The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-17
THE TROUBLESOME CUBAN ARMY.

The chief obstacle in the way Of the peace
and prosperity of Cuba Is the insurgent
army, which still retains its organization
and carries arms. Indeed, the insurgents are
more of an army to-day than they were
when the war was in progress a year ago.
Then few of them could be found under
arms, and the few that were found did not
distinguish themselves as soldiers. The war
over and rations and prospective pay being
offered. the Cuban patriots rallied on the
payrolls TO the number of forty thousand.
Tn latest is that these men. acting under
the direction Of their leaders. including
Gomez, will not take SIS apiece. turn over
their arms and cease living on the country.
The leaders are soldiers of fortune. Many
of them fought. or. rather. pretended to
fight. Spain because 1t enabled them to live
off the country. They propose to be sup
ported by the people of Cuba or the govern
ment of the United States. II the United
States does not form them into a Cuban
army and thus support them, they will
cling to their arms. ostensibly to preserve
their liberties. but really to terrorize the
people who would be Industrious and who
desire tranquility. If soldiers who were in
visible while the war was on are not pla-
Gated, they will be a menace to every PLAN
tation which is not guarded: IL they are
made an unnecessary army to protect the
people. the chances are that they will be-
come oppressors and plunderers in the
name of authority. and the instigators of
revolution and Instruction.
The President seems to have exhausted
every conciliatory and lenient expedient
with these armed bands. As far as posi-
BILE they have been given employment and
encouraged to betake themselves to some
sort of work by which they may earn a
livelihood. AS an inducement to ~disband,
100000 was offered, with the understand
ing that they turn in their arms. Suddenly
an army Of about twenty thousand became
forty thousand. on paper, and now 1t seems
they will not keep the promise made by
their officers. 1t is now evident that these
leaders. with their armed followers, pro-
pose to dominate matters in Cuba. The
leaders are of the same sort that have kept
Central America in a state of insurrection
for years. If Cuba should be turned over to
them it would be the arena of a rapid sue
cession Of instructions larger San Do
mingo, with every city a breeder of disease
for the United States. What will be the
Presidents next move with these people?
And when he finds, as he must find earlier
or later, that all conciliatory efforts will
fail, what course will he pursue-abandon
Cuba to them or suppress them I'm order
that the harassed people of that island may
have security against freebooters?
At the present time the promise of tram
quillity in Luzon is better than it is in
Cuba. for the reason that the leader of the
Tagals put them where the United States
could treat them as enemies. The conten-
ton with armed men is apparently about
over in Luzon, but who can tell when the
menace of the Cuban army to the tranquil
lily and progress of Cuba will cease? Since
the days before the war began, when the
country went wild over the cry of free
Cuba" thousands of American volunteers
have come In close contact with Cuban
leaders and soldiers. Their reports have de-
stroyed the Illusion which Cuban juntos
and correspondents of yellow newspapers
wove about the popular mind in the early
months of 1898. Many know that they have
been deceived. and it is fair to assume that
the public patience will soon be exhausted
and the demand made that the defiant Gu
ban army be treated as lawless combina-