New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-10

washington on the one hand, and the pressing
necessities OF the situation here the other.
nave confronted the Governor General and his
chiefs with dilemma neither horn OF which
they could be expected to seize with vigor and
certainty The result has been a vaciation In
attitude which has led to many curious embar-
easements and contradictions. For day
one finds General Ludlow allowing a hold-over
Spanish official to bring suit for criminal libel
against the editor OF the English page Of La
Lucia" under the theory that the Spanish law
OF leze-ma1esry Is still extant, while on another
day one sees him forbid Spanish jailer TO put
a prisoner 'incomunicado." on the ground that
such practice is intolerable under American
rule. Doubtless the action OF the Military Gov
ernor was justified In each OF these cases. but
such paradox only shows how underlined, under
present conditions. is the policy on whose cur
rent the American administration is forced TO
drift.
PROSPECTS FOR AUTONOMY.
Some OF the American generals here in
clined to take very sanguine view OF the prog
ress made toward native autonomy since Janu-
airy i; and they are urging immediate prepare
tons for a census and other steps which will
hasten the election Of a representative Assem-
bly,. But though June was some time ago set
as the probable date Of the popular elections.
conditions now point TO postponement of the
experiment of native constitution making until
next fall or next wn<er. At present the Cuban
people are far from ripe for the assumption OF
any real political responsibility. The failure Of
01SDand blocked
10 &ny Tree and wholesome political action. For
II the army leaders retain their following
intact and are left with clear field they
sure to play controlling part in the elections
and in the new constituent Assembly. The
break between Gomez and the Assembly has
lessened the danger Of purely military ascen-
dency In the government
But though the revolutionary party has been
split in two and the army hopelessly divided by
the rupture at Cerro, fresh party lines have not
had time to form. and native politics is left in
a state of most unstable equilibrium. Efforts
have been made in Havana to organize a
Cuban National party. with purely patriotic
aims. But far little impression has been
made on the masses by the so-called Nation
alists For the masses very little for polit-
cal distractions and a great deal for personal
leadership, and their present idol on any polit-
cal platform he may please to choose is Maxi
mo Gomez, the man on horseback" whose
nod the whole scheme of autonomy seems now
to wait But Gomez is old. foreigner, and ap-
parently not greatly inclined TO risk heading the
new government II its base is to be laid in popu-
lar suffrage and not. after the usual Spanish
American custom. in military power. Nor Is
universal suffrage. under the conditions Of g-
norance and restitution, OF industrial stagnation
and rural disorder which prevail in Cuba. likely
TO commend itself as the surest basis Of that
stable form Of government" which the United
States is under moral obligations to see set up
here.
If Cuba is to be even remotely Amerlcanlzed,
and the political order established here is to be
either stable or permanent abandonment in
and out of Congress of the hand -to-mouth policy
of occupation is absolutely essential The re-
peal of the Foraker amendment should be the
first step toward a broader recognition Of Ameri-
can obligations and responsibilities in Cuba
That amendment had. no doubt laudable OBJ
Ject-to prevent any reckless or scandalous
speculation in Cuban franchises But by stop-
ping all public and municipal improvements and
thwarting all internal development II has en-
tailed far graver evils and embarrassments than
II sought TO cure. Moreover. II franchises are to
be issued TO American and foreign bidders,
would it not be far more advantageous TO the
Cuban people to have them granted now under
the intelligent and watchful supervision Of the
American military authorities than to commit
their distribution 10 the first inexperienced and
overburdened native government which may
come into power?
AMERICAN CAPITAL NEEDED
The repeal of the Foraker provso would be
the signal for influx OF capital into Cuba for
a reconstruction Of the insular railway system.
for the exploitation of the sugar and tobacco
industries, for the initiation Of internal i'm
provements Of every sort, and the revival OF
agriculture and commerce thus effected would
easily restore the political conditions under
which orderly and responsible civil government
is possible. The construction in Havana Of a
modern system of sewerage and sanitation
would perhaps do more 10 promote stable and
permanent government than ten years Of mill
tary occupation on the hand -to-mouth plan. For
with the subtle terror Of yellow fever and other
infections banshed and free intercourse with
the United States restored for twelve instead
of five months out OF every year. the extraor-
binary opportunities offered here 10 business en-
terprise would so Americanize the island that
government the traditional Spanish Ameri-
lines would find neither tolerance nor ex-
cuse. For this benefcent influx OF capital and
energy Cuba possibly walt. The island is
rich: it's people docile and patient. The
more substantial classes. too. satisfied with
conditions they are. and are by no means
eager TO begin the experiment Of selfgovern-
ment. But the purely negative policy enforced
by Congress the military administration here
does not seem to meet the real requirements OF
the situation. What has been accomplished so
far in Cuba has been accomplished rather in
contraventon of its spirit than through any
virtue in it. II IL is solving the problems Of the
present occupation. the process Is not apparent;
and until its restrictions lifted. Cubas prog
ress toward the goal Of stable. settled. autono-
nous form Of government is likely to be disap-
pointingly slow. W. L. MP.
THE RACE ISSUE ~ BALTIMORE.