The evening times., 1898-07-16
PROBLEMS Of THE FUTURE
Settlement Of the Race Ques-
tion When Cuba Is Free.
AND SPANS EXODUS BEGINS
1t VIII Then BE Found That the
Negroes Are In a Vast Majority in
the IsIand-Tasks That America
VIII Re Called ON to Perform.
Good Statesmanship Required.

leaders and politicians, the war in which
that country has been engaged up to the
| very date of the American invasion has
] not been a struggle with white men, but
with negroes. The late Senior Canovas
emphaticaliy declared, both by spoken as
well as written words, that 1.-The white
race has no part in the insurrection.''
This declaration, however, has met with
equally as emphatic denial. One of the
first questions arising out of considera-
ton of the matter refers to the proportion
of negroes in the island. This at the
present time 1t seems impossible to state
with any positive degree of accuracy.
In 1872 the population of the island was
given officially as l,372.1l0 of which the
white Cubans were given as about GOO. 600,
! the negroes as COS. 46l. the Spaniards, Chi
1 nese and other nationalities making up
the balance. The Dictionaire Universelle,
| of La Rousse, which is admitted in Eu-
rope to be the most accurate. as well as
| the vastest, compendium of facts in ex-
istence. places the negro population of
| Cuba at 100000. and this estimate is sus-
| tanned by well-ascertained facts concern
| ing the Importation of slaves by the slave
trade. and the peculiar adaptabllity of the
African race to Cuba. The figures of 1884
give the whole population as 1881. .G96, and
| the proportion OF whites as 65 per cent.
From this must be deducted the Span
iards, or peEinsulares, as they are called,
and all the other nationalities, SO that 1t
is conservative to say that the native Gu
bans are outnumbered by the negroes at
ha frtl ,tttf II
ply much faster than the Cubans.
IT, however, the statements are in any
degree correct relating that from two TO
| four hundred thousand white Cubans have
| been starved to death by the Spaniards.
| then the blacks must outnumber the
| whites at least three to one. The popula-
| tion OF Cuba has undoubtedly decreased
| in the last four years but the above
statement cannot be accepted without
| proof.
Judging from the various statistics that
have been made public upon this topic,
many well-informed persons take it TO be
| fair assumption that between 60 and
| 20 per cent black is a fair estimate.
There are many negroes in Garcia's
army though Garcia himself. as is very
generally known, is white man. 1t is
also fact that out of twelve general Of
fcers of the eastern department of the
Cuban government nine are black.
General Bandera, in command of the in
fantry, under Gomez. is black, and II has
frequently been declared. by what is re-
garded as reliable authority, that in the
northern part of the island the rank and
file of the Cuban army are, or were,
almost wholly black. OF late there has
| been an active movement toward super
seding the black officers by white men.
Gomez is described as being chocolate
color, whatever that may mean. Prob
ably a tint between a white and n null
alto. He fought in the Spanish ranks
when the people of San Domingo, of
which he is a native, rebelled against
Spain. His abilities. both civil and mill
tary, have for thirty years, however, been
with the cause of Cuba lbre. Recent ac-
counts declare that he has expressed HIM
self very forcibly on the race question
He sees, in the United States. that In
spite of the organic law and numerous
statutes there is no social equality for
the negro. and he naturally breads the
Importation of that principle into Cuban
affairs.
Although the Cuban negroes are from
the Congo region. whence the American
negroes come, yet, as the slave trade TO
Cuba fourished up to 1860 when 30 600
slaves were imported during that year,
according to La Rousse), and even later,
there is considerable element among
tHt SuDdH negroes WHICH Is nearer Att
can barbarism by several generations
than any American negroes.
The physical configuration of Cuba is
such that there are great swamps there
in which no white mar can live, but in
which the negro not only lives but -four
ishes. Moreover. nature supplies him
with food, on which a white man would
starve. Bananas. vans and cocoanuts
abound. and one especial wild fruit from
the honiafn SafiSfvipC IN tho
negro that 1t has been said the Spaniards
could never conquer Cuba as long as the
boniato tree grew. The ruined planta-
tions continue to produce, so great is the
fertility of the soil. The cane grows from
the burned stalk: beans and other vege-
tables produce thirty days after planting.
and game abounds. But even If the white
man found enough to eat. he withers un-
der the soaking rains and burning heat
which alternate for weeks. The negro,
though, thrives on this. and is the only
race which improves physically in Cuba.
This last is a tremendous fact, and some
writers allege that it means inevitably the
Authorization of the island.
How far and how fast the amalagma-
ton of the races has gone on cannot be
ascertained by figures, but all writer's
agree that 1t has proceeded very rapidly
Spaniards profess to believe that all
Cubans are of mixed blood. This the Gu
bans naturally resent; hence the founda-
ton of the race hatred which exists be-
tween the Cubans and the negroes on
one side. and the Spaniards on the other
Writers upon the history of Cuba have
asserted that Notwithstanding the eman-
cipation of the negro race in that island.
the negro has been practically very lit
tie better off than when he was a slave.
He has had to bear his part of the bur-
den of taxation: but as long as Spain
rules in the island he cannot be repre-
sented in the Cortes. or in the civil or
military government of Cuba. What he
has clamored for Is republic, hoping
that when 1t is established the numerI-
cal superiority of his race will give him
the upper hand.
And here is where problem of vast
dimensions arises. In the statement
above set forth rests the statement by
Gomez that no one should have a share
In the future government of Cuba ex-
cept those who have fought to expel the
Spaniards.
The question Is, How can the United
States best compass this difficult under
taking of establishing a stable govern
ment on republican principles. in coun-
try where the black race outnumbers the
white and. being physically superior to
it, is apparently bound always to out
number the white race? There can be no
doubt that the departure of most, If not
all. Of the Spanish population will follow
the conclusion of the war. and that will
leave the negroes in the majority. OF
course, a great many white Americans
will go to the island. but that there will
be an enormous emigration of American
negroes is equally sure, for, under a re-
public, Cuba will become the black mans
adise.
America will undoubtedly establish q
stable government in Cuba. How this is