The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1899-06-17
COMMERCIALLY FINANCIALLY AND
INDUsTRIALLY CONSIDERED. i

- The American Negro as a savior
-Characteristics of LabOrers-
Sanitary Conditions and Prob-
- lems for Our Engineers.
Soon after the signing Of the protocol OF
peace, Aug. ~, 1898, the Hon. Robert y.
Porter was sent by President Mckinley
as a special commissioner for the United
States to investigate and report upon the
industrial, commercial and financial con
dition of Cuba. ~ ~
Co. The result of these official inMestiga-
tions he is nov about to make public in
a book entitled Industrial Cuba" &C. p.
Putnam.s Sons), handsomely printed and
bound and enbellished with a large NUM-
der of photographers.
Mr.. Porter, on his arrival, found Cuba
In ,deplorable condition. Never, he tells
us, had the desolating hand of war been
laid more heavily upon a. once prosperous
country. Nearly a third of the population
had been wiped out by battle, by whole
sale slaughter, by starvation, exposure or
disease. A large number of the survivors
were so enfeebled by deprivation as to be
una,hlesto resume their occupations. Corn
fields and tobacco plantations which had
formed the bases of insular prosperity
had been burned and destroyed, whole
sections Of country swept of every yestige
of civilization. Where once innumeTable
cattle had browsed not a single living
creature was to be seen. Death, destruc.
tion and desolation were spread through
out region that should, and under ordin-
airy circumstances would, be as full of life
and prosperity as the richest agricultural
section of our own country.
Nor were the cities and towns EXEMPTED.
Trade and commerce were at standstill.
The few public manufactures, which, at
their best, had found it hard to make
Roadway against adverse conditions, were
now ruined and closed. In Havana the
-wharVas and warehouses were empty or
converted into hospitals +, and meeting
places for Spanish troops. Hungry and
discouraged the native population stood
listlesSly in streets and public placesj
Trains at the railroad stations were board!
ed by half starved women and childrenI
clanlorous for bread or for coppers. The
principal evidences of life were furnished
by the Spanish soldiers. With their blue
cotton uniforms and Mauser rifles they
seemed to constitute the bulk of the (p9oi
urlation in the cities. In the villages
squads of Woebegone soldiers around the
blockhouses presented the only living re,
lief to miles of waste. Along the railway
lines stations were burned, bridges de-
stroyed, tracks torn up freight cars con-
verted into portable blockhouSes, and lo7
comotves blown to pieces.
I'm short" to quote from Mr.. sPorter's
book, "a country more Systematically pill
laged, more UNANIMOUSLY deprived of it's re-
sources, more Wantony plundereh OF its
revenues, and a population more COM
pletely deprived of it's rights by those who,
had every reason to foster and protect al
valuable possession cannot be found re-
corded in ancient or modern times. Cuba,
as it was left ait the close Of this year by
the Spanish, who to the last moment,
seemed loath to leave the emaciated body
which their inoTdinate greed had thus re-
duced, preSeItc a picture so sad and sor-
rowful that for the sake of our common
humanity it is better to draw a curtain
over the past and direct attention to the
happier omens which point to the pos
sibllities of the future"
Those possibilities are In the keeping of
the United States Whatever form the
government Of Cuba may eventually as
sumo, the responsibility for the CONNER,
cial and Industrial rehabilitation of the
island must rest with us. The power that
forced the Spanish to eWacuate the island
is the power which the world will hold
responsible for the future welfare Of it's
people. Ee.s
There cannot be said to exist in Cuba
any we'll defined scheme of political or
ganization on which any large number of
Cubans can meet. The only really unan-
Q11lOuS I6Sll1lE is 'LIldL- rliUtIly, Ill d1l the
legitimate meanings of the world, is neces-
sary. The actual situation Mr. Porter
compares to a legal anarchy, for there is
no supreme authority. "How to discuss
and establish any political laws in the
midst of this existing legal anarchy and
complete lack or political experience is
the question confronting the United States
government. This situation and many
other conditions that are the natural con-
sequences of the last events point out
the, necessity of forming professionally a
strong government in Cuba under the
guidance and protection of the United
States. Under such protection the work
of rebuilding the Industries destroyed and
of once more making productive the
fields burned and the plantations disman-
tied and devastated could be carried on,
and in no other way"
In a general way 1T may be said that
public opinion in Cuba is divided into
three classes:
First-Those who favor immediate and
absolute independence.
Second-Those who favor independence
under an American protectorate.
Third-ThoSe who favor annexation
more or less Immediate.
Mr.. Porter reports that In commercial
and business circles, with which he was
naturally thrown much in contact, he
found the desire for annexation was
strongest and uppermost. Those who have
property, those engaged in Industrial pur.
suits, those carrying on commerce, those
interested in affairs, regardless OF ma.
tiomality, see the greatest future for Cuba
In ultimate annexation; to- the United
States and openly advocate that policy
There are others who advocate annexa
ton on grounds Of sentiment, and who
take the stand that the degree of rea
freedom enjoyed by state Of the Re
public Is greater and the advantages fal
IN excess OF those likely to accrue to tn,
mixed. population Of Cuba by the estab
2shment Of any sort of independent gov
eCnment."
The marquis Of Apezteguia, who wa,
the head Of the conservative party II
opinion His is the view Of the conquere,
Spaniard in Cuba. The marquis is indee,
@ Cuban born, but his sympathies are al
with Spain. His interests, however, ar
MI bound up In: Cuba II Cuba once NOR
chromosomes, pne marquis Will oeceme TIC
again. If 1t does not. hig large forum
disappear and he will be left PENN
less. He believes in conquest, not in ar
nexation. 1t would be impossible, he toll
Mr.. Porter, for the United States to ak
.sorbs Cuba An American who realizest TIL
4aDest interests OF his owns country ehoul
Il lin his opinion oppose annexation, il CT
this ground alone. You must create q,
imperialistic policy, said the marquis !
substance; not recognized by the fedora
constitution. You must maintalh Ameri
can ascendancy at any cost In order t
do your duty toward the people of Cub
and the people of the world. Cuba mus
for all time to come be American ter
ritory. It is only by policy Of this ssort
the marquis thinks, that we shall sue
\,