The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-08
HIGH Time to Intervene.

some Illllc Ill nav ciltt' "ii'N''NN
with letters of introduction that ah-
locked many hidden sources OF lnlorll-
alton, reports upon ms return
that every native of CUBA 10
in sympathy with the lhsurIec-
ton: that many of the Spanish
officers regard the pacifcation OIL 'he
island by force as impossible, ana are
disgusted with the "hop-sklp-ahu-
iump" nature of the service TO Which
they have been assigned and that the
opinion of the best authorities resident
on the island is that ttS only way by
which the ruinous guerrilla war can pe
stopped is for Spain frankly to give up
withdraw it's soldiers and its ONCE
holders and let the Cubans govern OF
misgovern themselves Mr. Converts
own belief is that lit is too late Tor any
permanent reunion" between the span
iards and the Cubans; oppression mas
gone too far" The prospects IN view
are: EITHER an awful continuation
of hloodshed or a foolish postponement
of the war by some makeshift of a pre-
tended reform, or an out-and-out free
dom from the mother country, with a
perfect llttuJll VI NIl'lNt w NhS'hN'
Join the United States or to remain in
dependent under a simple protector
ate"
on the heels Of this intelligence we
have a PRONUNCIATION of Spains scheme
of proposed reforms for Cuba, ana II
serves merely to ageraVate the anu
Spanish feeling. The nub of this
scheme is that it proposes to invest IN
a Council of Administration of 80 mem
bers, q elective and the rest appoint-
i've by the crown or by the corpora
tions, control of local affairs in Cuba;
that is, interior mprovements-Whlle
the Cortes will continue to vote the
budgets. In 1894 less than $74IOOO, or
not per cent, of the Cuban revenues,
were diverted to interior improve
ments. Is it likely that the Cubans
will lay down their arms after two
years of successful war to accept a
project of reform which promises them
only a nominal per cent of home
rule? We say nominal" because
even the q elective members OF the
proposed Council of Administration are
more likely to be Spaniards than
Cubans. The 16 appointiVe members
are sure to be; it would need but three
Cpanards among the u elective men,
bers to give Spain the whip hand; and
it is an interesting fact in this connec-
ton that only five per cent. OF the ma
tive population of Cuba is permitted to
vote; while the Spaniards, though
forming less than 10 per cent of the
islands population, are in the major
ity when it comes to voting.
Thus it will be seen that the much
talked of overture of Spain to Cuba is
in fact no concession at all. There is
a pretensa of concession, but the more
one studies it the flimsier it appears.
One. cannot wonder that Senor Diaz
Albertni, the secretary of the Cuban
delegation at Washington, when asked
whether the suggested compromise
would be acceptable to his people,
should make reply: "Why should we
compromise? We could get nothing
worth having, absolutely nothing. The
island is loaded with debt. Even if
there is any honesty or sincerity in
Span's proposals, and we know there is
none, life in Cuba would become such
a burden that the island would soon
lose half it's population. Do you sup
pose a million and half of people could
pay the interest and establish a sink
ing fund for a debt of $60OOO00OO? 1t
would impoverish the land. There
would be nothing left after the tax
gatherer had concluded his work. This
is the size of the debt that would be
IN, 4
the war We're brought to an end to-day
Our people will never put their necks
under such a yoke. Spain may pre-
pare as many so-called reform schemes
as she likes-our leaders will have
nothing to do with them in any shape
or form"
But there remains for consideration
one or two other points. Spain is
spending $1000O,O 900 a month on Cube
in her fruitless war to subjugate the
insurgents, and this drain is sappine
her very vitals. The Cubans have five
times as many men in arms now a.
they had a generation ago when they
prolonged the struggle for ten years
Spain cannot starve them out; sht
cannot get at them to make one decis
i've battle, and she cannot bunco then
by propositions of bogus reform. OF
every hand it is admitted that Spanish
government in Cuba is according to al
the rules of civilization failure. He
moral right to rule Cuba has long sine
been forfeited. Spain, by prolongin;
the war, will simply make greater he
ultimate loss; but what is more import
ant from an American standpoint, sh
will also decree to inevitable destruc
tion the $4,000 900 of American capita
invested in Cuba, subject to continua
outrage and peril many hundreds o
American ciizens who have business o
relatives in Cuba; rob US of proftabl
trade opportunities and maintain al
most within sight of our southeastern
coast line Veritable hell to disturb ou
peace and shock our sensibilties.
Has not the time come for this gov
sInment to intervene?
That civil service reform" whe
worked out in detail, often runs to seeC
is notorious. In a recent eXaminatio
in Brooklyn the applicants for S1,2
II