The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1906-10-19
our WASHINGTON LETT Els
WASHINGTON. D. C. OCTOBER 18th.

The outcome of the Cuban rebellion
seems to be a greater disappointment to
the the Cubans than to anyone else con
cerned. 1t has been intimxted hpretnf re
that this was an annexation revolution,
and all developments tend t" confirm this
view. The residents OF tina Tile Of Pines
were most deeply Interested in it. and
they have addressed an urgent petition W
Secretary Taft for the American Govern.
ment to talk over the island and giant
it separate government while be has
the chance. No reply to this petition has
rs yet been officially sent but the Govern
ment promised to take the matter undet
advisement and answer later. 1t can be
very safely said, however, that the Gov
ernment's answer is already prepared.
The position of the United States with
regard to the Isle of Pines was taken
when General Wood, in defiance of the
treaty with Spain, turned the little island
over to Cuba, and when his action was
approved by Secretary Of State Root.
There need be no thought Of annexation,
either OF the Isle of Pines or of Cuba At
the present moment, because it would not
be convenient to this government. There
is little fear, however, that the reorganiz-
ed Cuban government will only need
wear or two to revert into just the sort OF
a tangle from which the American gov
ernment is now extracting it. When
there will be no elections on and ii the
Republican party is still in power, 1t Will
very gladly assimilate the whole republic
and give as an excuse the statement that
the Cubans cannot be trusted to run an
Independent government OF their own.
The annexation moment is delayed but
has by no means been indefinitely post
poned.
Considerable comment and amusement
has been caused by the fact that General
Funston is to return to the United States
in comp any with Secretary Taft There
was every reason to suppose when he was
first ordered to Cuba that he was just the
man to fit the emergency. There is. no
question that General Funston is good
officer, and that he has . way Of doing
things regardless of red tape delays, but
it was found after he reached Cuba that
he was moi persona grGtd to many OF the
politicians there. and as the reconstruc.
ton NOV ement is beyond all things ben
evolent movement. he has had to be ship
ped back home This recalls the days OF
the last Cuban rebellion when General
Funston, than hard working corre-
spondent, went into the brush with the
Cuban rebels and was finally made
commissioned officer in the insurgent
army. He did not altogether approve of
the way that things were managed. and
ultimately wanted to return to the United
States The Cubans did not want to let
20 of good thing and objected strongly.
SO General Funston cut the Gordian knot
by going in and surrendering to the pear
est Spanish patrol. He got himself very
cordially disliked for this, but it answer
ed his purpose, and the incident has never
stood in his way until the present abhor-
tive attempt to assign him to Cuban
duty.
The Department of Justice has gotten
all stirred up again over reports Of alav.
cry and kindred outrages in the south.
A complaint has been made to the Presi-
dent anu an appeal has been sent for aid
in running down the CHASTITY state Of AZ
fairs said to exist somewl ere south of
Tampa. The allegation is that . number
of big commercial companies. running
turpentine factories, lumber mills and
phosphate mines have instituted system
of peonage and are holding hundreds of
both white men and negroes in-Fwhat
to state Of slavery. The story
as laid before the Department of Justice
has sll of the stage setting Of Uncle
Toms Cabin, even down to the armed
guards and the bloodhounds. 1t is said
that the laborers of these works are shot
at the first attempt to escape, and that
The settlers in the vicinity are afraid to
give Information to the authorities even
when they know that the law is being
violated.
One of the interesting features in con.
nection with this charge is that the men
whs are responsible for these conditions |
are not Southerners but are large North.
ern capitalists who may or may not know |
how their works are being run in the |
South. 1t will be recollected that about |
q year ago the Department Of Justice en-
parked on similar line Of inquiry with |
.egard to certain peon settlements that
we're said to be run in Missouri. The de-
is still investigating. and it is
aid that it will take up the Florida cases
md push them all to conclusion. This,
,owever, will take some time and If the
Legations with regard to the peon SET
dement's are true, the chances are that
here will be a number of vacancies in
be list of special investigators before the
Department gets all the information it
leeds prior to bringing the eases into
curt.