The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-01-16
BROOKE,s BAD MOVE
Came Near Undoing All That Has
Been Done in Cuba.


Correspondence of Associated Press.l
Santiago de Cuba, Jan. 6.-The I'M
mediate effect of the announcement of
the order from Havana regarding the
transfer to that city of the funds ac-
cruing from the customs receipts each
week was pronounced and emphatic
The news flew through the city like
wildfire, within an hour a committee
was called by the Chamber of Com
merce, at least three business firms
cabIed holding up eonsignments they
had ordered, the local papers issued ex-
tras and the laboring classes were even
more staggered than the business men.
for it meant their livelihood To every
one it seemed as if Santiago might
drift back into the conditions existing
in the old Spanish government days.
JUST LIKE THE SPANISH.
The explanation of the war depart
ment that the transfer of the funds was
merely nominal had but very slight
effect on the people, for that was al
ways said by the Spanish. The money
very small percentage went back to the
province whence it came and it is the
general opinion among all classes that
every other place IN the island has Suf
fered while Havana has been unduly
favored and to the Cuban mind the new
line seemed precisely the same as the
old
The Cubans regard a province as in
many respects the same as a state.
Each province has a seaboard on both
sides of it, with the exception of Ma
tanZaS. which, however, has two very
profitable ports-Matanzas and Car
denas. Santiago, the largest province,
has the ports of Santiago, Manzanillo,
Guantanamo and few small ports on
the northern part of the coast. Puerto
Principe has Neuvitas on the northern
and Santa Cruz del Sur on the southern
coast. Santa Clara possesses the second
port of the island in Cienfuegos, Ha-
Vana, the smallest province, possesses
the port of that name and the port of
Batabana while Pinar del Rio has Mariel
and a number of small ports. 1t will
thus be seen that every province in
the island should be able to get suffi-
cient funds from it's customs receipts
to make the improvements that have
been so badly needed for centuries re-
lying upon local taxation for the pur-
pose of running the cities and towns
CONFIDENCE IN WOOD.
Very few days have elapsed since the
Americans took complete control of the
island and in those few days it is claim
ed that the work that has been done
here towards making the people friend
1y and contenGed would have been un-
done had it not been for such men as
Castillo and Mayor Bacardi who cOun-
selled their countrymen against COM
hitting any overt act against the law
and to make only a perfectly peaceful
aSlIaCOn, saying mat they had conf
dence that when Gen. Wood reached
Washington, justice would be done and
the province would be allowed to man
age its own affairs.
No one could have witnessed the mass
| meeting held on the subject, or the pro-
cession which escorted Gen. Wood from
the palace to the dock without being
impressed by the fact that the people
were in earnest. The cheers all down
Marina street from the crowds that
lined every available part of the thor
oughfare and filled the windows and
covered the housetops would convince the
most skepticaI that these people were
shouting from their hearts.
ORDER HASTILY RESCINDED.
A able was received two days later
from Havana however countermanding
the first order and saying that the mon
ey could remain in the province but that
checks. etc, would have to be drawn by
order from Havana.
The second order was worded as fol-
lows:
Havana, Jan. 5.
Commanding General, Santiago.
The major general commanding di-
vision has directed that the collections
from ports in the department of Santi-
ago be not removed from Santiago. Let
this be generally known. Disbursements
of the funds will be made in pursuance
of proper warrant specifying object du-
ly signed by order OF the division COM
mander. (Signed
r Oh FIFE