El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-01-23

Interview With Senior Quesada, the Cuban
Representative In Washington-Genera1
Gomez Has but One Dream, and That Is
to See Cuba Free-A Spanish Press Blu
reau.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21.-[Special lit
is absurd to suppose that the people of
| Cuba will accept the alleged reforms which
| Spain is about to offer us and lay down
! their arms said Senior Quesada, the Gu
| ban representative in Washington. had
| called on Senior Quesada to ask him what
| he thought of the talk that Spain was 60
| ing to secure peace by means of treaty OF
commcrcn with the United States and a
plan of reform in her government of Cuba.
J s'No man who knows the Cuban people
would think for a moment that there could
| be any chance whatever of this plan being
| successful added Senior Qucsada. The
| Cuban minister, as he is sometimes called,
| was at the moment i'll in bed But his
eyes flashed with the fire of patriotism and
| determination as he spoke to me. In his
eagcrncss to express himself he threw the
| coverlct back from the bed. gCsticulatcd
| with his arms, and his face shOnc with en-
| thusiasm. ''Thc people of Cuba will have
none of their reforms" he declared.
| s'Therc is only one thing we will have, and
| that is Independence. There is only one
| thing in which we have confidence, and
| that is thiSl'
| Suiting the action to the word, Senior
| Ouesada, i'll as he was, drew from behind
| his bed a Cuban machete and waved it over
| his head. the gliStcning upon its steel blade
corresponding to the light in his eyes. L
| have rarely seen a more dramatic action in
| private life.
| Gomez Defended.
'But they say General Maxine Gomez
! 10 home y
| the rrice?'' 1 suggested.
| Who SAYS sop asked the Cuban minis
| ter. ''YCu get that from the Spanish
| They circulate such lies through the news
| papers They have no regard for the truth.
| l will give Senior Dupuy de LONE $4,000
! to be devoted to any charity which he may
| name, if he will show an authentic letter
from General Gomez containing an express
| sion in favor of peace for home rule, pro-
| yiding the Spanish minister will agree TO
| contribute like sum to the Cuban wound
ed in case he fails to produce such a letter. y
| Senior Quesada then went on to point out
| how absurd twas for the Spanish to claim
| that General Gomez was willing to sell
out his cause. General Gomez fought in
the ten years war, and after the war was
| over. instead of filling his pockets with
| Spanish gold, as the friends of Spain now
claim he did, he went to the Panama canal
! and worked an underengineCr down in
| the ditch and through the swamps for n
| small sum pcr month with which to sup
port his family. He afterward settled in
| Santo Domingo, where he worked for
| living.
why" said Senior Quesada, General
| Gomez has but one dream, but one ambi-
| ton in lifc-that is to see Cuba free. He
| is now 81 years old. He knows this is the
last war he will ever engage in. 1t is vic
| tory now or never so far as he is concerned.
| no of q ne
| one of those who relied upon Spanish hon
| or and accepted peace under promise that
| reforms should be made. He was triclled
and deceived with the Others. Do you
| suppose he can be caught in such n trap
| second time? I know the Spanish have
| circulated reports that General Gomez
| would not fight for Us unless he was paid.
| They say his army has been lying idle be-
cause he was not paid the money which he
| demanded. In few days we shall have
| letter from General Gomez which viii show
how false all this is. 1 understand the
| Spanish have tried to make your state de-
| partmCnt believe General Gomez can be
| bought with their gold whenever they need
| him. 1 would like to see them try it. The
| Spanish crnissary who approaches General
| Gomez with such mission will not say
dozen words till the old general will call
| two of his men-numbCr 50 and so and
| number such and such-and issue to them
| this command:
| '''Takc this man ont and shoot him.
Gin five minutes there win be the crack
| of half dozen mauserS, and that will be
General GOmez's answer to this charge.
| He will treat in the same manner the man
who approaches him with an offer from
! Spain to grant peace on the home rule
basis Of course if the agent goes with q
flag of truce he will be protected. But ii I,
Cuban, were to walk into General Go
mez's camp and propose that VIC have
peace, the first question he would ask me
| would be:
| - Is il peace with indepen;l ancc?' And if
| I were to reply III the negative 1 should be
shot in ten minutes.
All For the Cause.
''It must try the patience of those who
| know anything about matters in Cuba for
the Spanish to be continually publishing
| such outrageous reports" Senior Quesada
continued. "Thcir statements arc an in
suit to the intelligence of the American
people. If VIC vent to war because VIC
could not endure the conditions of two
years ago, why should We make peace
now, without any pledge of those condi-
| tionS hcing bcIt"rcd and with q certainty
that the debt to DC saddlCd upon the island
| will impoverish il for half century to
come? As to General Gomez, is it not alb
| surd to suppose that he will now lay down
his arms? He is the commander in chief
of the Cuban armies. He secs victory in
the near future. He knows that he will
win undying fame by our triumph. Talk
to about his being a soldier OF fortune!
Why, General Gomez has refused TO take
money from our junta. His wife and
family have refused to accept funds which
we have ProffCrcd them.
To Influence Public Opinion.
There is one thing il connection with
the Spanish camrairn in this country
which is open TO criJicisnl-thc Spanish
minister hero maintains a regular press
! bureau. He has his agents in the field try
ing to worl: up public opinion. 1t is even
said that he has subsidized certain news
papers, especially two three which are
published where their copies reach senators