Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-11-27
From the journal of Commerce
Some Facts AbouG Cuba.

Previously to the present struggle in
Cuba the revenues of the island outside
of municipal taxes amounted to S26,-
900, 900 year. OF this about 800, ,000,-
900 year were expended in Cuba for
support of standing army of 10000
regulars and of a fleet composed of
about forty vessels, besides the support
of IA, 900 Spanish officials employed in
the civil government of the island.
These officials were always and now are
Spaniards sent from Spain to Cuba. The
Cuban people were not allowed to par
ticipate in the administration of the af-
fairs of the island, except in local mat
ters. The net revenues of Cuba TO Spain
before the insurrection were thus about
$4,000, 900 year. This money was
sent to Madrid The municipal taxes
were large (about $4,000, 600 a year,
amounting in Havana alone to ST.
100000.
In 1869 (after the conflict had been
some time in progress), the estimate of
the expenses of the Spanish government
in Cuba was between $50, 900, 900 and
S37, 900, 900. Since the campaign of
1860 opened. Spain has absorbed All
the revenues of Cuba (besides creating a
bonded debt there amounting to &70,-
600, ,000) in carrying on the war against
the insurgents. There has been no Of
fetal record submitted whereby the. ex-
act revenues can be ascertained. but
they have undoubtedly been much less
during the war than before. The terri
. tory In the interior occupied by the In
surgent Cubans is of a productive char
acteT, and the sugar raised there has
yielded no revenue to the Spanish gov
ernment. Many sugar plantations be-
longing to insurgents were seizea and
cultivated by the Spanish authority, but
by reason of corruption and incompetent
Cy the revenues from this source were
very small. Ii is charged and generally
!. admitted that the affairs of Cuba. as re-
CARDS the collection and disbursement of
revenues, have been 0utFageously cor
rupt. 81 500 4,
In 1869 the Cuban reVolati0nists are
understood 10 have had fifty Thousand
men in the field at one time, bat they
were very poorly armed. They We're SO
determined, however, that instances
were frequent in battle where men who
were armed simply with the machete
(eaue-knife) burst through the lines re-
gardleSs of their lives, in friendly race
with each other, for the arms and anu
milton of the dead Spaniards. Since the
war commenced. nearly forty thousand
GubaHs, according to the record, have
been executed by the, Spaniards. How
many have. been killed in battle has not
been, ascertained for want of record.
/ The SpaniaFds killed In battle and execu.
ted by the hereyoiutionists have amounted
to about seventy five thousand
70 bso lAt1llr ni
the Spanish army in Cuba, have. proved
utterly uncomfortable. It was theil
open mutiny that compelled the Fesigna.
| tion of Captain General Dulee, and it is
understood that they have dictated the
tain General has yet felt sure sure thai
his life was safe ia the hands OF his OWE
I troops, The worst elements of Cuban
society in the cities were drawn upoT
| for the volunteer force The chief off
GERS, civil and military, are drawn. from
/ Spain, and are paid salaries amounting
| to fifty thousand dollars, gold, "a year
| for a captain general twelve Thousand
a year for district commander, and sc
on. These. volunteers; hate the Spanish
soldiers, but are. more intensely bittel
against the. Cubsns.. They hate Ameri.
cans. too. The Cuban patriots love
Americans. They say they have fought
| four years and a half, and the way fol
| the United States to get even with Spain
| now is to recognize the belligerent right:
/, of the Cubans. This, they say would
enable. them to negotiate their. bonds anC
encourage priyateering. Spain has pos
| session Of every seaport and every. for
on the island. All the Cubans want is {
/ seaport, and a gunboat to hold it with
! SO that they can protect their vessels ir
the act of landing and afterwards.