The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-01
PLANNING FoR cnRA.

Certain correspondents tell us that
the president and his cabinet have sub
stantially agreed upon form of gov
eminent for Cuba, and that it will DE
proposed in the annual message to CON
gress next December, provided, of
course, nothing interveues to make a
/ change of policy necessary. In general
the plan is substitution of civil gov
eminent for the military as soon as CON
| gress grants the president the neces-
sary powers. He will then appoint a
civil governor and chief justice, and
turn over to the CuDaps all the munich
pal offices as well as the post office and
| the customs establishment. The pres
ident would also need to have authority
to grant much broader tariff conces-
sions than now, and there are other de-
tails to be attended to.
This sketch may be enough to give an
idea of the radical change that is in
contemplation. The intent, it is said.
is to put an end to military rule at the
earliest possible moment, and much
sooner than the Cubans have supposed
it would be done. Our right to author
ity over the island is so shadowy and
indefinite as to be nothing, unless we
are suddenly to assume that the island
is ours by right of conquest, which the
DRY has never been advanced. All
thought Of annexation is to be put away
until the Cubans have been set upon
their feet as a self governing people;
after that has been accomplished the
time may be ripe to agitate for annex
alton, both in the United States and in
Cuba.
Whether the civil governor and chief
justice will be Americans or Cubans the
dispatches do not say, but a natural
presumption would be that Americans
viii not Immediately abandon all off,
cial interest in the island, for the ad-
vice of experienced executives and iu
rists will be essential both to the Gu
bans and to ourselves. 1t is clearly
time to think seriously about the WITH
drawal of the army, for affairs in the
island seem to have become renarka-
bly, quiet, and it may be questioned
whether anything would be gained by
waiting. Even at the earliest, some
thing like, year must elapse before
the necessary legislation can be got
through congress and the Cuban plan
matured for practical operation, and
that would make our military occupa-
ton equivalent to about two years.
The Boston Herald, which now seems
to excel the government in it's desire for
expansion, argues that no time should
be wasted in schooling the Cubans in
the art Of lf-government, and adj
visas entering at once into propagan-
da for annexation. But there is an OBJ
vious disadvantage in doing this. If
Cuba is to be annexed, it should not be
possible to say that we forced her con-
sent at the point of the bayonet In
other words, when the Cubans express
their desire for annexation, they should
do so through civil government, and
not while the only recognized authority
in the island is exclusively military.
1t is too early to say what the plans
of the administration are, but it should
be quite possible tc establish a civil
government granting liberal participa-
ton to the natives, and still leave
enough of the American element in it
to make it effective and strong. Then
If Cuba can be made to see the advan-
tages of anne yation (and the sentiment
is evidently growing), no reproach can
be cast upon the United States If an
naxation is effected. The correspond
ents referred to at the beginning of this
article say In substance that this is the
policy now in contemplation. Can we
honorably give less than that?