The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-11-07

single estate. correct registration of owner
ship is exceedingly important.
Mr.. WILLIAM WELSH says that tho Purio
estate Is one of three managed 10y MORA,
ONA Il Co, who. he believes. are the owners.
Under the system which we have explained.
Mora, ONA ~ Co. would certainly be credit
cd with the estate If they really owned II,
for their interest In other property would
be so much additional security to the Gov
eminent for the collection Of the tax levied
upon the Purio. If, on the other hand, the
WELsHI.s owned the plantation, it would be
decidedly to their disadvantage to hold ii in
the name of Mora, ONA n Co. for the prop
crty of the American merchants would thus
become attachablc for the default of the
Cuban firm in paying taxes upon any Of
their other plantations.
Against these facts we have the rather
confused statement Of Mr.. WILLIAM WELSH
in regard to the connection of his house
with the estate IN question. Neither the
firm of :. Il ". WELSH, nor any member of
it," he said to reporter of the World, OF
this city and Philadelphia, " has ever,
directly or indirectly. had any ownership or
interest in any plantation in Cuba. or IN any
slaves in that island or elsewhere Almost
In the next breath he admitted that his firm
had at one time owned the Puro estate. but
protested that others held claims upon IL
covering the value of the slaves. buildings,
and movable property. II is ridiculous for
Mr.. WELSH To attempt to cvade the rcspOn-
sihilty OF slavoholding by any such round
about explanation as this. lie knows well
enough that no sugar estate in Cuba il
worth the expense of transfer unless labor
Of some kind is transferred with il.
" IL l. just possible" continues Mr.. WILL
LIAM WELSH. IL that the land may still
stand in our name The plantation, he
says, is situated upon the border line be-
tween the ground occupied by the Spanish
forces and that held by the insurgents To
avoid molcstation by the revolutionary
forces, "many Of the proprictors Of estates
there operate in the name Of some citizen Of
the United States. 1t il barely possible then.
that the firm who own the property, In
order to escape molcstation, have never cx-
ccutcd the papers which transferred the
land being our share OF it, TO Them"
1t Is barely possible that papers transfer
ring the Purio estate out of the hands of
$. a W. WELSH have never been executed
That many estates in that ncghborhood
are operated in the names Of American citi-
zcns l. not true. In all the township Of
Calabazar there is but one estate operated
in tho names OF American citizens The
single exception Is the Purio, on which s. a
W. WELSH are taxed. American ownership
Is no protection To property on the border
line The sugar estates Of THOMAS PERRY
aud of Mr.. PouvERT, in Cienfucgos Of Mr.
BISHOP, IN Remedies, and of scores Of other
American citizens in every section of the
island, have been destroyed by the Cubans.
a. a part Of their war policy
Nj. WELsH's "cXplanation," in behalf OF
his brothers political interests. resolves it.
self to this /. We never owned any estate
or any slaves in the island Of Cuba. q We
did AZ one time own the Purio estate but
We owned only the truly good part of IL. 3.
II is barely possible that we are still taxed
81 500 upon the net income of the Purio estate,
with its Is slaves, but We "ncvcr had any
disposition t. own slaves, and II any can hc
found anywhere IN which $. 4 W. WELSH
have an interest they will certainly be-
| freed"
Whether this explanation" is clear and
satisfactory, it 10 not for the newspapers
but for the Senate OF the United States to
determine. The presumption warranted by
the official record of the Spanish Govern
ncnt il strong enough 20 make q rigid in
vestigation of all the facts not only dcsira-
ble for the sake Of Mr.. JOIN WEI.sH's rcpu-
tat on. but absolutely necessary for the good
uaro Of our country.