Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1896-12-16

my last annual message has in the least i,n
proved, II Spain still holds Havana and tbs
seaports and all considerable towns the IN
surgents still roam at will over at lease
two-thirds of the inland country. If the de.
termination of Spain to put down the iusur-
rection SEEMS but to strengthen with th5
lapse GEtime, and is sevidenced bv her nm
hesitating devotion of largely increased
military and naval forces to the task. there
Is much reason to believe that the insur-
gents have gained in point of numbers and
character and resources and are none the
les9 inhexible In their resolve not to succumb
without practically securing the great nro-
1ects for which they took up arms. If Spain
has not yet re-established her authority.
neltner nave the insurgents yet made good
their title to be regarded as an independent
state. Indeed as the contest has gone on,
the pretense that civil government exists on
the Island, except so far as Spain is able tc
maintain II. has been practically abandoned.
spain does keep on foot such a govern
ment, more or less imperfectly in the large
towns and their immediate suburbs But
that exception being made, the entire coun-
try Is either given over to anarchy or Ia
subject to the military occupation of one or
the other party. 1t is reported. indeed, on
reliable authority that, at the demand of
the commander-in-chief of the inSurgent
army the phtative Cuban government has
now given up all attempt to exercise its
functions, leaving that government confess
sedly (what there is the best re ason for sup
posing 1t always to have been In facD Il gov
ernment merely on paper.
Were the Spanish armies able to meet
tnelr antagonists in the open, or in pitched
battle, prompt and decisive results might be
looked for, and the immense superiority of
the Spanish forces in numbers, discipline
and equipment, could hardly fail to tell
greatly to their advantage. But they are
called upon to face foe that shuns general
that ChnnCa md
choose its own ground, that from the nature
OF the country is visible or invisible at
pleasure, and that fights only from am
buscade and when all the advantages of DO
sltlon and numbers are on its side In e
country where all that is indispensable to
life In the way of food, clothing and sheltey
Is 80 easily obtainable especially by thoss
born and bred on the soil, it Is obvious thai
there is hardly limit to the time during
which hoStilities of this sort NAV be pro-
longed Meanwhile as in all cases of pro-
tracted civil strife the passions of the com
Datants grow more and more inf1amed and
excesses on both sides are more frequers
and more deplorable.
They also are participated in by bands o.
marauders who, now in the name of Ofe
party and now in the name of the other n;
may best suit the occasion, harass the Coun-
try at will and plunder it's wretched inhah-
ltants for their own advantage. Such q
condition of things would inevitably entail
were the policy of both parties to prevent it
as far as practicable. But while such
seemed to be the original policy of the Span
lsh government, it has nov apparently
abandoned it, and is acting upon the same
theory as the insurgents, namely that the
exigenCieS of the contest require the whole
sale annihilation of property, that it NAV
not prove of use and advantage to the enc
my. 1t is to the same end that in pursuance
OF general orders, Spanish garrisons are
hPinU 1Y,la
the rural population required to concentrate
itself in the towns
The sure result would seem to be that the
industrial value of the island is fast dimin-
lshlng and that unless there is a speedy and
radical change in existing conditions it will
soon disappear altogether. That value con-
sistS very largely, of course. in its capacity
TO produce sugars-a capacity already much
reduced by interruptions to tillage which
nave taken place during the last two years.
IL is reliably asserted that should these in
terruptlons continue during the current
year, and practically extend as is now
threatened, to the entire sugar producing
territory of the island so much time and so
much money will be required to restore the
land to its normal productiveness that it is
extremely doubtful If capital can be induced
to even make the attempt
The spectacle of the utter ruin of an ad-
joining country by nature, one of the most
fertile and charming on the globe, would
ment and people of the United States under
any circumstances. In point of fact they
nave concern with it which is by no means
OF wholly sentimental or philanthropic
character. 1t lies so near to us as to be
hardly separated from our country Our
actual pecuniary interest in it is second
only to that of the people and government
OF Spain. 1t is reasonably estimated that
at least from S30,O0O,O 900 to $50, 900 90 of
capital is invested in plantations, in rail-
ROAD, mining and other business enter
priSeS or the island. The volume of trade
between the United States and Cuba, which
In 1889 amounted to about S64, ,0OO. 900. rose
in 1898 to about S103. .O0O, ,OOO and in 1894
the year before present insurrection broke
out, amounted to nearly soc, ,OOO, 900. Be
sides this large pecuniary interest Staked in
the fortunes of Cuba, the United States finds
Itself inextricably involved in the present
contest in other ways both vexatious and
costly.
Many Cubans reside in this country. and
indirectly promote the inSurrection through
the press by public meetings. by the pur-
chase and shipment of arms by the raising
of funds, and by other means which the
spirit of our institutions and the tenor of
our laws do not permit to be made the sub
Ject of criminal prosecution Some of them
though CubanS at heart and in all their feel
ings and interests, have taken out papers az
naturalZed citizens of the United States 4
proceeding resorted to with a view to pos
slDIe protection by this government and
not unnaturally regarded with much indig-
nation by the country of their origin Tbs
insurgents are undoubtedly encouraged anI
supported by the widespread sympathy ot
the people OF this country always instinct
lvely felt Tor every struggle for better and
1reer government and which in the case of
the more adventurous and restless elements
OF our population, leads in only too many
instances to active and personal participa-
ton in the contest.
The result is that this government is con-
stantiy called upon to protect American c!e.
lzens, to claim damages for injuries to per-
sons and property, now estimated at many
millions of dollars, and to ask explanations
and apologies for the acts or Spanish ofi-
cials whose zeal for the repression of rebel
lion sentiments blinds them to the immun-
tiles belonging to the unoffending citizens
OF friendly power.
II follows from the same causes that the
United States is compelled to actively police
long line OF sea coast against unlawful ex-
pedltlons, the escape of which the utmost
vigilance will not ALWAYS Suf1ce to prevent
These inevitable entanglements OF the
united states with the rebellion in Cuba
the large American property interests af-
fected and considerations of philanthropy
ana humanity in general, have led to a We
hement demand in various quarters for
some sort of positive intervention on the
part of the United States 1t was at first
proposed that belligerent rights should be
accorded to the insurgents a proposition no
longer urged because untimely and in prac-
uCal operation clearly perilouS and injurious
70 our own interests It has since been and
IS now sometimes contended that the inde-
penoence OF the insurgents should be recog-