The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-04-18
WE HAVE HER?
THE CUBAN ANxexArioN QUESTIONS
Still. ALIVE.

~ ALAI - IIA VIZ ulLhs
THE CUBAN ANNEXATION QUESTIONS
l. Still. ALIVE
Misg"v"rrsnrnt at the Island Causing Con.
tinued Observation-Disclosures or Varying
Mature. from different Places.
A correspondent, writing from Havana
under date of April 8, says: The question
Of the annexation of Cuba to the Upited
States is daily growing more serious, and
the government commences to be alarmed
at ths propagation that mora or less openly
is being carried ON with results that will
soon be lnown. The campaign that has
been opened by several leading papers is
conrageously sustained in remarkable edi-
%torials that generally attract attention, one
having gone SD fur as to assert some weeks
ago that the Spanish government, through
their disgracefnl and ruinious administra-
ton, did more than anybody else to throw
| Cuba into the arms of the United States.
The new budgets, inst voted by the cortes.
have come to fill the measure, as they
clearly tell the people here that they have
nothing to expect in their favor from
Spain. whose political leaders seem to
compete as to who is 10 increase the most
the heavy burden of charges aud all taxes
which the Cuba merchant, manufacturer,
planter aud land tenant is to pay.
Though the Cuban chambers of COM
merce have protested in due time and in
the most energetic terms against the in-
creased taxes. mo- attention whatever, as
usual. was paid in Madrid to this protest,
and the annexationists have taken advan-
tase of the disaffection created by the last
measures decreed to forward the propaga-
tion of their doctrine and increase the
number of their adherents. In q remark
able editorial, whose author was arraigned
1.-THE government considering it as incentive
to rebellion). it was said some time ago
that the only way annexation could be
avoided was to Immediately proclaim the
tive party should join the liberals in their
efforts to obtain from Spain self govern
ment for the island.
The conserv stive press has exhausted all
the anathemas furnished them by the rit-
ual of their stale patriotism to excommun-
icate the liberal papers that have declared
that annexation propagation is perfectly
legal Masmuch as the 55th article of the
Constitution declares that the king needs
to lie authorized by a special law to alien
ate, cede or exchange any portion of Span
ish territory" lSasing themselves upon
the text of tue article of the constitution
annexation of Cuba to the United States,
affirm that such an act would simply be al
alienation or Formulation of a part of the
territory that has been foreseen by the
trainers of the constitution now enforced
i'll Spain over her dominlons, andthe prop
agation of such Il doctrine ia therefore
thoroughly lawful.
With the exception Of some newspaper
editors who have boldly assumed the re-
sponsibility of their acts, the main pat of
the people, liberal as we'll as conservative,
though longing in the bottom of their
hearts for u change that wouldimprove the
general situation of Cuba and save her in
Aabitants from ruin and desperation. do
not dare as yet. TO pronounce themselves
too openly. They will p%rudently observe
the signs of the times before adopting q
political line OF conduct that would bind
them forever. Tue doubt thst still pre-.
walls regarding the attitude the United
States may assume in this question, in.
duces u great many, whose influence may
weigh heavy i'll the balance, to remain in
the background. BE it as it may, the au-
Economists, through one of their most inn
portant organs of the press, recently pro-
claimed that if the government and the
conservative party persist in denying that
autonomy is the only possible and accept
able solution to the Cuban problem, an
annexation will forclbly be the only saliva
ton left to the Cubans for the redemption
of their lost liberty and trampled dignity.
The government Inns not, as yet. adopted
u system of rigor and prosecution to put
down the annexationist movement. as adj
vised to do by some of the most rabid con-
servativo papers, being we'll aware, by what
happened i'll other American countries that
once belonged to Spain, that were they to
enforce such measures it would be the
death sentence of the Spanish domain in
America. !. fact beyond all doubt is that
there are q large number of annnexation-
lists in Cuba and some in the United
States. The question nov is to know
whether any of the members of the govern
ment at Washington would be willing to
favor the movement just initiated in Cuba.