The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-01-02
GIVES nER TLTIMATUM
Cuba Demands Absolute indie
penoence.
SHE WILL NOT ACCEPT HOME RULE

A Statement by the Cuban Delegate to
the United states-An Extremely Lam
entable State Of Affairs = President
Cleveland's Good Ofhces spurned.
WASHINGTON, Jan. Especial. will
the Cuban insurgents accept home ruler
This Is the question now most generally
discussed In Washington. There Is no
longer any doubt that 1t Is the settled pol
lev 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.
have made inquiries in various directions,
and I find the general opinion among well
informed men TO be that the revoiutionists
will not accept / saw today private
letter from Tomas Estrada Palma, the
delegate to the United States from the Ou-
ban republic, in which he said, Let IL De
understood now as ever that we shall never
consent to any negotiations with Spain ex-
cent upon the basis of the absolute indie
| nendence of the fatherlard." This letter
was not written for publication, but for
nrivate consideration, and there can DO no
doubt that it accurately and forcibly ex-
pressed the attitude of the leading Cubans
In this country.
An Appalling Condition.
In the course of a long conversation
with n gentleman who holds conspicuous
and confidential position in the CUBAN
organization here / learned many interest
inc facts concerning the situation IN Tie
unhauny island. How can we accept
homo rule?n he asked Let any one VINO
wants an answer to this question pause TOT
moment and think. We went to war
because we were taxed without representa-
tion. because of the total tax OF $50, OOo' OOO
collected yearly from Cubans by spain
onIv $500. 600 was spent in internal I'M
movements or for the benefit OF the couh-
try. The remainder went to support tuo
officials sent from spain, who oppresseu US
for tho army which stood guard over u.s.
for the navy which patrolled our coasts,
for mansions to Spanish soldiers who had
tried to conquer us during the ,en years
, xvar and for payment of the Interest ano
princinal of the debt incurred in suppress
;no our last revolution. If we were Justl
0e1 in going to war under those condl
> tions. how could we accept autonom!
J, nowY a.,
cat the present time, - continued TIL
gentleman, 1.-THE debt of Spain charged al
to Cuba is we'll nigh $500, 100000. by th
t;p,e the war could be brought to an en-
" and all claims settled 1t would probaoi
:, be s7Oo 0OO. 900. That means $40, 10000
= n wear in interest alone, to say nothin
90 about principal and pensions and othe
rs charges All this Spain would saddle upo
at Cuba. She would expect US TO pay ever
IN dollar of it, You may be sure that In al
a scheme of home rule which spain woul
offer us she would be carefui 20 reual
within her own hands the power 20 MAJ
m us pay the expenses of the war. Sucn
a debt al'ne, 20 speak of nothing else Wou
| tsuff
IS that there could be no prosperity or ma
he niness in the island Imagine 10000, o.
he or $40. 600, 900 year wrung from peop
to i'm taxes-a people who number on
800 600, or, say, about the population
your state of Iowa.
VIII Never Surrender.
~ "No. il is impossible" continued Z
.,m Cuban. "Spain is trying to caJole us I'D
III surrendering all the advantage we ma
-, gained by nearly two years OF hard ngl
:" inc. We arc able to carry on the war
10 deflnitely We will never surrender si
ON one condition, and that spain VIII
agree to. If she will give us the same s.
If home rule that Canada has-whi
is means that she must Withdraw her all
700. troops and permit the peace to be
Inn served wholly by home troops-tben we
willing to accept autonomy spain v
La not do that She will never Withdraw
MS lines of steel around the homes OF the ,
49, bans, for che knows the moment they
taken away we win have independence
ul- 30 days Spain can never maintain ners
ON In Cuba except by her imported miii,s !,
of and that Is the best PROOF In Sne WORN
nj. NV mind that she ought not to have Cu
g. A people that cannot be governed exc
=, nv military despotism deserve freedom.
Ia az am surprised that President Gle
the laud-whom admire very much-sho
!, a be willing to waste time trying to br
about peace in Cuba in this way he m
know that Il is fight to tho death
us. There can be only one OF two resuit
tho Neutrality-suspicious. or the destruct
i'"'i Of Cuba. II Spain hangs on till she
suppressed us, there will be nothing
MY, worth fighting for. know what spa
lnce presept policy Is. She Is trying to pref
lher a series of events all leading up to ht
hss- rule. She has enlisted the support OF
mere ident Cleveland. She has contrived to
ME stroy General Maceo. Now General we
iree is trying to clear all the Insurgents on
irty the western provinces so that the top'
crop can be planted AS soon as ne
png done that or has made such progress
nsa- he can pretend to have done 1t, spain
tidal he prepared to say to US that we see
-
nts- can 40 Ia TO come In and lay down
arms and have peace. Let me tell
,any that General weyler will not cloar the
Eng surgents out of Pinar del Rio. IL he
the world he has dono that, he will fai
the See victory In Sight.
thief "Nor will our leaders accept home
.idge even II the United States offers Its
the Offices. We are determined on that.
ID Of would be foolish to do so. We see VIC
in sight. We know that In less th'
e of wear the United States will interfere,
.nue. when IL interferes we know we shall
coed. We can afford to walt We
been the sympathy Of great part OF the W.
for and we can keep the war going for
$500 years II necessary. Spain Is nearly D
rupt. A year moro win end her. Sh,
troubles enough at home and In the
ipp.ie islands to absorb all her enc
le0a and resources It would be craven
:" TO ~ rrender with victory In siaht II