The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-11-28

up NthlSa ESIl3teh tue 1thcEAis
after the termination of the last
war Cuba was conceded full liberty by
the Metropolis and with "A rapidity Of
which few examples are shown among
other people The government inaugur-
ated a regime granting ample Cuban
representation, availing itself of the
provisional laws until the Chambers
ratified them, establishing the rights Of
the Cuban people upon an equality with
the Spaniards in the colonies. Almost
simultaneously the present Spanish Con
s6tution was promulgated, recognizing
the equality of white and black Cuban
and Spaniard, in this region. The pro
vincial and municipal laws are alike in
the provinces OF Spain. There is abso-
lutte freedom of the press. public meeting
and association and public judicial pro
cedure. In short. the Cubans have all
the liberties that are enjoyed by the Span
iards in their native country,
AS to the social question the patronu-
to or patronship of slaves was decreed
which widencd the scope Of the abolition
measures and erased the time appointed
for the gradual and total abolition OF
slavery"
"All this is recognized 10y liberal Gu
bans and prominent men who since that
| date have been representing Cuba ~
parliament and who have not left the
island in spite OF the present rebellion
and who remain on the government side.
| New YOU see what tyranny Spain has
exercised in Cuba
"But." insisted the correspondent, the
Cubans complain that they are deprived
| of holding public Officer
s.'rhis is another notoriously unjust as
sertion,' said Gen. Weyler, the Cubans
are left out, not though Spain's tyrrany
| with emphasis. But they do not seek
to hold office. During slavery times all
| the wealthy people were not found a
mong the bourgeoisie. But even from
| the earliest. there is no denying the fact
that Cubans have held the offices Of
| comptrollers and sub-comptrollers of the
1 revenue, like Pinallos and Ramires, be-
| sides similar important posts. Since the
/ treaty of Xanjon was signed, it is a fact
| that eighty per cent of the public en-
| ployees are Cuban. Not only in Cuba,
| but in Spain do Cubans hold public Of
l fees. For example Calixto Garcia, who
was three times sentenced to death and
| pardoned, held the office Of Auditor Of
| the bank of Castillo. His son is in
| the employ of the State in the Phillip
4 tiAAit AolSAilNNs aAaAA@ lNtlbEtS Va tA4t ApA
| mer rebellion have had and still hold
| in Spain has such Il large proportion of
State employees since the last
| war. Some Of the most impor-
| tant places in the administration
have been held by Cubans. The provin-
cial governors and their secretaries. re
| president Of the high court Of the Sta1f
| the attorneys, the magistracy, the rec
tors and professors of the University, the
officials of the Customs revenue, the
heads of other public offices, the admins
tratiye counsellors, the registers of prop
erty and in fact from the chief political
| secretary down to the humblest position
it may be said that nearly all the posts
are held by Cubans In Madrid, Cubans
are employed in the Tribunal of accounts
in the Council of State and in the min
isterial departments, to say nothing OF
those who have acted as ambassadors
to the high powers and as under Secre-
taries to the ministers. / assure you
that there are over a thousand Cuban
officers in the Spanish army and that
there are over 500 fighting in Cuba for
Spain, ranking from Generals down to
subalterns OF all the regular forces.
'You will now see that these charges
that Cubans are not allowed to hold office
carry their own denial, and the fact that
since the treaty Of Zanjon there are no
| Cuban place seekers. Maybe because
all the places are filled with Cubans"
but, said the correspondent, 1.-THE Gu
bans assert that even in the local popu-
lar posts they are barred out through the
high degree Of qualification required"
'"This is also inexact," said the General.
Only the possession Of $5 per annum OF
taxable property is the requirement.
| Where the Cubans represent wealth they
| have the provincial officer, as in Puerto
| Principe, Santa Clara, and many towns
| in the Eastern Department Where
| however, they are not wealthy and could
| not count in with the majority, they were
| retained in the minority Now let us
see what these complaints amount to-
| Nothing but a pretext to argue with
| some show Of justification for the treach-
cry to the nation The plainest proofs that
| these complaints are unjust, is in the fact
that all the representatives Of the Cuban
political parties have placed themselves
on the side OF the government, have form
ed a committee for national defense, and
that all are striving equally, with the
same object in view, notwithstanding the
different tendencies of their political plat
forms, conservative and liberal alike.
The committee is actually composed of
the most prominent men Of the three
parties and they represent the culture,
wealth and production Of the island. They
not only protest against the insurgents,
but against the complaints they have
formulated against the government
whose tyranny better than anyone they
know does not exist, and never existed"
SPAIN RESENTS RECOGNITION.
London, Nov. 27.-The Standards
Madrid correspondent says. Madrid
newspapers reflect the intense anxiety of
all classes as the meeting Of Congress
at Washington approaches The strong
est feeling prevails against any interven-
ton in Cuba, even from the friendiest
nation, which, the Spaniards contend.
would be "A tacit recognition of Cuban
loIl Il,