The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-11-23
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UT thte- years our government seems to have fallen into a habit of getting difficult problems on its hands. To say nothing of that canal project. which has been dragging along for some years with virtually nothing doing. we have had in our Philippine possessions a source Of continued &hd unprofitable worEy and expenss If shose islands are worth anything to us we would like to have 1t pointed out. when on the other side of the ledger we place the original and subsequent cost in money and human life The soldier who ;oanehf q Tartar had an easy job compared With what our government has with its Fiiipinos and their is- lands
 The indications now are that in Cuba we have a stili more perplexing job on hand By a big show of force and flourishing of the big stick some sort ot order has been restored. but no one acquainted with conditions over there can hope for continued quiet. Our government has assumed to Itself the task of assuring permanent and or derly self-goxernment to the Cubans but how is ft4eoing to accomplish it? As matters now stand the United States has no right to set up a gov- ernment for them, to appoint off, cials, frame laws and otherwise make of Cuba a mere dependency ot the United states. The cubans claim the right to set up their own form of gov- erument and to elect their own officials of all grades.
 But the indications are that an eIec- tion will add to the trouble. instead of removing 1t. aThe population of Cuba is divided into two distinct and antagonistic classes, the whites who own the property as a genkral thing and fhe negroes and. mixed bloods who have little material interests in the island. If a popular election is. held the coIored population will con- ftrol it and elect their own candidates for all the offices. This their numbers will enable them to do and they will stick to each other to the bitter end. If this result follows an election the whites. who have most to gain from stable government because 1t will protect their property, assert that they will start an insurrection or revolu- ton on their own account and thus compel the United States to maintain an army there for an indefinite period. They declare that they would have no security for themselves or their prop erty under a government of mixed bloods and negroes, and that they will not risk it. It matters not that there are reports or charges that the whites are grasping and overbearing, for that perhaps only renders them more determined not to submit to bo gov erned by the natives.
 On the other hand these natives, ne- groes and mixed bloods, or the lead CTS and politicians who speak for them, declare that if the whites man. age so as to control the elections and thus organize the government and place in power men of their own race and selection they will start an insur- reetlon against the white mans gov- ernment." Knowing themselves to be largely in the majority they want it Understood that they intend to rule or start a row. In either case it seems inevitable that trouble win follow the election, which means that Uncle Sam must take a permanent seat on the obstreperoas little island in order to maintain the peace and protect Ameri- cans and their interests.
 Referring to these conditions The Hartford CConn.) Times holds that "the prospect of a permanent oeeu- patton of the island by our troops in- creasss every day. There are less than 10000 American soldiers in Cuba lat the present time. but if fighting begins, we shall have to send three times as many more, and shall have about the same sort of job on our hands that the spainards had when they were trying to control Cuba un- der General Weyler. That the Cubans are unequal to the task of governing lthemselves is indicated by the fact that, while for four years after the extermination of yellow fever from the island. it did not reappear. there have been during the past year 122 cases of the disease in Havana, due to a return to the old, pnsanitary prac- tices that prevailed during the Spanish lregime. Cuba has cost us several hundred millions of dollars during the past ten years, and the people of the United States will not tolerate any policy which does not assure the permanent pacificatlon of the island. IIf the Cubans cannot govern them- selves then we must set up a gov- ernment of our own there and main tain it."
 Looking at the matter from any point of view that we can take it ap- pears that conditions and prospects are not encouraging in Cuba. We have another gold brick on our hands. and don't know what to do with it. If we abandon the island entirely Ameri- cans and their interests there will suf- fer very materially, to say nothing of our trade with the island, and if we are not willing to let them skin their Town skunks." as the saying goes, we may prepare to maintain an army of occupation on the island for Lord only knows how long. Perhaps 1t is pity the United State ever had anything to do with it
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