The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-30

obedience rendered the officers. but this is
ALL The officers are quartered in cingy
tents and rough huts: the men almost any
where.
The great need Of the revolutionists Is
ammunition ard carhines. The ordinary
munitions % war they can do without. as
they seldom move In large bodies. fully
realizing the foolishness Of meeting the
Spzniards on the field Of battle when the
climate and their present mode Of war
fare give them so great an advantage
Wherever there Is large sugar estate
there are insurgents or their syrnpathizers,
which IS practically the same thing; and
one may rest assured that as soon as he
can escape the vigilance OF his hosts, the
planters who live in terror on both sides.
he will be able TO meet these free and easy
warriors. who hang around the outskirts
Of the estate. taking what is given them,
or more generally what they need; but, 10
do them justice, their needs are few. What
they want is liberty. or at least freedom
from oppression, and this they are deter
mined 10 have az any price.
The leaders are particularly anxious re-
garding the attitude OF this country, and
express much surprise and disappointment
that after their successes no steps have
been taken BY the administration 10 In
quire into the actual state Of affairs. They
do not seem unreasonable in their de-
States inquire into the government OF the
island, and, such inquiry be conducted
IN a fair and impartial manner, that we
VIII, as a civilized and enlightened nation.
refuse 10 allow such tyranny TO exist so
near our shores. Among these people an
American whom they know to be sympa-
thetic is treated with the utmost cour-
tesy, and receives the best their frugal
store affords-a rather marked contrast
from the brutal. impairment treatment
one receives in and around Havana.
The insurgents are fine body OF men,
robust and we'll developed. and d glance al
them is sufficient 10 satisfy one as 10 their
ability as fighters. though perhaps they do
convey the impression Of brigands, with
their dark skins. flowing mustaches. black
hair and athletic bearing. IL has been as
serted by the Spanish authorities that
these insurgents are chiefly negroes and
mulattoes. and that the rebellion has no
support among the better classes. Such
is not the fact. II is true that many OF
the best class take a seemingly neutral
stand, but under the espionage they are
subjected 10 IL cannot be otherwise. Ger
tainly they give no aid TO Spain. and ii is
q fact that by far the greater number of
insurgents are native Cubans who are
neither negroes nor mulattoes.
one proof OF the universal tyranny that
exists is the fact that the right OF free
speech is almost denied TO the woFkmen in
the great Havana cigar factories. | was
surprised, on visiting one of these, 70 hear
ceaseless shouting, in a monotonous
tone. Upon going into the main cigar-roll
ing room j discovered whence the sound
issued. Seated upon a raised platform in
the middle of the room was man reading
from newspaper reports of the Spanish
successes; the papers dare publish nothing
else. These same successes" however,
i happen TO know. resulted TO the advan-
tage of the insurgents. In another factory
there was a man reading aloud what APP
peared 10 DE a romance. / asked the pro-
prietor why these lecturers, as they are
called were employed: he replied: ITO
keep the men from talking" and went on
10 explain that when they talked politics
they invariably became excited. The news
papers. of course. are under government
supervision and a strict censorship Is
maintained. They are not worth the read
ing under any consideration.
What is true of one place is true of an
other, and Havana, as the metropolis, is
perhaps the best city to write of regarding
the present state of feeling. Here il is
next 10 impossible TO get any one to speak
freely and unreservedy upon the subject
of the war and It's effects. This. however,
is scarcely necessary; the faces of the citi-
Gems tell the tale-the harassed. unsmilng
countenances Of the merchants and their
almost painful eagerness TO DO business
speak more plainly than any words could.
II is probable that there is no starvation
but Of real misery and want there is plen-
~. During my first weeks stay i'm Ha-
vana I often remarked upon the fact that
had not heard one single laugh. hearty
or otherwise, anywhere-nOt even al the
theaters nor in the cafes. One NAV walk
for hours in the Parque Central, listening
10 the music, never seeing a single smile
nor hearing a laugh. though huge crowds
gather there every evening.