The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-04-19
THE CUBAN SITUATION
President Schurman of Cornell Hal
Been Studying the Problem
on the Ground.
ne f'kDs II AVERY COMPLEX MATTER,
Il NouId be- simple ~ augh IL
People only Understood the In.
t%eutions al the United states,
hich are Mtsrepresenscd BY the
More Radical Politicians.

More Radical Politicians.
New York. April l0.-.A dispatch to
the Herald from Havana says:
Jacob Il. Schurman. president OF
Cornell university. who has sailed
from this city for New York, was in
Cuba for ten days studying the po-
%litical situation. lie visited four OF
the six provinces of the island. talked
with Cubans of al classes in their
own tongue, and followed closely cur
rem opinion as expressed in the Gu
ban newspapers, of which he was an
interchangeable reader. President Shur.
man, in an interview, said:
The rIatt Amendment.
''rhe people of Cuba are less ex-
cited over the menace 10 Cuban SOW
ereignty supposed 10 be contained in
the Platt amendment than are the
politicians of Havana. Indeed, bust
ness mea and owners of property uni
versally favor an immediate accept
ance of the amendment. though many
told me they did not dare state SO
publicly.
rnravy ssng Uncertainty
"'The present political uncertainty
is paralyzing 10 the movement OF
capital. which are indispensable fos
the recovery of the prosperity Of the
island. So, too, a ma jority of the
educated men of the country recog
nizc the necessity, from the Cuban
point of view, of the protection and
security guaranteed by the Platt
amendment. The opposition comes
from the poorest and most ignorant
section of the community. although
how far they have views of their W
and how far they are influenced by
wirc-pulling politicians it is very diff
ticult TO determine.
Only Know What They are Told.
II have talked with both white and
colored men-and one-third of the
population of Cuba is colored. Many
of these have no ideas whatever on
the subject. On the other hand, !
have been surprised by the earnest
ness with which both white and col
ored- colored perhaps more than
white-h have detained to me against
the amendment a. a ena to their
liberties and insidious scheme for Ie-
ducine them to colonial dependence as
oppressive as that from which the wal
with Spain delivered them.
Measure hat Has No Existence.
"Of course. the knowledge of these
people is ill-proportioned 70 their
ynn Tho maaSrrs fhaN AnnASA hns
no existence. but such is their idea
Of the amendment. and such their at.
titude toward the product of their
own imagination. Nor can you argue
them out of this state of mind-the
less so as they represent the class
that fought both instructions against
Spain for the independence of Cuba.
Nothing hut the fact Of a s~elf-goy-
erning Cuba will convince these people
that their Liberties are not in danger.
There is the rub.
Our Military government.
Our military government has pre-
served order. established sanitation.
built public works, opened schools and
contributed 10 the restoration of
~ oR'iiNs bhis n Cstiy fVintl Dllil-
iary government, il is incapable of
generating confidence, sympathy and
affection between rulers and people.
The Great Desideratum.
The g~eat desideratnm in Cuba is
the immediate substitution Of civil
government of Cubans, for Cubans, by
Cubans. for the military government
~ sh. tTrtta1 Gfnt1u n.t .,.l .zr
eminent will have no chance of sue
cess, at home or abroad. without the
guarantees carried in the Plat.
amendment, which, l am fully per-
suated. is desired in its essential con-
tents by a majority of the people Of
Cuba.
The Present Problem.
The problem. therefore. Is to get
the convention TO accept il. | do not
for a moment question the ability and
patriotism of the delegates. but I be-
lieve they are too much animated by
the irreconcilable spirit of the revolu-
ton against Spain. in which many of
them were participants, but of which
the country is tired, knowing that the
danger Of tyranny. hanks TO the
United States, has now passed away
forever.
United states Must stand Firm.
"The United States must insist on
acceptance Of the Platt amendment.
Opposition Of the Cuban delegates
must be overcome. ! believe both
ends car be attained by a confer
v~ention and President Mckinley. The
Cubans will then state their desires
10 the highest authority in the repub-
lie and the very opportunity to do so
will predispose them to be concilia-
tory, and the tact and diplomacy Of
the president, combined with the self