Arizona republican., 1899-04-15
PHOENIX. APRIL IS. 'see.
A DISTURBING QUESTION.

The results of American rule IN CUBA
and Porto Rico have thus far been
wonderful. Mr.. Franklin Matthews, the
special correspondent of Harper's
Weekly. who has recently visited the
central and southern parts CT CUBA,
and is now telling his story, presents
it in such a way as to cause that Jour-
nal to declare it is within bounds IN
saving that never before has there been
narrated the history of such a sudden
change in the methods and character of
a government. Mr.. Matthews oe-
scribes the Transformation in this old,
Spain-ridden island as being as rapid
and complete as if 1T were the work of
a magician's wand. The change is
from the most absolute and universal
corruption, ignorance and incompe-
tence to invariable honesty, efficiency
and success 1t covers everything IN
the department of Jurisprudence, poll
tics. trade and municipal regulation.
The people of Havana are delighted
with the reforms which they at first re-
garded with distrust. They are
astounded at the benefits which few
months of honest and at the same time
energetic government have brought TO
the island This condition of affairs,
however, raises a question of the near
future which cannot be faced without
rnisgiving This marvellous change
has come under military rule. 1t
shows that General Ludlow in Havana,
and Generals WoGd, Wilson and Davis
i'm the provinces, are, as Mr.. Matthews
says, 'tperforming their new duties
with energy and intelligence" and that
'sthey know more about the people
within their several jurisdictions than
was known by all the Spanish officials
in all the centuries during which Spain
has ruled in Cuba together" The per-
turbing question is, whether this happy
condition of affairs can be continued
when Cuba and Porto Rico are no
longer governed by the military arm
Of the United States, but are turned
over to the rule of the American poll
tician and place-hunter. AS for Cuba,
we may possibly be able to maintain
the present condition as long as we
hold that island simply as a protector
ate But it cannot under our system
of government be long maintained in
Porto Rico, which is now our property.
Herper's Weekly says in discussing
this subject:
"This, however, is not the rule of the
American politician. It is not a gov
eminent carried on under the author
ity of congress, and by agents ap
pointed by the president on the recon-
mendation of senators and representa-
tives. These officers are not boys"
and strikers who have been sent to
Cuba to reward them for services done
to the party, but officers of the United
States army who are exercising arbi-
trary power, and who are doing their
duty and performing their tasks after
their honorable and praiseworthy man
ner. They are showing us what we all
know, perhaps, that the honest and
capable American citizen is fitted for
any responsibility that may be thrust
upon him. There is no doubt that We
have among our seventy millions of
people many thousands of men who are
quite able to carry on colonial gov
eminent as these army officers are car
rying it on. They are the kind of men
who are made presidents of railroads
and other great industrial enterprises,
and who are put at the head of large
financial and trust companies. But,
being that kind CT men, they desire and
command large salaries, much larger
than the government pays to any of its
servants except the president. They
also insist on and obtain fixed or per-
n1anent tenure of Office at least during
good behavior. They are not the
kind of men who are in need of small
four year JOBS, like many Of the men
whom OUR presidents appoint as con-
suls. Therefore, if We are to keep up
the excellent work now in progress in
Cuba, and presumably inPorto Rico, we
must either maintain the soldiers and
their arbitrary authority, or adopt a
system which shall give to our colo
NAL possessions, if we are to keep
them, the services of American citi-
zens who are capable Of carrying ON
those distant governments in manner
that will benefit their people and reflect
credit en- the mother republic.
Ay, there's the rub. We have, 10
doubt, plenty of civilians among our
people who could govern Cuba or Porto
Rico as wall as our military comman-
ders are doing it. But the presentation
Of the case by Harper's Weekly shows
how almost hopeless it is to expect to
get them at the price current for such
services Have we ever as a rule, got
them at home? If not who will sug-
gest a pan by which the needed ma
terial can Es secured for our new pos
sessions and dependencies?