The Cuban Crisis

The peculiar njustice of Spanlsh domination in Cuba Is Corcibly Hlustrated in the Wall streel pri pusitlon to compel the Cubar patriota to purchase, with an issue of bonds, the right to govern themselves. What pr tary interesi in the island 1; is Spain i i sell? The i-isrJit i táx Cuban inindustry! And whence comes ii., nghl to tax? According to the American idea taxation i.ï an incident oí pro11 "f life and property. IC this is the corree) theory then Spain's moral right to tax Cuban índustry is limited by ti) [ the protection she affords the island. The ene ia tha equivalent of the other. As Spain, in this case, would have ncthin to lose by giving up the control .jf ihe. isiand, she has nothlng to negotiate. The only claim Spain can make to a valuable consideration for the freeöom of Cuba must be made upon the assumption that Spanish revenues from ihe island exceerï Spanish expenses In governing it. And hen we reacii the cause of the whole eontention. The long continued exactlon of the Spanish government oí a heavy tribute upon Cuban industry, for whi''h Cuba has reeeived no return, has dont 'more to breed dissatisfaction among the Cuban people than arbitrary and incompetent government, and il would be the rankest injustice to eompel Cuba to pay a valuable consideration for an intangible claim which at best can only be founded upon an outlawed tltle to sovereignty. To concede Spain's fluim in this .articular would burderi Cuba wlth . bonded debt, which wuuld be ciuite as severe a drain upon her resourceg as Spanish taxation is now. It would mean a change of masterg, but is is by no means certain that the change would be for ihe better. If Cuba is ta be freed from the Spanish yoke by American Intervention let it be done upon the h'.gh moral ground tiiat the people of Cuba are the rfghtful proprietors of its si, il - "that they are and of right ought to be free" without any mercenary consideration whalssoever. This may nut be good Wall gtreet eliiics but it is good Democracy just the same. The Republican party of Michigan is just now Eorely afflicted with the Pingree scale and the genius who can devise a remedy which will cure the without weakenlng the plant can acquire fame and fortune by coninmnicating- with one James Mi .lillít:. temporarily resident it Washl.iton. lt is pas'sing strange that so a subject as our Republican eunternporaries assure us the free coinage qL sil ver s, should require extended obitr uary notices every week.