The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-03-08
Genera Brooke'S False Economy Has
Stirred Up Resentment.
THE BUSINESS MEN ARE VERY GLUM
Say That it is Impossible to Induce the
Investment of Money Until Some
Settled Form of Govern
ment is Established.

Santiago de Cuba, February 8-Ine COM
plexion of political affairs in the province
of Santiago has been gradually changing
since the beginning of January. This Is
due to more than one cause, but the main
reason is probably the fact that the people
themselves are out of sympathy with any
thing, even a benefaction that comes TO
them through Havana. Men VINO rev
short weeks ago were enthusiastically in
favor of annexation are today talking
about declaring war against the United
States if the troops are not removed from
the island by July l.
The business men of Santiago are very
glum over the condition of affairs and say
1t is impossible for the people to invest
any large sums Of money in the island un-
til some settled form of government is es-
tablished and that for Cuba to be an inde-
pendent republic would mean the utter ruin
of the island, even supposing that the Gu
bans were better able to govern them
selves than any people in the world, for at
one blow the sugar industry would be an
initiated as the United States is in possess
sion of Porto Rico on one side and Hawaii
on the other which are two great sugar
producing islands and the sugar from
those places would go into the United States
free of duty, whereas, even on the best
terms, the sugar of Cuba unless the island
was annexed would have to pay some duty
and would be entirely unable to compete
against that of the other islands.
Has Great Possibilities
Herr Schumann, the German consul here,
an influential man, says that nothing would
please Germany more than for Cuba to be-
come independent, because 1t could mean
that they would still be able with their
beet sugar to hold their own in the United
States. He believes that Cuba has great
possibilities before her. He likes the peo-
pie of Cuba, but from a purely business
point of view, he thinks 1t is impossible
for the island to succeed in any way unless
annexed to the United States.
He says that the politicians do not seem
to realize anything before the fact that
there would be a treasury for them to
dip their hands into; they do not seem to
be aware that the treasury has to be kept
filled by the business industries of the coun-
try and that were the sugar industry ami
hilated it would reduce the revenues of
the island by over one-half and the people
would be groaning under the burden of a
local taxation so heavy that they would
sooner or later rise against the government
and the island would be plunged into the
throes of a revolution.
Other merchants here are as outspoken
many of them being favorable to the Gu
bans getting home rule, in the way that
any state in the union has, believing they
should have the right to govern themselves
in the matters of local taxation, elections
and everything of that nature.
Strongly Favors Annexation
But 1t is absolutely impossible in Santiago
to find any man of business standing any
man who owns any large amount of land.
M nf into
say that he is strongly In favor of annexa-
tion to the United States, not as a matter
OF sentiment, but as a matter of purely bu-
siness common sense, though many of them
agree that had Porto Rico and Hawaii not
been annexed they would have been in IA
Vor or Cuba being an independent re-
public.
Many thousands of people have gradually
drifted into the city expecting work 1t
was impossible to supply them, and work
mad to be suspended owing to the COM
plant from Havana that the estimates are
very heavy for this province, though $780,
600 revenue for last month was sent to
Havana.
The work of road-making on an extensive
scale has practically been stopped, and the
dredging OF the harbor and numerous i'm
provements that were intended have had to
be delayed on this account. These are i'm
provements that would be of lasting value
to the city and would give work to thous-
ands that would make the people contented
and prosperous.
All these causes combined have tended to
raise spirit OF dissatisfaction, to say
nothing of the long delay in the payment
of the employees, who are paid from Ha-
vana, particularly those of the custom
house and the postoffice. now that 1t is
ordered that in future the payment of all
provincial officials will be made direct from
Havana, which will includethe gendarmie
or police.
In this province in the course of the next
three weeks there will be only the four
white regiments and the Ninth immunes
available. A regiment of regular cavalry
is very badly needed in the department.
At present there are only two companies
in each regiment mounted, but General
Wood hopes to get the cavalry regiment
here within the next month.
Knitting Trust to be Formed