Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-09
PLANTING AUTONOMY
Continued from First Page.)

others are asking-what is Blanco going to
do with them? They are q militant no,,..
ical force, rather than focal militia. They
have arms. Is the captMn general going
10 leave these arms where they may not
De aimed as the government directs? The
volunteers are not what they were in the
ten years war, when they caused the
DC ody sacrifice of the medical students
ana coWed the powers at Madrid. Yet they
are still an organization, if not to be dread
cd oy the government, at least to be con-
trolled. They have one restraining in
fuence. Artisans and clerks, for the most
part. the volunteers reflect the sentiments
or their employers. These employers are
the merchants and manufacturers of Ha-
Vana. They are the property owners. They
nave the most to lose if the city Is ever
given over to rfotirg and anarchy. So their
lnnuence may be relied on to uphold pub
Tic order and obedience to the constituted
authorities. Yet this Spanish employing
class is doing nothing to bring the voiun-
teers in line with the government policy.
In mild way it deprecates the feeling
against Americans which at times breaks
out among the ignorant hot heads, because
that is fraught with known consequences
But in encouraging these young fellows to
stand by the government there is little
trace. So the problem of what to do with
the volunteers is one of the gravest that
captain General Blanco has to solve in the
midst of other perplexities
Submerged in Misery.
While these matters are occupying at
tention the submerged portion of the popu-
lation-submerged in misery-cannot be
forgotten. They are. not obtrusive but
they cannot take themselves entirely out
of sight Their condition is the more evil
dent now because of the contrasts. Ha-
Vana Is trying to be the Havana that once
was, of the opera and the theater and bril-
liant social functions. The theaters have
opened and they are crowded nightly. But
l do not think either the officials or the
army officers, the common run of peo-
pie who know where their lodging and
next meal is coming from find it possible
to forget in the midst of gay surroundings
the suffering that is endured around them.
1t is reiterated to me that the conditions
are not as bad as formerly. The sweep
lngs of misery not seen in public
places to so great an extent Death has
helped to sweep clean some of the thor
oughfares, yet the streets are filled with
children whose starvation pinched feat
ures make an appeal to the almoner need
Nightly whole families crouch in door
ways or huddle together on the sidewalks.
They literally have no place to which they
can go.
The municipality is doing something to
relieve the distress Of the city poor. l
watched the distribution Of rations one
evening at the "abras muncipales," or city
hall. Fifteen hundred said to be on
the list the names from which are read
Off. Each person whose name was called
received quantity of thick cruel, vary
ing from tin cup full to a quart and
from one to three biscuits. This appor-
tionment was according to the size of the
family. The biscuits seemed fresh and
good. Many women and children were
among those who We're supplied, yet L
never saw a distribution of food to the
poor where so many men came forward
and received a share. 1t could be seen,
however. that the class which was aided
belonged to Havana. The starving coun-
try people were not among them. While
1,5o0 persons thus get food enough to keep
them from starvation 10.0OO who are in
want receive nothing. Secretary General
Congosto stoutly declares that the gov
eminent is taking effectual measures of
relief I'VE know there is yet much
we are doing may not show for while,
but the government is distributing both
food and money and the conditions of those
poor creatures will soon show itself bet
ter"
My own painful impression has been
deepened by every days observation until
it has become question whether even the
remnant Of these poor people can escape
the death sentence which Weyler placed
upon them.
The Cry of the Insurgents.
The answer to the proposals of autonomy
which the insurgents gave in Pinar del
Rio the other Gay is causing quiet COM
ment on the hopeiesSnesS of persuadinG
them into accepting the new regime. 1t is
as we'll for all parties that the failure of
either conciliating or forcing them by
perior arms should be known thus early.
The engagement came as near being bat
tie as any of the fighting that has taken
place for a long time. By their own show
ing the Spanish troops under Generals Ber-
nal and Velasco numbered 1900. Actually
5000 of them are said to have been involv-
ed. This is double the number of rebels
which the authorities have been willing to
admit were in the entire province. The Of
fetal accounts carefully edited virtually ad-
init failure, tnOugh tney reclte heaVy
mortality among the bahios or palm huts.
If the troops could not catch the insur-
gents, they at least, according to the Of
fetal version, were able to find many of
these huts among the hills and destroyed
them. The insurgents went into the fight
crying Down with autonomy Their claim
of actual victory is not without founda-
ton. The Spanish losses are known to
have been heavy, while the losses of the
insurgents were light. Senior Canalejas,
the Madrid editor and former cabinet min
ister who was with the troops, has had
little to say of the engagement since his
return to Havana. However, he will go
back to Madrid with a definite understand
ing of the extent to which Pinar del Rio
is pacified and of the difficulties which are
yet in the way of implanting autonomy.
The Insurgents' Tax on Sugar.
The grinding of sugar cane, which has
begun on some of the plantations, has
given rowing notiop that peace is on the
eve of prevailing. The crop is about equal
hot Of los ria