The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1906-10-05
INTERVENTION IN CUBA.

INTERVENTION IN CUBA.
Secretary Of War Taft took pos
session of the Cuban capital on Fri
day and issued a proclamation nam
ing himself the provisional governor
of Cuba. This act was not unex-
pected and was received by the citi-
zens of that republic in a submissive
manner. The republican form of
government has been suspended, and
today the United States and Cuban
flags together float over the capitol
building.
The government has issued rush
orders to hurry marines to the scene,
and large number were landed the
first part of this week. This occa-
sion was without incident and there
is no immediate danger Of blood
shed, the greatest foe now threaten
ing our men being the dread fever,
which is at its worst this season of
the year.
The position of the United States
government in its present occupancy
of Cuba is rather unique. Secretary
Taft justifes the extraordinary step
on the grounds that the last election
in Cuba was fraudulent, and in
measure recognized the revolution
lists, who were trying to GUST the
present officials, who they claim
were chosen by corrupt methods.
The stand of the United States, when
carefully examined, is a most extra
ordinary one, probably without pre-
cedent in the worlds history. 1t
would seem that the reasonable way
to have upset a fraudulent election
would have been a resort to the
courts or some other proper tribu-
nal. In 1876, when Tilden was fair
" elected president of the United
States and there was a contest bv
the opposite party, it was settled by
the appointment of a specially ere.
ated board Of arbitration. Suppose
at that time that England or some
other foreign country had stepped
into the United States and declared
that the seating of Hayes was lille
gal, and it was, what would the out
side world have thought, and how
would such an overt act have been
received by our people? Yet just
such a thing has happened in Cuba
in the last week, and instead of the
organized form of government being
recognized, the United States has
taken the part of the opponents of
law and order.
There has not been a single nation
al election within the recollection Of
the writer in which fraud has not
been charged by one side or the
other. We have only to go back to
1904, and in spite of President
Roosevelt's remarkable declaration
that no corporation was contribut-
ing to his election by giving money
to the campaign fund, yet the Arm
strong Investigating Committee has
since proven beyond doubt that sew
eral life insurance companies gave
large sums of the peoples money to
the national Republican campaign
fund of 1904, and doubtless there
could be a great deal Of corruption
shown in that falls work if some
Hughes would rise up to the occa-
sion and the proper investigation
committee be formed that would
look into the election in an impartial
manner.
No one doubts the ultimate out
come of the governments present
position. Annexation will more
than likely follow in due course of
time, and the United States will have
another colony to add to its list of
dependencies. Anti,imperialists, and
they number their forces by the mil
lions, are opposed to this action, yet
their scattered condition prevents
them from making united protest.
We predict that the present govern
ment of the United States is riding
for great big fall and is bound to
get it sooner or later. There are
enough conservative people in the
United States to outweigh the pres
ent government plunging, if we may
so term it, and the time will come
when an organized head will make a
protest in such manner as to prove
efectual.