The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-06-21
CUBA AS A NATION.
She Will Soon Start Out Under Uncle
Sans Guardianship.

st. Louis GlODo DemOCrdC -
It would be hard in the entire his
tory of the world to find a country
which entered the family of nations
under such happy auspices as those
which greet Cuba. She will start out
in her national career under the guar
of the United States. She has
been under the United States tutelage
for more than two years already, and
is showing that she has profted "a in
some degree by the instruction. Her
constitution, which, like those of all
the other Latin American countries, is
modelled -. upon that -. of the United
States, has been shaped under condi-
lions which have given the trainers
ample time to do their work carefully,
and which have made them - indepen-
dent of the local influences which
would have made themselves felt in "a
demoralizing way if the hand of the
United States had been absent.
Cuba will now go to work to con-
struct the machinery which will put
the constitution in operation and start
the wheels of government. ~ An ordi-
nance will be passed to provide for the
election of all the officers which, will
be necessary to manage the govern
mental machinery at the outset. This
measure will have to be approved by
the. United States. but the. difficulty
in preparing it will be far less than
was encountered in the framing of the
constitution. After the inauguration
Of the officials who are to ..be elected
the government .ssof the island will be
in the hands of it's inhabitants. Prob
ably few Of the United States troops
will remain in Cuba until a .-Cuban
army, provisional or regular, has been
formed, but it is safe to say that-the
Cuban republic will be in full opera
tion.by the end of 1901, -~~andaa new
name will be added to the list ofsA.the
world nations.
s.. -Manifestly, the connection of ths
United States will be far Closer with
Cuba than it has been with any s~-other
country. In certain degree Cuba
will be the United States ward. aShe
will not be in a position to do any
thing which would endanger thessMon-
roe doctrine, or to menace the prestige
or the power of the United. States on
this hemisphere. Cuba has placed her
self under obligations to continue the
work of sanitation which has been be-
gun by the United States, and the con-
tinuance of which will be necessary fol-
the safety of the ports on our gull
coast and on the south Atlantic. We
WILL have naval stations in Cuban
waters to protect our interests there
and to save Cuba from possible danger
from abroad. Cuba will have the bene
fit of American teaching in the method
of self-government, and of American
protection from all possible outside
foes. Thus she will be spared the con
fusion and disturbance which has bee
experienced in all the rest of tbA
dependent states of this continent
The ultimate fortune of Cuba,
course, will be, by the free voice o.
it's citizens, to unite herself with the
United States, but before annexation
takes place she will have an oppor
tunity, under safer and happier con
ditions than ever presented themselves
to any other people, to manage he
own affairs as an independent nation