The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-12-05
CONGRESS AND CUBA.

1t is not at all improbable that con-
gress will in substance be requested
to Keep hands off the Cuban situation
and allow the executive branch Of the
national government to continue to
administer the affairs there in accord
ance with the plans already lain dow.
by Governor. Magoon. 1t is becoming
evident at this time that congress,
while acting in the very best of faith
in granting Cuba its independence,
was too willing to listen to the clamor
of the public rather than to look calm.
ly and dispassionately at the actual
conditions in Cuba.
From the day that the American
army and navy annihilated the power
of Spain id the western hemisphere the
democratic party has been clamoring
for freedom for the Cubans. That
the party, and especially its southern
wing composed Of men like Senator
Tillman. who have forcibly refused
to all the negroes of the south to
have even the semblance of freedom,
should have been the last people in
this country to demand elective free
dom for a race which they certainly
knew was at that time not qualified to
exercise it, did not strike the public
blatant political hypocrisy. The
democrats Of the south have
constantly, and it must be ad-
mitted with some show Of reason,
contended that the political danger to
the south came from giving the freed
men the fpower Of the ballot before
they were educated to the value of it's
Importance. Yet that section demand
ed that the same conditions be al
lowed in Cuba.
There is no question that the Gu
bans were given the right to govern
themselves before they were qualified
for the same. They had been unde,
the rule of Spain for centuries and in
that time had had no practice in the ad-
ministration of governmental affairs.
the officials Of Spain who had been
sent to administer affairs on the is
land were corrupt and openly robbed
the people for their own private gain
The people OF Cuba had learned BY
generations Of observation that the
principal right of an Office holder
was that of plundering the people. No
wonder then that 80 many of them
were anxious to overthrow The regu-
larry elected government in order
that the plumber pie might be distrib-
uted more generously:
Congress realized the conditions
which existed at the time the country
was given its separate independence,
but the clamorings of the democratic
party for the granting of the same
were 80 vigorous that the public was
beginning to believe they were true,
Yielding to this public clamor the ma
tional legislature granted what 1t
knew the Cubans were not competent
to handle and the results of that I'LL
advised and hasty action are in evil
dence at this time in the firm and Wig.
orous Interference" which is being
exercised by this government at Ha-
vana.
1t is probable, in view of these facts
that the president will insist on con-
gress keeping hands of the Cuban sit
uation and allowing the ex-
ecutive branch Of the government
to work out the completion
of the scheme which it has
formulated for the Specification of
Cuba. 1t is admitted that the pres
ident is absolutely fearless of public
opinion and some of his greatest moves
on the public checker board have beeL
in open defiance of the same. He
will hardly allow the same mistake
to be made again in Cuba that was
made three years ago.