Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1898-10-28

land, and Just here the trouble comes in.
The land-the available land. at least
is held by landlords and cannot be got
by the working people The peasant
proprietary form a comparatively small
class of the population. Many Landlords
will neither sell nor rent their lands.
Those who agree 10 do so impose the
condition that bananas are not to be
cultivated, as their cultivation might
glut the market where the landlords
now enjoy monopoly. and as nothing
else that h a quick growth finds a
market in these days, the people decline
TO take up land on such terms.
1t is inevitable that such a condition
of affairs should create widespread dis
satisfaction. The landlords are held
Immediately responsible; the govern
ment remotely so. On the whole there
fore the island is ripe for the old popular
disturbances. but the ability to bring
these about is lacking ald so is the op
portunity. At this crisis, in accordance
with the popular notion that the so
called Maroons are sensitive on the sub
ject of their alleged rights and priVi-
leges, certain ardent and irresponsible
spirits have taken advantage of this
disposition to stir up the descendants
of the Maroons to make preposterous
claims ard commit trespasses in the
hope of attaining personal gain. Most
of the dissatisfied negroes are only too
glad to encourage these tactics in the
belief that possibly material benefit may
result to themselves, or that at least an
opportunity may arise to pillage the
properties of the hated landlords and
others. This is what nearly happened
at Annette bay ID fortnight ago, when
the would-be Mdroons raided Fyfes pen
and actually resisted the police for a
time successfully. Prolonged success
would inevitably have precipitated an
uprising but the appearanc" of a strong
reinforcement. back by white troops,
settled the matter. The irritating ques-
tion. however, remains unaltered; and
there Is little doubt that the price of the
maintenance Of peace and order in the
island for sometime to come-until the
disturbed industrial conditions have
queted down-wilI he constant vigilance
and prompt action on the part of the
government.
Havana oct. 25.-Captain Hart has
delivered a note to the Spanish commits
sion reiterating the protest Of the United
States commissioners against all sales
and removals of so-called immOvable
property, the United States claiming the
right to such property.
Captain GriscOm, who recently re-
turned here from Pinar Del Rio, has sur
veyed and recommended for selection
site for a camp capable Of accommodate
ing 200O mep. 1t is easy of approach and
has good water supply, Captain Girls
com says he did not witness the scenes
of misery and want in Pinar that he has
seen here.
From Gibara To Holguin come reports
of fearful epidemic of smallpox. In
many cases the dead lie unburied over
80 hours, there being no one TO dig the
graves. Many victims are buried in the
yards of their houses. The whole dis
trict is paniCstricken.
Havana, oct 25.-A Cuban general
Joseph Martel, has issued a proclama-
ton addressed to the people of cuba de-
manding Cuba for the Cubans." The
proclamation ends by urging all Cubans
to resist the landing of the American
troops by force 1t is a highly intiam-
matory document, but finds few to justify
| it.