The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-06-15
Things They Must Accomplish
Before Independence Comes.
FIX UP A GOVERNMENT
MAY BE YEAR BEFORE UNITED
STATES WITHDRAWS


Now that Che Platt amendment has
become part of the organic laws Of
Cuba. interest naturally is aroused as
TO when the president win ia author
lied to withdraw the United states
troops and turn the island completely
over to the Cubans. The cabinet prob
ably VIII address itself 10 this phase or
the question at saturdays meeting.
However. as there Is no division OF
opinion among aoinet mem bers on this
point. the discussion is not likely TO
be prolonged.
There is no doubt a an in the mind
of anybody who has given the subject
much thought that the president is not
authorized 90 Withdraw the troops Inn
mediately- On the contrary, he can
not do this until all the requirements
Of the Platt law have been complied
with. Acceptance of that law - only
TIE beginning Of the requisite compli-
anCe on the part or tne CuDanS- NOT
until they. have 9. fully organized
equipped and stable government VIII
the Cubaps be permitted to conduct the
affairs Of the island.
How soon this VIII be, depends en-
tirely on tie political leaders in Cuba,
and largely on the constitutional con-
veution. The convention must first
formulate an electoral law. It IS
thought that several weeks and per-
haps months viii be consumed IN this
work as rSe candidates for president
and other offices TO be filed in the first
so framed as to give advantage to in
diviCuels.
Must Organize Government.
Even if the constitutional convention
should speedily formulate and prOmul-
safe the electoral law. the election
could not be held until autumn After
the election, considerable time VIII De
required TO Organize the various de-
partments OF the government After
this work is complet "a the United
States government VIII then FOR the
first time have a government IN Cuba
to deal with. and not until then can
all the requirements OF the Platt law
be complied with
Tt is evident. therefore. that this gov
eminent win not entirely release con-
troll Of Cuba FOR several months. per-
haps a year or more, and until a COM
plete release is made toe president can
not Withdraw the United states mill
tary forces from the island and pro-
claim % the world the birth Of the new
republic
The Washington correspondent Of the
Times has Interviewed members Of the
senate and house upon the future OF
Cuba by the adoption Of the Platt
amendment by the constitutional con-
Nentiou with the Following results:
Representative Hepburn of Iowa ex-
pressed qualification at the action Of
tie Cuban constitutional conV ention,
but he has grave doubts about the sue
cess of ,he people in undertaking TO
govern themselves
'I should like to see every. political
tie between the United states and cuba
several he said but ] realize that
We Will be obliged to exercise some sort
Of supervision over the island In my
opinion. the Cubaus are not capable of
self-governmeur. and my prediction is
that i'm twelve months the Cubaus viii
be at each others threats. Then, per
haps. we viii be forced 10 intervene:
Opposed to Annexation.
II should regard it as a great misfor-
tune III the United States should ever
annex the lslard with it's turbulent
people Guerrilla warfare against our
authority would 60 on IN tre island
and 10 would cost us much in brood and
treasure TO suppress it, remember
that Che United States enlisted 81 600
men to- put down the Indians in Flor
ida, and When they were finally round
cd up there were exactly seventy-one
Of them.
"The situation in the Philippines is
different We can take control OF all
the larger cities and towns and let the
natives learn gradually with the lapse
~ years that obedience to our authority
is to their interest.
ITO g0 back to Cuba we must bear
in mind that those people we have been
dealing with are children and / am
AFRAID they are pretty bad children
just as little qualified to govern them
selves ass so many youngsters"
Senator Cocllren says that Cuba
must be dealt with deliberately and
not cot loose unprepaTed to stand alone
smoothly now" said the senator
THE Cubans did the right thing in ac-
ceDung the amendment and this gov
grnmeut viii deal fairly with them
All that was needed was q thorough
understanding and shat has beea
reached with the result that they have
accented our terms. OF course. we cam
not immediately withdraw frOm he
% a.n h
that and there is no authority to whom
we could turn over the government.
The next step. and one which II is
absolutely necessary to take, IS for the
invention TO pass election laws fix
ing date FOR the election Of a pres-
ideut and other officers of The govern
ment as provided fors in their c0nsti-
TUITION. Under this law the military
government VIII call an election and
when an the machinery Of government
is organized we will turn over affairs
u them. but not until them This viii
require some time, how long I rauuot
say. but st. I'll. + believe. be done
within reasonable limitation"
Burrows is Pleased.
Senator Burrows was pleased at
the action Of the Cuban constitutional
convention in accepting the Plat
amendment This action ?" he said
ought 90 lead to speedy and desirable
results u sFIght to be followed by
CT
eminent There VIII soon be nothing
I'm the Nay of- the establishment of a
republic in cuba and I eNpect 10 see
that accomplished and troops with
drawn. The republic of cuba will
shortly be one of the nations of the
earth. We are now fulfilling our Brorn-
Uses TO cuba and 70 the nations of the
world
Speaking Of Cuba. Senator TIlxfns
said. u always believed the Cubans
would accept. They have simply been
playing and dickersng for the hest
terms they could get What they have
done is the best thing that could have
happened to Cuba. No people have
ever obtained their Independence he
fore az such a sm'.H cost of blood ana
money. This government has dealt
most literally with Cuba. more lfber-
ally than any other government would
have dom
The Tribunc's Washington special
says AT the cabinet meeting on Tues
day Of this Week, thu president laid be-
fore his official advisers the most ia
rorable reports received from General
wood indicating that Secretary Roots
sharp and imam biguOus note of ten
days ago Was having the desired ef-
feet on a1l classes OF Cubans. In this
note the secretary said plainly that