Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-06-03
GOMEZ CONFIDENT
Cuban Situation as It Looks to
the Rebel Leader.
THINGS WERE PERFECTLY SERENE

Until weyler Cane ON the Scene and
Torch to Prevent Landowners from
Grinding Their Cane-Spanish Soldiers
Represented as Kind for Want of Enough
to Eat-SOme Rosy Predictions.
NEW YORK, June 3.-The following let.
ter, dated May 16, from General Maxine
Gomez to Senior Estrada Palma, the Cuban
delegate in this city, was given out at the
headquarters Of the Cuban delegation yes
ter.ay. There is no doubt that the revo-
lution has successfully gone through its
third period and is now powerful all over
the island. The first period was the out
break. In the second was our organiza-
ton. The third period is marked by the
invasion 10 the west provinces of the win
ter campaign, which has just closed, with
no result favorable to the cause Of the
monarck.sts in spite of their famous army
OF 10000 men and their powerful imple-
menss OF var throughout the country.
The torch was stopped as soon as tho
planters were diverted from grinding.
weyler Changes the Situation.
tssNahe PhoPiiStoTS WcIc
respected, and their crops were not de-
stroyed by the hoofs Of our horses. No
Cuban family had fear of the Spanish
soldiers and our wounded were safe But
all this has changed as by magic since
Spain appointed Weyler to be the peace
maker. Disregartlful of the immense in
forests that he compromised it was he
who again lighted the torch by his foolish
pretension of grinding against the orders
Of the revolution, and for this reason new
cane fields, and even some factories,
were destroyed. as also were several towns
and villages Of which the Spanish soldiers
had taken possession to depress and cor
rupt our families. Reprisal is old in war
fare.
Revolution Proceeds Triumphantly.
"Weyler's work has done the country
great harm, and thisis all he has done, for
otherwise the liberating army isas mighty
rs ever. The revolution proceeds on its
triumphal course, and every day that
passes may he considered a victory now
for our cause, and any petty loss that we
may occasionally have is of no consequence
when on the whole we triumph. The
revolution thus enters now on its fourth
period, in which the conflict will assume
a severe character for Spain. Summer is
death to them; our soldiers on the con-
trary are made Of steel and the SIM that
kills the Spaniard is friend to the Cuban.
Spanish Soldiers Starved Into Kindness.
General Weyler will go, and it is now
said that Polaviaja will replace him. All
to no purpose. What General Martinez
CampOs was not able to do at the begin
ming no other will do now. The Spanish
soldier is kind and has no enthusiasm to
keep his courage up. There is no spirited
soldier when his stomach is empty. The
Spanish soldier must be paid even for his
vices, If he is to be Of any good and Spain
has no longer the money for it.
Knows weyIer Too Well.
II made yesterday two prisoners, whom
1 hardly conld decide to go back to their
own. They seemed SO willing to remain
with us and share our abundant food.
What say about General Weyler is from
my perfect knowledge of this mans his
tory. lam not influenced by passion or
hatred. 1 am simply. of the few sur
vfvors Of the famous Bell of Casos Re
dondo,' and am not the one to, forget the
bloody scenes of the White Rag in which
Weylcr was the instrument at Valmareda.
Sincerely yours, NJ. GOMEZ"