The record-union., 1895-09-05
Averment That Spain Has Been
Constantly Misrepresented.
STATEMENT MADE BY A SPANISH
CONSUL TO AMERICA.
Says His Country Awaits Only the Re-
turn OF Peace to Put Into Operation
the Law Granting the Island at
Least Partial Autonomy The
Trouble, He Claims, Was Fomented
by filibusters in America.

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 4.-Late this
afternoon DR.. Jose Congo, the Span
ish Consul for several States, who is sta
toned al this port issued formal state
ment of Spain's attitude toward Cuba.
The Consul AYERS that his Government
! has been constantly misrepresented in
the opinion of the American people. and
emphasizes the fact that the mother coun-
try awaits only the return of peace to put
into operation the law recently passed.
granting the island partial, if not COM
pleie, autonomy. In the lnto-e II of peace,
he says, the winter campaIgn will be
! ton which it is hoped must summarily y
end the drain upon Spain's resources and
prevent the continuance OF bloodshed.
! The. statement is as follows: There is
! no question that the condition of affairs
in Cuba has long presented features which
required correction. Spain has recog-
| nlZed the imperative need OF reform
quite as keenly as the Cubans themselves.
! And, recognizing this need, she has long
ago set herself about satisfying it. The
law granting Cuba partial autonomy WAS
passed months ago, not only by the Con-
serv ative party, which proposed 1t, but
also by the Carlists and the Republicans.
| 1t will be remarked as curious cOinci-
! dence that no sooner did 1t appear as
! passed than the current rebellion broke
| out. 1t has been said that the rebellion
was due TO the disgust Of the Cubans at
seeing in this measure their cherished
| hopes again frustrated, and their aspira-
| tions for home rule Juggled With. Inc
| truth of the matter is that Cuba was not
disappointed; it was the men whose in
terests lie III fomenting discord who per-
ceived that with the adoption of the law
| their occupation was gone.
| The rebellion was not due to diSSatis-
! faction over the law, but paradox as
! 1t may seem, was caused by the law being
| too acceptable to the genuine, honest
autonomists. General Martinez Campos
! has it IN his personal discretion to put the
| law into execution whenever he sees tit,
| but he will not do SO until there is peace
on the island, because to give the
measures practica bllity the law cannot be
tried amid the din of uiusketry and the
| flash OF machetes. 1t is Spain's inten-
| ton to end this rebellion within the next
| three months. She can, and she will, put
enough men into the island to crush the
! insurgents out of hand. The thing must
| be done sooner or later, and 1t is better
lii the interests OF humanity, as well as
| of the State, that it be speedily ac-
complished.
''I have said, and l take pride in repeat
! ing il, that what is wanted in the island of
Cuba, aud what the people are lighting
for there to-day, is not Liberty; and in
proof of this assertion, | refer anyone
who wants TO learn the truth TO respecta.
bly, born Americans who live on the
| island. Respectable Americans live and
work there, and they do not seem to miss
the liberty they enjoy in the United
States. the only claim that certain OF the
| local leaders lay stress upon, that there is
no liberty in the island of Cuba, is that
Cubans pay per capita tax OF Sl5, and
| that they must carry paper all the
time to show who they are. Respectable
people do not find any fault at this for
mality.
"opain is not the only country having
this kind of personal document. They
are found in Italy, Germany, SwitZer-
| land, Belgium and other countries. 1t is
true that this is kind of personal tax;
| but are there not in this country the poll
tax and other taxes? Ii on the island of
| Cuba everyone should pay to the treasury
| what be ought, there is no doubt the tax
alton would be enormous; but the ma
| jority OF the people in one way or an
| other try to avoid paying the taxes. Is it
! possible in the island of Gu Da to collect
rural taxes? 1t Is often tried. and has
! been found almost impossible to do SO.
a question of race. Any change in the
form of government would be based upon
universal suffrage. A Government
elected by the majority of the popula-
ton, and no Que would think of setting
| up constitution upon any other basis,
| reflects, from the nature OF things, the
character of electors. The blacks depend
! for the progress which they may be
capable OF making on the presence of the
white community among them, and al
though it would be undesirable and
| equally impossible for the blacks to be
ruled by the minority OF the white resi-
dents, it would be equally undesirable
and equally impossible for the whites to
! be ruled by them.
"All the trouble in the island may be
summed up in a few words. 1t is the re-
suit of certain practical filibusterers in
the United states, who, seeing their
source OF income was in danger, tried TO
make all the trouble they could. so as TO
| assure their future income by collecting
contributions from the poor cigar
Makers