the circum-
stances do not feel at liberty to give the
gentleman s name, though l am strongly
tempted to do so. He is a representative
in congress from northern state. He
was appointed by Speaker Reed member
Of one of the most important committees
Of the house. This committeehas been at
work nearly all winter upon scheme OF
legislation which the country evinced
great interest in and which would have
been of vital consequence to the nation had
not the foreign complications eclipsed 1t.
Yet the committee has never once been
able to secure the attendance of this MEM
ber. He has been sent for a dozen times
and has been urged to take his place, but
has never appeared. His fellow commit
teemen do not know what his views are;
they do not know him by sight, some of
them. The man spends most of his time
playing poker and carousiDg around, and
he doesn't care a rap whether there Is any
legislation or not. Indeed it takes all
kinds of men to make up world.
Klondike Relief Expedition.
Some of the newspapers have tried to
criticise Secretary Alger for plunging into
the Klondike relief expedition and spend
ing so much OF the public money therein.
But these criticisms are In very poor taste.
1t Is true that at the time the secretary
asked congress for the appropriation and
gave the orders for buying the reindeer In
Norway there were many well informed
men Who thought relief was not needed by
the miners and that they could take care
of themselves. 1t will be remembered
that took the same view In these dis
patches after a careful study of the situa-
tion. But there was no certainty that this
view was correct. 1t might turn out, aft
er all, that thousands of miners would
starve If relief were not sent in by the
government. Secretary Alger simply act
ed upon the theory that as long as doubt
remained 1t would be almost criminal of
the government to neglect every possible
precaution. He acted wisely and humane
ly, and criticism of him in this connection
which believes the American government
should stand by American citizens, wher-
ever they are, whether In foreign land
or faraway Alaska, will praise rather than
condemn the secretary for his foresight.
Besides, it is likely to turn out a good
investment. Not much money has actual
ly been lost The herd of 500 reindeer i'm
ported from LaplaDd by special steamer
are worth every cent they cost Alaska
needs reindeer, and the more Of them there
the better. The day will come when they
may be worth their weight in gold In saw
ing human life Moreover, the 500 ami
mails could now be sold at about what 1t
cost the government to place them I'm low
er Alaska. The war department has an
offer Of 800 apiece for herd of 600, and
the cost was between $50 and 500 each, ev-
erytbing reckoned in.
Next Door TO Vanderbilt.
have heard funny story OF a rich
western congressman. He has lot Of
money, a charming family, and he wanted
TO cut u dash in Washington. So he hit