Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-09
THURSDAY. ..........M MARCH 9, 1899.
pIck,>Gs AND IMPERIALISM.

In the expiring hours of Congress there
was pinned TO the army appropriation bill
and adopted. a little amendment which
provides that no franchises or conces-
sions OF any kind whatever shall be
granted by the United states OF by any
military or other authority whatever i'm
the Island Of Cuba during the occupation
thereof by the United States.
And thereby hangs a tale. The amend
ment was offered by Senator Foraker,
and the opposition to il was led by Mark
Hanna. We have no fondness for Mr..
Foraker. but. as compared with Hanna.
he is Hyperion to a satyr. and i'm this
particular instance he rose perhaps to a
higher plane than he had ever before
reached on any public question. He not
pnly blocked, in part. at least, a nice
little game Of the administration ring.
but threw a big obstacle in the way of
bringing about conditions in Cuba that
could be worked i'm the interest of n vio-
lation Of our pledge regarding the island.
In order. however. TO a clear under
standing of the significance Of Mr..
Foraker's amendment. we must indulge
In a little retrospection. Some time ago.
1t will be remembered. the President APP
pointed a board TO visit Cuba and Porto
Rico. and report to the Secretary Of War
pn questions concerning the judiciary,
the assessment and collection Of taxes.
Die granting of patents. the sale or gift
e franchises, either local or interpro-
tncial. railway grants. stroet-car line
G, ncessions. electric-l,sht and other
i1unicipal monopolies. etc. General Ken
nedy. of Ohio. was made president Of the
tOarl. and he has reported. among other
things. that very many applications for
grants. franchises. and concessions were
referred to it by Secretary Alger and AS
notwithstanding Meiklejohn, and that
not a few requests were made by appli-
cants in person. Now, when this is con-
sidered in connection with Hanna's vio-
lent opposition 10 the amendment and
General Kennedy's further statement
hat it was decided that nothing would
be done with any of these applications UNI
iii the board had gone over the ground
and carefully looked into the advantages
UT Ql~SduNtnldEtS VI fdiIt inc tblltlu-
zion is obvious. 1t Is that the administra-
ton designed parcelling out the fran
chises In Cuba in a manner that would
Go the Republican party the most good,
and at the same time pave the way for
The annexation of Cuba. Mr.. Foraker
said. truly, tina II that kline Of pro-
rramme was carried out IL would mean
that the United States would not get out
OF cuba In a hundred years. lie might
have said. with equal truth, that il would
mean that the United States would never
get out Of Cuba
oh. YES. Mr.. Foraker blocked a nice
little game of the administration ring, so
Tar as Cuba is concerned. But the ring
need not be utterly east down. There Is
sim room n other directions for the
President TO grant concessions OF inde-
Unite scope 10 the favored few, and Work
the franchise scheme for the consumma-
ton Of his imperialistic policy. The
Foraker amendment says nothing about
Porto Rico and the Philippines. In the
former. our permanent occupation of
which seems to be a generally accepted
fact. there are rich pickings for the
favorites. In the Philippines there are
richer pickings. and what with the
power and the patronage the President
has under the army bill. and the interests
he will be able To subserve by distribut-
ing franchises in the islands. he Will
be able TO increase immensely the in
iluences" I'm favor OF annexation.