Evening star., 1895-03-19
It is Increasing in Importance and
in Resources.
ENCOURAGED BY HAWAIIAN SUCCESS
Spain Cares for the Island Only for
Revenue.
HOPE FOR A REPUBLIC

| ooAAc very interesting speculation Is RrOWs
ing out Of the study Of the situation. II
Is agreed that the Cuban cause is increas.
Ing in Importance and in resources. Span.
ish officials. at the beginning OF the present
| hostilities. represented the outbreak az
teing only the work Of a few bandits and
| Malcontents. The furry, they declared,
| would soon be over. Government troops
| were on hand in far more than sufficient
| numbers to put the rebels down. 1t was
denied absolutely that any sympathy what
| ever was felt by the great mass of the
| people with the movement to throw on
the established authority. But events have
| put another face on affairs. The number
| of the rebels Is undoubtedly much larger
than stated. the government is finding Il
| necessary to reinforce its regular garrison
on the island by sending fresh regiments
| from home. and 1t Is now well known that
In some of the planting districts the sub.
| stantial land owners do wish success to
the local cause. The movement may not
| succeed. 1t may. in the end, go the way
of past endeavors In the same direction.
| But that there has been manifested in this
| latest effort a spirit in Cuba distinctly
| presaging the end at no very distant DAY
Of the existing status there is accepted az
| fact by several men Of great prominence
| In American politics.
Inspired by Success I'm Hawaii.
The Cuban patriots are thought to b
| inspired in some measure by the success
| of the carse Of progress and intelligence
| in Hawaii. The two situations. it is easily
| to be seen, are not in every feature the
| same. Still there are analogies sufficient
to show how the Cubans are calculating
and how strong their hope of ultimate sue.
cess may be-
| The people of Hawaii, most interested by
reason of property rights and ambition iH
| the advancement of the islands, got tired
| of government wholly inadequate to their
| wants. A useless and even harmful mons
| archy was being upheld at heavy cost In
mercy, and at an incalculable cost in des
priving the islands of their proper positiop
among the nations. A change of govern.
| ment was the only remedy. The monarchy
| must go. and the people must rule Ths
% queen aa and her crew were but preying upon
| This, 1t was assumed, was as apparent to
| all the rest of the civilized world as 1t was
| to the civilized people Of Hawaii. The plan
was formed, the queen was dethroned. an
appeal was made to the spirit Of progress
at home and abroad, and republic was
| established. Similar efforts had been made
other failure was predicted. At last the
| people were ready, and they could - not
longer be resisted.
The Cuban Patriots Contention
The contention Of the Cuban patriots Il
that the monarchical authority in that is.
land is as much curse to 1t as was the mons
| archical authority in Hawaii. Spain, 1t u
held. cares for Cuba only as a source Of
| revenue. No other interest whatever ID
| manifested. Oppressive taxes are levied,
officials with no local interests or attach
ments are sent over to collect them and
hard conditions generally are imposed Real
progress in the island Is impossible. Life,
especially In the country. remains primitive.
| Agriculture is carried on with the crudest
Implements, and would be absolutely with
out profit IL the soil needed to be more than
tickled to produce abundantly. The cities
are undrained and unimproved. Havana
has been a hotbed of yellow fever principal.
| ly because Of the lack of the proper san.
| itary regulations. Why, the Cuban leaders
ask, should not all this be changed? Why
should the property owners in the island
longer be assessed to help support a gov.
ernment which is really oppressive to them1
Why should they be denied the right OF
improving, their condition? They are no
more attached to Spain than Spain is at
| tached to them. II Spain assesses them
heavily they pay grudgingly. They care
to protest against her treatment of them.
Their attachment is for the United States,
where their trade is. and whose form OF
government they admire. They really de.
sire to become participants in this govern
ment. But IL that cannot be, then their
purpose is to establish, II possible, a gov.
ernment Of their own, and shape their own
political destinies.
Aim 10 FrOclulm n AepuOAlcs
The more advanced of the Cuban Leaders
are pressing earnestly to the point where
they may, in a manner to attract the
proper attention. proclaim a republic. This
action. IL taken prematurely, would. Of
course, prove disastrous. Ridicule would
follow and the cause be injured. But IL
the revolt can be managed SO as to show
the existence of local sympathy in the more
thrifty portions of the island and q force
m Ia field Canable of withstandinR
tie shock of repeated engagements then
a rally can be made at some point. flag
be raised. a manifesto issued and a gov
And what would the United States do In
such circumstances? 1t is conceded that
every Cuban eye would be turned in this
direction. The Cubans would say: Here
we are battling as you did century ago
to throw OF yoke oppressive in the great
est degree. Spain cares nothing for ue
but to drain US Of our wealth. England
won. Won't you help us? Doesn't this
single touch of independence make us kin?''
Spain would. Of course. strongly demur.
She would charge that the Cuban rebellion
had really been fomented in this country.
and that it would add to the enormity Of
the outrage for the United States to come
ing the spirit of republicanism in the world
and throw the weight Of her influence into
the scale for men struggling only to secure
territory for transfer to the United States.
nobody is willing to predict what this gov.
ernment would do in the premises.
To Crush the Rebellion.
Meanwhile, it is evident that Spain in-
tends to put forth her full power to crush. -
IL possible, the present revolt. Her diff.
culties at home make this the more neces.
sary. The greater the distraction the
greater the need of revenue, and Cuba Is
one of the prime sources of the Spanish
supply. Every dollar is necessary to carry
on a government none too strong. and the
expenditures are increasing every year.
The delicate little boy destined, IL he lives.
to occupy the Spanish throne is danger
Gus risk in himself for the monarchists.
and II the governments revenues should
begin to fall off heavily no Spanish states
man would care to go at the head of
ministry.
POstmfstrcss at Congress Heights.
Emma Simpson was today appointed post
mistress at Congress Heights. vice LilliL
II. Owens, resigned.