The Portland daily press., 1895-03-23

est and most important. To maintain this
source of supply the grossest barbarity has
been pIacticed on an island a lmost literally
under the shadow of the United States flag
and belonging economically and CONNER
cially to this union. 1t is less than ten
years since negro slavery was abolished on
the island. but its place has been taken by
coolie slavery almost if not quite as odious.
The Chinese in Cuba numbered at the CEN
sus of 1877 nearly $1,000; they are much
more numerous now. Only the other day
the newspapers recorded the arrival of a
shipload who passed through American ter
ritory to their destination on the sugar
plantations owned and controlled by the
spanish gTandees.
DoLEEUL PICTURE OF OPPRESSION.
The Citations OF Cuba and the Cubans to
Spain are the relations of slave to a cruel,
blood-thirsty, and avarioious master. TIE
population of the island was estimmated in
1890 at 1851 .687, OF whom the whites consti
tuted 65 per cent. SO that there are approx.
imately 100000 Cuhans in Cuba of white
and half caste blood. Thirty-ive per cent;
of these can read and write. Havana has
a population of about 100000. Matanzas,
the next largest city, about 10000, and San
tiago de Cuba, capital of the province in
which the current rebellion is up, about TO-
0O0 The army in time of peace is limited to
0.000 men aud the militia is thrice that
number. All the important offices in the
army and, indeed, also in the civil gov ern-
ment. are held by Spaniards who make not
the slightest effort TO hide their contempt
for the colonists.
Such small measure of self government
as is allowed 10 the native Cubans is of re-
cent origin. Ten years ago Maturin NJ. Bal
lou who made careful tour of the island,
wrofe book on Cuba, Past and Present."
Most of the facts as he found them are
facts still. Tenures of Office are short and
each off cial makes the most of his time in
order that he may retire freehanded. "Jus-
tice,'' Mr.. Ballou found, lis continually
bought and sold. Extortions of every kind
are un blushingly praoticed. With all the
exactions of the Spanish officials and with
the collection of S3.OOO.0O0 annually but
i moety finds its way into the National
Treasury. Peculation isreduced to science.
Ballou's picture of Cuba has become his,
toric. 10 go hence to that islann,'' he
| says is not merely to pass over few de-
grees of latitude-it is to take a step back
| into t he dark ages. The existence, almost
under the nag of the freest institutions on
earth, of government purely despotic as
the autocrat of Russia. is a monstrous
| fact. The lovely climate and beay-
| tiful land rendered gloomy by the
state OF oppression under which they
suffer. The exuberant soil groans with
the burdens heaped upon it. The people
| are not safe from rrying inquiry at bed or
board. Their every action is watched, their
slightest words noted and perhaps distorted
| They can sing no song of liberty and even
| 10 hum an air welded tc Republican verse
is I o provoke suspicion. The press is muz-
zled by the iron hand of power. Two hours
before daily paper is distributed on the
streets of Havana a copy must be sent to
the government censor. When it is returned
with his endorseme mt it may be issued to the
public. The censorship of the telegraph is
| also as vigorously enforced. Nor do private
| letters escape espionage. No passenger
agent dare sell ticket for the departure
of stranger or citizen without first seeing
that the individual passport is indorsed by
the police. Foreign soldiers 1atten on the
| people, or at least they eat out their sub
stance, and every town near the coast is a
garrison. every interior village military
depot"
| Some of these conditions have been miti-
gated in recent years. but in no very great