Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-02-28
CUBA AND OUR Duty.

uCIC u mu(u QIS~USSlOu DVbAs
in congress and the public press
concerning our duty to Cuba
What are our duties to Cuba and
how far should they influence
our commercial relations with
her? These questions are dis
cussed in connection with the
proposed reduction of customs
duties on Cuban sugar and tobac-
co brought into the United States.
Senator Cullom, who Is q
member of the Senate committee
ON relations with Cuba, takes the
ground that Cuba IS our ward
and it is our duty to give her
people prosperity. He favors q
reduction on Cuban sugar of IS
to 40 pr cent. Of the present
duties.
There is much, far too much
mere sentimental gush over our
duty to Cuba. The real truth is
that apart from our duties to hu.
manity we owe no daty to Cuba
and are under no sort of obliga-
ton to her whatever.
We declared we would not per-
NIT possession of Cuba pass from
Spain to any other power. Once
in our history we prevented
France from attempting to wsess
Cuba from Spain. We disssad-
ed Mexico and certain South
American governments from Q
similar attempt. We did thia
not because 1t was oar duty "a
Spain OF to Gaia but because Il
was cur duty to ourselves.
When Cubans we're warrins
for political independence OPT
sympathy was naturally With
them. Here Our duty ended.
When Spain inflicted unspeak-
able cruelties and inhumanities
upon Cuba our duty to humaaity
induced us to enter our protest
joined to 1.-THE assertion that if 1t
were not needed we would forci.
bly, intervene. Spain's answer
was the destruction Of the Maine.
With Spain forced from the
island we might have kept poses.
sion of it as we did of Porto Ri
co. We might haye saidto the Cu-
bans: "Here Is your island.
With it work out your own po.
litical destiny. Duty to eur
selves will prevent any foreign
interference with yos." We did
neither. We should have dealt
with her as with Porto Rico, and
probably would have done so but
for the sentimental twaddle of a
few men in the, United States
senate, most conspicuous of
whom was Senator Teller.
We have given freely of blood
and treasure to the Cubans. We
have shown them the benefits of
good government, and how it
should be organized. We have
protected them from themselves
and seen the ablest of their num-
Der placed in control of their gov
errment. HiStorv furnishes no
similar instance of such magnih-
cent generosity as we have shown
the Cubans. We have nobly
met every duty to humanity,
every demand springing from
considerations of our own safety,
national dignity, self.respect and
exalted position among the ma.
tions of the earth.
What more can we or should
we do? Surely We should not
cast aside an economic policy !
which has brought as SO great a
measure of prosperity simply that
We may give Cuba commercial
prosperity. |
Besides this it Is matter for
grave doubt that even if the
whole of Cuba's sugar prodact
we're on our free list It would
materially beue6t the Cshan
planter. The price, Of raw sugsr
might decline in our market,
but there ceTtaialy would be NO
decline in the psicei
# the gefned article. The re.
ming trusts and the importer,
lot the Cuban planter, not the
consumer-our entire
,eople-would be the t,exefcia-
les. More than this; it would
,e a distinct menace to our own
itizens who are building up
ome production Of sugar from
ane and from beets.
What we have done for Porto
>ico, or may do for the Philip
lines cuts no figure at all as to
that we should do for Cuba.
>hese are our possessions. Cuba
aust be free and independent, =
nd inpatiently awaits the Gay, II
ow near at hand. when we shall Fl
Ill awav and the Cuban fiap I