Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-02-18
IN NEsGaBoRsNG ISLES.

IN NEsGaBoRsNG ISLES.
Revelries n Havana Duriag he Car
nival season.
FAIsE RrroRrs or ASSASSINATION AND sxIaAxp-
AGs-Fk rssArloSs Fos TIE cAxSTvhL-snsrx
AND DEMONSTRATION wonkS-ooReEors COS
rvxss-FxAsIiSs AND DANCING.
tCopyrighted,
Special Correspondents Of TIA EVENING srAR
HAVANA, CpBA. Fen II 1ssS
During the past few weeks many alarming tele-
graphic reports emanating from Key West and
Tampa, regarding affairs In Cuba, have appeared
In American newspapers As there are now In the
island perhaps 900 American tourists, their
friends In the states have been made extremely
miserable, as the foods OF caolegrams and letters
OF Inquiry now pouring upon cuban cities fully
prove. Aside from this the business Interests be-
tween the states and Cuba long sinoe reached
gigantic proportions No less than 600 coo, 600 OF
American capital is invested IN cuba or IN Aineri-
can business with Cuba These great business
interests have thus been Temporarily inmeasura-
bly, harmed.
ASsroRrKp REIGN or TERROR
Inc Two NAMED general and important facts war
rant q straightforward statement OF the condition
OF an Airs In Cuba That these reports have been
printed with purpose 70 injure every manner OF
commercial intercourse between our country and
THIS and put an end for this season TO travel to-
ward the West Indies or have been sent through
the great press Geographic channels 10 the Amer-
can public by alarmlsts or Incompetence h upde-
n,ahy true. The gist OF repeated, aud II would
almost seem mefhodically- prepared news IRON
Cuoa, sent out 20 the country from Key West has
been that smallpox was sweeping over the
island, that mu der and assassination were ram
pa In every city and pueblo; that intoierable
corruption had honey coanoed the entire admins
Iraton OF the newly-appointed governor general
fa.ap
BARELY escaping from Various horrible dilemmas
with their lives; that bandits were captu ing all
public meetings were being Prohibited and news .
papers suppressed; that .dies were emplo, ed In
az manner OF Official outrages; that, IN fact
trembling upon the verge OF tremendous up
heaval OF revolution, pillage, and butchery.
THE SITUATION IN CUBA
This has all beeL wonderful news TO Americans
and other foreigners In cuba. have purposeiy
delayed referring TO It In this correspondence until
able 70 write regarding IL with accuracy and CON-
plete truthfulnesS have already visited twelve
OF the larger cities and fully score OF villages:
conyersed with hundreds CT Americans and Euro
peans who have been In every Inhabited portion
OF cuba during the wilmer; gone repeatedly ana
alone 10 various plantatiuus visited the guajiros
or country folk AT their sitios and cabins; IN my
ignorance OF this carnival OF crime and disease
sought out numberless and low i,est old corners
and quarters OF HAVANA: actually made an ap-
Cubiaa Jesse James, Matsgas; In fact have been
In every conceivable position ana place where
eognlzanee OF any manner OF danger 70 health or
body could be srcured;-and am " ting these
words upon the balcony OF my hotel on the Prsdo
underneath the shade OF Hsvsna's beautiful
iaureis, with the magnificent thoroughfare be-
meath me tilted with gay tourists and Ihrongs OF
native men and women Of manners the miidest
ana laces the frendliest and kndest you may ma
beneath the sun.
FALSE ALARNs
But there are truly ofIlcial corruption, disease,
assassination, and br-gandage in Cuba. So there
are 10 our own country, and there have always
been. In that sense and that only has there been
inf1nitesimal truth In the outrageous reports con-
cocted at Key West about cuba. here Is no more
Official robbery In all Cuba to-day than the late
Mr.. WIN. Tweed, OF Norwich. Conn, illustrated
was possible in New YORK city alone There is no
more smallpox In all Cuba this moment than
there is IN the one city OF Brooklyn. There are no
more mur lei, assassination ana robbery Ia all Cuba
In week Than there are in New York or Chicago
or san Francisco In any one sunday OF the year.
There has been no more robbery by bandits m the
SIX Cuban provinces In d whole year than there Is
done In any one month OF any year by armed
American outlaws upon our Railways In the SOUTH
west, and there Is not the hundIedth part OF the
danger OF revolution and boodshed about anyl hing
Ia any part OF Cuba az there Is OF revolution and
biooushed in the coal regions Of PENNSYLVANIA.
Cuba Is ever sufficiently un hijo de la desgracia
ye sal press OF nation which periodically plays
the lovers part with noneying and ample pIoies-
sionS and whose citizens to-day have more mate
rial RISK IN the welfare OF The A1tille pearl than
have those OF Inc Kingdom which can never enforce
Or win her loyalty and respect
CARNIVAL SEASON.
Indifferent OF tue dire things said about them
cuban p-ople are already filled with restless an
ticipation and excitement over the approaching
carnival season, which begins sunday. Every
manner OF man and woman breaks Into 4 smile OF
Radiant expectancy when IL Is mentioned. Ma
uonaiy considered these carnival days have not a
titne OF the import OF our blessed American
winter hold y season. Love, home, the nreside
all that give tenderness TO The inner heart OF
people, are IN our Chrlstmas-tide. These people
make little OF Christmas for they have neither
| the gors nor the sentim MT which intensity the
cneer VI That Time with us But ia their politica.
tuer quality OF sentiment permits; for TO the
! gre 4 unclasslfled masses or Cuua Il brings a
| gaieiy and license which are, TO them nearest
vita unutterable an often pathetic iongingA
From one end or the island to another II Is that
time OF the year looked forward 70 By every
human being as a season OF enjoy ment and ex-
| cusaoie folly. II must be remembered that there
arU
NO SERIOUS PEOPLE IN CuBA.
BY that is meant. no lugubr1ous, solemn, acidu-
late humans who. as with Us, harrow and chill by
the very exudatioDs from their ciammy dark
drearinesS Even cuban SICK man Is a pleasant
object for contemplation. wnen contrasted with
the peramoaia III american ere mummy INTO whose
hearts, bright faces and forgiyabe trfyi ilties
here ever the inward and outward expression
defending these Characteristics The facts are
simply stated Others may discuss the ethics
So Il Is true that every man, woman ana child 10
Cuba, whatever NAV be the individual dolor
borne, as carnival days approach. lax hten aud
brighten In a way that Is good 10 see, II here be
no good in the universal fact.
HIVE or BACCnANALS
In cuba there are no great Mardi Gras process
sions and isolated espectaculos or pageants as In
New Orleans and many European C ties Instead,
In cities, and especially its brilliant capital
Havana, are, during this period, simply, wholly
aud completely great hives Of bacchanals and In
descrbaDly grotesQue eccent1ciIies The poor
gu.1iro OF the interior has saved from his scrinp
be comes a loot or upon his nimble jacas over the
mountains, dreaming OF havana's glores or may
hap singing In his heart or with his lps that
me .odious little ioye-song which one time or
other mas bewildered the brain OF every Cuban
countryman:
He vfsto mi amor querido.
Pr 10 Gale de la ssbana-
Una precosa Guiana.
Que he theme confuId.do!
Isaw my adored
On street vf Havana
A pr c.ous CupaEa
That head NE enthralledf-
and his kind are here by the thousand to ada pic
turesdueness to the Interesting carnival scenes.
The guadaflero, the carretfro, the lecLero, and q
hundred otner eros, comprising the swarthy
toiiers OF the sunny land have done The same, or
more. Whatever the previous sacrio e or suDse-
In the eager grasp or expectant enjoyment, Is
boarded for, and ckessly sQuandereo In the car
nival season Well IL Il thai Lent follows 10 sober
n .1arve hack into ordinary regime these sim-