The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-22

OF immediate obligation.
For our part we regard this entire con-
troversy rs a subject Of curious personal
interest. but not Of political Importance.
For us the tariff is not to be thought Of or
fought over in this election. and no Demo-
erat should give or should withhold his
vote on account OF it. The one all absorb
ing issue Is to be found in the Force bill
and in the Negro Domination which 1t will
produce. All else Is trivial in comparison.
Is Cuba on the Verge OF Revolution?
Why Is it that the Cuban clubs. Of which
there are q great many In this country. but
which have long been quiescent. are again
showing signs OF activity There Is rea-
son to believe that the collapse Of the Au-
Economists has convinced the natives Of
Cuba that the necessary concessions can
never be obtained from Spain by peaceful
means. and that In the programme Of the
revolutionary party lies the sole hope Of
the redemption Of their island.
1t was at once loyal and regenerative
movement. that Of the so-called Autono-
mists. and the reasonableness Of their aims
might have had q chance Of being recog-
nized in the Cortes had Republicans been
dominant at Madrid. The purpose Of the
Cuban home rule party. organized after the
close Of the last war for independence. was
to secure by constitutional agitation part
Of the liberties which they had failed to
extort by violence. What the Autonomists
asked OF Spain was that she should grant to
Cuba the same measure Of control over local
affairs that England comedies to the Domin-
| ion Of Canada and to the Australian colonies.
Tho vici ov-xyo
at first sight seem to those familiar with
the despotical and spoliative principles on
which the Spanish colonies have been man
aged by the mother country. The Castiian
| Is as susceptible in his pocket as in his
pride. and 1t had been long notorious that
Cuba cost moro than it was worth: that. In
other words. the public revenue derived
from the island fell short OF the expendi-
ture. and that the deficit had to be made
good by the parent State. From this bur-
den on their treasury the Spaniards might
have freed themselves by giving Cuba a
colonial Constitution analogous as regards
| the powers OF self-rule to that enforced at
Sydney. at Melbourne. and at Ottawa.
To the Cubans 1t seemed at first SO prob
able that the economic necessities OF Spain
would outweigh her traditions Of arbitrary
government that for a time great major
ity Of the natives took part In the Auton-
omist movement, and the old revolutionary
party seemed virtually defunct. Notwith-
standing the strenuous resistance offered
by the Conservatives. as the Spanish resi-
dents In the island called them. and In spite
Of the fact that all the public Offices and
the voting machinery were in their hands.
the Autonomists succeeded in carrying
many electoral districts and in sending to
the Cortes at Madrid some worthy
and distinguished representatives. 1t
soon became evident. however. that
their errand was destined to prove
as fruit!ess as is the mission OF
the Autonomist delegates OF Alsace-Lor-
raine in tho Reichstag. In vain did the true
representatives OF Cuba point to the serious
embarrassments Of the Spanish exchequer.
due to the yearly deficit in the West Indian
budget; in vain did they demonstrate that
the tremendous impetus which would be
given to Cuban industries by home rule.
would inure to the benefit of Spain by Sig
nally increasing the demand OF the island
ers for the products Of the mother country.
With an eloqucnce to which even their op-
ponents bore witness. they showed that
wisdom as well as justice required the
Spaniards to listen to their prayer. and that
tho movement for Autonomy embodied the
last expiring effort Of Cuban loyalty to
avoid recourse to revolution.
1t would be untrue to say that the pres
ence ut Madrid Of the able and influential
men who have at various times during the
last fourteen years represented the Autono-
mist party has been entirely void OF re-
suits. Upon some subjects not directly
connected with their fundamental petition
for homo rule. they were listened to with
attention and even with Difference. With
out their jealous cooperation 1t would have
been impossible for the American envoy at
Madrid to negotiate the commercial treaty
whereby the principle OF reciprocity has
been to large extent applied to the trade
between the United States and the parish
Antilles. The duties. however. levied In
American ports on sugar and other raw
products Of the Spanish West Indies. consti.
tuted but small part OF the exactions and
} disabilities by which Cuban Industries were
: crippled. Tho whole fiscal system OF the
island needed to be purged and reorganized
. from top to bottom. Such economic re-
forms were the preliminary condition OF
l Improvement. and they would have been
: accepted as an installment OF the political
concessions which the Autonomists desired
I But renovation OF the fiscal system has
. been persistently refused. both by the
y Liberals under SAGksTA and by the
n Conservatives who have returned to power
4 under CANoyAs DEL CASTILLO. Nor was
9 this all, or the worst. new suffrage
: law for the colonies WAS enacted. expressl,
4 intended to disfranchise the rural popula
s ton Of Cuba and to place political power
d exclusively and irrecoverably In the hands