Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-03-13
and possibly his life, had a narrow es-
cape that day



SHOPPING IN HAVANA.
We spent great deal oil time in shop
| ping in Htvana The senators al
| bought Panama hats, and Senator Sher-
man wore his Panama throughout the
| remainder OF the voyage The buving
| oil things Of this ind In Cuba is q ques
ton oil bargaining. The stores of
Havana open out upon the street, and il
they had divaus in them they might re.
mind you OF the bazars OF Cairo. The
merchants decker as much as the Turks
do, and we were usually charged three
times what the merchants expected to
get | don't know how much Senator
Sherman paid for his hat. but | remem.
ter that Senator Palmer was asked sra
for linen coat. He offered 81, and the
Cuban alesman finally told hun he
could have the coat for s4. We visited
III cigar factories, and bought Havana
cigars directly from the hands OF the
makers The factory where we made
our putcha turned out, we were told,
50 600 Ooo Gig Irs a year, and IL employed
1000 and3 Ia one room we found
about fifty women OF all ages stripping
the tobacco leaves for the cigars, anu
We noted that they were all smoking
cigars or cigarettes. In some o! the
rooms Of the factory man were reading
novels aloud to the worb men, to keep
them from chatting, and consequ ntly
busy We each bought box OF cigars
to take back with us, paying about half
the price which we pav IN America for
the same quality OF tobacco.
WHAT SHERMAN THOUGHT or cuBA,
Senator Sherman did not think much
Of the Cubans at this time We saw on
all des Of us evidences OF ignorance
and inClp8c " and also oil Spanish OPP
preston. The senator was struck with
the monetary condition OF the country.
We could get twelve Cuban dollars Tor
five American ones and we were told
that the gold OF Cuba was hen about
six per cent below the value Of our
American greenbacks. All tn silver
money that we got had been punched or
clipped. The country was already
deeply in debt, and the taxes, we were
told, were very heavy
In sp akirg about Cuba, the senator
then SAID: 81 ne country is in a depior-
able condition. judge rom what
heard from intelligent American Cubans
living there, and even the Spanish them
selves, that the island is in a condition
Of iH.suf pressed revolt. I he natives
are nearl 70 a man in favor of annexa-
lion ~ us There condition is indeed
pitiable. No seris in Ru STA were ever
greater slaves than the CuDans are TO
Spain. Tne revenue they must raise
yearly for spain, and for which they get
no benefit whatever except the name OF
a national protection and aegis OF a flag,
is 10000, 900 They have no sell gov
L.. i
general down to tide waiter at the docks,
the official positions are held by
Spariards. ! venture to say not a sing
native Cuban holds an office or recsivss
public emulument. In addition TO the
$40 COO, ooo sent annually TO Spain, Cuba
mas TO pay the salaries Of ali the Spanish
horde ias ened upon her"
WE DON'T WANT CUBA.
During this same interview he was
asked as to the annexation of Cuba by
the United States and whe,har the native |
planters, the Weather classes iavoret |
It. His reply at this time, inasmuch as
he quotes it in his book, is probably his |
opinion today Here is what he said: |
'Yes, am told the planters are anxious
Tor annexation, but | do not think we |
United States. | would not favor an |
neXation, In spite OF the dfains upon |
her, Cuba is enormously rich in re. |
sources and is large consumer oil our
products, on which at present the heav
lest Spanish duties rest. What would |
favor would be a reciprocity treaty with
Spain as to Cuba, so that we might send |
our goods there instead OF forcing the
Cubans to buy OF England, France and
Germany. We could do the island
much more good by trading with her on
an equal basis than we ever can by an.
lexing her. Cuba to some extent is
under cur eye, We would probably
never let any other nation than Spain
own tue island, but SO long as s ain
loes own it She is welcome to it, II she
Sill only let us sell our goods on equal
n better terms than the Cubans can
get them Tor elsewhere"
These statements of the senator were
made ten years ago He probably has a
much different loea as to Spain today,
or he would be th- last man to sanction
any i'll treatment OF Am ricans or others
ly a foreign nation. 5 III he thoroughly
ipr rebates the advantages OF American
rade with Cuba, and should the present
do anything in favor OF
Cuban independence its action will be
followed by such trade rela-
ions as will be OF decided advantage TO
he United States.
Fr~A< 4. CaI...,a.z
-~-~--=z---.---4.<..--s