Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-05-27
WHAT WE HAVE DONE FOR CUBA


At noon of Tuesday, May Goth, the
United States flag, which had floated
for three years and third over Havana,
came down, and in its place there went
up the single-starred flag OF free Cuba.
Governor General Wood Immediately
sailed from the island, the reins of gov
eminent were taken up by President
Palma, and the Cuban republic was
fairly launched upon its career.
Thus is carried out the solemn pledge
with which we prefaced our declaration
of war with Spain. That we have given
Cuba an absolutely independent position
among the nations of the earth can
hardly be claimed, for we have required
certain pledges of her; but on the other
hand, few reasonable men will assert
that those requirements are more than
we should properly exact, to secure for
our own welfare the permanency of the
results of our expenditure in blood and
money.
That there are Americans who desire
the annexation of Cuba is undoubtedly
true; and they are probably solacing
themselves for our present withdrawal
from the island by the thought that
conditions will become such in few
years that we shall be obliged to take
possession. Cuba may indeed desire
annexation at some future day, and will
only have to ask in order to receive it;
but it is not now desired, and as long
as things in the new republic are not in
tolerable to us, Cuba will keep on with
out any interference from her big neigh
Dor.
What we have done for Cuba, during
the three or four years of our occupancy,
aside from the central fact of giving her
independence, was summarized by Gen.
Wood on Monday as follows-and it is a
story the full significance of which can
hardly be realized except by actual OBJ
servation:
The government of Cuba will be turned
over to the Cuban government in excel,
lent running condition.
The public order is perfect through
out the island, and there is an excellent
rural guard, well organized and equipped
to continue the maintenance of the same,
which has been under their exclusive
control for the past two years and
half.
The island is healthy and free from
all contagious diseases. The death rate
compares favorably with that in the
United States.
An efficient and well equipped schoo
system has been established.
The hospitals, charities and jails have
been reorganized, rebuilt and re
equipped.
During the last year 25 per cent of thu
total revenues of the island went into
public education. Schools have beer
constructed at the rate of more than ont
a day for the past year.
The lighthouses have been rebuilt ant
re-equipped and two first-class light!
have just been completed on the Colo
RADIO Reefs.
The ports and harbors have been full.
Supplied with buoys and launches fol-
harbor patrol work and a fleet of revenue
cutters built and the service fully organ
lied and equipped. The same is true o
the custom house service and launches
No one will know the amount of worl
it has required to get all the departments
working properly.
Il Completa.quarantine and immigration
service has been established, station
built and equipped and regulations gov
erning the same promulgated and en-
, forced.
The courts have been reorganized ant
re-equipped from one end of the islant
to the other, the procedure has beer
modified, and the time during which
prisoners have been held awaiting tria
has been reduced from about year t.
about three or four months. Police
courts have been established for minol
offenses; the fee system has beef
abolished in all the courts and all TIM
7 employees are on salary.
Free schools for typewriting ant
stenography have been opened.
! A new law of public works has beer
written on the lines followed by tn,
United States government. Many mil
/. lions have been spent in public work
on the seacoast.
Cities like Santiago and Havana hav
undergone sanitary reconstruction.
The payment of public officials is prac
tically on the same system as is employed
by the United States government.
In short, Cuba is turned over in wei
ordered, healthy condition, and the new
government will find all department
we'll equipped and in good running
Inrdar