Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-01-21
And Nothing Else Will Satisfy
the Cuban Patriots.
interview With Senior Quesada, Cuban
Representative at Washington.
Gomez Mas But One Dream and, that Is 10
See Cuba Free.

Cuba will accept the alleged reforms which
spain Is about to offer us and lay down
;heir arms. said Senior Qucsada, the Gu
IAN representative. ia Washington. l had
:allod on Senior Qucsada to ask him what
he thought of the talk that Spain was GO
ng TO secure peace by means Of a treaty OF
commerce with the United States and
3lan of reform in her government of Cuba.
NO man who knows the Cuban people
would 6hink fora moment that there could
De any chance whatever OF this plan being
successful" added Scnor Quesada. The
Cuban minister, as he is sometimes called,
Vas at the moment III in bed. But his eyes
dashed with The fire of patriotism and de-
termination as he spoke to me. In his
sagerness to express himself he threw the
soverlet back from the bed, Gcsticulated
With his arms, and his face shone with en-
;husiasm. "Thc people Of Cuba will have
none of their reforms he declared.
There is only one thing we will have, and
that is independence. There is only one
Thing in which we have confidence, and
that is this!'
Suiting the action to the word, Senior
Quesada, ill as he was, drew from behind
Ais bed Il Cuban machetc and waved it over
lis head, the glistening upon it's steel blade
corresponding to the light in his eyes. [
have rarely seen more dramatic action in
private life.
Gomez Defended.
''But they say General Maxico Gomez Is
.eady to make peace, with home rule as the
2rice?" l suggested.
"Who says so?" asked the Cuban minis
Ter. "You Get that from the Spanish
They circulate.such lies through the news
papers. They have no regard for the truth
[ will give Senior Dupuy dc LONE $40, 600,
20 be devoted to any charity which he may
name, if he will show an authentic letter
from General Gomez containing an express
sion in favor of peace for home rule, pro-
gliding the Spanish minister will agree to
contribute like sum to the Cuban wound
I'd in case he fails to produce such a letter
Senior Quesada then went on to point out
aow absurd it was for the Spanish to claim
that General Gomez was willing to sell out
his cause. General Gomez fought in the
zen years war, and after the war was over
instead of filling his pockets with Spanish
gold, as the friends of Spain now claim he
lid, he went to the Panama canal and
worked as an underengineer, down in the
ditch and through the swamps, for a small
sum per month with which to support his
family. He afterward settled in Santo Do
mingo, where he worked for living.
'Why," said Senior Quesada, General
Gomez has but one dream, but one ambi-
zion in life-that is to see Cuba free He
is now "a years old. He knows this is the
last war he will ever engage in. 1t is vic
tory now or never, SO far as he is concerned.
At the end of the ten years war he was
one of those who relied upon Spanish hon
or and accepted peace under promise that
reforms should be made He was tricked
and deceived with the others. Do you sup
pose he can be caught in such trap a Sec
ond time? l know the Spanish have cir
culated reports that General Gomez would
not fight for us unless he was paid. They
say his army has been lying idle because
ne was not paid the money which he de-
manded. In q few days we shall have a
letter from General Gomez which will
show how false all this is l understand
the Spanish have tried to make your state
department believe General Gomez can be
bought with their gold whenever they need
him. / would like to see them try it. The
Spanish cmissary who approaches General
Gomez with such q mission viii not say q
dozen words till the. old general will call
two of his mcn-iiombcr 50 and SO and
number such and such-and issue to them
this command:
"'Take this man ont and shoot him..
Gin five minutes there will bC thc crack
Of a half dozen InauSCrS, and that will be
General GomeZ'j answer 10 this charge.
Hewill treat in tho same manner the man
who approaches him with an offer from
Spain to grant peace on the homo rule
basis OF course, if the agent goes with q
flag of truce, he will be protected. But if I
Cuban, wcre to wall; into General Go
mcz' $ camp and propose that we have peace
thc first question he would ask me would
be:
"'IS it peace with Independence" And il
Iwcre to reply in the negative should b.
shot in ten minutes.
All For the Cause.
''I5 must try the patience of those who
know anything about matters in Cuba fol
the Spanish to be continually publishing
such outrageous reports, Senior Quesads
continued. ''Their statements are an in
suit to the intelligence Of the American
people. If we went to war because WI
could not endure The conditions of two
years ago, why should we make peace nov
without any pledge OF tnoSc conulGlohS De
ing bettered, and with certainty that thu
debt to be saddled upon the island will i'm
poverish it for a half century to come? Al
10 General Gomez, is it not absurd to sup
pose that he will now lay down his arms
He is the commander in chief of the Cuban
armies. He sees victory in the near future
He knows that he will win undying FAM
BY our triumph. Talk to me about his he
ing a soldier of fortune! Why. Genera
Gomez has refused to take money from on
iunta. His wife and family have refllset
10 accept funds which we have profferet
them.
To Influence Public Opinion.
There is ono thing in connection will
the Spanish campaign in this countr.
which is open to criticism. The Spanisl
minister here maintains a regular pres
bureau He has his agents in the fell
trying to work up public opinion. 1t i
even said that he has subsidized certail
newspapers, especially two or three whicl
are published where their copies reach sen
ptors and representatives in congress
Whilc it is generally regarded as legitimat
Tor government to keep secret agents il
. foreign country, it is rare indeed tina
~ Al n IL -