The sun., 1895-04-08
Bright Hopes of Cuban Patriots.

IlOpCS ok SuDuu
II Cuba was able to maintain for ten years
the insurrection begun in 1858, how long
will she be able to maintain that begun in
1895? This is the question that outsiders
are asking speculatively, and friends of Cuba
are answering hopefully. The latter assert
that Spain is less prepared now for the strug
gle than in 1853, while Cuba is better pre-
pared now than she was then. A Cuban
patriot said to New Yorker ten years ago
that the old threat that Cuba should be
either Spanish or African was no longer
terrifying. Since that time all the slaves
have been freed. 80 that the patriots no
longer fear servile uprising. 1t is even
asserted that the blacks are in sympathy
with the revolutionary movement.
The figures upon which Cubans base their
hopes are striking. When the last great
uprising in Cuba had been in progress eight
years. and the world had begun to believe
that the patriots of the interior were irwin
chile, Il Spanish Minister of State declared
in the Cortes that lao, 900 troops had al
ready been sent to crush the islanders.
Many more were added to the number be-
fore the Provisional Government surren-
dered in 1878 and the war continued irreg-
ularly for year and half longer, so that
some thousands more of Spanish troops had
TO be sent to Cuba.
That ten years war was n costly thing
for the already bankrupt and dscredited
home Government. Just before the war
broke out Spain was squeezing over S5,-
100000 year in taxes from a population
OF about 100000 Cubans, two-tfths of
whom were poor negroes, slaves or recently
freed, and expending on the government of
the island about S4,00O,O00. During the
whole course of the war the revenue Of the
island and large sums from Spain were used
to conduct affairs and fight the patriots
Seven years after peace was proclaimed
Spain was taxing the Cubans 30 900, 900
pesos year, and this was insufficient to run
the island Government because of the ruth
less peculation in all its departments, SO that
Cuba, instead Of being a source of gain to
the stepmother country, was an actual
source OF large outlay Spanish Minister
had declared long before, however, that to
sell Cuba to the United States would he to
sell Spanish honor.
Bankrupt and impoverished as Spain was
upon entering on the ten years struggle
with Cuba, she came out of it and of her in
WdE lHtJ accompanied IL, Ill NdStly
worse financial condition. Spain's national
debt Immediately before the uprising was
stated at a little less than $4,000 900.
Before the war was half through the debt
was more than half as large again, and in
July, 1878, about four months after the
nominal close of the war, it was about
Sc, 100000 Spain had long before
learned the trick of repudiation. In 1S45
she had thus thrown off debt of $45, ,OOO,-
600. In 1922 her debt of $4,000, 600
was arbitrarily cut down to S52 900, 900.
So, when in 1881 her finances became des-
perate, she conferred with her creditors and
the debt OF more than $2,100.OO0, 200 be-
came about 81, $l,1O0,00O,000. A Minister
had declared a few years before. that the
creditors could not be satisfied save by q
rate of interest that would soon double the
debt. Spain had managed earlier in the
century to behave SO badly in matters finan-
cial as to find herself excluded from the
European money market. Her interest
charge is now about S65 900, 900 year.
Spain has been struggling with an annual
deficit for most of this century. 1t is nearly
thirty years, indeed, since the annual budget
was approved by Parliament. Nobody really
knows what the annual expenditures are,
but it is supposed that they exceed the re-
ceipts by from 81, 100000 to $50, ,oOO, 900.
During the ten years Of the war with Cuba,
Spain made the pretence of keeping her
budget down to less than $3.50, 900. 900 a
year, but she always exceeded the figures of
the budget, and in 1870, when the estimated
expenditures were little short of $780,
O0o. 900, or SEQ, ,O00, 900 above the estimates
Of the year before, the revenue was set down
~ 100000. Since that time there