Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-05-08
FREE CUBA AND THE OPEN DOOR.

The world will applaud the faithful
performance of the obligations entered
into by the United States with the
Cuban people who were strug-
Cling for freedom. History will not
fail to record the unselfish motives
that prompted the United States to in
terfere in the name of humanity and to
rescue a people from the cruelty OF a
despotic government, and after that
was accomplished, aided the Cubans in
pacifying the turbulency engendered
by a protracted revolutionary war, as
sisted them in forming free and indie
pendent government and then accord
ing to promise withdrew from the is
land, leaving the people free to govern
themselves. Yet this is not all; the
United States gives notice to the world
of the close alliance existing between
the new republic and the more power
full one, which guarantees Cuba against
any possible foreign interference that
would hamper or embarrass the new
born nation in its efforts to maintain
itself in the future. This is in no
sense a protectorate as the term is
generally applied but a guarantee, and
an assurance on the part of the United
States to again come to the aid of the
Cubans in case their independence is
assailed or threatened by any foreign
power or through the Vaccinations of
| treason
The new republic therefore will start
out under the most favorable auspices
that could be imagined or desired. The
hand that rescued the Cubans is still
held forth and will be used whenever
lit becomes necessary to protect or en-.
courage them in their grand expert.
Iment.
/ The island of Cuba is but little over
one hundred miles from the Florida
coast; it is buttress of the continent
and it has long been the dream OF
i American statesmen that it would in
the future, be buttress of the United
States, and one of the sovereign states
of the union. There were those who
during the revolutionary struggle be-
/ tween the islanders and Spain, hoped
that the United States would interfere
and end the controversy by annexing
Cuba, but wiser and more patriotic
counsels prevailed President McKin
ley and the congress were in accord in
bans freedom and then let them eXer.
else that freedom in organizing an in.
dependent republic. All the acts of
| the administration of Mr.. Mckinley
1 and of his successor have been in har,
mony with the original declaration OF
the government as to its purposes. The
| Cubans have of their own free will
elected President and are now about
to assume a place among the indie
pendent nations of the earth. 1t is due
to them to say that they have mani.
| tested the utmost gratitude to the Uni
ted States but at the present they pre-
fer to. be and remain an Independent
republic but at the same time they
Irealize that whatever may betide, there
lis an open door to them whenever they
Iof their own free will desire closer re-
lations with the Great Republic. The
Example of Texas will ever be before
4 them. Texas achieved its independ.
ence of Mexico without the open assist
ance of the United States but was
greatly aided by citizens of this gov,
ernment who sympathized with a peo
4 pie fighting for freedom. Texas be
came an independent republic and af
ter trying the experiment for time
was eager to enter the union and was
admitted at once as an independent
state.
Texas found that it would be to her
great advantage to participate in the
good government we enjoyed and tc
have the right Of unrestricted trade
with all the states Of the Union. The
act of union between two republics
differs from the ordinary incorpora
tion of a territorial possession into the
j Union as a state. 1t is rather the de
Hibernate and voluntary action of two