Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-02-09
The FUTURE OF The CUBANS.
THAT THEY WILL GIVE
US MUCH TROUBLE.
Interesting Opinion of y ,Jamaican-H.
Looks For Frequent Attacks on Settle
ments by Hands of Guerrilas-
Porto Rico.

Sam has Il big job ahead i'm developing
Cuba'S resources, that Jamaica docs not
take kindly to the idea. Of coming under
the shadow of the Stars ana Stripes, and
thHt the interesting tropical British island
fears nothing from the Industrial CONNIE
tition of Cuba--these are the principal
things set forth by the Hon. James john
ston, NJ. D., member Of the Legislative
Council Of jamaica.
Il know the Cubans Intimately" said
Or. Johnston, whc ne WAS interviewed.
- Knew them in the Ten Years War and
nave had an intimate acquaintance with
them in Kingston ever since. And | tell
You this: For years to come Cuba will
not be what YOU can call settled coun-
try and. in my opinion, settlers are like
~ to have as much trouble in that coun-
try from guerrillas as they had in the
West OF your country from the Indians,
unless some pacifying measures be adopt
ed, SuCh as giving them work or lands on
which they may settle by themselves.
just as your Indians have been put on
rvNtions. 1t is not likely that they will
ever have an Independent government and
rule their own country without the aid
of a foreign power.
Even in jamaica tho maroons had to
he hunted down with bloodhounGs. and Nd
TO TINS day they have sort Of indcpcn-
dent government Ii something IN the way
of pacitcation is not done soon for the
cuban patriots you will ind that they
Will not work and will regularly prey on
the Industrious settlers Above all things,
the people of the United States must get
II out of their heads that they can pacify
cuba by force of arms. 1t can't be done
The island is eight hundred miles long
ana abounds in caves and mountain
businesses. The only hope is in Concila-
ton, which may be accomplished through
the sequestraton of the guerrillas.
JAMAICA'S EXPERIENCE.
"They can get along on lands which
your settlers would not care for, and
such tracts might we'll be set over for
them. Some such thing as this happened
in Jamaica and was ultimately for the
islands benefit.
In the first 200 years after British oc-
cupation Jamaica has put all her eggs in
one basket, the sugar industry, or to he
more explicit, sugar and rum When
slavery was abolished the former slaves
took Up the land which would not profit
ably produce sugar and began TO raise
coffee pimento and Jamaica ginger
Coolies were imported to furnish the
labor for it was hard to get larorers at
from % to 50 cents day for men and u
to 20 cents a day for women, the rates
to this day, by the way, bat even ut that
in the last few years it scarcely paid 10
take off the crop.
"Conditons are now improving, and It
is largely through American enterprise
that this is so. The eyes OF the planters
have been opened to the possibilities
which the island possesses in other drec-
tons than that pointed out by sugar
alone. Twelve OF fourteen years ago Capt.
ID. l.. Baker. commanding sloop sailing
from Baltimore, began to run down to
Port Antonio and TO take zip a few
punches of bananas and dispose of them
as a sort # experiment. Through this a
new industry commenced.
While the island of Cuba is being Colo
nized and held by American troops, it
mrst be remembered that Americans cam
not live there on the coast. When
Jamaica passed into British hands it had
good roads at least, but in Cuba to-day,
except in the case of one or two cities
there are no more roads than in the heart
of Africa. The first essential is the build
ing of roads, and it would pay tile Aineri-
can Government to spend $l0OO0,W0 on
them right away. Next it will be neces-
saIy, as it ia even now in Jamaica, to
garrison the coast cities with native
troops, md it is inperatively necessary
that the army doctors should he used
to tropical conditions. Men may live on
the high grounds OF Cuba, as they do on
the high grounds Of Jamaica. in perfect
health. if they know how to take care of
themselves
CHANGE IN HEALTH CONDITIONS.
"Of course Americans in Cuba will
profit by our experience III Jamaica. At
first, when a regiment of 1000 British SOL
diers was sent 10 Jamaica. it was no UNI
usual thing for it to be cut down to fifty
men by yellow fever and cholera. But we
learned how to live in the tropics and
row those diseases are no better known
than they are here in New York and
a NJ a n ia ha1 Inv
our death rate is about 20 per 1000;
that is less than yours here in New York
City.
II here is no place near the United
States SO well suited to the recovery of
phthisis patients. In my many years Of
experience i have not seen 4 Ccnsump-
tive come to the island who did not benc-
fit in proportion to the length of his stay.
1t has completely dsproved the old theory
that dry air was the very best for con-
sumptives, and has demonstrated that
moist, bNmy air is far better
How do the Jamaicans look upon the
proposition that we should take them,
with tie other British West Indies UNI
der our wing, in exchange for the Philip
pineS? he was asked.
In the first place" he replied, Jamaica
is priced BY Great Britain not so much
for the value of its products Or the
amount of its commerce, as because OF
us SlTdleSlcdi position. IL is now a
most important military depot for Eng
land, of course. a coaling station. AT New
castle away up on the hills, there are
always several battalons OF some line
regiment. The Leinster Regiment, mostly
lrishmen, is there now, and at Up Park,
down on the plains, there are the First
Second and Third West India regiments
composed of coored men
In the second place it must not be for
] there "A
firmly rooted British patriotism among
| the most substantial people of the island
and, although England has not done as
much for the colony as she ought, it is
considered little short of sacrilege to even
talk of change of flags.
There Is some talk of annexation to
Canada but as that country is almost in
accessible to us, there being no fast line
of steamers from any Canadian FORT to
Jamaica, it amounts to nothing. Small
beats run, but they are very slow, The
States give us every facility, fast ships
and open markets, and whatever we may
say we are, in truth, becoming more
American every day. great deal OF
American money is circulated, without
discount, we buy American -four, butter
cheese, canned goods, and so forth;
Americans built our railway system, save
for a small part of it, and Americans
have established at Titchlield, Port An
| tonic, what is probably the finest hotel on
the island. In all its departments it is
American all its employees are American,
| and It's food StuffS como from philldel-