The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-05-09

that large stone building, and tells of the
many political and religious prisoners who
lie in the dark, damp and gloomy dungeons,
unable to move for the chains that are en-
crcling them. and with their flesh rottlng
away-thus conjuring up IA picture for the
minds eye that is as horrible as it is un-
true. And the more bloOd-curling the story
is the bigger fee he gets from his gullible
client.
Yet for half q century and more these
same prisoners have. according to the
guides languished in prison bemOanng their
fate. The traveller is told in bad English,
which scents of cigarette smoke, that no
public meetings are allowed, and that if
a man dares say word against the state
Observation-Disclosures is mySteriously
hurried away to end his life in an under
ground cell. This curious foreigner is told
of political expressions, of the money mat
was repudiated by the millions. I-:kact, the
tourist is stuffed like a turkey or duck.
and fails to see the bright and real side OF
Cuban life and of the Cuban people And
before the guide turns his victim loose he
impresses him with the fact that the native
is overwhelmed by an unjust taxation.
Nothing is said of the true state OF al
fairs, SAYS Mr. Cuesta for in no country
are the poor and the needy better taken
care Of In each district there is gov
eminent dispensary where the poor can
get all they need for their sicknesses by
applying to the doctor in charge. There
are orphans homes in charge of kind sweet
faced sisters of charity, who take the
little ones and nurse them and train them
until they are ready to leave. AS for po-
litical freedom, there is as much political
freedom in Cuba as there Is IN Georgia,
and as for political oppression, there are
certain people-factions- must be kept
down just as are the anarchists-people
whose success would mean destruction IN
every sense Of the word. Men are not
east into prison for nothing, and one OF
s -, i npth hat
man cannot be imprisoned longer than
twenty-four hours without having trial.
In regard to the taxation system OF Cuba.
it is one of the best i'll the world The
people have an income taxa thing which
should be in existence in the United States
and there is a tax of five dollars which
must be paid before man can vote. No
money has ever been repudlated by the
government, but quite large amount of
paper money was called in some two or
three years ago and is being redeemed i'll
silver and gold.
Since there have been so many visitors
to Cuba in the past from this state who
have given their views about that country
it might prove interesting to hear what
native Cuban has TO say on the subject
also.
Mr.. A. L. Cuestn Talks About Cuba.
81 am not surprised said Mr.. Cuesta
as he leaned back in his chair and pulled
away at O. fragrant Havana, declaring that
he could not talk unless he was smoking.
when [ read Of how my country has
been misrepresented by people who have
been there without knowing how to speak
Spanish I have seen how the people from
the north in a great many instances, talk
of the south, because they know nothing of
the people here. Then is it less sur
prising that people who do not speak the
language should go to Cuba and come away
only to misrepresent that country? The in
terpreters over in Cuba think that 1t IS
fun to get an .Englishman by the nose
and stuff him full of nonsense like he was
a duck. Just the same way it is when
these Georgia travellers go there.
"There is as much political right in Cuba
as there is in Georgia. We elect senators
to go to Spain, and representatives to at
tend the legislature. Everybody paying
taxes to the amount of hive dollars is en-
titled to vote This tax of five dollars is
required in view of the fact that with one
and a half millions of inhabitants-there
are 100000 negroes in Cuba-if voting was
free they would elect their people; besides,
the blacks are very overbearing, knowing
that they outnumber the Cubans.
There are two parties in Cuba-one IS
the 'autonomstas, which is composed
mainly of young men who are supposed to
be rather advanced in their political ideas
and the other is Conservatives, to which
party the business men and manufactur-
ers are the partisans. The autonomistas
want government Ike the lrlSh want lor
Ireland. home rule. But the other party
desires to have everything remain like it
is, with no radical changes. In regard to
meetings notice must be given the gov
ernador civil who corresponds to Mayor
Goodwin, by all those who desire to hold
a meeting unless it is one of the two
political partieA This is done because
there might be some whose ideas and whose
platforms are not known, and the police
want to protect them like the third party
here when the people threw eggs at them.
about the taxes in Cuba" said Mr..
Cuesta, Il want to say first that there is
not paid onc-haf as much tax for the
money invested in Havana as there is in
Atlanta. Cuba, as you konw, supports a
standing army of from 5000 to 5000 sol
dicrs. and the Spanish consuls to America
are paid out of the appropriation made each