The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-02-26

cant tax on 1t when they sold 1t. Now, Of
course principle as big as the universe can
be represented by a very small amount OF
tax. but IL the Cubans had organized tea
parties and raised rumpuses down there in
keeping with the size OF their grievances
compared with that of our fathers, they
would have long ago tumbled everything
into the sea, including the island itself.
Now there Is war on down there for which
there have been reasons enough, God knows,
and II has been going on for years. just
a little while ago the Spanish government
| announced to the world great long scheme
of reforms which they said they were ready
| to inaugurate in Cuba, if there were any OF
them left after Weyler got through, and as
promptly and as loudly as he could thunder
it forth from his camp in the heart of Cuba
old Gomez has shouted back that he wants
no more of Spains reforms, but that the
| Cubans want their liberties and are bound
to have them or the next best thing which
under the circumstances is death. Who can
blame them? For after the other ten years
war the Cubans were granted what seemed
when put down on paper pretty respect
able amount of liberties, but in the hands OF
Spain these liberties all turned into chains.
| 1t makes ones blood boil to follow step by
step the action OF the Spaniards in nullify-
ing all that they promised Cuba as the re-
| q p.I,n ofr 10 al
now the whole machinery of the govern
ment is ia the hands of the Spanish 1t
has been reported that President Cleveland
has expressed the opinion that the reforms
offered by Spain recently are sufficient. but
| if the President had had trial OF similar
scheme as the Cubans have had he might ask
for more. But then with Spain's previous
treachery on the one side, why should the
Cubans accept the offers of refOrmP Judg-
ing from their past history certainly that Is
not the way TO peace al d prosperity. There
are millions OF dollars Indebtedness piled up
already as the result of the war. Spain
can't pay 1t and certainly she will not if she
can hold her greedy hand on Cuba.
Taking the debt of near three hundred mil
lions OF dollars which has been unjustly put
upon her since the war closed in 1878 as a
guide Cuba may be sure that somewhere
about another three or FIVE hundred millions
is awaiting her as the result OF this war.
Why should the Cubans accept these offers
of reform when as affairs now stand there is
everything to gain and not much, certainly
now any more, to lose in the direction OF
continuing their struggle for liberty. Spain
is bankrupt. she has no more credit abroad
and she is growing weaker every day.
With the wonderful resources and prOduc-
tiveness of the island the Cubans can get
enough to live on indefinitely, besides the
Cubans have some three thousand men al
work farming back in the island producing
the food they need. They have driven
all their cattle into the mountains where
they are safe from the enemy. They are
gradually acquiring the arms and ammuni-
ton they need and their raw troops are be-
ing trained into veterans. Supp0siDg that
the Cubans should be driven out of the prov
lnces OF Pinar del Rio, Havana, Matanzas
and the western part of Santa Clara, they
can withstand the power of Spain in the
eastern part of the island indefinitely. They
can make raids upon the Spaniards, burn.
ing their crops and killing few of them
Kill the rest of them. The whole situation
IL this fight between Spain and Cuba has
seemed to me pretty accurately represented
in the struggle between the great dragon
lectured from last week. You who heard
the lecture will remember that the point OF
Kehama's curse was that nothing could
hurt Ldaurlad and that the could not die.
under the sea to the city of the dead where
the witch had bound the Glendoveer by a
chain to rock and that great dragon was
set on guard. You will remember with
kill Ladurlad. He wrapped his long tail
about Ladurlad's body and squeezed him
hard enough to crush out the life from a
hundred men, but Ladurlad came through II
serenely and lived on. Thus the fight went
on for days, but ere long the dragon got
hungry, his enormous strength began to
fail and he wanted sleep, and then it was
that Ladurad, supernaturally cursed, began
to bestir himself to the fight and soon the
dragon lay dead on the shore and the Glen
doveer was set free. In the application the
Cubans represent Ladurlad and IL they have
not beer supernaturally cursed after the
manner of the story, they have been cursed
enough and they have in their little island
and wrapped up in their own lives power Of
recuperation enough to see the old dragon
dead sooner or later and their island sci
free.
am no prophet but will risk my repu
| tation on the assertion that little Cuba il