Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-09
Havana Said to Be Under Tentative
Home Rule.
VOLUNTEERS POWDER BOX ELEMENT
Insurgents in Pinar Del Rio Not to
Be Pacated.
TONE OF NEW APE R S
Copyright. 1897, by C. NJ. Pepper.)

|
HAVANA, Cuba, December 4, 1897.
| They call it planting autonomy. The seed
is ready before the soil is prepared. 1t
| might be said that Havana is under tenta-
tive home rule. The palace-which means
| Captain General Blanco and Secretary Gen.
eral Congosto-in one respect has shown a
| grasp of the situation unusual to Spanish
character This is to get something done.
| So the effort is made to put the new regi-
men into effect. so far as there is anything
| to put into effect. Further instructions
are awaited from Madrid with eagerness,
even with impatience. I'VE want says
| the palace, "our provisional government Of
autonomy just possible. When
! it Is once established the opposition will see
| the uselessness of opposing " hat is bound
| to be. Their hostility to what is projected
| may be embarrassing to the authorities.
| 1t can only hurt themselves, if continued,
| when the projects are established
| Surface Indications smooth.
| 1 have summarized several talks with Off
| cials in this bit of political philosophy
| What they are doing counts more for
| Spain in their final crisis of her rule in
Cuba than their opinions on what might or
| should be done. The process of reorganiz-
ing existing political parties into one COM
| pact organization supporting autonomy goes
| on with surface indications of smoothness
| ManifeStoes, resolutions of juntas or
| branches of parent parties, recommends
| tions to the central juntas, all declare that
| they will Loyalty uphold the policy OF the
, government. The central junta of the au-
| tonomiStos and the similar body of the re-
| formistos congratulate each other. The
| autonomistos eXhort one another to carry
out the principles for which they have con-
| sistently fought. With them it is simply
| question of finding followers.
Having secured the Endorsement of the
autonomistos and reformistos the govern
| ment 1t now hopeful of gaining the support
| OF the more numerous and more potential
| conservatives. The Maynes Apezteguia af-
1 ter comforting with Captain General Blanco,
plans a bold stroke. 1t is to make the con-
servatives more autonomist than the au-
| toncmistos themselves. AS president of the
party he has the machinery of organizatio ton.
That counts here as everywhere The
| marques is confident in his ability to exc
cute the maneuver and make the oppo-
nents Of the program what would be called
| in the United States boilers. To convert
the Spanish element in Cuba bourbons by
tradition and instinct, into progressive
| and enlightened party, would be miracle.
To gain for the government the formal sup
port Of the party, even though the mass re-
| mains stationary. will be of value. The
success of the plan must be conjectural
| during the next fortnight, pending the
| meeting of the conservatives.
Tone of the Newspapers.
The molds in which public sentiment are
cast still show little soften!ng. The lines
are rigid. The government has to depend
for its support on two newspapers. These
are lei Pals the official organ of the
autonomists. an able paper of narrow cir
culation, and the "Diario de la Marina"
The latter, as the representative of the
reformistos was in position to accept
autonomy, which it did unreservedly. 1t
had some subscribers who were conserva-
tives, and in their resentment they at once
began giving orders to stop their paper"
That is more serious business in Havana
than in some other cities, for the angry
subscriber does not repent the next day.
He stops it for good. La Union Constitu-
c.onal," regular organ Of the conserva-
tives, keeps up a steady fight for what it
calls Spanish principles. The Commercial
Advertiser" representing the commercial
interests, and not ordinarily political
Journal, fights from ambush, voicing dark
forebodlngs of what will come if autonomy
is carried into effect, and giving utterance
to melancholy misgivings. lei Comercio,"
organ of the volunteers, just stops short of
getting itself suppressed The censor is
kept busy with it. La Lucha," formerly
Weyler'S organ, but admittedly the most
influential daily newspaper in Cuba, re-
fused to see good in autonomy, and every
Miguel, its free-lance editor, apparently
can find no halfway house between un-
curbed Spanish domination and annexation
to the United States. La Lucha" COM
pares the reformistos who are supporting
autonomy to rats who smell Che cheese in
the cupboard. 1t is a hit at their eager
ness to take Office under the new regime,
and at the reported ambition Of Marques de
Rabell, the head of the party. to be men,
ber of the Cuban cabinet. The palace can
suppress adverse expressions OF newspaper
opinion as relentlessly as Weyler did. An
edition of Don Quixote" the Spanish IL
Illustrated paper, was confiscated because of
unfriendly pictures The excitement over
the heavy hand that was laid on the print
ers who were charged with reprinting the
Weyler circular has not yet fully abated,
though that is an ancient event, having
happened ten days ago. But while hostile
press sentiment may be kept in bounds by
methods such as these, favorable sentiment
cannot be created. Captain General Blanco
has made progress in unifying the forces
which were predisposed to autonomy. He
has placed the machinery for its practical
application in readiness. What is still lack
ing is the hearty support of the Spanish
class as u whole. Progress in creating the
favorable public opinion to which this class
will bow is slow.
The Powder BOX Element.
The volunteers remain the powder box
element. The suggestions not to drop the
lighted match in the magazine are heard
with unpleasant repetition. They carry the
feeling that when the lighted match is
dropped something will explode. The vol
unteers number 10000. The captain gen.
eral has not that many effective regular
troops in the neighborhocd of Havana.
Having heard the mutterings, have found
myself, while watching the early drill Of
the volunteers. asking the question that
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