The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-10-27
Thus Spain Denominates Its
New Cuban Policy.
COLONIAL MINISTER'S PLAN
Every Means 10 Conciliate, But Sepa-
ration VIII Not Be Considered.
Power OF the Crown to BE fara-
Dlount- BIancu'r Confidence In the
Success of the Scheme.

- l.
has the welfare OF the Cuban people, conc
bfued With a maintenance OF Spanish Sos
ersigntg. more at heart than Senor Moret,
the new colonial minister. As a member
OF tie opposition he strongly urged a
measure of ample autonomy for the An
tillcs, and : minister he has actively Set
10 work "a put his views into operation.
GER. Blanco has left for Cuba, fally
empore"cd Il supply the scheme OF re-
forms, which is expected to bring about A
complete reconciliation of all the warning
factions there.
OF what the terms of the scheme consist
Senor Moret has made no mystery In out
lining his project he says;
The autonomy which the cabinet OF
Senior sagaSta purposes TO beslow upon
Cuba and Porto Rico, in fulfilment of tn:
engagement contracted IN the manifesto
OF June "a, is a special autonomy founded
Oh the aspirations adopted ia the platform
OF the Antillian autunoInists and mt idcnti-
cal with the other colonial constitutioEs.
in essential principles the future consa
Uutions OF Cuba nj Porto RicU agree with
the co!oni5l consriiutions that start from
self government as the capital IDEA self
LEGISLATION responsible to the home eoT-
eminent and the supremacy of governor,
who either under that name or that of
viccray, shall represent the mother coun-
try.
starting from tins ia sis" continued
S,nor Moret, the project of the Spanish
government provides for a PARTITION ,f
those affair that belong TO the colonial
andinp periaI pailia ments, respectively. The
partition is founded upon careful discrim
nation between what interests the iSlaIi,ts
themselves in a local sense and what is Of
national Importance.
The iroiect in operation viii interpret
IN the most generous manner the phrase
Local Interests since IL viii not only
grant 10 the colonists complete control
OF all that relates to education, Charity,
public works, mterinsular naviga ton,
agriculture, Industry and mines, hut Will
intrust TO Representatives OF the local gov
eminent the right OF drawing up their Gus
toms tariff without any limitations beyond
those mutually arranged.
Members OF TIE parliament Will be
elected by tae sane suffrage system as
that which regulates the elections in the
teninsu,a. The senate electoral body VIII
choose deputies 10 the Spanish CorteS, w10
are TO represent Cuba in the imperial gov
eminent. Once the local parliament has
hesn Uunst ructed the governor general as
the Representa- tive OF the central power,
viii choose the ministers W hO are TO he the
executive body, thus completing the organ
izattDn of tie parliamentary government
aud eHdowing &c with that degree of re-
spunfibility Characteristic OF every cAonj
administered on principles OF self govern
meaG.
'-Cf the ministerial functions reserved 10
Madrid are--fir-t. those that inately con
Germ international relations, second, nth
tary and naval questions; third, organlza.
ton of thc law courts an conformity with
the laws regulating the Offices OF ,nagis.
rates. and fourth. the regulation OF rela-
tions betw cen the church and the state.
At the same tirie, the new constitution
VIII grant g. the Cuh5n people the Use of
and the protection afforded by the civil
and political rights sanctioned by the
Spanish constitutions In such manner that
this constitution shah obtain, IN all its
integrity. i'm the colonies.
''Such are. IN the main, the lines of the
future consultation OF Cuba. They are 30
drawn that nothing VIII be exposed o
tie arbitary behavior OF persons in au-
thority, nor win individual initiation he
hampered. nor tie essential powers of the
government ne weakened.
with this astronomical Constitution the
government expects TO bring to an end the
unsettled Constitutional state that has ex-
listed in tie Antilles since L $50, and hopes
tGat the present parties viii melt away, So
that the political life of that colonial com
nonwealuh may be organized on a basis
of its local interests and own particular
civilization it, leaders being freely chosen
bv the electors. W hose influence will be ex-
prcised upon the spot itself by the local
parliament and il turn by the imperial
parliament"
It's pity that the Silver Heels fiIibls-
terlng expedition should have left New
York at this juHcture. No doubts are Gu
teTtained that ne new ministry here is ami
mated entirely by a oonciliatory spirit
toward Cuba and the United states, other
wise Gen. Blanu's utterances in Corunna
wouiG not have been 80 friendly before go-
ing on board the ship Alfonso XIII. The
new governor general said:
Il an leaving with the sincere belief
that the new policy which am empowered
TO follow Will be successful AT once both
in political and a military sense. The
autonomy and ruling responsibility con
ceded Cuha are as full as the scheme pro
load by the Liberals when i'm opposition
as full as that proclaimed by Senior Sa
gasta in his manifesto, and as complete
as that explained and espoused by Senoi
Muret in his speech at Saragossa."
The frankness OF this avowal shows that
Gen. Blanco'S utterances have been ap
proved by the new cabinet, If not actually
dictated 10y ii. The determination policy
has proven a failure, and has extermi-
mated nothing unless ii is the last rem
nant of affection for Spanish rule i'm the
Antilles Reserved as the cabinet is just
now, itsmemhers admit thiSopenly.
The new policy is aVowedly enc Of recon