Evening star., 1898-01-10
SPANIARD AND CUBAN
Race Antagonisms a Problem to Be
Solved.
PRODUCERS and THE MONEY LENDERS
Bitter Feeling That Exists Between
the Classes.
LESSON OF EXPERIENCE
Copyright, 1898, by Charles NJ. Pepper.)
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

1 liza ANA, JdHudTy 1875.
| 10 soften race antogonisms will be one
| of the future problems of Cuba. Till peace
is restored its discussion may seem prema-
| ture, but the bringing about of a better
| understanding is one way of leading up to
| peace. The two classes, they can hardly
| be called races, since the stock is the same
| must live together in this island and enjoy
| Its fruitfulness. Weyler did not succeed in
| exterminating the Cuban people. He de-
| populated the country of it's peaceful in
| habitants, but the sturdier element which
| supported the revolution, either within the
| lnsurgeEt ranks or from without, survives.
1t is the hope of the future. Whatever hap
| pens, the Spanish classes will not take up
| their chattels and leave in mass. When
| they think on the prospect of living under
| a Cuban government in the bitterness of
| resentment they threaten emigration. In
| the past the peninsulars, as they are
| called, have been told they were birds of
| passage, who must prepare to wing their
| light back across the waters whenever
cuba came under control of it's own But
| this was an exaggerated sentiment. There
| is need for Cuban and Spaniard to dwell
| together IN concord, room for them both
| and work for each to perform. Whether
! the future government be one of absolute
| iiioSptiluc!ICC CT one OF genuine AUTONOMY
in which the tiSment Of Spanish sovereignty
| is preserved, the conditions will be sub
| stantially the same.
| The Spaniard in Cuba makes out q good
| case for himself. lie is voluble in telling
| OF what a large proportion of the wealth
OF the island is Spanish of how many prop
| erty owners are Spanish, of how trade and
commerce are conducted by the Spaniards
and all
aged by them. Some of this is true. some
of it is not. Most of it is based on what
| has heretofore existed, when Cuba, both
politically and industrally, has been the
oyster which was opened only to the penin-
| suiars. Government favortism has been
as marked in commerce as in public affairs
The Spanish classes have had every en-
enlargement to drain the riches of this
pearl of the Antilles into their own Golfers.
They early discovered the secret of wealth
which Is said to lie in the axiom that he
VINO would be rich must set others to work
Tor him. They became the employing
class. In spite of all they say for them
selves they are not the producers.
Cubnns the Producers.
One evening at dinner where the guests
were Cubans of prominence this subject
came ~. sugar planter was answering
some questions l had asked. "The old
tale OF the peninsular,'' he said passionate
ly, that the Cubans do not develop our
productive forces. 1t is untrue who are
the laborers that work the sugar plan
tations? Cubans, ninetenths of them.
VINO are the men you see laboring in the
field? Cubans. The Spaniard works in
the shade He is the middleman the
money lender, the speculator, the small
merchant. Who are the lottery vendors?
Ask and you'll find that four-ffths of
them are Spanish. 1t may be our own
fault that we let others take the fruits
of our labor but at least give the Cuban
people credit for their share as producers"
The continuance of the war has not been
favorable for full inquiry into the rela-
tive share of Cuban and Spaniard in pro-
duction, but such information as I have
been able to gather has justified this plan
ter's statement. Outside it's recruits from
the towns the insurrection is admitted to
have drawn it's strength from the planta-
tions. The few men 1 have seen working
in the fields with hot sun have usually
proved to be ,Cubans and the lottery VEN
ders are for the most part of the Span
ish classes These observations have not
been extensive enough to be conclusive.
have told me. To the Spaniard proper they
are of little consequence. He draws a gen
eral deduction from his own experience.
The Cuban is improvdent, free handed
short sighted unreliable in financial trans
actions The Spaniard from his own stand
point and also from an unbiased point of
view is just the opposite of all these things.
He is thrifty, close fisted, far-sighted and
his financial dealings are trustworthy. 1t
is simple statement OF fact that the
standard Of commercial honor among the
Spanish commercial classes is of the high
est order. This applies to the individual
well to the class. They have Il con-
tempt for the Cubans because the latter
are not money makers. 1t is heightened
by the knowledge that the Cubans do not
always pay their debts.
There is a proverb which reflects the
dominant Spanish idea of the Cubans as a
people-"El Espanol, bodeguero; el hjo,
cabalero; el nieto, pordiosero-the Span
lard, grocer; his son, gentleman; his grand
son, beggar.'
A chapter of race history is contained in
this proverb. The ambition of the Spaniard
who comes to Cuba Is to get rich. His first
thought is to set up as a small merchant,
usually as the proprietor of a bodega or
wine cellar. Then he enlarges his business.
Usually he becomes wealthy beyond his
grandson. not. perhaps. to disspate so rap
idly the riches that have been gathered,
yet without the disposition to continue in
occupations that will insure future income
Beyond this matter of riches Is the broader
cne of race antipathy. 1t is psychological
phenomenon that the Cuban of the second
generation should be SO Indifferent to the
country OF his parents, and, in the third
generation, should be violently anti-Span-
ish. The fact exists. 1t raises the question
how Spain can even hope to make Cuba a
genuine Spanish colony when two genera
tions upset the work of constructive states
men. Politics and policies may change but
the soil and the climate of Cuba do not
change. After the ten years war many
of the Spanish officers and soldiers settled
in Puerto Principe. Today the young men
Of that province are the soul of the in
surrection, and it is a soul in arms, If such
| thing might be. A single generation de-
stroys the traditions of loyalty to Epain
Teachings of Experience.
While the Cubans admit that improvi-
dence has been a characteristic of them
selves the hard knocks of fortune have be-
Continued on Eighth Paee3