The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1898-05-17
CUBA, PAST AND PRESENT.

ing of the present century Spain owned
vast possessions on the western conti-
nent. both in North and South America,
and that she has left to her now nothing
but the island of Cuba, and that in a
most miserable and pitiable condition,
it behooves us to inquire what has
brought about her losses and what has
devastated Cuba? We will get the
answer that always comes when one
country holds another in subjection.
Where the strong dominates the weak,
until life becomes burden rather than
a blessing, revolt is inevitable. Spain
of all powers, claiming to be civilized,
must have been most inca pable of gov
erning her possessions. Not only has
she been hard, tyrrancal and cruel. but
most perverse and shortsighted, and
through all her losses, has not learned
one lesson in jLstice, federation, or policy.
Her officers sent to govern Cuba were
armed with the prestige of the court OF
Spain, aristocratic in bearing, scOrnful
in disposition, the people were to them
as dirt under their feet to whom they
could not even accord rights, much less
extend protection.
Little can be said of the condition of
Cuba at that time. There was not
printing press in possession of the people.
Their poets passed their verses, very
creditable productions, about in manu-
script. The better class feeling the
need of education sent their sons to
schools and colleges in the United
States. When this fact became known
at the capital law was passed making
it a criminal offense to educate child
off the island of Cuba and yet no ade-
quate provision was made for education
in the province.
Men who had become identified with
the interests of their adopted country
vainly endeavored to secure the atten-
ton of the mother country upon any
subject whatever Courtiers had been
sent out who were the only eyes and
ears of the court of Spain. However,
the princes of the world are not created
by the courts, but are natures noble
men, and to them must we look for
progress in all lines. Some of these
were sons of the soil of Cuba, who fully
realized the necessity of social expan-
sion. Yet, hampered as they were on
all sides, they knew full well that the
only constant and permanent advance
in that direction must be, at that time,
entirely in the improvement of the
people Education was fostered in
every possible way, mainly by private
schools and libraries as an evidence of
this we find in the city of Havana alone
over fifty book stores.
In the study of political economy we
find no people of the Spanish race more
laborious than the Cubans. In spite of
the drawbacks attached to immense
accumulations of property in land, to
the debasing effects on labor due to
slavery, and notwithstanding that the
laws and system of taxation have not
been encouraging to production, but on
the contrary, the special object of which
has been to fill the royal Golfers, no
matter to what extent the island might
be drained. In spite of all this, the
people of the country have worked in
defatigably, revealing spirit of industry
not excelled in Spain or any of its former
colonies. The planters with prodigiods
effort introduced inventions from
Europe for the manufacture of sugar.
BY this means the sugar industry be-
came famous, and when in later years
the slaves were liberated the centraliza-
ton of machinery plants saved the
sugar industry to Cuba.
The religion of Cuba seconded the
court of Spain in persecution, until 1871
nothing but Roman Catholicism was
tolerated. The Spanish clergy took
active part in politico-social battles and
were lamentably forgetful of their high
calling. Spanish priests however, igno-
rant, were promoted to high positions
uhiIe MANY who had chosen the prieSt-