The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-06-29

iar OF the debt incurred in the wars with
/ spain. We viii win our independence with
bullets or not at all. Cuhans VIII never
again put faith In Spanish PROMISES OF Te-
fo.Tn. They ate not TO be trusted. We are
in a stronger position today than at any
tune before. The Cuban army is well
equipped, under better discipline, and we
are hound to win
The above words were uttered by one of
the leading members OF the Cuban jUnta
ar conversation with the winter q few
| weeks SINCE in Philadelphia.
The Cubans could not-end would not
| if they oould-assume the debt OF the war
| 1t is too great, and would impoveriSh
| Cuhd for the next hundred years. All this
| talk about purchasing ouT independence is
simply ridiculous. In the first place, Spain
VIII never assent to outside interference; and
in the second place, the CubaRs VIII never
| consent 10 so base u propOsitinn," he CON
tinued.
The winter was furnished data relat tive
to the many revolutions taking place in
at this time. The present century has been
marked by numerous CoDSpiracies, upria-
ings and revolutions. There was one in
| 1923, ottsers in 1926, 1928, 1880, 1S4S,
$50, 1881, 1855, the ten years wal Of
| ls6S-7S, an uprising in 1879, followed by
another in SS5, and the present war, which
heGan in February, / S95.
The will OF the captain general Of Cuba
is supreme. lie enacts inteTprets, applies
| and executes the law his edicts always
beginning, Il order and Command,' and
lds commands must be obeyed. lie is even
| authorized TO set aside any'la " that may
| be enacted by the sovereign power. On
the merest suspicion WeyleT has, without
| any form OF tridl. imprisoned Cubans, han
| ished them from the island, ordered them
Shut. ConflSCated their estates anG reduced
their families To poverty and deSttuuOn.
During the last seventy years there is not
a Sin-.ie Cuban family some che OF whose
members has not suffered persecution OF
| death.
II go their monltions of an a pI aching
revolution We're so distinctly felt all
through the island that the Spanish gov
1rnmcAt consented u and directed the
election and appointment Of commission
ers who should proceed to Span and report
on the general condition Of the country,
and recommend such reforms as, n their
judgment, would prove acceptable To the
people. Sixteen of the most eminent
Cul,ans were elected, and, together W IN
the commissioners appointed 10y the gov
crnmc7t, met al Madrid the Following year
A series of questions were submitted to
them, and they were most carefully con-.
sidercG and answered. When the report
and ,Ioeadations We're handed in,
the commissioners Were dismissed Did
the Spanish government take any aCti.a
thereon? Not al all. They We've simply
confined to the archives and Oblivion.
The whole proceeding WAS pea range!
faICe 10y the government of Spa IN and It's
represent atives and allies in Cuba.
But the Cuhans had da red to ask for re-
forms, and must lie GniSbed. The follow
ing yea, the taxes We're inc rea ss,d. and to
sOch an extent that many of the lan.I-
owners, uaaMe to pay them. presented
themselves in q body to the author les
foT the purpose Of surrendering their prop
erty. This FASTENED the revolution of
1868. The Cahans Were not prepared
They had no arms. no ammunition, no war
material of any kind, DO weapons other
than owing pieces and maGhetes. But the
people We're restless, they could not lie le-
strained and the uprising took place. The
war lasted ten years. II cost the country
$4,000 lives and over 81 900, 600 900.
Spain Lost 10000 men. The wal cost her
nothing; the expenses Were paid by Cuba
During the ten years some 13, 900 cs-
tatcS bcIoa gins to Cubans were confisCated,
among them about / 900 owned 10y ladies
supposedly In sympathy with the rebellion
The work OF assassination was carried on
IN an appalling manner. Between DeCcm-
ber, 1868, and November, 1873, no less
than q 927 political prisoners were exc
Cuted, and during that period 4.612 Cubans
were captured by the Spaniaris. W hsSn
fate to this day is Il mystery, except To
the Spanish butchers
Becoming convinced that she could not
subdue the revolution by force. Sp:in re-
sorted to treachery. aud IN agreement
was entered into granting the CuhaaS a
limited self government The Cubans were
not long in detecting this fraud aud,
wcaried OF waiting for the promised re-
forms crushed 10y taxation. threatened with
universal bankruptcy decided to fight for
their rights and their liberties, and this
time with the resolution either to succeed
in driving the Spaniards out of the i>lanI
or % reduce 1T to ashes and peris h among
the ruins
Tie Spaniarfs claim that whatever NAV
have been the political condition Of the
Cuhans previous to ] S7S. since then they
have not only been allowed representation
in the Spanish CnTtes, but have en- ioycd
other liberties, only surpassed by the lib
critics accorded the people of the UuiteI
States The representation sent bv C,,ha
&c the Spanish Cortes is thirty. The Cuhans
number /, 4'a 600; the Spaniards leo 200
Tie Cuhans have never been represented
in the Spanish Cortes by more than seven;
the Spaniards have never ''electedr less
then twent ythree. The Cubans outnuruf,er
the Spanish residents in the ratio of nine TO
one. For every representative elected by
the Cnbans, the Spaniards ''elect'' at least
seven. So much for the representation
allowed
Freedom OF thought and expression is
not enjoyed by the Cubans, newspaper
writer's having been time and again ban
ished because they attempted to criticise
the government. They do not enjoy the
right OF holding public meetings and have
no voice In the election OF those who gov
ern the island, all officials from the can.
tain general down being appointed in
Spain. The Cubans have neither vote nor
voice In the imposition OF taxes or ex-
penditure of the revenues They are taxed
yearly t. the extent of from SEQ. .OO0, 900
to $50. 10000 S11,50o,9O0 of which
goes toward paying interest on the debt
of Spain, s., 900 900 to the army and navy |