The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-25
THE PARAMOUNT ISSUE,


Is the administrations management of
affairs in Cuba to be the paramount is
sue in the presidential campaign? There
are indications that it will. 1t is over
shadowing everything else at present. The
Republican senators are making extraor-
binary efforts to shield the admins trat ton
on Wednesday Senators Spooner and
PIatt made notable speeches excus ng and
defending the President and his cabinet
for the frauds and extravagances which
have been discovered in Cuba
IL may be as claimed by these senators
that the administration is doing all 1t
can to discover the guilty parties and to
bring them 20 justice. 1t is responsible,
however, for the men who committed the
frauds and permitted the public money to
be wasted The President appointed men
that politicians of his party wanted APP
pointed. These politicians had but one OBJ
ject in view. namely, to discharge their
political debts. The result was that many
unfit men got into the public service in
Cuba. The President may excuse himself
by saying thai he di1 the best he could
less is that he was over anxious to please
the mon who will be influential in their
respective localities in the management of
the presidential campaign for his party.
in connection with these frauds in Cuba
comes up the question as 10 when that
island is to be turned over to its people
Senator Hale a Republican brought this
question into prominence on the floor of
the Senate on Wednesday. He gave voice
10 the suspicion that Cuba is never to be
turned over to the Cubans He said that
there were great interests in New York
which were working to have this country
retain possession of the island, notwith-
standing the solemn declaration Of Con-
gress that Cubans should have their in
dependence. Speaking for himself. he said
that he would vote to turn the island
over to it's people at once
There is no doubt a widespread belief
that the United States will never let go
their hold on Cuba. 1t is probable, how
ever, that this belief has nothing more
substantial to rest upon than that IT
would be to the interest of Cuba to be-
come a part of this country No doubt
there are parties in New York, and per-
haps in other cities, that are scheming,
for money making purposes, to have the
United States retain possession Of the is
land. Their scheming, however will not
be successful. Congress has declared that
the Cubans shall have their own govern
ment. and the people would condemn the
party which should attempt to defeat
that declaration. There is only one way
for Cuba to become part of this country
at this time, and that is for the great
majority of her people to ask to be an
nexed. There is no probability that they
will do that. If they should make a fail
ure Of self-government they might ask for
annexation, but that is long way in the
future
1t has been the understanding that the
administration was preparing the way for
the Cubans to take control of their own
affairs. The municipal elections to be fol-
lowed by the election of an assembly were
thought to be part of the plan for es-
tablishing a home government. The ad-
ministration's plan for establishing self
government may be a good one but it is
evident that it has been influenced to too
great an extent by party politics in select
ing its agents for carrying out its plan. It's
agents have destroyed confidence in its
ability to deal with the Cuban situation
successfully. Even Republican senators
are anxious for the United States to wit
draw from Cuba at once
Ii will be argued that If affairs In Cuba
are so corruply administered by Repub-
lican officials, what may reasonably be
expected Of Republican administration of
affai in the Philippines. 1t can be seen
therefore that the extravaganza and
frauds in our insular possession could cas-
lily be made the paramount issue in the
PRESIDENTIAL campaign