The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-02
TAFT GIVES ADVICE TO CUBA,
SHOULD NOT BE DISCOURAGED
ny ONE FAILURE.
Renews United states Fsedge 10 Aid In
Rsestablishing s-eir-GOvernment on .
Sound Basis-ProVIsiOnaI Governors
Address MecelVed with Rnthusiasm.


dress at the university this morning &C.
newed the pledge that American inter-
ventiOn was only Tor the purpose Of help
ing the Cubans to resume self government
on a sound basis. He revie wed conditions
as he had found them in the island and
pointed out some Of the mistakes he thought
had been made. He received a great ova-
ton.
Gov. Taft, following the custom OF all
Cuban chiefs OF state from h Spanish
Captains-C General TO Palma, attended the
ceremony OF the opening Of the scholastic
year and delivered the address to the
students, in answer to a speech made by
DR.. Valdez Rodriguez.
Every sentence Gov. Taft spoke was
translated Immediately into Spanish by
an interpreter. the audience cheering
frantically. He expressed such deep re-
gard and sympathy for Cuba. was 40 fair
in his Judgments and appealed so elo-
quently to Cuban patriotism that many OF
his hearers shed tears, every man and
woman in the hall standing and crying:
viva Taft" viva Roosevelt"
TRIBUTE TO THE LATIN RACE.
Gov. Taft said:
Il count il a peculiar honor. as repre-
senting the Executive Of this island to take
part in the exercises OF this university.
II is Of special interest and an honor 70 mi
because IL was my good fortune when
exercising executive functions in the Philip
- ~ -. 80 snLy. ~ "A - a airatlae etfN0-
ton in the university founded by the same
order and under similar influences more
than a hundred years before this Q
Members OF the Latin race, not without
reason, characterize the Anglo-Saxon race
as abrupt and oonceited in our view OF MI
power in pushing civilization, but those
who have had occasion to come. close to
the Spanish race kno that h Anglo
Saxon race has much to learn from the in
tellectual refinement, logical faculties, ar
tistic temperament, poetic imagery, high
ideals and courtesy Of the Spanish race.
-One must know the history Of these COL
onies to realize the tremendous force Spain
exerted in civilization and progress. The
great public works Spain erected the world
over testify to her patience and enterprise
in the centuries when the Anglo-Saxon
world was struggling with something much
less ~pretentious, but the civilization OF
Spain was founded on the idea OF control
by one mar or a few men in the State, n
thai idea has ceased to have force In the
world. In the Anglo-Saxon world the prin-
ciple was early brought to the front That
those who had education enough to know
what their interests were were more safeiyto
be trusted with determining how those
interests should be preserved thar one
man or a few men. Because in thai respect
and in the development of that idea we
have the advantage Of 200 years Of educa-
ton in se-lf-government, we plume ourselves
with superiority in he matter Of know ledge
Of government.
THERE only To HE'LL CUBA.
Now we have arrived at a stage where
the attention Of the world is being directed
toward the tropics, and along with this
attention comes the movement toward
popular government. Cuba, established
as a republic four years ago, made such
rapid progress az almost intoxicated those
OF us who believed In popular government.
II was very much like the growth of a tropi-
cal plant that needed, possibly, to be cut
back in order that the stem gain strength.
II was perhaps necessary that this people
should have warning, sad Gs the warning
was, that the foundation upon which popu-
lar self-government must he laid must
he broad and solid rather han high and
conspicuous.
1t was sad to ne to hc called TO this
island and il WIS rtill saGdr to NY Chir,
President Roosevelt, who was so identified
with the liberation Of this island) to be
here at a tims Of a stumble in progress
toward self-g overnment. But however
thai may be. it has given US en- opportunity,
which ! am no Y glad to tie atl1 10 take, TO
assure you in the name Of President Roose-
welt and tho imerican people that we ara
here only to lelp 0 on, with our arm
under your arm lifting you again on the
path Of wonderful progress you have
ira yelled.
Il am confident that we will be able again
to point with priCe to the fact that the
United States is not an exploiting nation,
but only has such deep sympathy with the
progress Of popular COVE rnment as to be
wiling to expend its blood and treasure in
making the spread Of such government
in the world successful.
CUBA's FAULTS.
our dlHlCuIJy was bndt you were Drought
up under the fifteenth and sixteenth CEN
fury ideas Of government, the government
Of one man or a few men, n that you
were taught TO look to somebody else for
he responsibility OF government. You
exercised only the function Of criticism,
and most Of your people, especially those
Of the wealthy and educated classes, trained
themselves to occupy a position not Of in
difference but Of inactivity with reference
TO political and governmental matters.
Now IL seems | find here a relicgalthouRn
the reasons for IL have disappeared, Of that
condition, and I find the law committed
one clsss to medicine, left another class
10 commercial interests, a third cless 10
political matters. ! venture 20 suggest
that ell classes did not take an ectiSe pert
end insist upon exering their influence
in politics.
The question naturally arises, What
wPs the Nero r1itY for changing vour form
Of govtu mem? The theory OF popular
government IL Cnet al classes shall exercise
decided political influence. Now | have
disc Jvernd, il seems to me, that you ideals
we're too high. 40 high % 10 reach beyond
the real. Idecls 40 high that they ere be-
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