The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-21
AnorHEn nuMnusI .


 needs kick up a bobbery to disturb ths atmosphere and threaten the peace oi nations. It Is insignificant in size, fol 1t Is only about three-fourths the sizt of our Baldwin County. A little green dot in the waters of the Gulf. ~roui forty miles from Cuba, no one expect cd 1t to get baiky and try to ring Uncle Sam into rumpus.
 True. we cannot say that our govern ment is as yet directly involved in>the snari but the ea rt is being made to draw us into 1t. There are only about 5000 people inhabiting the 1,2oo acres of land and less than 300 of these are Americans, but these irrepressible rep resentatives of our civilization all have "interests" there. They have obtained concessions. purchased lands and oth- erwisc made themselves solid, and now they have decided to play Texas py holding some sort of convention ana declaring themselves "a free and inde- pendent nation" Next we know they will apply for admission into the Union as one of the independent States of an indissoluble Union"
 The whole thing looks like big farce on a small scale, but it may turn out something else. When our gov ernment gave Cuba her Independence we suppose no one seriously thought otherwise than that this little island went with the rest. To all intents and purposes 1t is as much part of Cuba as the Florida Keys are part of the United States. When old Christofero Colombo was bumming around the world hunting lost continent he but ted up against the island and since that time-it has been looked on as part of Cuba till these restless emfgrants from the United States thought they had found use for it and now 1t is very much in public view.
 There is some inside history con- nected with the affair which brings out a rather ordinary phase of Ameri- can politics. We are told, to use the words of contemporary, that when the United States gave Cuba her inde- pendence twith the Platt amendment annexed). her people generally took 1t for granted that the Isle of Pines was to be Cuban belonging in the new re- publican days as 1t had been in the days of the captains-general. The question was left open. however--un- wisely, as we think-and when treaty was negotiated giving Cuba quit claim deed in return for her sessions of naval and coaling stations to- the United States. Boies Penrose hung that treaty up in the Senate. It has re- mained hung up ever since. The ex- plantation given is that Pennsylvanians political clients of Senator Penrose- have investments In the Isle of Pines. American money from other States has been invested there: we hear of one company that has acquired 15O.ooo acres"
 That accounts for it. Penrose is one of our statesmen who is always lon the make" Pennsylvanians being in- terested there is little doubt that there was something. in 1t for Boies. He would hardly miss such an opportuni' ty for inserting few soft feathers in his own nest. He is just that kind of statesman, is Penrose, and we can hardly conceive of his opposition to the treaty unless he expected some thing out of it. But, in the words ot The New York Mail, 'Now that it has seeded what will the United States and Cuba do about 1t? It was appar- ently left to us by the treaty of Paris but we have taken quid pro quo for Il from Cuba, and a treaty for its retro cession is now before our Senate. The present action of the Pineros is doubt less intended as a polite move to pre- vent the ratification of this treaty Tn A distinct sense our honor Is pledged to restore the island Nevertheless coercion of the inhabitants by the Gu ban government is practically impos' sible, nor can we go to war against oui own citizens to turn them over to a foreign government"
 Yes, what will we do about 1t? AS there are American citizens involved we suppose our government will not stand for coercion by Cuba True that would be in line with our govern ment's action when the South seeded but nations are not always governed entirely by precedents. And, then again, it would seem like spanking our own children if we should try to return the island to Cuba by force Then, again, If we want a precedent we can hark back nearly three-score years and show that we upheld Texas In her efforts for independence and af- terwards took her into the Union as some sort of compensation for the trouble and expense caused us. So. il we are looking for precedents we can find them for and against any course we may see fit to take. Naturally, un- less the matter is settled before, Con- sress will be called on to take action and we may expect floods of eloquence and other things in explanation of what some of the great statesmen don't know about it. But there are real statesmen in the Senate who will be prepared to discuss and settle the affair equitably and honorably. At the same time. if this little spot of earth wants to drop into Uncle sam's mouth the mouth will be open.
 A WEAK PLEA.
 Tho India ua nOlis Star takes A rather