The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-08-29

How the south would suner ny Ans
~ncxatfOu

How the south Would Suner ny Ans
ncxatton
CNew Orleans Times-Democrat)
The following passage from the SUI
Tragic Universal, Of Havana, which
contains reasoning good enough for a
casuit. represents q Cuban policy OF
annexation Of the most advanced type;
When the United States government,
says this organ OF absorption, makes
Cuba a state OF the American Union,
then will be fulfilled the solemn promise
that the Cuban people ought to be free
and independent This would be IN &C
cordance with the American constitu-
ton. under which each state OF the
union Is. with respect to its own AZ
fairs. independent OF the others"
1t would hardly be necessary to
waste time In showing that when the
United States registered "A solemn
promise that IL would grant ~independ-
ence TO Cuba. 1t did not mean the kind
OF independence which each state OF
the union has in managing its own
domestic affairs; IL meant total and
complete political separation of Cuba
from the United States. Cuba manag-
ing her own affairs. domestic and for
eign. Just as the United States a
ages its own affairs. domestic and for
eign.
But. from the passage quoted, II will
be seen that the a~nnexationist is at
work. as well in Cuba as in the United
States: and that he Is, there as here.
not very particular as to the nature
and character of the argument which
he uses with a view TO furthering the
absorption OF the island by the United
States.
Labor throughout the United States,
and more especially here in the south.
will oppose by all means
in its power; for everybody VIII see
that. II ever Cuba be annexed TO the
United States, than Cubans VIII be-
come American citizens and VIII be
! free to come and go as they please.
The great labor market OF this country
will be a far more inviting field to the
Cuban workers than their own Island
will be; and what we are sure 10 find,
as a sequel TO annexation, is that there
will be a nearly general exodus OF the
inferior grades of Cuban labor into
this country. on the supposition that
the population OF Cuba mounts TO
i. 200. 600, and that one-half OF these are
negroes, there will be, almost certain
! ly, an influx of 800. 900 to 400, 900 negroes
sfrom Cuba into this ant 1t is
equally certain that they will locat in
! great numbers here in the south; for
it is in the south that they will most
!, probably set foot on American soil; in
the south they will strike the semi
tropical climate to which they have
been accustomed. and in the south
they will meet with people of their own
race, with whom they will readily fra
| terniZe.
! The labor market ~ the United states
is already overstocked; and IL would
be to undersell or to take the bread
| out OF the mouths OF our own laborers
! to allow the importation of several
| hundreds of thousands OF laborers from
the nearby island. The south has an
| especial reason Of its own for oppos-
ing such an importation. We have more
of the inferior race now on our hands
than we know what TO do with: and it
! would be oppression on the part OF
| the government to addle Us with near
ly half a million more OF the same race
to please the annexationist crowd
who merely want TO carpetbag and
otherwise exploit the island for their
own advantage.
An article in the current number OF
! Harper's Weekly, written apparently
with President McKinley's sanction.
lets us into the secret which had not
previously been disclosed-that the
president is strongly in favor OF re-
tanning the Philippines. THE presi-
dent says the article, believes that
we should keep the islands. This TO
him is inevitable. He does not want us
to leave the islands He thinks that we
should he there so as not only not 10
abandon our responsibilities, but that
our action "Ould be a confessi0~
weakness, which would make us an OBJ
! ject of derision among Europeans, etc"
{ There would be no confession OF
weakness, but rather an admission OF
justice. in our abandonment of the
philippines; and as to the possibility
Of our being derided among Europe
ans, what American worthy Of the
name cares a red cent for either the
approval or disapproval OF Europeans
when oar own ideas OF doing what is
right n avoiding what is wrong are
concerned? But, this aside the annex
alton of the Philippines would be an
UNNECESSARILY greater blow to labor
In this country than the annexation OF
cuba would be. The inhabitants of the
philippines would become American
citizens ipso facto OF the %nnexatio
OF their archipelago. And as there are
supposed to be some 10, 600, 900 OF them,
the possibility of an invasion OF the
United States, then their own country.
by several millions OF them would be
anything but an attractive prospect.
They would reduce the labor conditions
IN the United States to the conditions
that prevail in China, where men labor
FOR less than 10 cents a day.
1t seems to us that the laboring ele-
ments in his country are not keenly
enough alive to the ruin that would
accompany an invasion of several mill
ions OF Maylays, or they would be
more vigorously outspoken against the
! suggested ~nnexation.