Arizona republican., 1897-12-12

PHGNIX, consulted on that point, and that so far as personal observation goes pub | lie sentiment is overwhelmingly against Cuban annexation. The Span ish commercial class in Havana will have it otherwise. They would rather stay Spanish, but between either gen independence on the one side and an nexation on the other side the major ity of them would pronounce unhesi- tatingly for annexation. The feeling which animates some of the public men in Spain, to make every conces- sion in order to save the crown to the young king, finds no echo here The commercial class is indifferent to the monarchy. The sentiment of Loyalty to the throne does not appeal to them ''We would save Cuba for Spain," said one merchant to me, 'fbut we will not sacrifice Cuba to save the throne Sooner than that wa will ask for your flag, though it has been hateful to us."
 BLANCO'S PROBLEM.
 At the palace the gravity of his Spanish sentiment against autonomy is recognized, but I am assured the task is not looked upon as insur- mountable. Captain General Blanco found the conditions worse than he had dreamed. Every captain general who comes to Cuba finds the same thing. Blancos problem is not ex- actly to create a new political party out of nothing. He has to fuse to- gether an organization out of ele- ments which are aibhorrent to each other-the fusion of the Spanish and the Cuban. And it is the Spaniard who must first be tempered to the fus- ing point. The palace assurance is that this will be dome "by degrees. /" Patience. firmness and resolute pur- pose are all to be exhibited. Mean time the reorganization has begun by ! changing the office holders. The po- lice department has been reorganized from the top down and from the bot l tom up. The administrative officers | have been subjected to an equally thorough overhauling. The spoils are always in Cuba to the party of the captain general Those who are put 1 out neither ask nor expect sympathy 1 In the present instance the official ol the highest or the lowest degree; who after twenty months under Weyler has not lined his pockets would not i admit it because of the contempt such 1 an admission would bring upon him from his fellows. All the Weyler subordinates retire with competencies most of them with riches. IA slight note of protest is raised because while 1 CubanS have been chosen for the hon. orary positions, the good places, as ever, have gone to the new captain generals Spanish followers.
 Some Astonishing results have fol lowed this change of administrative funetiomaries. One day the customs receipts went up from $9,O0O to $17, 900. They kept gaining by leaps ant bounds until they reached $70,O0O Everybody in Havana knew the cause and everybody except the victims laughed. The new customs official had refused to continue the arrange ment of their predecessors. Dutie were being collected as levied, and tn. importers were in a dreadful state It would be a pleasure to credit thi change in customs receipts to change which would mean lastin, honesty. What that kind of admin istration would mean to the govern ment the figures show. 1t would d away with one of the causes whic
 breed revolution. But nobody her looks for this kind of administratior to continue. Honesty, as commonl . understood, is no part of the Spanisi official system, whatever colonial pol icy is being carried out The custom receipts are drifting back to norma figures, and the equilibrium of dutie levied and duties collected is bein restored. The receipts are now in tn P neighborhood of s4O,0OO. They ar not likely to upset the balance. b again jumping to $70,OOO.
 Havana, under the new regim
 makes a brave show of trying to fol get what has been going on for thre years in and around it. The bu fights on Sundays are largely patron
 ized. The presence of a multitude
 army officers is not so obstructive g
 formerly. Martial law Is enforce
 with less offensive severity. The; ce1