The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1895-10-05
THE CRUEL CASE OF CUBA

THE CRUEL CASE OF CUBA
Uder date OF September 1S a cores
pondent of the New York Sun writing
fromsHavana puts Cuba's case as fol-
lows:
A cable from New York brought US
: last week the good news that Presi-
dent. Cleveland will soon consider in
-fallthe Cuban affairs. Heaven grant
him happy decision on behalf OF lib
erty and humanity! As things are 60.
ing;in Cuba, it is duty for America
to act. The people who represent in
this New World freedom, justice and
power cannot allow such war as this
supported by the untamable ferocity OF
Spain. If England interfered with
the Sultan of Turkey to protect from
barbarism the Christian Armenians,
VIII; cannot America teach the intoler-
ant Spaaaird that it is impossible to
rule colony in the nineteenth CEN
tury on the patterns of the fifteenth?
Cubans are under worse tyranny and
vexations than Americans endured be-
fore independence. The-tsland is
crowded with Spanish officers who
have not the least sense of honor.
From 1878 till today probably $500, 600,
600 have been taken from the appro-
priations for the navy and fortitica-
tions. Now, when state of war pre-
walls throughout the country, Spain
has to spend from the Cuban treasury
many millions more, finding that no
navy exists and no fortress was built
out of the old ones. AS stated in my
former letter, the Cuban custom house
is defrauded of $4,000 daily. This
: revenue amounts officially IN the bud
get to eleven millions. A private COM
pany in Havana offers to pay the gov.
ernment twenty-five millions for the
right to appoint employees. But the
Spanish ministers of the colony will
never consent, because they select for
custom house officers their own rela-
tives and particular friends, who send
to Madrid so per cent of their rob-
berries. 1t is a well-known fact that
the majority of Spanish politicians
live on the frauds made at the custom
houses in Cuba and that the late Senior
Cristino Martos derived from that
source SIC, 900 daily. And Cubans have
not even the right to decent place in
the civil service. Only to the rank OF
fifth clerk, that is to say with an $50
nual salary of $70O, can the governor
General appoint state employees in
Cuba.
Moreover, Cuba has to sell her sugar
and tobacco to any market she can ex-
cept Spain. To protect a few sugar
estates in Malaga and the monopoly of
the tobacco company at Madrid, intro
duction of those two principal pro-
ducts of the island are absolutely pro-
hibited in the mother land. And by
way of reciprocity Cuba is forced by
an outrageous law to buy all Spanish
products, from Catalogue 'scoarse linen
to Castilla's bad flour. Does not these
facts entirely justify struggle for in
dependence?
These are not the only griefs OF poor
Cubans. There is not judge in the
island, neither in low courts nor in
high ones, who sentences in accord
ance with right and justice. The pol
itical party of Spanairds-la Union
observation-disclosures all the courts
of justice. The mayor of Havana is
also Spaniard; a Spaniard was his
predecessor in officer, and not a single
Cuban belongs to the city council.
Political elections are useless. The |
census is systematically falsified to
prevent Cubans from obtaining their
rights. Remonstrance is of no avail. |
The minister Of the colonies is too
bnsy to hear the complaints of the
islands, appointing officers to the Gus
tom house, and selling Cuban bonds at |
and per cent to cover, the yearly |
deficits in the budget, and, now, to |
pay the expenses of the war. So the
debt of a population of 1,500, 900 is
$500. .OOO. 900.
Let us admire the candor with which
the Spanish Prime Minister Senior
Canovas del Castillo calls the insur-
gents bandits. Bandits if the. hero of
the Delaware was bandit; if Bolivar
was bandit; if the brave soldiers of
Ayacucho were bandits
How easily Spaniards call bandits all
those who resist their spoliations! The
case of the American citizen, Mr.. Julio
Sanguily, now imprisoned in fortress
at Havana, is good sample of Span
ish bigotry. Mr.. Sanguily's crime to
the Spanish government is that he was
general in the Cuban army during |
the last war. After peace was made,
in 1873, Mr.. Sanguily married in New |
York, resided there some years, and |
became citizen He never made an
other attempt to revolt in Cuba.
When the war broke out again the
oath of February last, the first step OF
the Spanairds was to secure Mr.. San
gully in the Fortress La Cabana. AS
no evidence could be found against
him for conspiracy, he was accused as
IN abettor of the bandits, <and tried
before court martial. Our consul in
Havana respectfully protested against
'uch behavior toward an American
.itizen, and then Mr.. Sanguily's case
vas transferred to an ordinary tri-
,unal. But this change, in Spanish
olony, only means change of form.
Before the civil judge evidence
rought against Mr.. Sanguily was no
1ore honest. Mr.. Sangnily is not
utility, but to satisfy Spanish revenge
Or his past, he must remain impris- s
ned, no matter what outrage is in t
icted on reason and humanity. Pleas
Dr. fair trial are not heard. AS an
Id Cuban insurgent and an American
itizen Mr.. Sanguily will ever be a
andit for the Spaniards.
Under the same pretext Spanish t
'arfare in Cuba is fearfully savage. G