The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1901-02-28
HOW ABOUT OUBA2

icals find the following sentence
Cuba promises to be trouble
some factor in the proper adjustment
of her government affairs" "
My opinion is that Is we get into
any trouble ON that score it will be
trouble OF our own seeking or by
Our own overt act When we COM
menced the war with Spain we
made the following declaration, to
the nations of the earth that Cuba
was and of right should be free aid
Independent. We further said that
the United States hereby disclaim
any disposition or intention to
exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction or
control over said island, except for
the pacihcation thereof and asserts
its determination, when that is
accomplished, to leave the govern
| ment and control of the island to
its people.
There is nothing ambiguous i'll
the above language. If our declar-
ations were true and were made in
good faith it was our plain duty"
when Spain surrendered and with
drew her forces from Cuba, for us
to withdraw our forces from there
leaving the Cubans to the full enjoy
ment OF that freedom and independ-
ence, which we have proclaimed to
the world was her due.
With some people policy seems
to take precedence to plain duty "
There was policy in keeping mill
tary force in Cuba. We could then
appoint some favorites to Office there
to look after the finances Of the
country and in the meantime feather
their own nests. And, should the
| Cubans become obstreperous, we
would have the means at hand to
bring them to a sense Of their duty
to their kind protectors. We already
see a disposition on the part of the
| Cubans to interpret our declarations
| literally, while it would have been
the part of wisdom for them to
ascertain whether Boss Hanna had
fully made up Mr.. Mckinley s
mind Just how those declarations
should be interpreted.
A convention of the Cubans has
formulated a constitution modelled
largely after our own, but without
any provision for an American pro-
! tectorate, which some of our people
regard as necessary, and without
any recognition of their obligation
| to us for what we have done, for
her, which others style ingratitude.
. There is no hint in our declaration
. at the commencement of the war
, that we expected to establish a pro-
: tectorate over the Cubans. The
: language of the declaration indicates
that we were wholly disinterested.
f 1t is not strange under those cir
r cumstances tha. the Cubans ne
| elected to give us the honor that
2 we now think is our due.
Another idea has suggested itseli
to my mind, viz: those Cubans may
have read Our history, and learned
j that we received material aid from
France in Our struggle for indie
| pendence. Yet our constitution
makes no provision for French
e protectorate. If they have taker
our constitution as their model we
should not object if they follow il
literally.
The longer we delay and the
: more barriers we raise agains
? granting the Cubans their indie
, pendence the more reason it give:
Z others to doubt Our sincerity. 1t i:
| an open secret that a portion Of oul
5 people wanted to get hold of Cubs
as part of our public domain. The
f matter has been agitated at times
for fully hall century. This fac
gives ground for the suspicion tina
we had some hidden motive for ou
' outward benevolent action. Anc
\ the further fact that we are denying
, independence to more numerous
and equally deserving people
t strongly corroborates that theory
/. I know it is claimed that we bough
: the Filipinos at about two or two
\ and one half dollars per capita, anc
by virtue Of said purchase we have
e the right to deal with them as W,
| think proper.
Y Be that as it may, we have neve
: bought the Cubans and by our owl
showing we have no claim upoi
g them. We wrested Porto Rico from
: Spain as indemnity for our expens'
e in releasing Cuba. We may anc
no doubt should establish a pro
. tectorate over Cuba, as we hav'
f over the Central and South Ameri
1 can States. by extending to then
e the principle Of the Monroe doctrine
\ Such protection would not be ex