The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-06
ABSORBING CUBA.

II President Mckinley will only appoint
enough commissions and such bodies FOR
the consideration of one or other phase
of our great imperialist policy, he viii In
time have gathered together a strong
staff of official adhesents from al ever tho
country, who. il not by what they know.
at least by force of what they represent
in the various communities from which
they come. may aid materially in the
work OF trying to stem the current of
popular indignation which has already set
In the direction of the White house and
its present occupant.
All the men thus far appointed to such
sinecures have developed into full-blown
imperialists under the inspiration Of pres
idential favor The latest of them to
make direct bid for popular sustalnment
of the imperialist doctrine is Gen. L. f.
Wright, of the latest Philippine colants-
sion He spoke recently at Memphis,
Tenn, and said many remarkable things.
His main conclusion, however. appears to
be that the power to expand, as he calls
It, is inherent and inexhaUstible." Ans,
such being the case. 1t becomes a primary
national duty to expand In the direction
of the island of Cuba. and put ala end to
the political miseries of that people
at Ohe island) Is so situated. as
glance at the map will show. says Cen
Wright. "as to be the key of the Gulf
of Mexico and the Caribbean sea- In our
hands the former becomes, as It ought
to be, an American lake. 1t commands
the Nicaraguan canal when built. There
fore should we swallow the island Of
Cuba, and all the national aspirations of
its people. We want Cuba In cur bIsi-
ness, and. therefore. it is best for the
Cubans, as we'll as for us. that we shall
have It, OF course what the Cubans
think of the affair does not cut any figure
in the transaction.
Because the good, old rule
Sufficeth them the simple plan
That they should take who have the
power.
And they should keep who can.
Gen. Wright Is not talking at random.
Nothing short of the avalanche OF popu-
lar wrath which threatens to descend
will put an end to the imperiallst schemes
In Cuba as elsewhere. The interests that
are behind the annexation scheme are
not to be ignored. Most Of the capital
invested in the island at the present mo
ment will gladly sustain the policy. Tha
Spanish interest in the island sustains
it. The sugar and tobacco growers would
like It, All the commercial adventures
and promoters are pipe-laying for 1t, aid
the Mark Hanna syndicates have been
deeply brooding over 1t.
Gen. Wright, whoever he may be aside
from his membership on one Of the innu-
merable administration commissions, ev-
identity speaks by the book about Cuba.
Annex Cuba the imperialist politicians
Inevitably will, if the power of money
can accomplish the task. But they will
encounter the opposition of the Cuban
people, rich as well as poor. the men
who. In their business and social life,
have felt the ban. of Spanish domination,
as we'll as those who followed Gomez
and Maceo through the brakes and
swamps of the island in pursuit of what
our commercialism is fast teaching us 20
regard as the will-o' -the-wisp of liberty.
The force of Cuban national sentiment
may not suffice to put an end to the
scheme. But If the American people once
become aroused on the subject. as they
have on the Puerto Rico outrage, Gen.
Wright and the land grabbers and pro-
motors, whose evident mouthpiece he is.
will be glad to consent that our pledGa
to the Cuban people, given with all th4
formality- of a resolution of congress.
shall be carried out.