Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-09-29
THE POLICY FOR CUBA.
Considerable Talk About the Large
Number of Troops to Be Sent
to the Island.
A NEW CABINET OFFICE PROBABLE,
Two Suggestions Being Considered, One to
Create Secretary for the Colonies and
Another To Create q Department of
Commerce and Observation-Disclosures
Concerning the Tax on Legacies-

washington, Sept 25.-Much IS be-
ing heard now from Cuban leaders in
regard to the large number of troops
the government will send to Cuba to
garrison that island during the period
of reconstruction. The Cubans pro-
fess to be much alarmed over the an
nounced intention of the administra-
ton to send so, 600 soldiers to the is
land. They feign to see in such a
large force a menace, as they put it,
to the future of Cuba The situation,
they say, gives no warrant for the as
sumption that such a force will be
necessary. Said a member of the
junta:
returning to their farms They are evincing
no disposition whatever to interfere with the
programme of the United States to see that
stable government, having the confidence OF
the whole Cuban people. is established On
the contrary, they are in complete harmony
with the United States intentions With such
situation OF affairs existing in the island, why
should the United States deem it necessary to
send $4,000 of its soldiers to Cuba, to make
them prey to tropical fevers: to have them
swept away by disease. as were so many of the
gallant at Santiago? Before the revolution
started. SPANS garrison on the island did not
number more than 25 600 The population was
always ,lnimical to Spain Why should the
United States, for which the people of Cuba
have only love, deem it necessary to send dou-
BILE the garrison that Spain had before the war?
Are the CubanS not warranted in entertaining
a feeling of uneasiness as to the United States
intentions in this view of the case:
A cabinet officer, in discussing last
night this latest play OF the Cubans
said:
The United States government stands
pledged before the world for the conditions in
Cuba. The responsibility is no slight one
President Mckinley fully appreciates its grav-
ity. He will take no chances The United
States will send and maintain a sufficient force
in Cuba to insure perfect control over all ele-
mentS, in any possible emergency, until such
time a stable government has been well
established that the United States can afford
to proclaim to the world the cessation of its
protectorate. The administration does not in
tend to take any risks whatsoever in the recon-
struction of Cuba The people of that island
must realize from the very start that law and
order have come there to stay; that nothing
short of respect and obedience for duly consti-
tuted authority and regard for property rights
will be tolerated They will be given every
opportunity to demonstrate their capacity for
Self-government, and the United States can be
relied upon to give prompt recognition Of their
progress As the administration gains conf
dence in the government established in Cuba it
will lessen its hold upon the island The
sooner the time comes when the United States
can give over the responsibility for Cuban af-
fairs the better the administration will be
pleased.
New Cabinet once Probable.
Washington, Sept 25.-Out of the
colonial policy upon which the United
States has now embarked there is al
most certain to come the creation of a
new cabinet Office. In this connection
there are now two suggestions being
considered. One is the creation of a
secretary for the colonies; the other is
to create a department of commerce
Is L
the secretary of the interior OF a lot of
his present burdens and then give
him the same jurisdiction over
the island colonies which he
now has over the territories.
The second suggestion is the one
which is most favored by officers of
the present cabinet. If department
of commerce were created it would
probably comprise the labor bureau,
which is now independent; the patent
office, which is under the control of
the secretary of the interior; bureau
of statistics, which is under the con-
troll of the treasury department; the bu-
reau of education, which is under the in
terror de apartment, and the fish commits
sion, which is independent. To place
all these bureaus under the ontro1 Of
department. of commerce, and then to
invest the interior department with
civil Jurisdiction over the island col
onies, except as to the matter of Gus
toms, which would be left to the treas
ury department, would, it is believed
IN official circles, give more honoge-
neity to our institutions than to create
a secretary for the colonies and main
tain the present status of the bureaus
mentioned. Efforts along this line are
almost certain to be renewed at the
coming session of congress
The Tax on Legacies.
Washington, Sept 25.-The commits
sioner of internal revenue has rendered
a decision on section 90 of the war rev.
enue act. imposing a tax upon 1egacies
and distributive shares of personal
property The commissioner holds as
follows:
Where the value OF the whole amount OF
personal property left by decedent does not
exceed $40 O01. no tax is required Where such
whole value exceeds 10000 and does not exceed
s25 600 the tax is imposed and the rate of tax
upon the clear value OF each share is deter
mined by the degree OF relationship of the
beneficiary. Where the value of the whole
amount of the personal property left by deco
dent exceeds $25 900 the rate of tax upon the
clear value of each share is determined by the
degree of consanguinity and OF the whole
amount. as provided in the last paragraph of
is required to bear its own tax unless in case
of devise by viii it was otherwise specified in
the will