The Washington times., 1895-06-06
Cuhans Who Hold independence
To Be a Misfortune.
IT MEANS A BLACK REPUBLIC
visitors 10 the Island Compare 1t
With the Wrong tandard-Home
Rule Granted Already by the Mother
Country-United States Would Lose
An Extensive Trade

Kew West. Fla, June 5-In an interview
to-day two Cubans threw some light on the
present revolution. 1Oue of them Is young
lawyer and one OF the MOST prominent MEM
bers OF the Autononlist party; the other is a
rich manufacturer, who has been for forty
years in Cuba and who is one of the most
conspicuous leaders of the Liberal or Reform
part In substance, they said;
Everybody who comes to Havana seems
inclined to compare it with London, New
York, or Paris Why not take for COM
parison the City OF Mexico, Caracas, or
even many of the cities of the semi-tropical
part of the United States? They also
fail to find here a government to be COM
pared to some Of, the communities OF
New England or fan to find in force the
best rules of British constitutional govern
nlept or such good laws, and so thoroughly
in force and obeyed, as those OF Belgium
or Holland
But why not take into due consideration
the character of the people, the history
of the colony, the climate and many other
factors, and compare the Spanish rule in
Cuba with the results that free government
has led to in Central America, Venezuela,
Haiti, OF san Domingo?
NO MILITARY RULE.
'Since 1873 Cuba has been under
military rule. We. elect officers for the
municipalities; we elect provincial bodies
that you would call legislatures, although
they do not possess the same power as those
Co your states. We are represented at the
Cortes by twenty-six deputies and eight
senators. We have freedom of the press.
I'VE are not subject TO military conscrip-
ton, and although these rights are not
sufficient, according TO the ideas of the
Reform and dAutouomistparties, You canweH
see that we are very far from being under
a tyranuical military rule. Many of the
Autonomists fought in 1868 against Spain
because then We could not raise our voices
to put before the people the eplatformof our
party.
Now we are all against the rebellion
because we see that the Spanish govern
ment and people are liberal to us Cubans,
and we are sure that the force of our ideas
will at last peacefully predominant and
Cuba VIII have home rule undert the Spanish
flag.
Nearly two years ago the minister
for the colonies presented TO the COrtes bill
granting to Cuba autonomy stoa greatpart
of its internal affairs. With some amend
ments the bill passed, establishing in Cuba
council One-half the members are
elected, the other half appointed. The
Cubans are not shut out from the public Of
fices Thoseservinginth the different ntbrancheS
of government, in the army aud in the
navy, and as teachers in nearly all of the
public schools and colleges and at the
university, are Cuban born.
AN EXTENSIVE TRADE.
1.-The Importance of the trade of Cuba
with the United States cannot be over
estimated. Cuba imported into the United
lie r-aI,r .
500 and exported from the United States
$24, 15T ,69S The five Central American
republics combined pay to the industry and
production of the United States one-fifth
of what the Spanish West Indies. Cuba, and
Porto Rico pay. If you are not tired can
go on with the figures. Venezuela sells
you Sc, ,625,11 and buys 81, 207, ,661. Co
lombia sells $3,571, ,918 and buys So, 1885,
177
"AII Central America, Mexico, Col
ombia and veneZula combined, all Spanish
America not under Spanish rule, are very
little ahead in their importations from the
United States, of Cuba and Porto Rico.
Brazil, which is regarded as such good
field for your exports, with a population of
nearly 10 200, 900, only buys $12,3SS,124,
and all South America, comprising the
Argentine Republic, Bolivia, Chill, Colom-
bia, Ecuador, Peru and veuezula, buy in
ten millions less than Cuba and Porto
Rico
'And Canada, viz: Ontario, Quebec
and British Columbia, with more than
double the population and with such a
long frontier, imports from the United
States only S43, ,132,230. Even in that
case the per capita importation from the
United States is in favor of Cuba and
Porto Rico. All this goes with inde-
pendeuce.
A BLACK REPUBLIC
I'VE have both spoken the plain truth;
every one OF our words can be proved with
facts that are in everybody's mind There
are many defects and shortcomings in the
government and the administration. The
two political parties TO which we belong
are urging and have been asking for
long time, with some success we must say,
for changes for the better We are sure
we will at last succeed, and are completely
persuded thatthe greatest misfortune which
could fall upon the island would be in
dependence.
Cuba would fall Immediately into the
condition OF many unfortunate Spanish
American republics, where liberty and
personal security are vainwords. 1t would
be secession of the eastern part of the
island, which would become a black re-
public like Haiti under the auspices of
the West Indies League tliga Antillana),
a black secret society that wants TO drive
the white people from the caribbean Sea. :"
LAS regards annexation, we are of the