New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-18
THE SPANISH IN CUBA.
HOW TIE ISLAND is GOVERNED.
WHAT THE CIVIL SERVICE IS LlKE-slGNs OF
UTTER OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES TIE
CUBAN MIGHT DO.

Havana Dec 5.-Cubans when they talk with
out reserve about the government Of the island
speak in tone Of cynical contempt. Admins
trative corruption is a strain that is always TO be
found in Spanish blood. 1t is more conspicuous
in Cuba than in any other portion Of Spanish
America not even Venezuela being excepted
This is not because the island is more immoral or
less enlightened than the Spanish American re-
publics. 1t is because responsible home rule Is
unknown there. The officials are sent out from
Spain TO govern Cuba and incidentally TO make
money for themselves There are carpet-pag
knights who know little about the island and
care less Tho majority of them have el'her
purchased their appointments outright, or else
have obtained them under agreement to pay
commissions on what they make out OF 'heir
Offices The Cuban patronage is farmcd out sys-
tcmatically in Madrid TO Ministerial favori'cs'
The customs and civil service consequently
tainted with vcnality and corruption.
am now repeating statements made to me by
some of the most reputable merchants OF iiaVah"
They assert that every branch of the puDlc ser
vice is overmanned; that there are couh'eS'
unnecessary offices and clerkships than ,he SILL
aries paid are eXtravagant, ana 'haU IL s'o"'
fortunes are no longer amassed in the Government
employ, il is because the officials are lorccu !"
divide their plumber in Madrid. DEGREES are
made in Spain for double purpose 70 govern
tho island in fine interest Of the mother country,
and to provide employment for political adveh-
turers and tramps. in this way every form VI
industry and business is forced to yleid ulou'e
10 venality There are taxes to be paid ana 'here
Is an army Of officials TO he brDed ana suppof'o"'
Those statements might be dismissed as eXag-
cera'ion if there were not an array Oh cHcu"
stantial evidence to sustain them. For eXahpie'
il is impossible for any one to reconcile the STA
tistics of American exports printed IN "ashin7VT"
with the customs exhibits of imports oDtalnaoie
in Havana In almost every class OF nercnanui'o
there is a mysterious discrepancy between t,ic
ouantitv and valuation as shipped from 'he
I-nitod States and the amounts credited mere 40
recoived AS imports The divergence can DC GA
nlained ONLY in one way. There Is hcehs'u SINUS
Cling and differentiation with the cohhi' any.
customs officials This is large source Vi %
irregular incomes of the oiice-holderS ms
revenue tariff with determinations III lawn "
SPANISH goods offered a convenient pdoi' .oi
Illicit operations of this kind. Inc heclplo0NS
convention is also perverted TO tile s"ne
Nothing is easier than TO obtain Tree en''S "
dutiable goods with the connivance OF the Gus.
toms officers There is an immense quantity OF
lard exnortcd from the United States 10 Nuoa
PA. mot overv CONSIGNMENT nOmlnally receive"
horo as lard would be of use Tor Trying HSn'
Arotber ant illustration of the morale oil 'i'e
civil service has been brought TO my d''ch'io
The current receipts of the customs are 49,
. 90 ooo 600 Madrid dispatches state that Ile
government is seeking TO farm them CuV "
French syndicate for $l5,OOO,OOO. weH-An0
Cuban politician who gave me these Hsui'' 90
messed the opinion that under honest aoii,'' 800
Zion tho customs could be made to yleld from
o eo' oln ana - son o0o 600 Even if the margin
% nro6t for the French syndicate were no, 81
oIastic as he represented the fact renamed 'a'
~ Government in placing the customs III o'o
l,ot was asking g, 100000 in advance vi i''
own estimates That was direct cohles'ion ~
ito own officials were corrupt, lncompe'ehV "nu
s.,-o,,hv 1. NAV be added that the ma'ch
~ hen EARNED out to a syndicate for collecuoli'
lad donble as much as had been estlma'eu
and also that the cedula tax when placeu al
commission in the same way VIII IargeiS o
,ho official estimates. Spanish administrator III
Cpba * remarkable chiefly for It's Capacity i''
leakage. . ,;,o,;or m bo-
lie 90 rloce.bunters was furnished in the Original
80. ~ the new tax proposals, when eAci'e"
Gorce onnosition and nearly brought on reVoiu-
.ion last August. The Government sought 10
station an official inspector III every laSc clS"i
factory tobacco plantation or sugar mill IL ,i'iS
rrovision had not been withdrawn, large n"H',
81 new inspectorshps would have been created
ond a fresh swarm Of spanish OHici"'7 ~,
have proved upon the Industrial ciaSsoS' Inv
PLANTERS and sugar-factors UNDERSTOOD ,le so"'''
~ a Glance An official to be saddled upon
zach great plantation factory not lor 'he
nurnose OF securing the interests OF the "oNcIn-
. bu+ in order 10 bleed the owners. Inc
i,soector ,yonld have power TO annoy the planter
~. inouistorial methods and also to increase OF
diminish at discretion the official returns OF pro-
ductjon upon which the internal tax levies were
IN be based 1t would have been necessary
either 10 hire him to 90 his duty or else TO Dripe
him TO neglect it, That is characteristic class
of officials that fattens Spanish methods Of
administration.
The civil service in Cuba is a money-maRlhg
Industry There may be here and there an honest
and reputable official just as there was LOT III
Sodom; but the rank and file are merccnary,
corrupt and demorazed They prey not only
upon Cuba. but also upon all foreign interests
having commercial relations with the island The
noiety system by which ntOrmcrs receive por-
tion of the fines and penalties imposed Tor
irregularities in maniiests ard importations s'mu-
latea the zeal of these officials. Each custom
house has its own system OF Interpretation ana
special phraseOlogy and manifest which VIII
pass inspeciOn at one will not at another. Inc
customs operators always on the watch Tor
technical errors and constantly Directing to
the entry Of exports from the United States.
Often the technicaties are Of the himscst nature,
but they suffice to cmbanass the importer and
10 force him TO make settlement At the
height Of the grinding season when sugar-planters
are in urgent reed of machinery, the informers
frequently intervene with deadly effect Rather
than take the risks of delay tie importer either
pays the penalties or purchases the Informer
American shipping interests are al 80 harassed
by unreasonable and cXt0rtionac fines imposed for
clerical errors and shortages Of ergo III which
there is no intent TO dctraud the Government OF
the island. In the United States penalties are
never imposed when there has evidently been no
breach of good faith on the part Of the shipper
but in Cuba advantage is taken of every technical
irregularity. The evil has been partially abated