The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-05-20
A DlS0RDERED LAND.


| >ruk8A>su IN Nuna PrtStHt cNsfoiteoi
l am hamp<red by the obstacles 4
communication. the dangers TO whicl
l expose myself, were nay identity dis
tcovercd. and the i,scrsslihle ehAracse
Of what ! shall nsrrase. Ny descrip
ton MAY appear Manchaasenish 4
the uninformed American reader. 70
! shah relate. as every day Occurrences
things that should not take place in
eivilined land: yet every statement vii
be suhstautiAscd by ineontrcvertitl
leviaence. Though labor under grea
Disadvantages, do not despair. Tn
American people viii rasicntiy hea
and frankly judge. They are in III
dark. hut they surely are not willin
60 remain -.
Il A word about the difficulties whicl
at one time threatened to thwart M,
project
The utmost disorder prevails at tn
Havana postoffice. Letters are sen
when convenient; illustrated maya
zines are generally appropriated an,
American newspapers invariably de
stroyed by the clerks. French novel
they FIRST read and then forward
soiled and dogeared, 60 their rightfu
Iowners. This rule has its exceptions
sometimes they are not sent Thi,
lax system Of mail delivery has il:
conyeniences; for ore OF my aeuuainf
ances, former servant OF when i,
now employed in the pos,office, dali,
receives large number of periodical,
and books which, after reading at hi,
leisure, be returns 10 the Office, wher
they are sent to the original address
But IL also has its inconyeniences. The
employees at the postoffice. under the
system OF espionage that reigns there
submit all letters TO a rigid scrutiny
and unhesitatingiy destroy those that
by exposing the shortcomings and er,
rors Of the Spanish government in
Cuba, would bring into bold relief the
inefficiency and corruption of its rep.
resentatives.
Another serious difficulty lies In the
fact that as soon as my fearless reve-
lations Of the incapaeity and rotten.
ness of the government officials here
shall have attracted the attention oi
those in authority, my acts will h
carefully noted and my footsteps close.
ly followed. The posfofiice not being
seryiceable and spies constantly
bounding me, the first step must be "a
devise some safe and efficient means
Of communication; and with that end
a process has been adopted which will
eiude the Spaniarsis' vigilance, and
the Sun may he enabled to. learn the
actnal state of things in Cuba.
The obstacles which environ me al
home having been overcome, am dis
heartened at the idea that shall in
| this first letter address unsympathetic,
perhaps incredulous ears. This is said
not in censure but in sadness. The
| people OF your great republic cannot
| I've expected To feel much interest i'm a
land or partake of the feelings of a
| people of which Americans know so
little.
| What grievous refutasion Of the
| theory that unanirnity of feeling and
oneness OF purpose should character
ize aud bind together the countries OF
the new world is afforded by the
| behavior of the United States toward
Cuba, We have long ceased to expect
| sympathy from the great republic. A
Cuban cannot easily forget or forgive
| the course of the administration that
| ruled in Washington during our strug-
gle for independence. On the one
hand wasa country battling for its
| most precious aud inalienable rights :on
i the other. government whose atti-
tude was marked by cruel indifference
| and willful ignorance. A timely inter
| ference, or even remonstrance, might
have saved thousands of lives. hun
dreds of millions OF dollars. and res
eued this fair island from slavery and
wretchedness. This word was not
spoken: those who should have been
| foremost in Cuba's defense were the
first to abandon her. | cannot but
| shudder as recall the false promises
which the republicans at that time in
power held out to the Cubans, thus
| prelonging for years q ruinous war
| which sapped the life OF the Cuban
people and drained the blood of their
brayest sonsl
II will probably astonish the aver
age newspaper reader. who sees arti-
| eles and columns of kilograms devoted
| TO Bulgaria and Abyssinia, whose con
nection with his own country he can
not clearly make ont, to hear that Gu
ba, whose name those very papers
rarely mention, is of capital impor.
tance to the United States. Such Is
the case, however. and. therefore. a
plain and HByarnished account of this
| island, which seems destined to PLAY
an important part in the history oi
the United States. should be of some
interest To American readers.
Gen. Marin, the present captain
general Of Cuba, Is simply the crea-
ture and tool of Scnor Ralaguer, thf
minister of Citramar,, who is charged
| with the management of SPANS co.
ionial affairs. Besides the fixed salary
Of 50, 900 q year, the captain general
wielfls enormous or rather unbounded
power, and has unlimited opportuni-
ties to increase his income. Even now,
in Cuba's depressed condition, an ap.
pointmens here is the most lucrative
berth the Spanish government can be-
stow. With a great flourish, Gen.
Marin entered upon his duties as cap
tain general pro tenn, soiennly pro
testing that he would put stop 30 the
scandaious thefts OF the government
officials. and 10 the iawiessness and
brigandage that exist rampant through
out the island.
| The custom house receipts we're
dwibdiing 30 markedly and steadily,
that In July last, the minister Of Ultra
mar, sent Gen Marin orders TO inves-
tigate it, workings and ascertain the
facts of this decline. Gen. Marin :
first act was to oust the employees and
occupy the custom house by armed
force, thus violating not only the laws.
but the constitution: for under no cir
icumStanees was the captain general a.
| liberty Ia take this step without the
knowledge and consent OF the govern
or OF finances. the civil governor o'
the province, and the heads Of the var
ieai- departments. Imagine for a mo-
rnent Gen. Sheridan charging down
Wall street. taking military possession
OF the customs house. driving out the
clerks, and running IL according 10 his
oxn wilt Yet this has happened in
Cuba Gen Marin has converted the
customs house at Havana into har-
rack.
| Was the rashness of the treatment
justified by an immediate change for
the tetterS IL va. given out that an
enormous increase In the receipts had
been the consequence. bu. the follow
ing are the true fact-. Gen. Marin AZ
sunsed charge of the custom house in
August last. bat owing 20 the eoBfn-
sloB and delay naturally consequent
on 4 complete change oi employees,
the duties on merchandise that arrived
at this port during the last fortnight o.
Angust acre not collected until sep
txmier; and instead of ieing credited
a. the month OF August. they were
added 10 the receipts Of September
Moreover. all goods shipped unde!
syseciai orders to different parts Of the