The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-20

UeuS Oh pestileEce. we nave stamped gu
yellow fever and made Havana as health.
city as exists at that latitude. We tool
its starving reconcentrados who had sur
vived the war, and its other poverty
stricken people, end fed and clothed them
We organized public school system, ant
have everywhere established law ant
order. This had first to be done. Their
followed a compliance OF the terms of the
treaty which gave the Spanish inhabitant;
until April IL to determine whether OIL
not they would register as citizens or pre-
serve their allegiance to Spain. Mean
while careful census of the island was
made. Then came the fixing of the quail
hcatioDs for the right OF suffrage. which
was fairly bestowed. The island was
divided into municipalities and the regis
tration provided for. And on yesterday,
the 18th Of June municipal elections were
held all through the island, as the first
aud preliminary step toward the estab-
ilshment OF a national government and
the adoption of q constitution.
Cuban Postal Frauds.
"And in this connection it is fit
ting to say that the populations and frauds
committed in Cuba by subordinate officials
have made every American blush with
shame, and until the last of the guilty
men is arrested and convicted and SEN
fenced, that shame will know no abate-
ment. 1t is no more to be charged to
the party than would theft by trusted
employe be charged against the character
of the merchant who employed him. The
party that shields and protects dishonest
officials forfeits public confidence, not the
party that exposes and Furnishes them.
no - hoc hnD1
the victim OF misplaced confidence in its
officials. In this instance the appointments
were made with the greatest care. many
OF them from the classified service.
Whenever fraud has been discovered the
guilty have been pursued unsparingly and
with the greatest publicity. So has 1t
been with these theving postoffice officials,
SO has 1t been always. In the vast aggre-
gate of business transacted by the Gov
eminent the dishonest man is rare. and
his detection certain The great humilia-
ton is that the thefts were from the
people Of an island toward whom we
sustain fduciary relation, and whose
confidence we ask
That this Government makes good the
loss is not enough. and perhaps the les
son has not been in vain IL it shall serve
to stimulate us to even greater care in
dealing with these people for whom we
have poured out our blood and treasure.
and whom we hope some day to welcome
on terms of closest friendship as citizens
Of a sister republic.
A Spirit of Fairness.
I'VE are dealing with Cuba in a spirit
not only of fairness but of generosity and
Of absolute unselfishness. and whenever
the inhabitants of that island evince and
declare their ability to take over its gov
and control, that day they shall
receive it; and until then we shall con-
tinue to administer its affairs under
rule salutary and satisfactory to all good
citizens in Cuba and creditable to the
at Washington, under
whose orders the government is con-
lucted.
Had there been no war with Spain this
Republic, inclined by principle and instinct
md tradition to peaceful ways, would have
continued the development Of our national
and character within its existing
,orders. content in the future, as through
nut the century just ending, with that path
II national duty. We are not a warlike CT
quarrelsome people. We have never COW
tied the possessions OF foreign princ.pali-
les, and land lust Is unknown among u. ,
We would fight to the death to protect that /
which is rightfuly ours; to avenge wrong |
ought to be perpetrated upon us, and to |
,uard this hemisphere from any attempt by |
oreign powers to further extend their rule |
ver its soil. This has been our creed, and /
re have looked forward with hope and with |
onfdence to the time when these United !
;tates, lying between the two oceans. |
hould lead among the nations of the earth,
ot by right of the sword, but because the |
haracter and high intelligence Of our peo-
lie, and the marvellous resources of our
ountry, would enable us, in the peaceful
ivalry of commerce, to dominate eventual
y the markets of the world. To that end
C had, for more than a hundred years, held
urselves aloof from foreign complications,
nd sought to make ourselves strong from
'ithin, with no thought of colonial con-
uest. -<...-t..-
1.-THE future Of nations. however. like
he future Of man, is hid from mortal
ision. and. no more than man may a
alton choose it's own duties. When this
ar ended and we faced ouJ victory in all
s completeness, We found eight millions
I people living upon uncouunted islands
elivered into our hands. Abandonment
( them would be confession that while
ne oppression by Spain OF million and
half of Cubans demanded our armed in
erference. greater barbarity and cruelty
, millions of Filipinos, less able to pro-
.ct themselves, was a subject of no con-
ern to us. No civilized nation in the
orld. no Christian nation, could have
Irned these people back to Spain. Our
when they insisted upon
IT retention Of the Philippines, voiced
lie sentiments and wishes of the Ameri
IN people; and this nation has assumed
it'll open eyes and with full realization
the difficulties which may be encoun-
red, the grave responsibilities imposed
'on us by the Treaty Of Paris.
To Suppress the TnsnIs.
I'VE are told that the islands are rich in
| the products of the tropics, in mineral
aalth and in the possibilities of their fu-
re development. So much the better.
1t il they were as barren as the Libyan
sert. we would have taken them just the
me.
We haven't been there long, but long
ough to reach two conclusions: One is,
at the first thing we intend doing is to
ppress the TagaI Instruction and to es-
blish law and order throughout the ar
ipelago. That is the first thing We shall
And the last, the very last thing We
tend doing, is to consider, even for a
oment. the question of giving up or Of
these islands.
I'VE are actually owners OF the Philip :
les by an undisputed and indubitable til
!. We are there as the necessary and
,ical outcome of our victory over Spain.
lere are upward Of thousand islands
rinkled upon that southern sea, peopled {
more than eighty tribes of differing
ce and language. and having absolutely
thing in common with each other. Most / {
these tribes welcome our coming and
. grateful for our protection. The Tagal
be hostile not only to us but to most
the native tribes, are in instruction {
ainst our authority. They have neither
government nor the capacity to conduct
e. and are waging predatory guerrilla
,-L;ot would ha furpa1 CT |