Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-08-13
AN UNLOVELY LOT
+" ~ ~
Some Pointers About Character
Of she Cuban patriots"
TRYING TO ROB UNCLE SAM
80 /; e -
They Ate People without ora.i,na. -,
h fr 'p*r Conception Of the Attltu.e
OF the United States. Some s.s.
geatlvs 1aciucuts.
TRYING TO ROB UNCLE SAM
Is San Juan. Porto Rico. Aug. l. &c,


particularly OF Santiago de cuba Tia,
am 'lolth to again tax thp patience of
the public with another a:tc!: ahoH1
thus place. Yielding, however, 10 Il de-
s.';s, On my Part to furnish your readers
WITH q true and comprehensive pnr-
arayal of the characteristic oua,;;i,.s ,f
the average Cuban. / hare sunmurai1
SIilcient courage Ia Write this letter.
wy oescrlption OF the Cuban-thoueh
true IN every detail-I hope will rot
wound the sensitive feelings Of th;.
-ioofSion OF our people who have Soust,
va many ways tc aid poor down- trod-
uen people. 20 on the contrary VII
'eiu 20 enllghten them as TO the true
principles of this :Euch ''cussed,' ana
discussed people.
Nhlle at Santiago, Ii WAS my pleas
ufe to become acquainted with a mem
per OF the United States Army Board
O. t.aiil4s. an institution established
tof the consideration of all claims ariS-
ing rom properly damaged or destroy
gu durlnE the Spanish American war.
ana Trough his courtesy and Kindness
~'ras able tu CLEAN a good Gcal If in
dHrI12.tsna Regarding ths numerous
Claims presented by the Cub.ns for al
seEHu damages sustained by them. iii
we short period Of two months Owe
fifty claims were presented. ny:reg:,t-
ing IN round numbers Sap0, 900, which
the United states governments eth
IN law cr morals. were deemed OILS
gated To assume. and in Recommending
that this sum be allowed the bolra
was scluated through a spirit of equity
SathSl than strict justice.
livery class and condition Of CUBAN
citizenship was represented in the
horde of clainlants-from the POO:
peon whose thatched hahtation h;.I
been destroyed. to the wealthy land
owner whose fields were dcvastulr;l--
aug IT is to be regretted that III l:i,:.s
ana characteristics We're disclosed il:
the prosecution of the investigut q :
which certainly would not rebound tc
the credit Of any people. Over ninety
per cent. Of the claiu:s submitted were
conceived in =, spirit Of dishonesty, md
supported throughout by the NEST IN
blushing falschoods. The most aEs:rd
and extravagant demands were ,usdc
ard generally a crowd of witnesses
were gathered shout. prepared to swear
to any proposition which was i::cr.i~l
necessary by the not over-scrupu lots
claimant--whosc Instrument they warc
to aid in dcfrauding the United
States government.
Entirely oblivious Of the fact that the
United States had expended large
sums of money. and sacrificed some IT
her purcst and brightest men for Gu
ban liberty. still we fcd those nsopla
demanding that rent he paid them by
the United States for the land which
the American soldiers occupied While
actually engaged in fighting Cuba's
battles around Santiago. Worse stil.--
they conGpaiEad bitterly that thar
fields should be dist:gured by the TEN
porary graves OF our peerless hrroie
dead. They have also cndeavored to
make the United States lay for prop
erty and repair losses for which t!!ts
Cuban and Spanish armies We're reslon-
siEle-damaSe done long before the
American army set foot upon rho soil
OF Cuba. Such want of appreciation
such bcastly in-ratitude such utter
want OF knowledge of the higher (i'
tates OF civilization and decancy. WOULD
disfigure the character Of the Dgge,
Indian. and cause the callous-il"artet.
coWardly coyote to cover himself With
shame. ict the average Cuban claim
ant with an air OF prosecuted and in
jured innocence makes his demand, as
though he Were the benefaclor and The
Americans the beneEcarics. Summed
up. they are as conscence.css as !,
cancer. and as cruel as they are COW
ard!y. 1t is sincerely to Re hoped
that in the event these claims arr APP
pealed to Congress. Which in all prob
ability they will. the facts in each and
every case may be known as those who
are acquainted With them know them
and that justice may BE dealt out
strictly to this lot Of deliberate would
be robbers.
a LOVELY LOT.
TO conclude with this portion Of my
letter, / will sar that it was my expo
rience while resident in Santiago tina,
the people as a whole we're exceedingly
antagonistic to everything that savored
Of the American, and Supremacy indi!
ferent to all the benefits and PRIVILEGES
accorded them by the American gov
eminent, blessings which they did not
formerly enjoy under the Spanish adj
mlnistration. and which now they fail
to appreciate. They are an ignorant
suPcrstitious set Of ma.-conten;S. con-
tinua!ly brewing trouble. and it viii
take the major portion OF ten years or
more to educate them in the higher
walks Of cviliza ton. II is almost a
noble virtue of patience to the rescue.
together with the aid Of 4 stout Tub.
civilized habits customs. SC. may be
eventually taught these pcoplr.
Referring 70 the present yellow fever
epidemic at Sart;ago,it is sincerely de-
plorab!c that it should have occurr..i
at a. time when the city was in per-
haps the most clearly condition il has
been sin &c its occupancy by the Amer
leans. The epidemic hats been at.riou-
ted by some 10 the te,.lns up Of lha
streets consequent upon tna laying .!
the street sewerage system. However
be that as it may, the first appearance
of TIE disease was in tbs. barracks oc-
cupicd by the Fifth Ulitel Stat,.s In
fantry, a series Of long, low buildings
situated on the outskirts of the city.
and which, when taken possession Of
by the United States troops, We're in az
filthy condition as it is POSSIBLE -
conceive. The United States MILITARY
hospital is also another bui!Iill:, where
the disease made it's appearance. THIS
building, covering over an acre Of
ground, was formerly used by me
Spanish as their military hospital Al
where all discascs-jnfcctions- and cur
p tagious--Were treated with Che utmost
disregard of any prccaution for pre-,
venting communication, in consequence