The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-07
Irhe Crisis in Cuba

prospective. to keep her busy elsewhere
The Crisis in Cuba
L 3 something of a crisis, though by
no means one to occasion alarm The
constitutional Convention at Havana has
heen officially served with the terms en-
acted by Congress upon which Cuba may
proceed to erect a stable government The
radical majority of the convention Go not
like the terms. which is unimportant-
They have some queer Authorizations con
corning what the American notice
amounts to. which would be amusing
were they not calculated TO produce an
noyance OF delay we do not speak, be
cause this country is in no uncomfortable
hurry TO change the status quo. II the
Cubans can stand = long wait. certainly
we can. But these poor little political
children actually imagine that passive
resistance on their pare will prevent Pres
i6ent Mckinley from insisting upon the
terms prescribed by Congress The also
appear to believe that rejection OF their
terms by their constitutional Convention
viii compel him to cali an extraordinary
session Of Congress IN all this, OF course,
they are. as wrong as possible II the Su-
bans do not now choose to prepare con-
,ztitution and devise form of govern
nent not only stable but in accordance
with the terms decreed by the sllzeraln
State. President Mckinley is in a position
10 wait until time and reflection have
brought them repentance and better
minds.
we observe with pity as well as inter
est that the fame of the American spell
binder has penetrated even to Havana
Some of the convention people are EVIL
IDENTITY under the impression that an APP
! peal to popular sympathy from the stump
would force the Governments hand and
get Cuba all she wants, much OF which
woul.i be bad for her; because she IS too
young, too inexperienced and uneducated,
and too much like Haiti to be trusted
with double-edged tools. As the des-
patches inform us. there is serious talk
among the radical leaders of q speIbind-
ing tour through the United States, a
scheme which it would be well TO drop.
since it would involve a needless and in
! excusable waste OF time and money
| There is one man in the Havana con-
vention who knows this as thoroughly as
/ We do, and that IS Mr. GonzaIo de Quesa-
/ da, who for five years resided in Wash
| ington, first as diplomatic delegate Of the
Cuban Junta, and later as Cuban Com
missioner at the Capital of the United
States Many of his colleagues perhaps
most of Internationally are ignorant
of ;he truth that the American people are
in full accord with the President anC
Congress in the matter of our future re
lations with the island. But Mr. Quesada
J knows = = nd bef n
/ latest departure from this city had am
pie opportunities to inform himself upoI
the universal conviction of the Govern,
ment and Of all thinking citizens, thai
limitations must be placed upon the SOW.
ereignty Of Cuba for the protection OF the
interests, rights, and territory of Thu;
country. Appeals to sentiment could no
alter that conviction, nor dispose of tn,
stern necessity upon which it is based.
We are quite able to understand how
after ages of Spanish oppression. the Gu
ban people should aspire 10 complete en-
joyment Of a reaction. amounting 10 IN
restricted freedom. independence and SOY
ereignty. and We are sincerely sorry tina
the stern logic of the law of self-preser
walton. estops the United States from per
hitting them TO have all they long for
But geographical, social. and race condi
tons in Cuba are Of such a cnaracte
that to leave her people to their own de
vices. and allow them to bring on the in
evitable reign of Haitien anarchy whicl
would come as a result of such compla
cency on the part Of this Government
would be as dangerous as ridiculous
The safety and weII-being of the Unite
States demand that it shall assume AM
forever retain control OF the Cuban wal
treaty. and debt-contracting powers. ant
that it shall have. ard fortify and occupy
three or four naval stations on the island
to ensure the stability of local institutions
and protect the country and incidentally
this country, from foreign oppression tn
sooner the members Of the Cuban Consti
tutionaI Convention. and al: other Cubans
realize this the better for them Auto
noIny and domestic independence Wi
never come to them until they do.
Il is now proper for Us to withdraw al
remarks hitherto made in reference to
Observation-Disclosures Congress tn
} failure of the River and Harbor jo
saved the Fifty-sixth Congress from de
serving that designation As it is. Nj
Cannon places the sum total of its appro
prIations at 81. IA, O52, 5f5 or not quit
sixty million dollars short of the dreade
mark The pork" bill would have mad
up the difference, and what a differenc