The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-05-01

gana, Jose Marti was placed at the head
9a ehe provisional government, and Gen,
:Ma1imo Gomez had arrived in Cuba to
nsgln operations.
ane history of the island runs conci-
&snt with our own, and is therefore inter
@sstAng. Cuba was discovered by Christie
Baer Columbus Oct. %, 1902 sixteen DAYS
a.sasr ne touched at San Salvador, and
nineteen years later his son, Diego, colon
Ezed the island, Pope Leo X. erecting it's
Mst cathedral. Veasguez followed with
aeW contingents, and in 1919 the capital
was located, at once assuming position
eaf Importance in the eyes of the free
sances of the ocean. In 1888 a French
anFenturer sacked the town, which was
rssouilt when Ferdinand De- Soto. the
&SscoVerer OF the Mississippi River, was
as'aie Governor. Spain priced Havana as
III Snse of operations. There Cortez COM
We1ed his preparations for the conquest
@f AieXico. and there Pizarro rested his
Msn before proceeding to Peru. DESPITE
E1e strong fortress erected, the French
Ia 1911 again destroyed the town, when
a0o other fortresses for the defense Of
fiaVana were built. which still exist-the
MORO and the Punta. BY 1900 the colon
Ahts were raising cattle and applying
Thulnb-screws and the torch to the M
yves to induce them to reveal the snots
where they found gold and silver mig.
sEsfs- Then they started the cultivation of
asoaccO and sugar, and the woes of tho
aa,lVes began. Under system of cruelty
ana oppression the gentle aborigines d.
diminished so rapidly that negro slaves
were introduced, and that eventually led
sa the lnternecine strife which has made
s'ne OF the fairest spots on earth the home
"a pestllence and crime and sayagery in
warfare, the contemplation of which
zackens civilized world.
After inTasions by the French. English
ssnd Dutch, and various claims "a to thu.
ownership of the island, Cuba was re-.
s'ared to Spanish rule in 1863. A new
aaative population now sprung up, and in
AdW, Las Casas, whose memory is re-
FeFed by Cubans to this day, became |
captain general Of Cuba. Its borts were
opened to the world, and great PUBLIC sm
gs"Vements were effected. Despite the |
ssaWnng of prosperity, however, and the
representation of the island in the Madrid |
farilament, several successive outbreaks
occurred. eliminating in the famous
BLACK Eagle conspiracy Of 1929. Good
governors were few, and from Velasauez
down to Weyler, they were vested with
absolute power. Insurgents were burned
alive, intolerance throve, and the merci-
aeas dealings of the despots finally effected
AN amalgamation Of the white, red and
black races, The instruction referred 10
was quelled, but Others followed, and two
years since the FESTIVE spirit of the peo-
pie, calling under an unjust yoke, was
augmented by still worse Spanish mis-
government. The beet sugar production
nj Germany made Cuban culture unprof-
iaable. With hard times came discon.
fent. The stupid Madrid Government
continued its oppressive taxation, injustice
nnd nepotism, and exiIed patriots saw
Aisir opportunity to give affairs political
character.
Money was raised, arms bought, ships
chartered and parties of patriots-some
ut them veterans Of the war of 1SGS-7S-
we're landed in the eastern provinces,
where white and colorcd workmen of the
plantations and small villages were in
duced to take up arms.
Tho location Of Cuba is such that in
e7.se of annexation to the United States
81 even the certainty of it's independence,
saf commercial benefits accruing to this