The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-02-24

WILL TMBh ID ITH
IT." ruminates The Hartford Times,
the Cuban Congress passes the pro-
posed bill to deprive aliens Of the right
to own property IN that island. there
will be a lot Of trouble on hand for
the new Government at once. Laws OF
this kind may be popular on the Pa
cihc coast but In view Of what Ameri-
cans have done for Cuba. no such leg
isiation can be carried out against the
foreign owners of two billions Of dol
lars worth Of property In Cuba. II
what the Cubans want 10 to be placed
permanently and soon under the suze-
rainty of the United States, an allen
land law will be a good way to bring
about that result"
Are we never to have anything from
or through Cuba but trouble? In one
way or another II has been q thorn In
the flesh of this country for genera
lions, and many have been the attempts
to get possession Of Il or to make It
free. Sixty years ago President Polk
authorized our. Minister to Spain to
offer a million dollars for the island.
but, Of course, the offer was refused.
Ten years later there was a proposition
before the Senate to authorize our
Government to offer thirty million dol
lars for 1t, but we believe that rather
extravagant bid was Withdrawn. Back
in 1854 Buchanan. Soule and Mason. our
Ministers to Great Britain France and
Spain, signed what is known as the
"ostend Manifesto" which auth orized
our Government to annex Cuba II Spain
refused to sell. That proposition to
take the island vi ct arms was also
a failure. The queen OF the Antilles
the Ever Faithful ISLE and other at
fectionate terms applied to the island
by the spaniards. was too valuable an
asset for Spain to part with.
Nor have there been wanting ef-
forts in the past to revolutionize Cuba,
one Of the most noted being that Of the
Inflated Lopez about 1880, who organ
lied and let an expedition to revolu-
tionize and free the island. The effort
was q failure and Lopez was captured
and put to death in the usual Spanish
style. OF late years. as we all know.
Cuba has been a source OF almost con-
tinual trouble and turmoil. and our
Government has been mixed up In its
AFFAIRS in SO many ways that one has
hardly been able TO tell whether we
were in or out.
And now, after Cuba has attained
her Independence, organized Govern
| ment, of her own. and has the oppor-
tunity of her life to become a pros
porous Republic. 1t seems that there
are those in power who would destroy
and wipe out all the bright anticipa-
lions that have been and are being IN
dulged in regarding this Queen OF the
| Antilles. To enact such a law as that
| referred TO and attempt to enforce II
would be to commit suicide at once.
II we understand the proposed law. It's
enforcement would mean the expatria-
ton of not only many American citi-
gems. but those Of the Europen .coun-
tries as well. We suppose foreigners
would still be suffered to engage In
\ business on the island. but IL none OF
them can own land or other property
they would have little desire to re-
main.
No doubt The Times is correct In
saving that such action as that con-
templated would at once cause the
United States to interfere and take pos
session, and this time the ownership
might be permanent, and Cuba become
a colony controlled by our Govern
ment. To pass such a law as that re-
ferred to would be a plain Invitation
to Uncle Sam to step in and put an enc
to Cuban independence. 1t does no
seem possible that they will attemp
Il. but then one never knows what
child will do when it gets hold Of edge'
tools.
H. l. 80 n