How could someone view that Americans went to war with Spain in 1898 for humanitarian purposes

An average American citizen in 1898 could have easily seen a humanitarian justification for going to war against Spain.

Years before the war, the Cuban People had been rebelling against the Spanish rule in the island. They were fighting for independence, and the US supported this cause. Besides, the Spanish had committed attrocities against the Cuban Rebels, and the American People found those actions gruesome.