New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-09-12
GETTING TO WORK IN CUBA.

The news from Cuba will cause regret, but II
will he regret at the necessity for such action
as President Palma is now taking. and not at
the action itself. There has been in this oOuu-
try an earnest hope that the instruction would
not prove serious and that It would speedily
be quelled without recourse 10 measures SAVIOR
ing OF civil war. That hope now seems 20 have
been Ill founded. or at any rate. II has been dis
appointed, partly because tho sordidness and
malignance OF the speculative fomenters of
strife and the lawlessness and wickedness OF
their tools and agents In Cuba have been greater
than was supposed and partly because, we
fear, the Cuban administration was caught nap
ping and was too slow in awaking TO a real
ization OF the peril before II. But now that It
has fully awakened. and Senor Palma has
wisely decided 10 play the part OF a Lincoln
rather than that OF a Buchanan, there will be
a general sentiment Of relief, OF hope, and OF
earnest sympathy with the lawful government
OF Cuba in its struggle against the would-be
sssassins OF the republic.
There may be criticism OF President Palma
but II VIII be for the reasons which we have
Just indicated. and for his excessive lenlency,
and not for the patriotic vigor which he is now
manifesting. In proclaiming martial law and
IN going at the rebels with an iron hand he IA
doing exactly right. though late. For conviction
Of that fact we have only 10 consider the char
acter and the ways and means OF this insur-
rection. Realizing themselves TO be I'm a hope
less minority. the enemies Of the government at
the last election declined 10 ''stand up and be
counted" and then. instead OF acquiescing In
the undoubted will Of the majority. began plot
ting 20 do lawlessly what they We're unable 10
do lawfully. A combination OF alien specula-
tors. intent on destroying the independence OF
Cuba for their own selfish ends, a motley gang
OF professional criminals and q number OF dis
appointed politicians who had not outgrown the
oldtime revolution habit combined 20 begin a
campaign Of plundering grocery stores loottng
private houses, burning barns and factories and
wrecking railroad trains, with an open threat
TO make Of the island such hell as would com
pei the United Stntes 90 intervene, and with n
scarcely masked purpose OF precipitating aboli-
ton OF the insular government and annexation
10 the United States.
That is the abhorrent thing with which the
Cuban government IS now confronted and
against which IL has properly determined 10
exert every power at its command. President
Palma and his colleagues are fighting for the
preservation OF everything that was fought for
In the old Ten Years War and in the last revo.
luton ana Tor the very things for which. in
Cuba's behalf. the United States interviewed I'm
insular affairs at cost Of a war with SDain
The United States interviewed TO restore neace
TO the island and 10 give the government or the
island into the hands OF its own people Tbasa
rebels are destroying peace. ana would destroy
independence We must hope that the Iovot
troops Of Cuba viii effectively disnose 90 ~,
who are bold enough - take the field and ,bo,
;ile police VIII pUt out o. mlschicf's way tbosc
vino have been aiding ana abetting The ma
RAIDERS from civil Life. The very existence Of