The morning times., 1895-10-28

There was a Cuban smoker in the back
room OF Y Aguilar's cigar factory, $40
ems ylvania avenue last evening at
which the Cuban colony of Washington as
sembled to meet one OF the insurSent agents
from New York The mission OF this agent
is said to be to keep tally on the represen-
tative of FL impartial, the government
organ at Madrid, as announced in The
Times, spent part of last week in Washing
ton for the ostensible purpose of feeling
and reporting to his paper the state of
public opinion at Washington.
The insurgents say that this alleged pur-
pose is a subterfuge, because the state or
public feeling here is we'll known in the
capital OF Spain through press dispatches
and official papers sent out by the Spanish
minister The real mission, the CubaDs here
and al New York think. of this corresponds
ent, who represents a government organ,
and of course is himself closely in touch
with the Spanish government, is to COM
mune with the Spanish minister ana TO tax
with the officials of the State Departments
and indirectly to reach the Presidents ear.
with view to postporing the recognition
by this country of the insurgents as belhS-
erents. II was to report on the operations
of this alleged Spanish agent that the
Cubanagenth has been in Washington.
DREAMED IN SMOKE CLOUDS.
Itwas a happy littlecircie which gathered
around the home fire at the factory and
sent ceilneward clouds of-smoke, fragrant
with the balmy air and sunshine OF the
South. Senor Aguilar was host and Sonora
Aguilar attended to it that the throats of
her guests did not become too dry from
tha oil rtnn
Cuba pronounced 'Nkoobar" by the ma
tives) shah be free.
Senor Aguilar was brimful of his IA
vorite theme when The Times called, and
in response TO a request for little talk,
said:
The wrongs of which the people of Cuba
complain are probably not so well under
stood in this country as some people
think they are. American sympathy pours
out to us largely because we are fighting
and have been fighting since the SOS Tor
the right OF self government against one OF
the most conceited. vain, pOmpOus. undcno-
cratic, and tyranDical monarchies of Eu-
rope
americans know generally that to be
governed by a foreign power is obnoxious
to the governed. They have had good
deal of that in their OWN history. Their
sympathy has gone out to every people
VINO nave lOuSHt III Tue past tGhtuis ipl
the right to govern themselves. The
American people recognize this as a right.
The American people are with us on this
general principle. Then they feel an
especial interest In us because we are
reighboTs to them; because many of our
people have sought rest under the folds
of Old Glory: because they feel almost
that they know US personally. from smoking
our cigars aud sweetening themselves with
our sugar; because they know that Cuba
under proper government. being one OF the
richest lands in theSwerid, would afford
safe ard lucrative investment, and because
the island is tue key TO the Gulf of Mexico.
WHY WE ARE FRIENDLY.
There is yet another reason why the
Americans are interested in us. 1t is
that should they be the first to extend
to us the right hand of fellowship. this
fact would give Americans Increased pres
tige with all the people of Latin America,
and just now il looks as though the star
of empire is southwark vending its way.
The fact that our people, our soldiers,
have poured out their blood on the altar
of liberty for over d quarter of a century.
and that tens of thousands of the men of
the island sleep in patriot graves on scores
OF hard fought fields, helps us i'll the
eyes of Americans
You know that we began TO fight in
1869 and fought hard till 1878, and when
we could fight no longer we began TO
prepare for the present revolution. Since
1878 we. have grown moredetermined. and
arc in many ways stronger, while the
power of Spain has declined. That is
why / think the outlook is so bright. OF
course, you hear very little of tue fight
ing that is going on in the Eastern prov
The Htipfs yyI.. led from
'63 to IS. Maceo and Gomez. are there
now. They are capable officers ard their
men are brave. Every time You hear of
fight there You hear of Il Spanish vic
tory. All the news passes through the
hands of Spa nish officials. If the Span
sh had won every engagement they claim
to have won, there would not be. as there
are now, 10000 revolutionary soldiers in
the field.
Very little news reaches here. Before
the outbreak | used to receive two or
three letters a month from my kindred aud
friends at home, but since the outbreak /
have not received a letter. l have been
identified to some extent with the revolu-
tionary party, and as you say here, my
mail is he'd up We are taxed SO that it
is hardly worth while to work on the
island. and thus she is not SO productive as
otherwise she would be. The land is
taxed. everything imported, flour. ferti-
lizer, agricultural implements, machinery,
everything that we have istaxed
GROUND UNDER TAXES.
I'VE not only have to pay these legal
taxes, but the officials are permitted to
fleece US in every other possible way, and
there is no redress, as all the officials are
Spaniards- Now, what becomes of the
money wrung from us by these means?
We don't have it returned to us in the
form OF Internal improvements, schools,
hospitals, roads, bridges, public buildings,
parks, water works, etc, by no means.
1t is partly spent in keeping up an
immense standing army, recruited in
Spain, and sent from Spain to hold us
in subsection and make US work; it is
partly spent in paying salaries TO office
holders, all of whom are Spaniards, sent
out from Spain, where these Cuban berths
are matters of speculation; and that part
of Cuban revenues not used in these ways
is sent to Spain to pay interest on Spanish
debts contracted by bad government, and
in paying the extravagant household ex-
penses of the royal family. Wouldn't any
other people object to this sort of arrange
ment?
I'VE wish to be recognized as belligerents,
but whether this is done or not. we viii
fight it out. We see difficulty In the
way OF this recognition, which. is, that the
relations between England and the United