The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-28

spain 1 am supported in this stand by
many Of the planters. who agree not TO
gather their crop rather than be the victims ,s;
and see the fruit of their labor employed
against the country.
DO you not think that by the prohibition
of the sugar crop the commerce of the
island will suffer and important houses con-
nected with the sugar industries be bank
rupted?'
Il do not. because up to the present no
failures. large or small, have taken place
and the merchants themselves favor the
idea of not gathering the crop In the re-
lations between the planters and the mer-
chants in Cuba at present the singular
feature is that the planter lives more from
the merchants capital than from the actual
products of his land, and II may be assert
ed that the immense majority can only
commence work with money advanced Dy
the merchants. Therefore the commercla!
element finds IL better just now to keep its
money under key until the crop operations
can be begun under normal conditions
1T is reported that the Spanish minister
for war intends 10 send another large con-
tingent of troops TO Cuba in january"
SPAIN WILL NOT GIVE UP CUBA.
IL don't know" replied General Weyler.
'I only think 1 can assure you that the
nation is prepared to make all kinds of
sacrifices. both in money and men, as has
already been proved, to conquer in this
undertaking and make Spain's sovereignty
respected before and above everything. All
the money spent and to be spent will be
Spanish money. Cuba has been asked for
nothing, neither for men nor for money.
Spain does not hold Cuba to exploit her
nor has she had anything from her. Her
pride in her great national historic tradi-
tons alone compe!s Spain and she will de-
fend Cuba and will exhaust her last dol
lar and her last man in SO doing. That
this is not only the feeling of the gov
ernment, but also of the Spanish people
is shown by the daily growing enthusiasm
and sacrifices by the nation.
DO you think, general, that the recog-
milton of the belligerency of the insurgents
by the United States would be taken as
an offense by Spain?"
1T would be strange if any act direct
ly aimed at a recognition of any challenge
or Spain,s right of sovereignty here, which
our people look upon as being beyond ques-
ton, did not evoke an explosion of popular
feeling which ii would be impossible to
check, excited and ardent as public senti-
ment is now on the Cuban question in
SPAIN
The Cubans abroad complain strongly of
spanish tyranny and attribute the reyolu-
ao dlon TO the subjection of the Cubans by a
despotic government, under which they are
not only debarred from liberty but also
from public employment in their own coun-
Try. Can you make statement on this
They must offer some excuse for the
treason and obstruction to which they have,
dedicated themselves since taking up
arms, replied the general. After the
termination of the last war Cuba was con-
ceded full liberty, and. with great rapidity.
granting ample Cuban representation,
availing itself of the provisional laws until
the Chambers ratified them, and establish
equality with the European Spaniards in
the colonies. Almost simultaneously the
present Spanish Constitution was promul-
saS baes ahs ahs of h his
region The provincial and municipal laws
are alike in the provinces of Spain. There
meeting and association and public judicial
procedure. In short, the Cubans have all
the liberties that are enjoyed by the Span
iards in their native country. AS to the So
ctal question, the patronate, or patronship
OF slaves, Was decreed, which widened the
scope of the abolition measures and reduced
the time appointed for the gradual and to-
tai abolition Of slavery. All this is recog-
nized by liberal CubanS and prominent men
Who since that date have been representing
Cuba in Parliament and who have not let
the island. in spite of the present rebellion.
and who remain on the governments side.
Now, you see what tyranny Spain has exer-
But" insisted the correspondent, 1.-The
Cubans complain that they are deprived OF
holding public office.
CUBANS IN OFFICE
This is another notorfously unjust as
sertion," said General weyler. THE Gu
bans are left out not through Spain's
tyranny with emphasis), but because they
times all the wealthy, people were not
found among bourgeoisie.i- But even from
the earliest times there is no denying the
fact that Cubans have held the Offices of
| controller and subcontrollers of the rev.
enue, like Pinillos and Ramirez, besides
| of Zenjon was signed 1t is fact that so
| per cent. of the public employees are Gu
| bans. Not only in Cuba but in Spain do
| Cubans hold public offices. For example,
| Calixto Garcia, who was three times SEN
fenced to e;. death and p LpaSdoned he'd i,tI the
! His son is in the employ Of the state in the
| Philippine islands. Many leaders of the
important posts in Cuba. No province in
| Spain has such large proportion of state
employees, and since the last war some of
| the most important places in the admins
| tration have been held by Cubans. The
provincial governors and their secretaries,
| the president OF the high court Of the State.
| the attorneys. the magistracy, the rectors
and professors of the university. the Off
| cials of the customs revenue and the heads
of other public offices. the administrative
| councillors the registers of property and
| in fact, from the chief political secretary
down to the humblest position, may be
said that nearly all the posts are held by
| in the tribunal of accounts. in the council
| of state and in the ministerial depart
| ments, to say nothing of those who have
| acted as ambassadors TO the high powers.
| and as under secretaries to the ministers.
| l assure you that there are over a thou
| sand Cuban officers in the Spanish army,
| and that there are over five hundred fight
| ing in Cuba for Spain, ranking from gen
erals down to subalterns of all the regular
| forces. You will now see that these charge
| that Cubans are not allowed to hold office
| carry their own denial and the fact that
| since the treaty of Zanion there are no
| Cuban place seekers may be because all the
| places are filled with Cubans."
But" said the correspondent, 1.-THE
Cubans assert that even in the local popu-
| lar posts they are barred out through the
| high degrc of qualification required
This is also inexact," said the General
| 'only the possession of 50 per annum OF
| taxable property is the requirement. Where
| the CubanS represent wealth they have the
provincial Offices, as in Puerto Principe,
| Santa Clara. and many towns in the east
| ern department. Where, however, they are
not wealthy and could not count in with
| the majority. they were retained in the
| minority. But. even thus. most of the
| municipal positions were in the hands OF
! the Cubans. and the same was the case
| Now let up see what these complaints
| amount to- Nothing but a pretext
| to argue with some show of justifica tior
| for treachery to the nation. The plaineS1
| proof that these complaints are unjust is
| in the fact that all the representatives OF
| themselves on the side of the government
| have formed a committee for the nationa
| defense and that all are striving equally
| with the same object in view, notwith
| standing the different tendencies of theil
| political platforms, Conservative and Lib
| posed of the most prominent men of the
| three parties and they represent the cul
| ture wealth and production of the island
| They not only protest against the insur