New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-25
TIE CUBAN QUESTION.
GROWTH OF ANNEXATION FEELING.
THE spANIARD AND THE CUBAN UNITING or A
COMMON POLICY.

| estin, conversations which have had in Cuba
| was with one of the leaders Of public opinion
| in Havana He gave me much information re-
! spcc.irg the new scheme of taxation and other
| important matters which | have embodied in
! previous letters. One remark | have reserved "a
| the text for separate letter. 1t was this: The
Spanish and Cuban elements Of the population
| are coming together ana uniting on n common
policy. O,d-timc feuds passing away The
PEOPLE Of the isla"d are reaching stage of their
history where they can act tremendously for
mutual welfare" may not have recalled tho
! Precise phrases bnt the idea that the Spanard
| and the Cuban who have long been rroconcilablc
foes are now getting together with common aim
| in view. He considered this the most important
of oil recent developments Of public opinion in
! Cuba.
Subsequently / sought for confirmation of this
statement in many quarters, and was successful
| in every instance I learned. for example. that
the retail merchants of IIavara closed their shops
! last August and joined in the general agitation
against the new and ini'uitous fax proposals.
! They wcrc mainly Spansl-b0rn. like the keepers
Of odcqaS wInc-shops, but they made common
| cause with the native Cubans. I asked planter
whom 7 met on the train when coming 10
Matan7as whether much of the hostile feeling
| formerly existing between the Cuban and the
| Spanarl remained He said that il had almost
| entirely passed away. The officials who wore
sent over from Spain 10 man the custom houses
and The civil service, formed separate governing
class. Having paid heavily for their offices in
| advance. they were ready 20 make money by
fair means or foIl. by accepting brides, by con-
| niving nj violations of law. Thcy kept by thcm-
selves: but the SpaniSl-born landowners, planters
and mcrchaNts and the lower classes Of labOrcrs
WHO had come from the Peninsula, were on "X
/ T., NJ
ton2ns | received much corrohorativc evidence
| was told that thr passions and resentment,
excited hy the civil war had almost wholly run
their course and that both clements Of the white
| population were living and working together most
! r,acclhly
Theoretically thcrc has hecn no change in the
relations Of these classes. but practically there
has been a process Of social and political cvou-
ton Nominallv tho island is governed of
old exclusively in the interest of the mother
| country and by those who have right 10 call
themselves Spaniarls and TO use the word
Nosotros' Tn" members Of the provincial and
| muuicfal councils mainly Spaniarls. although
| that j. arecly the result of IN" policy of alb
,t,Ttion from political elections which is enforced
| hy the Liberal party The volunteer force on the
! i-ilni Is al.u recruited almost wholly from the
Spanarl- bat that Is the traditional policy and
| Cuhau~ hav" no taste Tor mounting guard over
public huidi"cs and fer street p,radcs. But
Ahiic the raiivc Cuhan has no part in tho gov
eminent Of the island ard while every office l.
Gll. Iv q Spnnard and tie prestige of IN" ruli'g
ola., remains with the -amo foreign born class
thc population hns been drawn together in various
way, \ fr,, press has done much . harmNizc
fno'.pgs Free sVc,ch and public meetings have
tended to concentrate H." forces Of Cuban opinion
The i.ll'd. moreover. has been passing through
/ q ru'ractcd period of commercial depression The
times have been 50 hard that sympathie, have
hrcn created in place Of jcalou,os and resent
mcut-. Men have learned to think alike under
tic pressure Of economic rcverscs and corrupt
administration The" are beginning TO believe
that If they act tou,thcr they will succeed in
restoring the fortunes Of the island
Having thus verified one OF the premises of
tin. Ncll-k"own Cuban whose remark | quoted
a., the opening 81 this l"ttcr may now pass on
10 his c9nclusion had asked him what part
the United States would he likely TO have in the
future of cuba He answered without hesitlton:
\ v,ry great part. Reciprocity is already bring
nt the United States and Cuba into the closest
commercial relations. \, each comes to know the
other moro intimately. political union becomes
NOR, necessary.
That was a guarded reply. but it involved the
common policy which is bringing together the
! Cuban and th" Spunard in the West Indies.
/ Two year. ago during n protmct"d Journey II
! Tie island | found few outspokcn advocates OF
/ annexation. Now they ar" 10 br met NJ every
! turn Americans who have not recently been in
! Cui, can have no idea of the strength and rapid
! dcvclorment of this unorraniIed movement The
landowners and planters. whether Spanish. Cuban.
German or ENGLISH, are either already or are fast
/ l. corinr. MncNatonis's. The AutonomiStS or
! IinctoI. are also converts % the sane policy.
! Cn. Of thr more conspicuous leaders sal 70 me
I ", stand for home rule, but of course we
! could have that as u State in the American Mon
| W., feel that the United States ought To make
IN, first advance hut when that is done. we are
rcody 70 20 forward" Within a few hours after
| hearing hat declaration | was amazed 70 hear
nl,ntcr of pure Spanish blood assert that The
| onl, hone for the industrial revival of Caba lay
in annexation and that IL could Eot come too
! quickly.
II i. this sudden growth of th" annexation
movement that cNplaira the disappearance OF OH
rim. fcuds and rvalrcs in the island So long
a. the Cuban party rIncd 70 bring about some
form of legislative autonomy, the Spanish born
c,o..c. worr rcrcllcd The husircss OF governing
had always been theirs they could not tolerate
th.. ido, Of being ruled by those whom they were
in tho habit of governing. Bat now that the
| cu,ri,rd AID thc Cuhan alike IRE forccasting an
American destiny for the island and anticipating
with rrcmnturc rngcrnc~s an era OF industrial
dnvrormcnt and material prosperity. th'N are
| drawn together by their common hopes ana
mutual interests Economic law Is working out
it, natural political results BY the attraction oil
thc ,-r,at Northern market Cuba seems 10 oc
gravit ting into iii" American political system
While Reciprocity ia strengthening TINS a''rac-
five power Of the American market. spanish
administration is acting IL rerell'ht force A''er
. rrotractcd period OF commercial depression ana
industrial stagnaton, Cuba within the last twelve
mouths has felt the inv gorating impulse OF bust
ness revival Reciprocity has bean great gam
"a the island since il has enormously increased