The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-03-31

One of the unpleasant sights of Ha-
Yana creating d disa greeable impression
at the ouset is the wreck of the Maine
prOtruding out of the very center of the
harbor in the most conspicuous place
imaginable and with the appearance
that the explosion had just occurred
a few weeks before. The uncanny sen
satiOn is not improved when one thinks
of the bodies of brave American sailors
still buried beneath that tangle of
warped and Bonded iron in the slime
/ and filth which for twenty five feet
covers the bottom of the harbor.
One of the luxuries at Havana is
cabling to America. I luxuriated only
twice. once in two words and once in
twelve and my cable bill was $685.
During our visit in Havana num-
Der of other distinguished Americans
were present. James Gordon Bennett,
proprietor of the New York Herald was
there with mis- yacht J. Pierpont Nor
gan was there too with his yacht 1
was satisfied with our steamer Mar
! Unique
Mr.. Morgan was reported in the pa
Ders with designs of buying not only
all of the railroads Of Cuba, but Of
everything on the island and the land
itself, but it is very likely he was there
simply as your speaker; merely on
4 pleasure and recreation bent glad to
make an early return from the sunny
shores OF Cuba to the Sunfower land
/ of Kansas.
If you viii pardon these disjointed
sentences and disconnected remarks,
viii now respond to yourlong continued
cries of sit down" sit down" for the
good Of the order sit down"
In reply for my opinions: I do not
agree With many who visit Cuba that
the United States made great mis-
| take in allowing the rich island and all
its possessions to slip through our fing-
ers
Roosevelt is emphaticaHy right in his
position on the Cuban Republic and Re
/ ciprocity- The issue, OF course. is a
moral one, but the greatest issues in
peace are moral ones. national and in
/ ternational
The Presidents ideas are undoubtedly
formed to large extent by the facts
CLEANED from General Wood and who
was in better position to know these
facts and express liberal opinions than
this military governor who showed such
"a pacity and produced such great re-
suits fer the Cubans during his thre :
years residence with them.
The best conquest Of Cuba viii be the
conquest Of our commerce and our peo-
DIe Both viii go hand in hand into
the rich fields and inviting marts now
first opened to progress and the ploN
without the lowering OF the machete
and the blight of Spanish greed. SPAN
squeezed Cuba like a juicy orange
which it gathered from the few fields
which could be cultivated with the
sharpened stick and the ready sword.
Cuba was drained Of her harvest by
greedy Spain The light taxes now al
vogue 90 to the Improvement of the IS
land It's people The prevailing Ian
gs4age IN near generation viii be that
ref the Americans and the -arevailiLs
sentiment viii be American sentiment
because the prevailing people by an
overwhelming majority viii be from the
United states, or educated along United
States lines
There is undoubtedly here a great
field for enterprise. While the individual
may not find his chances q present Of
the best there is certainly primarily a
great field for capital and labor combi-
nations and indirectly for the individ-
ual himself. The soil and the condi-
tions are there ready for developments
This implies of course, a fun ratifica-
: tion Of the treaty. The Plat amend
{ nents thereto protect and encourage
American money. property and person
We cannot afford TO let this New Re
public fail. It is a child of ours To be
sure. like our children. il has cost las
much pain and suffering and money But
do we desert our children in their
youth2 The failure Of the Cuban Re-
public would be q disgrace to American
INDEPENDENCE ana blow 10 liberty
throughout the world but il will not
I fail. thank Roosevelt and his persist
ence and the great American masses
behind our President