The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-04-25

return 10 SPAN. NeyleT, or WnOm IL was
con MOI talk that he WIS more anxious
to get rich than to conquer, was a good
example. Gen Campos and Gen. Blanco
have been humane and far superior to
the average governors of Cuba.
Spanish cruelty extinguished the In
dian population within half a century
after its discovery. Negro slavery was
soon introduced and Havana became a
great center of the slave trade. Half q
million slaves were brought to Cuba in
the first half Of this century. In 1914
and in lSiS there we're frightful negro
in-urrections. Slavery was absolutely
abolished only as late as 1SS6. Roughly
speaking, nearly one-third Of the popula
ton today is of negro descent The
whites are almost all Of Spanish descent,
but the Cuban people have become to a
large extent a separate race and the late.
coming Spanish official class are looked
upon by the great body of natives, as
carpet baggers." The total population
is about 100000. The idea OF assimila-
ting Cuba has always been "A favorlte one
III this country, especially in the south,
and IN lSiS an actual cash offer was
made to Spain for 1t. American tilibus-
tiers took an active part in the Cuban re-
bel'lon of 1919 which was put down IN
two years.
The war now going on is the second
really formidable Cuban war for indie
pendence. The "ten years" war really
lasted nearly twelve years. Senior Ces-
pedes was the president of the SO called
republic. Gomez, Maceo, and others Of
the generals famous in the present war
were leaders. One by one the insurgent
bands were dispersed and their leaders
killed or driven to exile. Bribery played
a large part IN ending the war. The
close left Cuba overwhelmed with debt
and in u.etched comm r.. a. and indus
trial conditions. Promises of better
government We're made by Spain but
never fulfilled. Soon the old policy Of
Spain was in full force. She sA,' out
hordes OF Spanish otiiceLolders bound
only to make f~ortu~es and return.
These young Spaniards formed a class
by themselves and are the ones from
which the mucn talked of "Havanna Vol
unteers, a.e now drawn from. Three
fourtha of the otficehoiders in Cuba we're
Spauiards. Cubans became tho victims
OF endless rapaclty. \ military force
vas kept ~ a peculiar CONSUMPTION
which enrolled ii paid force Of $1,000
young opaniards. Cuba paid the bill.
These young Sp DIS thus paid for
militia work We're nlso unfair competitors
for commercial positions. Taxes became
uncomfortable. Spanish manufacturers
were given a monopoly Of i'm pot trade
IN Cuba while Cuban products we're put
at a disadvantage in the Spanish mark
cts.
Under these conditions, in the early
winter of 1895 local outbreaks occurred
and soon May.mo Gomez, NJ. %, and
other leaders landed in Cuba with arms
and supplies and the island WAS again
ablaze. Campos fought honorably but
Intellectually to subdue them. Then
Weyler came and with his trocha tried
to hem the insurgents in one small end
OF the island and this failed ridiculously.
Then he formed the plan Of concentra-
ting the non-combatants linen, women
and children) in cities and laying waste
the country. The utter horribleness and
inhumanity Of this caused Weyler's fall
and the Intervention OF the United
States. But with these latter events OF
Cuban history the reader is familiar