The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-30

| the Spanish Scheme for Cuba With the
Frame of Government Enjoyed by
Canada, to the Advantage of the Former
| -Furthermore,H he Dares to Assert That
| the States of the Union suffer In Com
parison With Cuba Under the Recent
Decrees-News of Spain aud Cuba.
Washington, Nov. 29.-Senor Dupuy
DeLome, the Spanish minister, has re-
ceived long dispatches from Madrid
showing in detail the plan Of autonomy
which Spain is about to apply to Cuba.
/ While these do not give the text Of the
new law, they explain all important fea-
lures and clear up doubts which had
arisen from the unofficial reports which
have come from Madrid. Speaking Of
| the new law, the minister said today:
"One of the recent criticisms of the
new reform law is that this plan Of au-
tonomy is the same as the old plan, with
some change Of detail. AS matter Of
fact, the new plan is a complete realiza-
ton of the policy and platforms of the
aGtononist party during the last twenty
years. The old plan of autonomy gave
10 Cuba an advisory body. 1t did not
have final authority in making laws,
hut merely advised as 10 those laws.
Now. however, the new law proposes to
give Cuba a parliamentary body of full
law-making power. The completeness of
this legislative power is as great, il not
greater, than that enjoyed by Canada or
by any state of the United States. This
is really demonstrated by comparing the
plan of the new law with that Of the
British North American act of 1867,
which establishes the present parliament
tary system Of Canada According TO
the Canadian law, the Canadian parlia-
ment consists of two bodies. The upper
house is made UP of members appoint
ed by the crown, each member holding
life tenure, with a qualification that
no member IS eligible unless he has
an income Of $4,000. The provision for
the new Cuba upper house is along the
same general line, but 1t is far less
stringent. Instead of the crown ap-
pointing all the upper house, as in the
case OF Canada, the Spanish crown is
to appoint only one-haf of the MEM |
bers OF the upper house Of Cuba. The
other half are to be elected by the peo-
pie of Cuba every five years. There is
a $4,000 property qualification for men, |
bership OF the upper house of Cuba, |
which is the same as that of Canada. /
The same comparison holds good be |
tween the proposed lower mouse in Cuba |
and the bower house in Canada. There |
is a $500 property qualification for |
members of the iower house in Canada,
and also qualification az to those who !
vote for suoh members. But in the new |
plan for Cuba there is no property quail
ification as to the electors. 1t is one
man, one vote the same be he black or |
white.
FREER THAN THE STATES.
"If the new home rule law IS COM
pared with the systems prevailing in the
several states of the United States, it |
will be found that Cuba is to have a far
greater measure of control Of her own
affairs than in several states in this
country For instance, she is given con-
troll of her banking and currency, con-
troll OF her customs. This last fea ture
is most important, and according to dis
patches 1 have received from Madrid,
it is as follows:
" The insular parliament will form Its
own tariff. fixing both import and ex-
port duties. The home government to-
gether with the fnsular government, will
make schedule Of such peninsular and
insular products as by common agree
ment shall enpoy a preferential duty
over similar foreign products, which in
- /
case OF disagreement in the preparation
Of said schedule, the point in dispute
shall he submitted to a committee of
of the cortez consisting Of an
equal number of penfnsulars and Gu
bans
"It will be observed that this gives to
the Cuban parliament entire control OF
the tariff with the condition that there
shall be preferential duties for Spain.
not exceeding 35 per cent. 1t should be
understood that these preferential duties
are not an unusual feature. Under the
last reciprocity treaty between the
United States and Cuba, which is con-
,eded to have been the most satisfactory
treaty made by the United
States. there was a preferential duty Of
30 per cent to Spain. Under the new
aw this is cut down to So per cent.
Moreover. it should be understood the
duties DO not cover all the
ariff schedules, as they did when the
United States and Cuba had a reciproc-
ty treaty, but cover only limited num-
per of articles. These articles doubtless
viii Fbe so chosen as not to affect the
.rade between the United States and
Cuba, so that while Spain enjoys the
preference from her colony, ii viii not |
De a preference as against the United $
States
IRRECONCILABLBS
When it was suggested 10 the minis
er that among certain classes no plan
" autonomy was acceptable. he said:
Certainly: there are trreoncila5les on
10Th si5es-Spanish irreconcfiables and
Cuban irreconcila bles. But they are {
lot the ones 10 be considered. 1t is
he people at large. and the material in
erests Of Cuba that are to be consid-
Ared. The Cuban irreconcilaoles say
hey will not accept the new law. They
10 rot point out its defects or suggest {
'emedies. They simply decHne 10 ac-
,ept IL. SsIch men ere out CT court They
ire not open 20 argument or reason.
There is another feature which
should be noted. For the first time the
government has said officially that
spain viii assume part OF the debt os
,uba. The payment OF this debt is to
,e~ arranged by the cor;ez, but II is to
'e on a basis satisfactory 10 both par
les"
LEGISLATIVE POWERS.