The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-26

including the cost OF the army, $3.50
per cent, leaving for all the other ex.
penditures for civilized life only 22.52
per cent. The interest on the public
debt is S9.79 per person; in France it
is only $3.50. The annual taxes per
head in Cuba are S16.1S, and in Spain
less than half so much.
As to the tariffs II need only be said,
as showing the determinations under
which the Cubans labor that upon the
same quantity Of Spanish goods the
duty is S2665, if foreign, si7.26; knit
ted goods, Spanish. $l0.95, foreign, 1886;
sugar bags, Spanish, S4.69, foreign, $S2.-
So; cassimeres, Spanish, sl5.47, foreign,
$780,
The Cubans complain that not only
are they robbed. but they are deprived
of personal liberty for trivial causes,
denied the right Of fair trial by an inn
partial court and banished from their
homes to penal colonies without even
the pretense of a trial. The Cuban
rural population are subjected to the
most cruel treatment by the armed
police, who beat them numerically and
even kill them under the pretense that
they are resisting arrest. Prisoners
have been put to the torture, and al
though no executions for political Of
fenses have taken place since 1873 it
is because the government has resorted
to the more simple expedient of assas-
sination. General Polavieja has de
Clured with utmost CoOlnesS that in
December of 1880 he had 265 persons
seized in Cuba, Palma, San Luis, Som
go, Guantanamo and Sagua de Tanamo
and transported the same day and at
the same hour to the AfriCn island of
| Fernando PO. In December, 1891, there
was a strike of wharf laborers in the
province of Santa Clara. TO end it the
governor captured the strikers and
banished them en- masse to the island
of IinOs
Nobody trusts the honesty or inde-
pendence of the judges. Despite the
provision of the constitution, without
warrant and for indefinite time, impris-
onments are most common in Cuba.
| The magistrates can tighten or loosen
the elastic meshes of the judicial pro-
ceedings. The presidents and attorneys
| general Of the "audencia" receives their
| instructions at the captain generals
| office. Twice have the governors of
| Cuba aimed at establishing a special
| tribunal to deal with the offenses of
the press, thereby undermining the con-
stitutiOn. Twice has this special tribu-
| nal been established. More than once
| has straightforward and impartial
| judge been found to try a case in which
the interests of influential people are
| involved. on such occasions the
| straightforward judge has been re-
| placed by a special judge. The liberty
of the press is a farce. Many Journal
| lists have been banished from the coun-
| try without even the fOrmality of a
| trial. Some have been tried by court
martial. The newspapers are allowed
| to discuss public affairs theoretically,
| but the moment they denounce any
! abuse or the conduct OF any official
they feel the hand of their rulers laid
uron them. In 1887 "El Pads" the Of
| fetal organ of the home rule party,
was criminally prosecuted because ii
had stated that a son of the president
| of Havana "audencid" was holding a
| certain office contrary to law. Before
the people can hold public meetings
| previous notification must be given to
the authorities and u functionary is
appointed to be present, with power TO
suspend the meeting whenever he
deems such measure advisable. I'm
der this system meetings of working
mems unions and planters associations
| have been forbidden.
These are the charges which the
Cubans make against the mother coun-
try. There are those, even in this
country, who say they have no founda-
ton in truth or justice. TO this no
other denial would seem necessary than
| to point out the fact that Spain, in
her desperation at the threatened loss
of the island, has promised to grant
to Cuba everything that her people de.
mand in the way of reform, provided
only that she be permitted 10 retain
sovereignty over the island. If there
were no evils to be corrected, and the
Cubans have no grievances, then how
can concessions be made, or how can
Spain remove those things which do not
exist?