The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-02
FALSE ECONOMY
Saving at the VenthOle and
Losing at SpigOt.
Method That Uncle Sam is at
Present Pursuing.
Government Buildings at the Capital
Threatened by Fire.

Bor any uouDt tnht lt is tno settled policy
OF Spain to make an effort very soon To
bring the war In Cuba to an end by means
OF an offer Of home rule To the island. I
have made inquiries IN various directions,
and find the general opinion among well
Informed men to be that tho reyolutionists
will not accept. l saw today n private let
ter from Tomas Estrada pamn, the dele.
gate to the United States frcm the Cuban
republic, in which he said, "Let it be I'M
derstood now as ever that We shall never
consent to any negotiations with Spain ex-
cept upon tho basis Of the absolute indie.
pendence Of the fatherland." This letter
was not written for publication, but for
private consideration, and there can be no
doubt that 1t accurately and forcibly ex-
pressed the attitude OF the leading Cubans
in this country.
An Appalling Condition.
In the course Of long conversation
with gentleman who holds conspicuous
and confidential position In the Cuban or
ganization here learned many interesting
facts concerning the situation in the un-
happy island. How can we accept home
ruler" he asked Let any one who wants
an answer To this question pause for a
moment and think. We went to war be-
tion, because Of tho total tax of SEQ, 600, 600
collected yearly from Cubans by Spain
only 100000 was spent In internal i'm
proyements or for the benefit Of tho coun.
try. The remainder went to seaport the
officials, sent from Spain, who oppressed
us; for tho army which stood guard over
us, for the navy which patrolled our coasts,
for pensions to Spanish soldiers who had
tried to conquer us during the ten years
war and for payment of the interest and
principal Of tho debt incurred in suppress
ing our last revolution. If we were justi-
hed In going tn war under those condi-
tions, how could we accept autonomy
now?
AT the present time" continued this
gentleman, 'the debt of Spain charged up
TO Cuba is well nigh $500, 900 000 BY the
time tho war could be brought TO an end
and all claims settled IL would probably
be 500, 900, 600. That means $40, ,000, 900
a year in interest alone, TO say nothing
about principal and pensions and other
charges. All this Spain would saddle upon
Cuba. She would expect us to pay every
dollar of It, You may be sure that in any
scheme Of home rule which Spain would
ofier us she would be careful to retain
within her own hands the power to make
us pay the expenses of the war Such q
debt alone, to speak of nothing else, would
so burden Cuba for generations to come
that there could DO no prosperity or hap
piness in the island. Imagine 500, 900, 900 |
or $40, 600, 900 year wrung from people |
In taxes-a people who number only |
1000, 600, or, say, about the population Of |
your state of Iowal
VIII Never Surrender.
mo, 1t Is impossible" continued the
cuban. Spain is trying TO cajole us into |
surrendering all the advantage we have |
gained by nearly two years of hard fight
Ing. We are able TO carry on the war in
Ceiinitely. We will never surrender, save /
on one condition, and that Spain will not
agree TO. If she will give us the same sort |
OF home rule that Canada has-which |
means that she must Withdraw her alien
troops-then we are willing TO accept au-
Spain will not do that. She will
never withdraw her lines of steel around
the homes of the Cubans, for she knows
the moment they are taken away we will
have Independence In 80 days Spain can
never maintain herself in Cuba except by
her imported military, and that is the best
proof In the world TO my mind that she
ought not TO have Cuba. A Apeople that
be governed except by military des-
potism deserve freedom.
81 am surprised that President Cleve-
land, whom l admire very much, should
be willing to waste time trying to bring
about peace In Cuba In this way. He
must know that 1t Is fight to the death
With u.s. There can be only one of two
'esults OF the neutrality-suspicious. or the
of Cuba. II Spain hangs on
I'LL she has suppressed us, there will be
nothing left worth fighting for. l know
What Spnin's present policy Is. She is
rying TO prepare series Of evsnts, all
oading mp to home rule. She has enlisted
ho support of President Cleveland. She
has contriyed to destroy General Meceo.
Vow General Weyler Is trying to clear all
he insurgents out Of the western provinces
o that tho tobacco crop can be planted
As soon as he has done that or has made
uch progress that he can pretend 10 have
ono 1t, Spain will be prepared to say TO
IS that we SEQ we are whipped, and that
he best thing wo can do is to come in and |
ay down our arms and have peace. Let
ne tell you that General Weyler will not
lear the insurgents out Of Pinar del Rio.
4 he tells the world he has done that, he
Vill falsify.
sce victory In Sight.
Nor will our leaders accept home rule,
ven II tho United States offers Its good
fiices We arc determined on that We
iould he foolish TO do so. We see victory
4 sight. We know that In less than n
ear the United States will interfere, and
'hen II interfercs we know we shall suc-
ecd. Wo can afford to wait. We have
he sympathy Of great part of tho world,
nd we can Keep the war going for ten
ears II necessary. Spain Is nearly bank
npt year more will end her She has
'oublcs enough at home and I'm tho Phil
'pinc islands to absorb oil her energies
nd resources. It would 10 craven Of us
surrender with victory in sight. In the
Ist war we fought ten years and had never
lado so much Roadway as we have made
! the last IL months
DO you know what would be likely to
nppen !! Spanish ngcnt were to ap-
roach General Gomez's camp with a pro-
)sal that we accept homo rulef Woll, he
ould be In great danger Of being shot or
iDRed. That is ono reason why the Span ]
IN want tho Ifuffcd Gfatog toc.lo, A. 4 :