Evening star., 1898-12-21
nd laid the foundation of his greatness by

corner1ng dried apples. A Speculator IN
HaVana-of the Latin race-has lately con-
Quoted a colossal deal in beans He bought
up the spoiled beans, which the Spanish
army CuartermasterS had, and with this
leverage depressed the bean market to his
own figures. The trade was demoraliZed,
but the speculation was a success. In the
conditions growing out of the change from
Spanish sovereignty to American military
control the Latin Spectators have "rigged''
the stock market several times, sending
values up or down to suit their purposes.
And they have caught some innocent Amer
leans, who are not saying word about it.
These Latin merchants and spectators
have another trait. In any joint trade or
deal they want their share of the profits.
Usually they get it. Nobody has yet been
able to leave them to hold the bag Ha-
vana the other day was filed with the
lamentations of certain set of Americans
Their identity is not important Like a
good many of their countrymen they had a
scheme for making money out of some
body else. The first step was to get control
of valuable piece of property. A Latin
a Cuban-was in the deal. He was to be
used and thrown down, later. The scheme
progressed to the point where the lease
was made out That had to be done through
the Cuban. He did we'll and to avoid mis-
takes, had the lease put in his own name.
His partners We're indignant and helpless
They inveigh against the United States for
freeing a race which is capable of such
duplicity. Their Latin partner smiles and
hlesses the Americans for coming. If they
bonus for the lease, he knows other parties
who will take it off his hands.
In another and more legitimate transac-
tiOn which involved the transfer of valu-
able land and buildings, some New York
capitalists thought they had picked up a
gold mine. Then it became uncertain
whether they had bought stack of mort
cages or an international lawsuit. Ulti-
mately the dispute was settled satiSfactori-
ly, but not to the loss Of the original Span
ish owners or of the Spanish middemen
who had acted as agents.
In the projects which look to future de-
veiopment the Latirs are also holding their
own. 1t is true that every rotten job in the
way of granting new franchises or revivine.
old ones, which is the most active indus
try of Spanish government in Cuba during,
its last days, has back of it an American
promoter, syndicate or company They ex-
pect to give themselves a clean bill of
health and then ask the United States to
enforce their rights in Cuba. 1t will be
time enough to consider the nature of these
rights and the means by which they
We're obtained when they are formulated at
Washington. 1t is of present interest to
observe that the Spanish and Cubans who
are necessary to these schemes have no.
been placing cheap valuation on their
services or on whatever concessions and
franchises they may have secured This
lends force to a general observation on the
Latins as business men. In the mental
sense they are what in the United States
are not what in the anthropological sense
would be called thick skulled''
The Professional Classes.
The professional classes in Cuba NAV ho
designated as distinctiveiy Latin. Their
habltS of thOu~ht are of that cast The
lawyers are MOI allowed to monopolize the
discussion of public affairs for the doctors
ana dentists, journalists and college pro-
fessors take part. The lawyers are az con-
serVativc against changes in their own
code as are lawyers in the United States
though most of them are ardent and radical
political reformers. When the impression
got out that one of the numerous American
commissions was working on an alteration
OF the code they asserted themselves An
effort was made to sommit the college of
Abogddos,' or lawyers club to this plan.
Dr. Gener, the president, favored il. Though
the custom is to re-elect the president at
the end of his first term, when the election
came DIR. Gener was overwhelmingly de-
feated by Mendez Capote, former vice pres
ident of the Cuban provincial government.
Some politics entered into the contest be-
cause the issue was raised that the re-
election of Dr. Gener would be an acqui-
escence in indefinite American occupation
But back of this was the innate opposition
of these lawyers of the Latin race to a
change in their code. Some of them had
been exiles and others had been political
prisoners in the penal settlements of Africa
because of their opposition to Spanish rule
legal code was given they all became con-
SerVativeS.
All these Havana lawyers and doctors
are fond of historical and philosophical
discussion. That is going to he the trouble
when it comes to the practical affairs of
government. They theorize so much about
the principles of liberty that they are likely
to forget the application Of those princi-
pies. They also thaorize about the future
oc the Latin race in the West Indies. 1
met one of these philosophers the other
evening. He has a lot of diplomas from
European universities. After the Latin
phraseology, we celebrated an interview.
That is, we talked, or rather he talked. A
western cattleman who has been making
money during the last three months and
who knows something besides cattle, hap
pened to be with me. He has taken a
liking to the people, and he expects to es-
tablish a business in Cuba which will give
him a permanent interest in its political
future. On this subject he listened, betray-
ing occasional symptom of a desire to
interrupt the stream of talk, but restrain
ing himself
Like all the others, the lawyer had his
theory of the Latin race in the tempera te
zones and in the tropics.
1t was not a bad theory. He thought the
Latin civilization was better adapted for
the tropics than was that of the folks who
start the missionary out into heather lands
where they see trade and flank him with
a jug of rum and Gatling gun. When 1t
clear. The Latin race must prevail, but
it's supremacy must be through the guild
ance of the United States 1t Is an eXcita-
BILE race. The blood mounts to its head
quickly. Then come the periods of calm.
when it sees the folly of getting excited
50 easily. The United States must mod
crate these transports of anger or of folly;
cool its blood and not let 1T dash it's head
into a cactus fence too often. Then, with
the American nation sitting on the safety
valve, the Latin race may work out the
future government of Cuba.
The phraseoiogy in which these opinions
were clothed was more ornate than l have
given, but the idea is the same The west
ern cattleman grasped it. When pause in
the talk finally came and he was appealed
TO for his opinion he gave 1t, with incisive
deliberation. You Latins,'' he said, want
the United States to keep putting ice on
your head every time you flush up. We
can't do it. That would bother us and
wouldn't do any real good. The way for
you Latins to keep your blood cool is to
put your feet in cold water
SO much homely political philosophy is
contained in this advice that 1 have been
thinking of 1t ever since. A physician to
the Latin race could not give better pre-
scription. CHARLES NJ. PEPPER.
~