The morning news., 1899-04-08
GoMEz.s PROGRAMME.

While the Cuban assembly was in ses-
sion our government gave every possible
encouragement to Gen. Gomez, who was
hostile TO the assembly, and who it was
thought. would be Of the greatest service
in bringing about a better condition of af-
fairs in cuba. Now that the assembly has
dissolved. however Gomez has changed
MS attitude, and there is danger that he
will become a great obstacle in the way
of the pacihcation and prosperity of the
island. lie assumes that he brought about
the dissolution Of the assembly, and he
proposes TO keep up an agitation with the
view of creating the impression that
American occupa alton is only temporary,
and that when the American troops are
Withdrawn everything that the Americans
have done may be changed.
There is no doubt that Gomez has a
great deal of influence with the Cubans.
Therefore II he should lead the Cubans to
believe that all that is now being done IN
the island is only of a temporary charac-
ter he would do Cuba great injury. There
Is no doubt Of course that the United
States intend that Cuba shah have her in
dependence, but no time has been fixed
for turning the island over 10 the Cuban
people, and it is probable that no tim
VIII be fixed untn it is evident that they
are abe to manage their own Affairs sat
isfactorily and give protection tc foreign
residents as well as their own citizens.
The United States are NJ. likely 10
he let yNf,
session Of her own people before they are
ready for that responsibility, orly to have
the island disturbed and devastated by rev.
orutions. Cuba will have independence in
time, but the United States VIII fix The
time. Gomez would therefore DO the Cubans
a great injury by leading them 90 believe
that every thing will remain in an un-
settled condition until the Amcticlns de-
part. Let that impression get firmly plant
ed in the minds of the people, and the
Cubans would make little or no effort to
restore the prosperity of the Island and
capital and immigrants would keep away
from it.
1t is of the highest Importance to Cuba
that the impression shan prevail that
everything will remain as the United
States settles It, With that understanding
the work of repairing the damage done
by war will go on vigorously. And it is by
no means certain that the Cubans will
want independence when they understand
the situation fully. The chief product of
the island is sugar. There is not much
profit in producing cane sugar in competi-
ton with the bounty grown beet sugar of
Europe, unless the cane sugar growers
have a better market for their product
than the beet sugar growers If Cuba is
annexed to this country che will have the
American market free of an import duty
for her sugar If she becomes Independent
she will have TO pay an import duty on all
the sugar she sends 10 our market, and
the duty is a pretty heavy one. When the
Cubans understand this they may not be
so anxious for independence as they ap-
pear to be now II is certain that their
sugar growers win not be paid a bounty
as the beet sugar growers of Germany
are. Without a bounty they win nave a
hard time competing with the beet sugar
growers of Europe.
The reason why the people of some of
the British West Indies are asking TO be
annexed TO the United States is that an
nexation would make their sugar plGnta-
tions profitable again, because then their
sugar could be marketed in this country
free of duty. 1t is said that there is an
immense amount of speculation in sugar
lands going on in Porto Rico and Hawaii,
because of the understanding that the eu-
gar of those islands win come into our
market without the payment of duty. The
saving of the duty Is, of itself sufficient
to make sugar growing profitable.
Under the circumstances the Cuban peo-
pie may much prefer becoming a part of
the United States to independence. There
fore Gomez, by encouraging the belief that
American occupation of the island is only
temporary, and that all things via be
changed as soon as the Americans depart,
is doing something for which he may be
severely condemned eventually by the Gu
han paoDla