Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-03-10

CLASSES on CUBAN NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
OF THE rovEBTY-sTRIcKES GrAJRos-LasDzD
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF BAD GOVERNMENT
(Cnpyrignted)
Special Correspondence Of The EVENING STAR
SAN FRANCISCO DE PAULA. CUBA March ).
The interior OF Cuba, go where you will for the
most earnest study OF scene and condition always
presents Just two startling contrasts for con-
temptation In topography It is glorious noun
tain or tremendous reach OF savanna In soil IL Is
marvellous richness or woeful sterility. In for
estry and dora &c Is indescribabie luxuriance or
wrinkled, shriveled, burned-out poverty. In land
holders 10 Is naboo serf As In the cities, there
are but the two classes The planters are princes;
the lesser folk are Infinitely worse than PEASANTS
There are no conditions which may be compared
with American conditions for the readers CON-
prehension. France has comfortable. happy
peasantry. The countrymen OF Germany have a
certain stolid Independence and some simple
pleasures Eyenthe peasantry OF Oh spain are
people from whom can come individual success,
while none are without possibilities But In
cuba government and wealth aristoeracy nave so
cannot md hope or amOiti on, as We know them,
between the beatings OF the seas
OUTSIDE TIE CITIES.
In these, and during former, Journeyfngs In Cuba,
have got as close TO the real life OF those who live
outside cuban cites as In my power. All that can
be found n one should for half a century tourney
and delve, IS this Landed lords with a worse than
actual African slavery about them, from which is
wrung IailliOus, 10 be in turn wrested from them
by the most barbarous government known TO man:
and a horde OF native Cu0ans listlessly sucking
sustenance from the glowing breast OF a nature so
tender and bountful that IL Is the only semblance
20 a COD they ever can know. Five million OF rich-
growing farmers would take the place OF these
Souls who cheated CT LIES honorable possibili-
ties, within fve years from the tine the United
states, or any measurably good government shall
give cuba James Russell LowelPs definition Of lib
erty in fact and experience.
But as he Is and because he Is, the cuban coun-
tTyman IL an entertaining study. His generic
name is 81 guaiiro. The gua1iro TO the city Cuban
But when you come to the interior you viii md he
has three names. These are guaIiro, the montero,
and the sitiero' TILE ,o
properly speaking, is the cuban country lout; the
same fellow you have seen Longing about remote
country cross-road stores In our own land; the
fellow who is bumped and callow. scraggy OF hair,
with spreading legs, swinging jaws silent tongue,
and sOdden eyes-the being here not so bright as
The negro OF the tropics nor so funny, nor even
r.tle aspiring. He is sort OF spiritless animal
never exactly harmful, never wholly helpful,
always contented with a ragged sOmbrero OF
any sort OF stun, filthy shirt worn outside
these, any vile cigarette, Ike our own noble Ameri-
can youta, a cockade, and machete, or any other
viIiainous knife, though tap from a riding whip
would drive him into paralysis OF fear. He is
no, vicious, though he looks IL desperately. He
does some labor. He does that not wholly under
protest. But he Is all In all only another one in
summing up population.
FAMILIES.
II he be married he lives In palm-thatched hut
anywhere. His wife, whose grade or intelligence
is even beneath his own, is prolific of children and
expedients. That is, she will give her husband
from dozen TO a score OF healthy young guaJiros,
ard knows how TO DOLL roOIs and mend the matches
OF their cabin These duties are about all their con-
0ition imposes. over there against the mountain.
where have been for q few days, are a number OF
these guaJiros homes. / counted ninety-three
children In seven families. OF these over one-haf
were naked There Is no cabin where half dozen
cooking and eating utensils can be found.
Tney i've upon yuca root. the yam, and they
gave me Dread made OF salt and corn broken
IN a stone mortar, baked upon heated stone.
sometimes they get bit or tassajo, or South
American dried beef. As great treat a few times
each year scrap OF the flthiest American pork Is
had These occasions are very close 70 heaven.
And yet among the youth and maidens OF this LIST
piflfu look OF eager longing would hit into their
splendid eyes as told them what their gainings
might be In any land OF labor and reward. AFFECT
poverty sits upon their world But its grip and
sting are powerless 20 prod into action. The luxu-
nance, bounteousnesS and prodigality OF nature
are more than match for penury here. This con-
doered, there would seem TO be no hope for the
Suajiro. 50 long as he Is subject OF Spain, per-
hsps be 10 better without It.
TENANTS.
When the guaJiro becomes instead OF a sQuatter
regular tenant Of the land the country wise name
FOR him is changed to ell stiero These stieros usu-
a.
pffsng thirty three and one-third acres but fire.
Quens1y only fraction OF that amount, for which
ne pays an exoroitant rental to the propretario,
M0o uves In Havana in opuience and dissipation.
,nnepRopneearfo Is as hard upon his Cuban brother
as spain Is upon the island The Landlord lives
5as gay p only
suppaanted BY other land proprietors, who in
heir turn, dissipate. grind the tenantry and make
OF Cuba Is constantly passing from opulence to
Deggary. A common expression here Illustrates
the quick shifting OF fortunes In commerce as well
nieto Pordto serot" e'The father grocer, the son
gentleman, the grandson oeggar:1.
THE PRIMITIVE FARMER
But In all these changes the sitiero remains the
same luckless, sunny gatnerer OF whatever this
grand and exuoerant cline brings forth He has
neither motive nor prompting, from an active need
or wise landlord, TO be else than he is and THIS
VIII be so long as the race which rules him con-
tinues In mastery. SO IL Is that you win see him
ON every hand using the primitive utensils with
which mother earth was prodded In old spain a
hall q thousand years ago-scarcely better on
than the ancient Goths and Huns IN environment
and dragging his drinking water by ox-sed In tre-
mendous puncheons from some spring or stream
miles ana miles away from his palm-thatched
hillside howell
CUBAN MoNTERos.
But the monrero Is more OF a man. He "a often
quite as INDECENT. And IL must be ever borne I'm
mind that virllity, viyor, activity thrift. as we
know them in our rigorous Cline, which thrust a
savage necessity at every door, are here Absolutely
unknown. They are seemingly unneeded. In the
scale OF requirement for actual subsistence a
months effort In Cuba IS equivalent 10 a years
scourging toll with us The mentAro though IS a
little nearer our thought and standard. Whether
upon bis 1acas herding the shining horned bulls OF
Camagoey, or putterng about his rose-embOwered
cabin IN certain infinitessfma sense he is a fellow
OF AFFAIRS And he possesses a sort Of chfyalrous
valor that has wfnsomeness In 10. In the reyolu-
ton OF % IL was the Cuban montero who held out
10 tne last he Is unconquered, though merrfly
Reae s. stun II the more easily corrupted
brothers OF CamagIey, whose heroism was never
surpassed even upon tine blOod-swepc fields OF our
own revolution, cuba would have been a republic
to-day.
PERENNIAL SERENITY.
Thus the Cuban monteros indolepcy prows
rather out OF over-productIon than inherent Ian,
nesA de does not acquire and grab and wear his
Life 70 shreds 70 set great store by. No condition
lie ever knew required that He has no love for
luxury. Hence ne Is nowise distressed or dis
tracted He has no envious longing for broad acres
Iof one acre VIII surfce. II he owns half a dozen
MS unnecessary wealth rests heavily upon him
he needs no fuel 10 warm him, for loving sun al
ways does that. de needs but little clothing 10
protect him, for he lives In endless summer. He
reqalres no barns and great storehouses for all
tao word he knows is an endless storehouse with
tne pin-end al his very door. He needs no grand
NUS lor the whole nOwer-biossOmed island Is
NJ ooorous oed-chanber eJernally. He may
herd cattle or work on the sugar planta
tions iof rev months OF the year: but IL he
SocA negro or gua1iro Is his slave for the rest
,1, mnoie active, prompting element OF need Is
snnlnated from the montero'S life You must
Az" tnis before you can know him Getting a
Lt~o Closer 10 his home-llfe and thought he NAV
e sao 70 exist In perennial serenity. Tie marrtes
they come. They are welcome 10 come 70 $50
" so Inc Wlfe attends 10 her few dutie, hapntIy.
sne mas no mission" To become frenZied overI "a
~ es ,S aus cone on the table al the night time SO
- hE~w- =.