The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-12

| quinine, the only remedy of avail Is sold ten
| times higher than i'm the United States. He
says steamers coming into the port give out
| soup once day TO the waiting throng and
| that fresh meat sells at 50 cents TO 81 per
pound.
On Jan Mr. Hyatt dealt with the efforts
| to establish autonomy, saying that the
| scheme had been pushed with great vigor,
| almost or quite TO the point of forcing
| men TO join the party when they could not
/ be hired by minor office. When here
! few days since. General Pando sent for a
| Mr.. Lora and said You have two active
| and influential brothers in the rebel army.
you must go at once to these brothers and
| tell them to come in and join the autono-
| mist party and they will be provided for by
me- Mr. Lora replied: L ran away from
| my brothers chose to join them. ! viii
| obey your commands II you desire to sacri-
| flee my life. My brothers would order me
shot on the spot II l approached them with
| your proposition. General Pando with
/ drew his command. Enrique CapeileS who
was governor of this province some four
years ago. returned to the same position
about month since. He has worked with
great energy to build, up the autonomist
party, but he resigned to-day and toek a
solemn oath that he would never again "a. set
both discouraged and disgusted"
CHANGE OF OFFICIALS.
Mr.. Hyatt's letter of Jan. is devoted
to discussion of the question as to wheth-
er the Cubans will accept autonomy.
He says he has taken great pains to inform
himself on this question and to eliminate
! all bias from its discussion. Taking up the
question, he repeats some of the informa-
ton given in a previous letter as to the
efforts made on the part of Spanish officials
to establish this system and adds: whole
sale. removals of Spanish officers from
4 civil positions are made by sweeping orders
| with instructions to fill their places with
Cuban autonomistS.s About a week since
| there came an order dismissing every en-
| ploye of the custom house in this city to
take erect as soon as proper aut0nOmiStS
| could be found to fill their places.
| In many cases where Cubans are anticiUat-
| ing the acceptance of an office they have
sent to the field to ask permission from in
| surgent officers. 1t will be seen that Cubans
| are moving very slow in accepting auton-
| omy. AS yet only two employees of the
custom service have been named. the col
strong remonstrance was at once sent in.
| so the entire old corps are still in place.
Cahvoa, has been here FOR several several days, but
| as. yet has not taken charge.
Apparently much of this communications
| had been eliminated before it sent to
| Congress. Mr. Hyatt closes it with a
statement that numerous dead bodies at the
| cemetery are carried over from day to day
| because the sexton is unable to bury them
with his present corps of assistants as fast
as they come.
On the 18th Of January Mr. Hyatt inclosed
translation of order issued by General
| Gomez forbidding the grinding of the sugar
| that in that part of Cuba all idea Of making
| sugar crop is entirely abandoned and he
|
not halt with this, but that coffee and other
| agricultural crops fall under the same ban.
Mr.. Hyatt also says that he had hoped
! that after the revocation of the reconcen-
| tration order that no difficulty would be
| found in reinstating American industries,
| but it appears that all of the benefits that
should have accrued to our citizens are
| thwarted by the action of the insurgents,
| who refuse to allow them to return to theis
| sugar, coffee and other estates" He mem
| tions the inhibition on operating the Pompo
mines of manganese ore: and instances sew
eral sugar estates which are held up, and
which, he says, are becoming more worth
! less than before. This letter, like several
others of Mr. Hyatt's, indicates that inn
portant parts are omitted. He closes, as
| usual, with brief but thrilling picture of
the conditions on the island. ut isl he
scribe the Situation inca in eastern Cuba n squa-
| Tor, starvation, sickness and death meet
one in all places Beggars throng our doors
| large numbers, remain over from day to
| day in the cemeteries unburied."
| BREAD, OR 1 PERISH"
In his communication of the 18th Of Jam
uary Mr.. Hyatt continues the presentation
of this sad feature of existence in Cuba at
the present time, saying: 1.-THE military sit
uation is completely overshadowed in inn
portance by the starving, struggling mass
whose cry is: Bread, or / perish! This
consulate is beseged to an extent that
| blocks the entrance and greatly retardS
| business. They have heard that the people
| of the United States are giving funds for
| their relief and have not the patience to
wait. I could name three Americans here
! who contribute monthly over $500 toward
FEEDING the poor, but it is as nothing COM
| pared to the peoples necessities. Men, won-
en- and children, homeless and almost naked,
roam the streets by day, begging of every
one they meet or at every door they pass.
and sleeping at night anywhere they can
ma place TO lie down. rive years Woulu
finish the population at the present death
| rate"
On the S1st of January Mr.. Hyatt details
some of the particulars of the visit OF
| Captain General Blanco to Santiago. He
| mentions a conversation he had with Col.
| March, of General Blanco's staff, and says
that the latter, on leaving him, said to him:
| Il shall be at all times most happy to use
| whatever influence / may have with Gen.
| Blanco in securing favorable consideration
| of any matters that you may desire TO pre-
| sent to him." AS a result of this interview
toms duties of a quantity of quinine, then in
the port and an order releasing all future
consignments of this medicine.
In this communication MIR. Hyatt men
| tions the destruction. of a railroad train by
| dynamite bombs near Santiago at the time
of General Blancos visit, saving tnat IL
| BILE for the destruction because they be-
lieved General Blanco to be on the train.
| Two cars were ShiVered in atoms, IlVe pas
sengers were killed outright and twenty
| two badly wounded.
Mr.. Hyatt writes on the lst OF feDfuaIy
| last as follows THE era of good feeling
! is passing away, while bitter words and
| cruel acts are again coming to the front.
Those engaged in works of mercy are de-
| nounced for keeping alive a tribe that ought
| to be dead; but 1t cannot be said there is-I1o-
| excuse for harsh judgment. The stoppage
| of all agricultural pursuits and the blowing
| up of cars containing innocent people can
| not be justified even under the rules OF war.
| Extremists on both sides seem able to d0mi-
| nate the sentiments of their respective par
ties while deep feeling of personal hatred
| pervades their breasts. General Blanc0 -
| mild and humane policy meets with Dut a
| feeble response from his own followers,
| while the insurgents laugh at the old man
| who throws SodS and grass instead OF
| stones Autonomy is already dead ISSUE
| while buying insurgent leaders thus lar -
not a marked success, the insurgent gener-
ais having already imprisoned several o1fl-
| GERS suspected of venality.
MIR. Hyatt again in this letter quotes IoI.
| Marsh attributing to him the following
| sentiment: Spain fails to comprehend that
! Cuba has as ii were, two mothers, polif-
! teal one which is Spain, a commercial one.
| which is the United States and the political
| mother fails TO see that the commercial
| mother has any right, while the commercial
! mother cannot shake off her responsibility,
| for God has made them next door neigh
] bors'' Mr. Hyatt closes this letter as 1ol-
| lows. IT do not believe that the western
| continent has ever witnessed death by star
| walton equal to that which now exists IN
eastern Cuba"
AMERICAN QUININE PRAISED.
On Feb. is Mr. Hyatt reports the first ar
rival Of relief from the United States,
| which came in the shape of medicines. The
| naonle seemed especially pleased to receive