Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-11-18
THE SPANISH INTERESTS IN CUBA

|
The New York journal Of Commerce, in an
article on the Spanish interest in Cub and the
waste and slaughter Of the past FIVE years in
that island, SAYS
Previously to the present struggle in Cuba
the revenues of the island outside Of munich
pal taxes amounted to 100000 900 year. OF
this about 500, 200, 900 year were expended in
Cuba for support of standing army of 90 600
regulars and of a feet composed of about for
~ vessels, besides the support of IA, 900 Span
ish officials employed in the civil government
of the island. These officials were always
and now are Spanards sent from Spain to /
Cuba. The Cuban people were noe allowed
to participate in the administration Of the af- |
fairs OF the island except in local matters.-I
The net revenues Of Cuba to Spain before the |
insurrectIon were thus about &C. 000. 900 year. |
This money was sent to Madrid. The mun- |
cipal taxes were large (abOut $40, ,OO0, 900 a |
900.
In 1869 (after the conflict had been some
time Ia prOgress) the estimate Of the expenses
of the Spanish government in Cuba was be-
tween $50, 900 900 and $37 ,OOO, 900. Since the
campaign OflS6369 oppened, Spain has absorb
ed all the revenues of Cuba (besideS creating
bonded debt there amounting to $40, 900 0OO)
in carrying on the war between the insur-
gents. There has been no official record sub
mtted whereby the exact revenues can be
| ascertained, but they have undoubtedly been
much less during the war than before The
| territory in the interior occupied by the in
sIrgent Cubans is of a productive character,
and the sugar raised there has yielded no rev.
enue to the Spanish government. MANY SUI
gar plantations belonging to insurgents were
seized and cultivated by the Spanish authori-
ty, but by reason of corruption and incompe-
tency the revenues fIOm this source were very
small. 1t is charged and generally admitted
that the affairs in Cuba, as regards the colIec.
tOn and disbursement of revenues haYe been
OutrageOusly corrupt.
In 1869 the Cuban revOlutiOnists are under
stood to have had $4,000 men in the field at
one one time, snt they were very poorly armed.
They wer0 so determlned, however, that in
stances were frequent in battle where men
who were armed simply with the qRdchette
(cane-knife) burst through the lines regard
less of their lives, in friendly race with each
other for the arms and ammunition of dead
Spaniards. Since the war commenced nearly
200 Cubans, according to the records, have
= been erecuted by the Spaniards. How many
:, have been killed in battle is net asceItained
for want Of record. The SpanIards killed
Z in battle and executed by the FeVOlutiOnst.
. have amounted to $4,000.
The volunteers, forming the bulk of thC
! Spanish army in Cuba, have proved utterly
3 uncomfortable. 1t was their open mutinl
If that compelled the resignation of Captaii
Q. General Duce, and 1t is understood that the,
have dictated the removal of several Others
No captain general has yet felt that his lif
was safe in the hands of their own troops
The worst elements OF Cuban society in tn
4, cities were drawn upon for the vOluntee
,e OEee. The chief officers, civil and military
~ aEs,all drawn from Spain, and are all paid s.
laries amounting to S5O, 900, gold, year, IL
of captain general, So, 900 year for distrlC
" commander, and so on.
re These volunteers hate the Spanish soldier;
'ir but are more intensely bitter against the c.
~ bans. They hate Americans, too. The CI
ban patriots love Americans. They say thl
he they have fought four years and half, an
ch the way for the United States to get eve
-as with Spain now is to recognize the belligerel
i'm rights Of the Cubans. This, they say won
ic- unable them to negotiate their bonds and e
on courage prYateering. Spain has possessiC
- of every seaport and every port on the islam
'es All the Cubans want is a seaport and a GU
ied boat to hold 1t with so that they can prOte
III their vessels in the act of landing and aft
he wards.
ere The latest returns Of the exports of the 81
ith pie product, sugar and mOlasses, show I
sui following as the quantities, in tons, export
eed from the ten principal ports Of the isla
be during the period from January to July
of the nrnannk