The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-24
WHAT ABOUT CUBAF
The Quesfion of Annexation Has Not
 Been DOvvned.


 The QuesfiOn of Annexation Has Not
 Been DOwned.
 Charleston News and Courier.
 Before many years. perhaps months, have passed, the question of the an- nexation of Cuba will again be a live ly one in the United States. The Cu- bans have held an election and the American troops will at an early day be withdrawn; little later dissensions and rioting win occur in the island. No prophetic soul, we suppose, is re- quired to forssee that the volatile and cantankerous Cubans will not instantly settle down to the orderly conduct of government after the manner Of citI- zens of these United States. When differences arise with President Gomez and his advisers after they have been inaugurated, protest will not be con- fined to the platform and the press, but the ''outs" will, as usual, resort to slaves and guns. To expect that the Latins and the negroes of Cuba. who have regarded revolution as a pastime for centuries, will be satisfied to pro- ceed at once to settle their petty po- litical quarrels as the matter of fact folk of this land compose theirs would be to impute to them a temperamental gebirth.
 Is it the sincere desire of the people of the United Stats that 8 free and independent republic grow up in Cuba? Is the United States, so long as its poll icies are dictated by the Republican party, the friend of Cuba libre?" Meantime, If the answer should be af- irmative, MT. Tart as President will let 1t be understood that the govern ment at Washington will support the actual government in Havana. When a nalfh Ch all rA q mi take place) in Cuba. President Taft win as, of course, extend his sympa- thy and aid to President Gomez, he will refuse to recognize or to treat with insurrectionists> and he will show un. mistakably that the administration duly elected by the people of Cuba may rely upon the administration raised to power in the same way by the people of this older and, to Cuba, tutelary re- public, for aid and comfort. The proof of inability on the part of Gomez to suppress rebellion in Cuba should af- ford no excuse for the recognition of Cuban rebels.
 If the United States shall listen to every idle tale of tyranny waited from Cuba and emanating from malcontents and shall then Interpose to accord the disputants, the representatives of the government and the, leaders of rebel lion, a hearing on equal terms, the fate of the Cuban republic will be sealed. The hope that 1t will be established hangs upon the intent of the United States. If our government is willing to wait patiently for ten years or twenty, interfering always in behalf and on the side of constituted author ity in emergencies. the Cubans may learn eventually that peace and order are not only possible but that they are compulsory. Then in turn the Cubans will learn that they are beneficial and that sedition and riot do not pay"
 In word. If Uncle Sam" so wish, he can train up a little republic in the Antilles in the way 1t should go and when 1t is old it will not depart from it-but this can only be done by a re- fusal to tolerate rebels though they approach and plead with plausible ar guments.
 Tn the past. the conduct of the Uni- ted States has been the reverse of what we have described. President Palma depended upon the United States to support his government or al least he took for granted that insurrectionists would not be encouraged by it. He was disappointed. Organized and reb- ell authority met on the same plane when they had audience with the rep resentatives of the United States. and Palma troken hearted, resigned and retired to die in obscurity. One more interposition of the same character by the United States in the affairs of Cuba will make annexation inevitable.
 If the United States would have Cuba, the way to get her Is plain. We shall see what we shall see.