The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-02
NATIVES ONLY ASK FOR DAN
Which Would be Secured by the Islands
Custom ReCGipS.
sPANIARDs DESIRE ANNEXATION
Military Chieftians Demand Absolute In
dependence, While the Majority of
the People are in an Attitude
of Expectancy.

Mobile, Ala, February 1.-Hannis Taylor,
ex-ninlster to Spain, who returned yes
terday from a two weeks visit to Cuba,
has given the Associated Press the follow
ing interview upon the Cuban situation:
while in Cuba upon purely private bust.
ness 1 came in contact with the leaders of
every faction into which the popuation is
now divided. The extremes of opinion are
represented on one hand by Cuban military
chiefs demanding immediate and absolute
independence, and on the other hand by the
purely Spanish element seeking protection
under our flag. Between the two extremes
are ranged the main body of the people,
standing IN an eXpectant attitude, ready
to give their approval to any plan that
will speedily re-establish law, order and
material prosperity upon a permanent ba-
sis. Upon one point all agree, American Of
ficers as well as Cubans, and that is that
outside of the cities the country is in a
condition of want and misery that can
hardly be exaggerated. As an aggravation
of that condition stands the Cuban army,
composed of at least 10000 idle men, wait
ing with arms in their hands for such q
settlement of their dues as will enable them
to resume life again.
They Want Millions.
when asked those who had right to
speak for the army what sum would suf-
fee for a satisfactory settlement they said
ten or eleven millions at least-a sil- that
would give about $500 to each minued 18th
that they said the small farmers CAM bly,
cure stock and live until they coule Ease
a crop. The Cubans neither ask nor atoms,
us to contribute a penny for the paynsor
of their army. All they ask is that Ia.
should be made for the purpose, to be
charged upon their custom houses, now
yielding from ten to fifteen millions a year,
the proceeds of the loan to be paid to their
soldiers through our military authorities.
Every class in Cuba is now demanding
that settlement be made at once SO that
a menacing and consuming body of idle
men may be converted into peaceful pro-
ducers. In that way the Industrial ener-
gies of the country could be revived and a
force dissolved which, like the army of
Cromwell, is not only a military body, but
the dominant political power in the land
Govern by the Sword
81 can not doubt that if the just claims of
tho Cuban army are treated with injustice
and contempt and the present military re-
gime continued indefinitely, in a short time
we will be hated by the Cubans just as the
Spaniards were and a condition of things
brought about that will force us eithe rto
withdraw from the island or to govern
there just as Russia does In Poland Wise
and humane as our military governors are,
the fact remains that they govern by the
sword in defiance of the civil power and
the result is that impatience and discomfort
are already clearly manifest on every side
Ihe urgent needs in Cuba now are a prompt
and satisfactory settlement with the army
of the revolution, and establishment as
soon as possible Of provisional civil regime
in which Cubans themselves can have a
voice. The president should labor unceas-
ingly to attain both ends, and in the effort
to do so he sould have the cordial co-opera-
ton and support of all patriotic and liber-
ty-loving men, regardless of party. We
should learn from the English how suici-
dal it is to carry our party differences into
of Mr.. Bryan hit the mark when he urged
the immediate ratification of the pending
treaty and the settlement of all differences
afterward. The senate should end at once
the present situation, so detrimental to all
our foreign interests while congress as
whole should give to the president every
facility necessary to enable him to settle
every foreign question now demanding an
immediate solution