Evening star., 1898-09-10
POLITICS IN CUBA
Chances of Annexation if It Were
Left to a Vote.
ATTITUDE OF INSURGENF LEADERS
Opinions as to the Final Solution
of the Problem.
THE VARIOUS PARTIES s

(Note.-Mr. George Reno, the only American
respondent who has remained continuously IN Culla
since the beginning of the for independence.
who is the friend of President Masso. and who
consulted by President Mckinley in regard to
the attitude of til, Cuhans toward the United
States. contributes the following interesting
count of the political situation in the island at
the present timeD
YACHT ALFREDO, Miami. Fla Sep
tember If the assurances which have
emanated from Washington within the
past few weeks are made good the people
of Cuba will soon have an opportunity to
cast free, unintimidated vote for the first
time in the history of the island. Elec-
tions held in that unfortunate country in
| the past have been mere shams. empty
ceremonials that failed TO express the de-
sire of the people. That which it is now
expected will be held some time this fall
Will be one Of the most important events
that has taken place on the island. Sep
| aratists, aunexationists autonomists and
Spaniards all look forward to it with the
greatest interest and concern.
The people who compose these parties
are residents in Cuba. and have interests
| in common, but they will look at the future
government of the island from entirely diff
ierent points of view. The separatists are
the insurgents who during the past three
years have been fighting for liberty and
independence. They are composed of two
entirely distinct elements; first, the old
creole population of the island. the aris-
tocracy. the best blood, the best brains,
the best citizens, the best representatives
| of the Latin race on this hemisphere. With
these people the desire for freedom. abso-
Lutte, for an independent republic. has be-
come d passion. 1t has been their dream
| and their ambition for years past. For it
| they have given up life, property, every
| thing Numerically, they are probably In
| the minority; socially, politically and in
| tellectuaily they deserve greater considerl-
| tion than any other element on tho island.
They include the Agramontes the CiSna-
ros, the BetanCourts. the Menocals. The
Castillos. the Agueros, the Molinas. The De
Icons the NerOnas. the Masses the Gar
| ciaS, the Artegas the Sanchez and Ouee1-
das. These families own more than half
of the property on the island They have
descended from the nobility of Spain: many
of them have been knighted for acts of
bravery or patriotism.
The PrOgressiye Party.
They are the liberal, the intellectual.
the progressive people of Cuba Many of
the sons of these families have been grad
uated from our universities. They are
familiar with our literature, our history
and our institutions, political and econom-
c; they were the inspiration, the lead
ers and the backbone of the late revolu-
ton. They adore the United States her
institutions and her people, but they will
not vote for annexation at present. With
tham personal pride and sentiment have
played a very important part in their
struggle for liberty, and although in a few
| years time they will undoubtedly be the
most earnest supporters of anna aXation, if
| 1t were forced upon them now, though well
aware of the benefits accruing therefrom
| 1t would nevertheless be UNIV leone. The
| real secret for this is that they desire at
| least a brief period of self-government
To enjoy this privilege would be the
greatest boon that could be granted them,
and they are assuredly capable of self-gov-
ernment.
The remainder of the separatists COM
| posed the rank and file of the insurgent
army. Many of them are negroes or mu-
| lattoes, nearly all of than farmers,
country people, pacificos, ignorant and un-
ambitious, but non-combative, save under
actual compulsion. Numerically they are
undoubtedly in the majority. They have
| never held Office nor would they be likely
to do under an Independent governme mt.
They care only to attend to their own af-
fairs. They may in time, with education,
make fairly good citizens They will prob
ably vote against annexation.
This class will never furnish rulers, nei-
ther is it likely to resist any just form
of government. In evidence of the nom
combative nature of this element / may
state that during an intimate association
of three years in the insurgent army while
these men We're under arms l never saw a
blow struck, knife drawn or shot fired
among themselves, nor have l ever heard
of such an occurrence.
The AnnexatiOnists.
The anneXationists include a large num-
ber of respectable and intelligent Cubans,
many of whom have spent the greater part
of their lives in the United States, and who
keenly aware of financial and other advan-
tages that would accrue from annexation
are in favor of it and will vote for it at the
first opportunity. They compose a worthy
element in society, and are practically
American in everything but birth. Nu-
merically they are not large, and TO what
extent they may exert influence toward
winning over the separatists to the policy
of annexation it is impossible TO say
They are an unknown quantity.
What attitude will be assumed by the old
party Of the 'autonomSta" is almost
equally uncertain. The 'autonomista'' were
chiefly property holders of the old regime
They compose an eminently respecta Bile but
not over progressive element and they
We're never devoted to the Unborn principles
of liberty and independence. They We're al
ways eager to compromise to accept the
best the present afforded and to let the
future take care of itself. At heart they
favored the cause of the insurgents but
they did not espouse it openly. In plain
words, during the revolution most of them
sat on the fence. In point of numbers and
power. Between annexation and independ-
ence they will probably choose the former
as the easier way out.
The conservative party, or the Spaniards