The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-06-07
CUBA.


REPORTS from Washington indicate that it
may be necessary ere long for our Govern
ment to take some decided action wish regard
to Cuba. 1t appears that commission is
now sitting at Washington to adjudicate upon
the claims of citizens of the United States
owning property in Cuba which has been
seized by the Spanish authorities. A large
number of these claims have proved to be
legitimate, and the Spanish home Gov
ernment has given orders to its representa-
tives in Cuba to make restitution and to cease
from further outrages of the kind in the
future. The Captain General and his subor-
dinates promise obedience, and there the
matter ends so far as they are concerned, for
it is found to be impossible to obtain any
thing from them; but, on the contrary, fresh
seizures of valuable estates are made
every day, and practically both Spain
and the United States are set at defiance.
Cuba has long been esteemed by Spanish
politicians as valuable only for the unlimited
opportunities it affords for plumber, and the
men who now represent Spanish authority
know that their superiors are not in position
to enforce their DEGREES, and they conse-
quently feel at liberty to do as they please
without fear of being called to account and
compelled to disgorge. The United States
Government has hitherto done so little in the
way of interference with the affairs of it's
neighbors, and it has been 80 particularly
careful to respect Spanish rights in Cuba, that
the Captain General and his satellites proba-
bly, think that they have as little to fear from
it as they have from the Government of King
Amadeus. There certainly appears, however,
to be good reason for a display of energy
upon our part which will convince the plum
derers of Cuba that they have miscalculsted;
and if the Spanish Government has not the
power, even if it has the disposition, to pro-
tect American citizens and their property in
Cuba, we should demonstrate that we have
both disposition and power to do SO.
YESTERDAY policeman who was convicte
in the Quarter Sessions of particularly out
rageous assault upon an unoffending colored
man was sentenced by Judge Allison to pay
a fine of five dollars and the costs. Upon
what principle of justice the Judge dismissed
the culprit with this merely no minal punish
| ment we do not understand. In his charge
| he referred to the assault as if it had been
merely an excess of zeal upon the part of the
| policeman, whereas the evidence showed that
it was an outrage aggravated by many cir
cumstances that entitled the offender to the
severest penalties permitted by the law.
Policemen and other officers of the
law who, in the legitimate perform
ance of their duty, may act
in somewhat rougher manner
than is strictly justifable, are entitled to some
consideration, but an officer who abuses his
authority for the deliberate purpose of NAL
treating and injuring an inoffensive citizen,
no matter how humble, should, if any distinc-
ton is made, be held more strictly to account
than an ordinary offender. Judge Paxsor
has earned for himself an enviable reputation
by the efforts he has made to restrain crime
and violence by the imposition of heavy
penalties, and if he had been on the bench
yesterday the culprit referred to would in all
probability have received his just deserts.
WHILE our citizens congratulate themselves
upon the good apparent and prospective
moral results of the substitution of paid TO,
volunteer fire department., and while the.
desire to make due allowance for the many
difficulties attending the establishment of the
new system, they are naturally anxious thai
it should be rendered thoroughly efficacious
at the earliest possible moment. The late fire
have disclosed deficiencies and imperfectioni
which should be instantly remedied; and We
trust that searching Investigations will dis
close why notice of fires cannot be promptl
given at the proper station, and why delays il
reaching the scene of action occur. The oil
system abounded with imperfections, bu
they were beyond municipal control. TIL
! new one, being subject to regulation in al
its ramiheations, will, it is to be hoped, elim
nate all inherent defects or deficiencies 500
after they are discovered.