The Portland daily press., 1895-03-23

ginning of 1898. it carried law through the
Cuban male paying poll tax of five pesos
Ia peso is 81 cents.) This was intended as a
concession to the Autonomist. u home rule
party in Cuba, to allay it's disquiet says a
writer in the Chicago Tribune The Auton-
omists at first refused to ACCEPT it. but their
leaders were practically compelled to accept
| it, and the party took part in the elections.
| The result was disappointing. The new
| franchise, if it was intended to give a share
| in government to the Autonomists, was
wholly nullitied. Official corruption. intim-
| idation and Justification of the returns con-
spired to retain the Spanish element where
they had always been and still are-namely
| in possession of all the offices and in con-
| troll of all the revenues.
| Then the revolution of 1898 straightway
began. Spanish agents in the Central and
| North American Continents had no trouble
| in discovering certain signs of eAtraordi-
nary activity in the Cuban revolutionary
| clufs. The Spanish Government renewed
| it's watchfulness and increased its military
| forces on the island. Warning was sent to
our government from tie Spanish Legation,
| in pursuance of which preparations were
made to patrol the Florida coast in order
| to prevent flibustering expeditions from
departing for Cuba.
The revolutionary lie aders in the United
| States openly proclaimed their ability to
| give efficient money support, besides send
| ing arms and men sufficient to insure the
success of a rebellion if the patriots in Gu
| ba would arise together and at a signal
given by their brethren in t his country.
| They were. therefore, taken wholly surprise
when it was announced that Gen. Manuel Sar-
torius and his brother Ricardo mad collected
band in the Province of Santiago de Cuba
and proclaimed the revolution. The exiles,
as first surnised. judged from experience
| by previous revolts that the government
had actually provoked premature upris-
ing by instigating the Provincial Governors
to persecute the Sartorius brothers and
their followers into rebellion. That is an
| cid trick Of tyrannical governments in Gu.
ba and elsewhere. 1t turned out that the
revolution was only the hasty act of few
individuals The brothers Sartorius had
set out from tho Village of Puernio. neal
| Aolquin. April "a, and there issued theil
pronunciamento. Their followers numbered
twenty, but as they marched on toward
| JDe QOrUu COASG lIlo SNeleu 10 ouU
jOther bands TOOK up arms in various places
| but with out the concerted plan which the
| Cuhans in America had wisely deemed es
| sential. Therefore the Autonomists party
passed resolutions condemning the out
| breuk and Offering the party's moral sup
| port to the government. The Cuban Sena
tors and Deputies in Madrid formally ex
pressed their disapproval of the revolt te
the Minister of the Colonies.
| Thereafter the end came speedily. April
2? the Spanish Captain General called
council of war and sent troops to the rebe
lous districts. besides two war v; ssals tC
guard the COAST toward the United states
whence the rebels seemed 10 be expecting
recruits. The follow ng day he placed TIT
Province of Santiago de Cuba under mar
tial law in bombastic proclamation il
enjoyment of all the rights and privilege.
enioyed by other citizens of Spain. Foul
thousand troops We're concerned in the dis
turbed district. Strong bodies also wer.
cities. The state of siege lasted until May
q by which time the brothers Sartorius
| were reduced to their original bald O.
twenty and had surrendered ON the assur-
ance of full pardon.
PROMISES OF REFORM.
/ In the summer following this revolt the