The Tucson citizen., 1902-05-20
The REPUBLIC OF CUBA.

Today the Republic of Cuba is a
fact and the long dream Of the Cuban
people is realized. Cuba takes Its
place among the nations with the best
wishes of the American people for its
liberty. its prosperity and the happi-
ness of its people.
President Palma was today IN
augurated president of Cuba, AID the
American military governor turned
over the control of the island 70 hifI
The American flag has been lowered
and the Cuban flag raised. This even
ing the American troops will evacuate
the island. and the Cubans will be
masters of their own destiny.
For the present, at least, Cuba will
have but a restricted independence.
It's right of absolute sovereignty has
under the so-called Platt amendment.
The stipulations of the Platt proviso
in the Cuban constitution, and which
the Cuban government must embody
as treaty with the United States, are
Of a far-reaching nature. Cuba must
guarantee that it will never enter into
any treaty with foreign power which
will impair its own independence; it
must give guarantees that no foreign
power will be allowed to gain control
ever any part of the island for any
purposes, not even for a naval station.
itself not to contract public debt be-
yond a reasonable sum; ii must rec
ognize the right of the United States TO
intervene to preserve Cuba's indepen-
dence, to maintain a stable govern
ment in the island, and to discharge
the obligations imposed upon the
United States by the treaty of Paris.
Cuba must sell or lease to the United
States the lands necessary for naval
stations; 1t must carry out a policy
Of sanitation prescribed by the United
States; it must agree to adjust by
treaty with our government the own
ership of the Isle of Fines.
Even with these limitations on their
government. the people of Cuba will
be contented If they are able to estab-
lish profitable commercial relations
with the United States. What they
need is the admission to the American
market Of their staple products under
a liberal tariff arrangement They
do not need reciprocity, however, more
than the American producers and con-
sumers. Senator Platt of New York.
a keen observer, who has recently re-
turned from Havana, is quoted as say
ing that the majority of the Cubans
desire annexation to the United States.
and will soon tire of independent gov
ernment. That may be the case; but
even If annexation is matter of only
a few years, as some of our statesmen
profess to believe Is there any reason
why American farmers and manufac-
turers should be deprived of an i'm
mediate opportunity to establish
profitable trade relations with Cuba?
II manifest destiny requires the an
neXation of Cuba, do not common
sense and self-interest suggest that it
would be better to annex prosperous
Cuba than an impoverished island?
But whatever the future will be. and
the annexation of Cuba has always
been a developed theory of American
statesmen since Jefferson's time, the
evacuation of the island bv the Amer
lean troops today marks a unique
event in history The people of the
United States freed Cuba from the
cruel and tyrannic rule of Spain, at
the expense of much blood and treas
ure; and today the island Is turned
over to the control OF it's people. There
is no event in history that can quite
compare with this in grandeur and
generosity. The people of the United
states nave cause to be proud of them
selves, and the Cubans have reason to
be eternally grateful. Would to heaven
that we could look each other in the
face and say that our conduct in the
Philippines was equally deserving of
felicitation.
-O-