Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-12-22

pntIent should issue. The secretary. IN
his decision today. says that the pat.
ent for the grant shall issue to the
town of Las Vegas" and all other de-
cisions of the department regarding
this grant are revoked and set aside.
President Mckinley has signed nn
executive order establishing customs
tariff for the island of Cuba. to ga into
effect January LIST next. This tariff Is
based upon the report and recommcndn-
tions made by Robert =. Porter, special
commissioner of the United States,
who was sent to Cuba some months ago
for the special purpose of making an
Investigation of the subjects OF reve-
nue. and customs of the Island. Com
menting upon the schedules, Mr.. Por-
ter says that he has been guided by the
desire. aside from providing sufficient
revenue for the island, to abolish the
exorbitant rates maintained by Spain
and the encouragement of local indus
tries. The new tnrlfr is about two
thirds that In force under Spanish rule.
What may be termed the federal or
insular government of Cuba VIII he
conducted under the immediate super
vision of experienced officials sent from
the United States. They will manage
the cuStOlllS HOUSES. illt liiteTh'ti itNN-
nue. service, the treasury, the post
office. and will be placed in other po.
sitions of trust and responsibility until
the residents of the island have demon
stratcd their honesty and ability. Large
numbers of men are leaving here daily
for Cuba and Porto Rico to undertake
this work. and they are all men of
experience. After Il few weeks trial
In Porto Rico the President has decided
that green hands cannot be trusted 10
organize Il government down there, and
that 1t is Il great deal better to select
tried and competent employees from the
various branches of the government In
this country and fill their places here
with new men.
General Shafter appeared rather un'
eXpectedly before the War Investigat-
ing committee last Tuesday and told
his story of the Santiago expedition.
He was supported by his aide. Colonel
Ailley. who was with him In Cuba, and
fianked by large pOrtmanteau of pa
pers. to which his aide occasionally np-
piled for reference. General Shnfter's
story of the operations around Santi.
ago was tersely told, but Mt times quite
vivid In It's recital and interesting In
detail. Briefly summed up. his esti-
mate of the Santiago expedition was
that 1t had been military success. and
cheap at the cost of 900 men lost In
the fight. He considered the eXpedi-
tiOn to have been as well fitted out as
the time allowed would permit. and
said that on looking back he had no
criticism of his plans TO make and
would not change them If the events
had to be gone through again. He
said he had no complaints of any sort
to make and would be 10th to intrude
them at this time If he had.
Governor Otero has arrived here to
aid ex-Delegate PeSea and eX-Delegate
Catron to push the New Mexico ad-
mission bills. These have been intro
duced in both houses. In the Senate
the bill is fathered by Senator Elkins
and in the House by Congressman
Broderick. In Post interview the
governor loudly proclnims the allie.
glance of New Mexico Republicans to
the gold standard. He says: Free sill
yer sentiment in New Mexico is nearly
IL not quite as defunct as a last years
birds nest. The Republicans won this
year by taking the square and manly
course of indOrsing the st. Louis plat
form. In 1896 we hedged and trimmed
OH silver against my Judgment ana
lost This time we made n straight
fight and triumphed. The territory
never was more prosperous than 1t is
to-day. Our cattle and sheep interests
are enormous. and are object lessons
of the beneficent results of n protec
tive tariff. The people are satisfied with
the administration, and think we are
in the Republican column to stay"
Senator Teller occupied the first half
. n ~
a speech In advocacy of the theory
that there are no restrictions upon the
right of the United States to expand
its forders SO as to include far dis
tant territory. He went quite thor
oughly into the legal points bearing
upon the question. and incidentally
discussed at some length the form of
government for the Philippines, say
ing that he would encourage self-gov
ernment among the islanders and
would give them the most liberal gov
ernment which they were capable of
conducting, but that he would not take
down the American flag where once
planted. ''If this government will say
to the people of this acquired terri
tory" said Mr.. Teller, 1--WE will give
self government we will not need an
army of 10000 men in Cuba, 10000
in Porto Rico and 10000 In the Philip
pines. To say this to these people is
the only way to escape Il great stand
ing army. | am not one" he said, fur
ther along. +" to turn these possessions
back to Spain. but l do believe that
we ought to give them the opportuni-
ty to govern themselves. 1 may say
that nobody wants these possessions
made into states. now. No public man
is in favor of such a plan, so far as
am aware. yet. in course of time, we
may take them in." So far and as
soon as possible, Mr.. Teller believed,
the inhabitants of Cuba should be CIV
en- self-goyernmcnt. but he did not be-
lieve that the United States should
leave the infant power thus establish
ed rs n prey of any other nation. either
through conquest or treaty. He be-
lieved it folly to talk of imperialism"