The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-03-05
Ghe Wessengrr.
WHAT THE CONGRESS OFFERS
CUBA.

Poor Cuba has a harsh and miserable
friend in the Mckinley crowd. In view
of what the congress resolved as u
Cuba and what it proposed to do now
nuts this country in a very dark mole
indeed. To pass resolutions to repudi-
ate for such it is. the solemn pledge
made in the resolution Of 1888, as 10 IN
dependence and to empower Mckinney
10 control the island until acceplaoie
to the aforesaid gang, for II means
that practically, is to deal
and trAacherously with the people
n,hosA was the alleged
a,,sa of the war with Spain. Inc
conditions are h~umiliating at best 10
Cuba's pride and self-respect- 1t seems
that Cuba is o left the priv
lege of forming a foreign treaty to suit
itself, or incur 4 public debt. unless
Uncle Sam approves (for such is the
meaning) and next Cuba cannot ACT
without the. consent and approVal OIL
the United States in the question OF IN
dependence and government II 'ndt
does not mean keep Cuba practlcaliy
an chains, what can 1t mean Inc
delphia Times regards the terms
as harsh II says;
1.-THE exclusion of the Isle OF Pines
from cuban territory is not reasonable
and will be resisted. and the provision
FOR naval stations is indefinite. IL
looks as though the United States were
not only making very hard terms Win
the Cubans as the price OF then lnue
pendence. but even so were oIerlnS
them independence with a string 10 IT,
by which it could be at n time "llh-
drawn.
Tbe adoption of these terms by con
eress is desired by the president TO re-
i've him of the responsibility OF mann
tanning the military Occupation OF CUBA.
In the probable event OF the ere
jecting Them
4 bill like that pretends to be a full
fIIment ''of the declaration contalned
IN the Joint resolution of April 1888
a bill to grant and to guarantee 10 the
ClIbans hat they shall be free anu
independent." 1t is a marvellous tul-
fiment of an already broken m
Tt is a sham and a deception-a 1alse-
hood on it's face. There are severe re-
ouirements set forth, and they as a
whole do not guarantee entire freedom
and in~dependence exclusive of what the
United states may choose Ito Will and
tn do" of their own good pleasure
The Messenger called attention to the
effort to b~amboozle, to wheedle the
Cuban delegation at Washington. The
Charleston News and Courier examines
the army appropriation bill in which
the matter concerning Cuban "lnde-
pendence" is to be found-a most ap-
propriate bill with such points, it
thinks, in which it should be embodied
and makes a clear logical analysis
of the measure for independence.
The last two paragraphs sum up clear
" and p~ointedly, which we copy:
"And all this is to fulfil the solemn
declaration Of congress two years ago
that Cuba lis and Of right ought to be
free and independent that the United
States has no disposition to exercise
Jurisdiction or control over the island
except for its p~aciication' only; n
that. it's pacification accomplished, they
were determined to leave the control
and government of the island to its
people,
The battIe-scarred, patriotic, liberty
loving and liberty-seeking members OF
the Cuban constitutional convention,
it is reported, are deeply impressed
with the Recommendations of the COM
mittee of the senate They have cause
to be. II the requirements are forced
on the people Of the island they Will
be no nearer freedom n indeDen-
dence,' in fact. than they were when
they were under the more hurtful. but
honest dominion of SPAIN"
The Cubans asked the Americans for
bread and they received a stone. They
sought liberty and independence and
they found a big Boss.