ernment of the country. In the revolution, not only the principal leaders are colored men, but at least eight-tenths of their supporters. The result of the war, if the island can be declared independent will be a succession of the black element and a black republic. According to Philip Foner's The Spanish-Cuban-American War, "the McKinley administration had plans for dealing with Cuban situation, but these did not include independence for the island." The administration's instructions to its minister to Spain, Stewart Woodford, asking him to settle the war because it injuriously affects the normal function of business and tends to delay the condition of prosperity but not mentioning freedom and justice for the Cubans. Walter Lafeber says, "McKinley did not want war, but he did want what only a war could provide; the disappearance of the terrible uncertainty in American political and economic life, and a solid base form which to resume the building of the new American empire. According to McKinley and business community, to get Spain out of Cuba could not be accomplished without war and the securing of American military and economic influence in Cuba could not be left to Cuban rebels but could be ensured only by US intervention. Zinn also wrote about the war bringing more employment and higher wages, but also higher prices. The war had led to a 20% reduction of the purchasing power of workers' wages.
             Tindall & Shi wrote that the chief motive of the war was a sense of outrage at another country's imperialism. Throughout the second half of the nineteenth century, Cubans had repeatedly revolted against Spanish rule, only to be ruthlessly suppressed. Simmering discontent with Spanish rule had been aggravated by the Wilson-Gorman Tariff of 1894, which took sugar off the free list in the midst of a depression already damaging to the market for Cuban sugar. Raw sugar prices collapsed, putting Cuba...