The record-union., 1899-11-14
CUBAN DESTINY.

There is much debate in the press and
among the essayists at this time re-
garding the destiny of Cuba There
need be no concern felt about it if
the island remains sufficient time I'M
der the fostering care and safe protec-
ton of the American Government.
While for ninety years the i'll concealed
policy of this Government has been to
acquire Cuba and Porto Rico, and such
has been the openly expressed wish Of
Presidents. Cabinets, Secretaries. and
leading statesmen of the nation, we can
safely conclude that so far as Cuba is
now concerned-Porto Rico already be-
ing ours-that the dream of annexing
Cuba has passed forever, except the
ing on the part of her people. Our
pledge is given and cannot under any
circumstances be violated; that we will
not seize Cuba, not force annexation
upon her. but will enable her people to
establish a stable free government indie
pendent ana holden to none.
Our occupation for that purpose may
be somewhat extended. Indeed, we do
not look upon it to end for four or five
years, at shortest-everything is de-
pendent upon the progress made by the
people. At present such advance as is
going on far exceeds expectation. The
Cubans are waking to realization of the
fact that they have been living under
a system sluggish, unprogressive and
uneconomic, aside from the expressions
and domination of Spain. They are
beginning to understand what an
American system means. In the single
line of sanitation they have had a most
remarkable experience of late, the
American methods of securing public
cleanliness having resulted in SO short
a time as twelve months, in saving the
chief cities and most of the island from
scourging by yellow fever that had
come to be expected as an inevitable
affection and. against which the arts
or man could not prevail. CONNER
cially and financially the conditions in
Cuba are to-day greatly better than
they were under later Spanish rule
that is, better for the Cubans. and the
promise in these directions is full of
high hope.
There Is a class of writer's and Jour
mails disconnected with the assurance
that the Government will respect the
obligations of the treaty with Spain.
who are constantly preaching that the
manifest destiny of Cuba is annexa-
ton; hence, they argue, it is no sin to
hasten what must be, and that if we
do not add to the momentum of the
inevitable and permit the Cubans to
essay free government, the island will
relapse into anarchy
The national heart of America does
not beat responsive to such reasoning.
1t does distrust the present capacity
OF the Cubans to maintain a competent
and stable government, but it will in
sisI that the covenant we made shall
be kept inviolate, and that while we
may postpone the time considerably
when we can afford to remove the
guiding and controlling hand, we will
give the Cubans fair opportunity to de-
velop a capacity for self government
and establish free institutions. But
while such is the thought of the great
mass of the people of the United States
and the bounden duty of our Govern
ment, the observer cannot close his eyes
to the fact that there are on foot and
actively at work powerful influences
to compass the annexation of the ISL
and, if need be by force.
few of these radical influences
spring out of sincere convictions of men
who believe that it is the destiny of
Cupa to fall to the United States, and
that the sooner it is accomplished the
sooner will be realized that which the
foremost statesmen of the nation for
more than a half century have desired
Not only desired, but held to be ius-
tifiable because of geographic condi-
tons and the protection of our own
interests.
But the great body of influence ex
erted to bring about annexation. wheth
Ct the Cubans ask it or not, comes
from those who have selfish interests
TO promote, imagining that the war was
waged for their benefit, because they
represent commercial and trade inter-
ests. But these, as we have said. will
not prevail The sentiment of the ma
ton runs abreast with keeping faith
with the Cuban people and that we will
DO whether it cuts short some CONNER
cial gains or not.
IN LUZON.