New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-05
CTB1N REFORMS.

Judging from the abstract OF its PROVISIONS
now made public. the new Spanish scheihe oi
reforms for Cuba is an Improvement upon the
Abarz,lZa measure Of two years ago. Inc h''
ter. IL will be remembered, provide Tor Couh
oil of thrty-one members. one being the GOV
ernor- Gencral fifteen appointed by the Crowh'
and fifteen elected by the people; the Governor
General to have absolute veto power over all
acts Of the Council, and power TO suspend
arbitrarily any Of its members for any tihe'
and no net Of the Council to become valid until
approved by the Madrid Cortes. The present
measure provides for Council Of thrty-hve, or
whom twenty-onc are to he elected by the peO-
pIe and the remainder to be elected by Span
isb corporations and appointed by the Crown
Apparently. too, the veto and suspensory powers
of the Governor General are to be curtailed, ana
the assent of the COrtes may not be needful
for local legislation
There are however three serious objections
to the scheme. One Is that The franchise Is to
remain unchanged There have been hitherto
only about $4,000 electors in a population or
100000 Cuban landowners have been dis
franchised. while every slX-dollar clerk in q
Spanish commercial house has been full
fcdped voter; so that in sample district OF
13 600 inhabitants. Of whom 1880 were Cubans
and 800 Spaniar,ls there were only 81 Cuban to
400 Spanish voters and n similar proportion pre-
vailed throughout the island. Under such n
system. il Is evident. the twenty -One elective
Councillors are sure to he Spaniards and the
Cuban representation In the Council to be NIL.
Again. the Madrid Government reserves the
right TO suspend the whole Council and nulify
all its acts whenever 1t pleases; a proviso which
,t,,tc Elan
shadow of a shade. Finally, it is to be OBJ
served that while the Council is to prepare the
Budget. that supremely important document is
TO be revised and voted by the COrtes at Ma
drid. as at present That is. more than any
thing else, the crux of the whole controversy
Under the new system, as under the old. Cuba
is to be taxed for the benefit of Spain. Take
recent Budget the last before the war In
round numbers the revenue the tax-levy on
Cuba, was S25OOOOOO. OF this. $10.O00,O00
went for interest on Spaln's debts. SI,0OO,OOO
for Spans army and navy. S4,OOO,OOO for sala-
ries TO Spanish carpet baggers, and S2'OOO,U0O
for Spanish pensions. Less than 100000 went
for public works, roads harbOrs, etc, In Cuba,
less than 100000 for higher education and not
a cent for primary education. Ninety per cent
of Cuban taxes have been devoted to Spanish
PURPOSES and doubtless will still be. under
these new reforms
The statement is naTvely made that the re-
forms are i'll received by the Spanish public,
being regarded yielding too much to Cuba.
II is quite probable that in Cuba they will be
received with dcrision and resentment, and be
re garded as an attempt TO trick the island into
accepting shadow in lieu of substance. The
Cubans declare that they would not now accept
genuine home rule, or anything short of .abso-
lute independence. II Is therefore incOnceiva-
bic that they should accept this scheme. which
Is not home rule but merely continued Spanish
domination in another form. Besides. the time
is inopporune for the offer We were told the
reforms would be promulgated when Pinar del
Rio was pacifed, and not until. Well, If any
one considers Pinar del Rio to be In a pacified
condition, it would be interesting TO know his
conception Of province in state Of war.