The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-12-26
THE CUBANS WILL WIN.
An Insurgent Ohcer Talks Of the
War with Spain
The Cubans Are Confident Of Wlnnins
MISREPRESENTATION to Busi-
ness Interests In This
COuufPy.

II the people of Florida had thei
way about it Cuba would be free to
morrow. The state is practically
unanimous in favor of the independ
ence of the island from Spanish rule
The war has practically destroyed tn,
tobacco and cigar industry of Ke,
West, Tampa and Jacksonville, lockin,
up thousands of dollars of capital in
vested in property fit only for tobacc,
manufacture in some form, and throw
ing out of employment thousands ot
mea who are unable to find employ
ment in any other industry, and wh<
are in the main unsuited for any other
Il am using up my last bale of to
bacco to-day" said dealer to the Sur
correspondent, "and shall have to close
down my factory. I can't get any to
bacco. How many men will be thrown
out of employment? A very large
number, and when added to the others
in this city and the state, will make
quite small army whose means OF
subsistence have been destroyed by the
war in Cuba. But we all, laborcrs and
manufacturers, bear our losses cheer
fully. We feel that it is necessary to
make the sacrifice that Cuba may be
free, and wc feel certain that it will be. !"
The Sun correspondent had the good
fortune to meet three officers of the in.
surgent army, who have just come over
from Cuba upon special mission. One
of them spoke English fairly well He
is q colonel, and looks it every inch.
He said:
"Weyler has under his command in
the island fully 900 men. It is es-
timated that from 10000 to $1,000 OF
them are laid up in the hospitals. The
remainder of them stick to the cities
When they sally forth it is in large
numbers. Are they afraid Of the Gu.
bans?" The colonel shrugged hi.
shoulders, and a comical smile agitsted
the stiff hairs of his mustache. '.The
idea of 6paniard being afraid Of
Cuban" said he, ironically. "No. it
must not be that Oh, no; something
else must keep them in the cities. The
Cubans have fully 10000 armed men in
tho field. and fully 10000 reserves
ready to ELL up the ranks as fast as
they are decimated by the enemy.
We have plenty of men, if we could only
equip them. 1t is estimated that we
have three men to every gun.
Every armed column has an unarmed
column following it, and whenever a
soldier falls there is a mad scramble
for bis weapon.
Gen. Maxine Gomez commands the
eastern department. Gen. Antonio
Maceo commands the western depart
ment, comprising Las Vegas, Matanzas,
Havana and Pinar del Rio, where the
principal operations are to-day. The
have glorious record" said
the colonel. 'There were nine of the
brothers, of whom Gen. Antonio is the
only survivor. All the others were
killed in battle, fighting for the indie
pendence of Cuba. This is record of
which a Spartan would have been
proud.
"What are our prospects to-day? We
shall win. We can't fail. In the ten
years. war the insurgents did not in.
wade the province Of Matanzas at all.
They were keptoutof 1t. ButGen.Maceo
has gone further than that, SO that
Weyler has not only to drive us out of
Camaguey and Matanzas, but out of
Pinar del Rio as we'll. We have the
eastern department. in our grip. It is
he more important Of the two depart
and the inability of the Span |
ards to collect any taxes there is one of |
the severest blows the insurgents have |
inflicted upon them.
''The industries Of Cuba are para |
yzed. The extent of the paralysis may
,e inferred from the fact that it is es.
.imated that not one bag of sugar will |
oe sent out of the island this year. |
Last year Weyler ordered the planters |
% grind their cane The insurgents |
we're opposed 70 their doing so. Now
ne has no power TO command them to |
grind. There will be no sugar crop |
his year. All the tobacco that was col |
ected has been burned. and that which |
remained in the fields has been ruined. |
THE policy of the insurgents has
,een to destroy the sugar and tobacco
states in order to cripple the revenues
# Spain.
The people Of Cuba are determined
o achieve their independence. They
re tired of Spanish extortion and tyr
my, and prefer death to further sub
mission. The war began February "a.
sos. We gained more in the first six
months Of the war than we gained in
he whole time Of the ten-years' war.
When Spain could not crush the war of
SOS, when it was confined TO one prov
nee, in ten years, with the sacrifice of
0o, 900 men, how can she do 80 now,
rhen we have the run Of the island
rom one end TO the other?
Then it should not be overlooked
hat in the ten-yea-s' war our men
numbered hardly more than 1000 with
rms; to-day we have more than 10000
rmed men, with 10000 unarmed re-
erves. The men are so eager to fight
hat they contend with each other for
rms."'-N. Y. Sun.
lIIHK IN AgAiNA