The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-11-08
DEMOCRATS, AND Al CUBA CUB y
Nothing in The Cuban Issue that Can Aid
81 Hs3 That Party. q" u

st. Louis Globe Democrat /"
There is nothing in the Cuban is
sue which can aid the Democrats.
There is no chance. in the first place,
that they can get themselves into any
sort of harmony on the Cuban or any
other question The assertion of SOME
of their representatives in congress
that they are going to ask for Cuban
annexation Immediately, and to make
an issue on that point, is not calcu-
lated to Brighten the Republicans.
Only small part of the Democrats
favor Cuban annexation. Bryan all
along has been against everything
which had any tendency toward the
establishment Of closer political rela-
tions between the United States and
Cuba. A powerful faction Of his party
stands with him on this question:
The howl of Democracy against what
it called imperialism" was largely
melted by the pretense that the Re
publicans intended to annex Cuba.
Another howl would be started by the
Democratic. press if the Republicans
should intimate = that they would neg
lect the pledge to give Cuba a chance
to set up in government for itself If
its people desired to do so.
Cuban annexation in the near future
is as certain as any coming political
event can be. When the time Is ripe
for annexation the Republican party
is the party which will bring it. The
Republican administration is pledged
to the congressional declaration of
1898 to allow the Cubans to set up
government of their own it they wish
to. This promise has been religiously
kept. Some of the preliminaries in
the way of the organization of that
government have already been attended
to- A constitution has been framed
by the representatives of the Cuban
people. Elections under that charter
are soon TO be held. Every assistance.
which can be rendered to the Cubans
in getting their government under
way, providing they want to put a
government in operation, will be &C
corded to them by President. Roosevelt.
The Cubans are we'll aware of this.
None of the inhabitants Of the island
are finding any fault with the course
of the president or Of any of his agents
in Cuba. All the aid which the is
landers want toward getting them
selves set up in business as an indepen-
dent nation is being promptly and in
telligenly furnished.
Annexation is an eventuality of
the next few years, and the Republi-
can party, when the Cubans them
selves give the word, will accomplish
it. The Republicans outnumber the
Democrats of the United States by
many hundreds of thousands of voters.
The proportion of Cuban annexation
lists among the Republicans is, far
greater than it is,-samong the Demo
Gratis. Every intelligent person in the.
United States knows this. The Demo
Gratis can not muster any considerable.
number of their members on the an
nexationist side. An overwhelming
majority of the Republican party win
swing in in favor of annexation just
as soon as they can do this honestly.
that is, just as soon as the Cuban peo-
pie say they want annexation. A large
element of the Cubans is working for
annexation now, and this element, is
bound to, increase rapidly. When any
thing like a majority of the islanders
give any intimation that they want
political union with the United States
the Republican party win give it to
them. Cuban annexation, when an
nexation, becomes a practical question,
is an Issue on which the Republican
party will be united and on which the
Democatic, party will be divided, as
that organization is on: every other
great question ri r. u = .o..a ..,,,