The Carlisle independent., 1906-10-04
TAFT IN CHARGE
HE ISSUES A PATRIOTIC ADDRESS
 TO THE CUBAN PEOPLE.
He lauds President Palma and Tells the People Few Practical Things
 for Their Benefit.


 race are accustomed, and not without reason, to characterize us Anglo-Sax- ons as abrupt and conceited in our views of our power of pushing civili- zation, but those of us who have come closer to Spanish civilization have been impressed with the consciousness that the Anglo-Saxons have much to learn from the intellectual refinement, artistic temperament, poetic imagery, high ideals and courtesy of the Latin and Spanish races. Spain has exerted tremendous force in civilization and progress, but nations, like men, suffer reaction.
 Tt has recently fallen to the lot of the people of the United States, who have struggled along the road to popu- lar government and fallen down and picked themselves up again, to aid some countries to the enjoyment of the benefits of popular government. The republic of Cuba has progressed so rapidly in the last four years as al most to intoXicate the believers in pop ular government. It was like the growth of a tropical plant. which need ed cutting in order that the stalk might gain strength.
 Tt is perhaps necessary that the Gu bans should be warned that the foun- dations of self-government must be broad and solid rather than high and ;c ta t, be called to Cuba, and still sadder to President Roosevelt, who is so identi fled with her liberation that we are here at the time of a stumble in Gu ba's progress toward popular govern ment, but it has given us an opportu- nifty to assure you, in the name of the president and the American people, that we are here only to help you. With our arms under your arms we are lifting you again on the path of that wonderful progress you have travelled. We shall, I am confident, be able to point with pride to the fact that the United States is not an exploiting na- tion, but that she has such deep sym pathy with the progress of popular government as to be willing to expepd her blood and treasure in making the spread of such government in the world successful.
 Your difficulty was that you were brought up under the fifteenth and sixteenth century ideas of government. and were taught to look to others for the responsibility of government.
 You exercised only the functions of criticism and most of your people, especially the educated and wealthy classes, trained themselves not only to indifference, but to inactivity in the field of political and government mat ters. I find. that law is committed to one class of people, medicine to anoth- CT, commerce to a third and political matters to a fourth, and that the first classes lean back through the influ- ence, what is being done by this gov ernment. I venture the suggestion that if the other classes do not take a more active part and insist upon ex- ercising their influence in politics the question then naturally arises: What
  form of government at all
 The theory of popular government is that every class shall exercise decided political influence, but it seems to me that your ideals have been too high An ideal so high that it is be- yond the reach of realization is not very useful. Soaring too high is dan gerous, and the higher you get the more disastrous Is the fall.
 "The hope of this country is in it's educated youth There are one or two traditions still prsisting in this civilization. The first of them is that the learned professions are the only pursuits worthy the graduates Of this university. This is a great mistake. University education is not an obstacle to success in commercial life. l am afraid that young Cubans are not suf- ficiently infused with that mercantile spirit of which we have so much in the United States.
 What you need IS the desire 10 make money, to found great interests and carry on the country's prosperity, so that the banks, commercial hous- es and shipping interests of Cuba would be in Cuban hands instead of in the hands of foreigners. You must have foreign capital, and the debt of gratitude this country owes that great man, Estrada Palma, is that he realizes more than other Cubans the necessity !. of bringing in capital and convincing Zthe world of the conservative Charac.