The times., 1901-05-31
ANNEXATION IN VIEW.
Outcome of the Adoption of the PIntt
Amendment.

Amendment.
NEW YORK, May 3O.-The Evening
Post" prints the following from its Wash
ington correspondent:
1t will not do to assume that the adop-
ton of the Plat amendment by the con-
sutuent assembly at Havana, and the
preparations already set afoOt to estab-
llsh a government in Cuba, deal death
blow to the aspirations of the Greater
America party to own and run the ISL
and On the contrary, these are only the
first steps toward the consummatfon of
the annexation idea. The American pro
moter usually does things in a hurry, but
If he has set his heart deliberately upon
a project he is as capable of biding his
time as anyone else. The Greater Amer
lean is no fool. He realizes that II IN his
haste he runs against q solid column Oh
adverse public sentiment, his fat goes into
the fire in no time; and the country at
large has preferred to believe, in spite
of many discouraging symptoms, that its
lawmakers meant what they said when
they proclaimed that, in entering upon
the war in behalf of Cuba, the United
States had no purpose of acquiring SOW
ereignty there. but intended, when the
task of pacifcation should be accom-
control Of the island to its people
Who are the people of Cuba? At pres
ent they consist for the most part of ma
tives and Spanish immigrants. This does
not mean, however, that immigration from
other parts of the world than Spain has
been hitherto, or will hereafter be, shut
out There is no wall about the island
through which foreigners cannot pass, and
the new industrial conditions there are
likely to attract a considerable influx of
people from various parts of the earth.
Neither is there any law, moral or statu-
tory, restricting the ownership of prop
erty in Cuba to persons of Cuban
origin.
American citizens already own very
large estates in the sugar and tobacco dis
tricts, a company of British capitalists
has all its plans laid for a great railroad
enterprise. and mortgages and other Sc
curities resting on Cuban property are
held in the United States and Europe 10
large amounts. American capital will
soon enter the manufacturing field in
Cuba. All these things must be kept in
mind in considering who will presently
constitute the people of the island and ex>
ercise the government and control there
Of, as proposed in the Teller resolution.
That resolution makes no reference, pro-
phetic or otherwise, to any particular
form of government. If the Cuban people
saw fit to set up among themselves a
monarchy, or to go to the other extreme
and have a headless socialistic system,
there is nothing in the Teller resolution
to prevent. If they should decide to at
taeh their island to some European en-
pre- or Kingdom, another restriction would
come into play in the Monroe Doctrine,
which our Government still keeps up the
a nGN Of to- -,
people OF the Island, in pursuance of their
right to selectT its government, should
conclude to apply for its admission into
the United States, IL is hard to see how
even the Teller resolution could be con-
strued to deny them that privilege.
II Is common to hear the assertion
that the Cubans would never vote them
selves intosa closer political relation with
the United States because the bulk of the
population of the island is OF class very
much welded to the idea of selfgovern-
that the farmers of the United States the
largest single element in our voting popu-
lation, could not be induced TO vote for
the party Of protection because its policy
shuts them out iof part of the markets
of the world, or that the workingmen of
the United States could never be brought
to vote for ticket nominated by capital
ISIS. Human nature Is human nature. The
poor man is anxious to improve his con-
dition, or. at least, to prevent it's becom-
Ing any worse. In spite Of his holding the
is subject 10 ca jolement by pleasant prom
ises, or to the Influence of subtle sugges-
tions as TO the side on which his bread is
buttered
We no longer see. it is true, the spec
tacle familiar Of old, of the manufac-
turer marching his men to the polls as he
would drive herd of cattle, and voting
them according to his wishes, for the
Australian ballot has been adopted in
most OF the States where such Iractices
once prevailed. When the workingman
~ laV.af
vote. he reveled in IL, and was disposed
to make It the vehicle for rebuke to his |
former master; by degrees, however he
has come apparently TO take the view that
his best interests are not subseryed nv !
revenges. He now is very likely TO vote |
for what he fancies viii bring him the |
steadiest work at the 2est pay, at his |
employers hands. Sometimes he is de- |
ceived in his judgment of what this is |
but his mistakes do not affect the cor |
rectness OF the general proposition.
1t Is Tor Just such a condition that |
the anneXationists are looking in Cuba
They believe that as the Island fills up |
with English and American immigrants |
as capital from Europe and the United |
States flows in and as the demand for |
stability Of government and the adequate |
protection of property increases in |
strength, there viii be a decided tend
eucy on the part of employers to seek |
the admission of the island into the
nlted states, and that the employers /
VIII be able to control the votes OF their
., - O'4 s4'S P4el4l@tloi4S anu III tHe WoTk-
shops. A stout resistance is looked for
frem the educated classes, who
make politics more or less a profession;
but combination among these IL is
thought, can be broken in the same way
that political combinations are broken in
the United States. by Offering the more
mercenary members something equally
as good
The independence, so called of the isl
and has been assured for a long time:
but never for a moment have the greater
Americans regarded this as more than !
temporary stage in the development of |
their plan and they will be found among
the loudest shouters in praise of the turn
affairs have just taken
AN IRRIGATION CONFERENCE.
A Call Issued After the Recent Dis