Arizona republican., 1899-09-17
CUBAN PROBLEM
if Demands inc Closest Study
 of inc Administration.
Our Relation 10 fhe Island Almost Without Parallel in inc His tory of Dependent Cove rnmeOfS. Like England and Egypt.

able example of the way public inter- est moves in waves, first one question
 and then another attracting attention,
 is afforded by the small space now
 given fn the newspapers to Cuban af-
 fairs The Philippines are completely
 filling the stage. A few months ago,
 during the war with Spain, and for a year or two before that, Cuba was the
 place outside our own territorial
 were principally turned. The newspa-
 per correspondents have practically all
 deserted Havana. Cuba is almost an
 old story except in administration cir
 cles. The president and his advisers s
 still find in Cuban affairs a great deal
 that demands their closest study. The
 relation Of the United States to Cuba
 is almost without a parallel in the his
 tory of dependent governments The
 relation of England to Egypt was orig
 inally somewhat like our pressnt re-
 lation to Cuba, and perhaps our rela- tion may develop in the same way.
 But at present the administration re-
 gards Cuba as on a totally different
 basis from Porto Rico, Hawaii or the Philippines. These are all dependen- cies. Cuba is not This government is
 bound by the Teller resolution and by the, treaty of peace to establish an in dependent government in Cuba, and then if the people Of that island Of their own free will desire annexation to the United States that is another matter. The American people might be asked to have something to say i. regard toit. But-dt rreseat AEr. Mo Kinley feels that ha is not justified in assuming Gnything more than that the American policy is to try to prepare Cuba for self-government, and this may be interpreted as including inde- pendence if the people of the island wanted it.
 While this is the fundamental theory upon which the administration is acting. it is deeply impressed with the necessity Of proceeding with very great deliberation. The task cf set ting up an independent CT autonomous government in Cuba will not be easy. This is quite apparent from the re- ports coming in. The races there do not mix well. The Spaniards hate the Cubans and the Cubans the Spaniards; the Cubans are, moreover, divided be- tween the au.Oncmists, those who were willing to accept Blanco's auton- omy scheme, and the radicals, whose 5ympathitieS were with the Cuban army. Almost anything which the United States might do now toward advancing local government there would be interpreted as benefting one race or the ether in this struggle. and which is constantly going on. It is hoped that in time the different ele- nents of the population will realize ] hat they have a common interest, ! ind so be more easy to take care of. i At present the jealousies and anImosi- ! ,1es Of the War are too fresh in the ] popular mind. When the time comes O act, Icca1 government will probably | ,e introduced by degrees Municipal | autonomy, many of the presidents i pest advisers say, should come first. | might then, after it las been found successful in the cit { es, be made applicable to the prov nces-some provinces will be ready
 arlier than others, perhaps-and astly an autonomist government night be given to the island at large That this will be the logical course is indicated by the fact that most of the ulture and property interests are entered in the city. With a suita-
 le limitation of the suffrage, and 'retty severe one, it would be possible o get an electorate which would be
 ble to manage municipal affairs pret- y well.
 The Limitation of the suffrage. if doptsd, will doubtless be property nd educational. The property quail
 cation, many persons argue, should e based upon the possession of land ather than the amount of income, for uban incomes are likely to be pretty ] mall for many years to come A 1 loderate-sized enc. however, might be ( ffered as an alternative in place Of ] anded possessions Such restric- ons, property and educational, would ave within the limits of citizenship 1e better classes of Cubans and Span $ irds. They would shut out the ne and hn oE s,aI, ,5 l ants Of the country A certain per 7ntage of the Cuban army, perhaps J ne-fouEth upon a reasonable test,
 ould come within the suffrage lines. is not the belief Of the presidents dVisers just now that it would be l fife to go much further than this in t the suffrage upon which i