Evening star., 1896-12-09
The Cuban Question.
o The Editor of The Evening Star:


In a recent issue Of The Star | saw
a communication from Philadelphan,
which was headed Spanish Crueltics."
VIII you kindly allow a law-abidlng in
nabitant Of the Spanish West Indies, v-Io
has lived down there for NeIy many years,
say word in reply?
1 notice a vast amount of gross ignorance
and prejudice prevalent in his country
about political and other matters connected
with the Spanish Antilles The trouble is
;hat only the re1ellious Cuban side of the
question is presented to the view of the
American public. The friends of law and
order in the Spanish Antilles have nobody
10 state their case in English and prcscn,
il TO the impartial American public.
Your correspondent complains about anI
denounces cruelty the execution OF
Iopes Coioma, which TOOK place in Havana,
according 20 Law. Allow me TO say thai
there was no cruelty about il, inasnuch
as the laws of Ike land dema Hded il. If IL
be objected that the law is unnecessarily
harsh, ii must be admitted that IL is dou-
bly, 50 in this country, where the law for
arson alone entails such punishment.
But he had also the aSgravating charge of
rebellion, and under beth charges he was
convicted. The Law about arson Is less
stringent in the Spanish dominion than ia
many states Of this republic. where the
| crime of arson alone is considered as sufil-
| cient for capital punishment.
Spanish law for iebellion arson alone.
I-opes Coioma Was convicted under both
heads of law; therefore, there could be no
cruelty in the execution.
Your correspondent further says ihGi
this country should not stand by idly. but
! interfere in favor of the oppressed Who
are the oppressed hut the victims of tn"
deDreGatiors committed by the rebes2 Is
there TO he no sympathy extended to those
| poor families who have been reduced 10
| misery and trouble by the torch CT The
rebel? Allowing for arguments sake that
| ii is the duty Of ;his government TO help
those who are under political oppression
| in foreign lands, why don't they help the
oppressed Irish, who have better claim
| than the cuhans2 And for the French
helping the Americans in their struggle fer
| independence, il must be borne in mind
| that the French never came 10 this coun-
| try for the mere sake of helping the pro-
vincials 10 gain their independence, bat 10
| fight the English, their old enemies, whom
| they had fought in Canada in conjunction
with the Americans.
The law-abiding inhabitants of the West
Indies. whether they he Spanish or English
subjects, have a wholesome dread of negro
rule, for have the horrible spectacle Of
Haiti and San Domingo. We know that
the success of the Cuban rebellion would
mean negro domination. and We Will not
submit TO ii. The rebels not fighting
for liberty or autonomy, but for independ-
ence, and all know what that means.
The Haitians and Domnicans burned and
destroyed their island. just as the rebels
are doing in Cuba. before they severed
their ties from their mother country. Have
they returned 10 that state Of prosperity in
which they were before? Are they more
prosperous, more civilized than the in
| habitantS of the neighboring islands of
J Porto Rico. Cuba, Martinique, Guadalupe
| etc, who have remained loyal to their
mother country? If periodical revolutions
accompanied by massacres and assassina-
| tions are the conconlitants OF savage life
| then il must be Acknowledged that they
have receded 10 barbarism. The law-abld-
| ing inha abitants of those regions are not
| overanXous 10 degenerate. They firmly
| believe that all their grievances can lac be
redressed, all their liberties can be obtained
under the aegiS of the law. through polit-
| ical agitation. just as all civilized countries
| are doing. Already under the able leader
| ship of such famous Cubans Montoro
| Labra. etc, We have obtained for those as
| lands very extensive liberties, such liber-
| ty of worship. and liberty of the press,
ample representation in the courts, and L
| have no doubt bat that they will soon OBJ
tain for us also home rule.
The Cuban rebellion does not bear any
! resemblance to the war of independence Of
| this country which fought for the principle
| of no taxation without representation, or
| to the wars of the South American repub-
| lies. which fought for tangible reforms
against a system of government which
cmasculated the natives The rebellioua
Cubans aspire TO an imitation of Domini-
can freedom. The best friends OF the Gu
bans are those who advise them to lay
down their arms and submit to the laws of
the realm. u. VAIL SPINOSA.