The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-06-28
THE FLAG DID NOT "STAY PUT"

For several years past tue Ameri-
can flag has waved triumphanlIy
from the government building in
the city of Havana, and during that
time the island of Cuba has beea
under the military control of the
United States. But on Tuesday,
May goth, by order Of President
Roosevelt, the stars and stripes were
hauled down and the flag of the
Cuban Republic elevated to its right
full position. The action of Con-
gress under which President Roose-
welt acted when he ordered the
American flag lowered as symbol
of the entire independence of the
Cubans from the control OF The
United States government, was
wise and benign piece Of legislation
with which we have not a word OF
fault to find; but we cannot but re-
member that oft repeated boast of
the Republicans that where the
American flag was once placed by
our gallant soldiers, there it should
and would stay "for better, for
worse" You all remember the
whole columns of assurances which
Republican newspapers hurled at
US, that though the national treasury
should be drained and the last man
called to volunteer to carry arms in
its defense, still, wherever the stars
and stripes had been planted by
American bravery there they should
remain to the end of the chapter.
And, now before our memories have
been dimmed by the lapse of time
we find the President, who himself
helped to place the flag in Cuba,
calmly giving the order to have it
hauled down and the people natur-
ally approving his action.
All this only proves the foolish
ness and bravado of such assertions
as this one in question. History
will show you other instances of the |
same kind. In the Barbary King
dom in 1903 General Eaton with 4
small force succeeded in capturing
the city Of Derne and there raised
the American flag, but treaty Of
peace was soon made and the |
American soldiers took down the
flag and carried it away with them.
In Mexico in 1S47 General Scott re-
peated the above instance. If in the
future the government becomes con
as we earnestly hope i; may,
of the utter futility of the attemp: |
10 keep the flag waving over the far
away Philippines, at cost of over
Sl50,O0O,OOO and many lives, an
nuaIly, it will be no unprecedented
occurrence 10 abandon the project as
these other unwise attempts to sub.
jugate foreign territory have been
abandoned in the past.
Why should we not treat the Fill
pinos as we have the Cubans? We
are doing them no good. They are
loo far away, too diverse in customs,
habits. climate and desires to ever
take kindly to the benevolent as
project which has been
SO loudly praised by the party in
power. They do not believe the in
tent of this government towards
hem to be kindly. Kindness which
has to be dealt out in bullet form is
always placed at disadvantage.
There need be no feeling Of defeat
)r humiliation in abandoning a pro.
ect which has been proven unwise
and detrimental to both parties in.
crested and the fact that the gov
srnment has given over the control
If Cuba 10 the Cubans makes US
lope that Philippine independence
nay yet be established and this
country relieved from a tremendous
burden of expense and worse bur-
len OF. responsibility.