The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-22

nofant rabble. stark staring mad on the
subject OF Cuba lIbre.
These widely different classes have but
one thing in commOn-the desire for an
independent republic, so long their one
ambition that It has become an absorbing
passion. For it they have sacrificed life
property. everything and they will be sat
isiied with nothing but absolute independ-
ence. The aristocrats-proud old families
descended from the nobility of Spain-in-
clude the Betancourt, the MendoZas, the
Sotolongos, the Jsurins, the Zsyas. who
together own more than half the island.
They are the progressive people OF Cuba;
their sons are college graduates; they
read. travel and are we'll up with the
times, and have the most profound respect
for the United States But they will never
vote for annexation; they would die first
10 man-and especially 10 a woman. They
and their fathers have sacrificed too much
for freedom to reliBquish now the golden
dream which seems so near fuliillment.
And they deserve all consideration, being
socially. politically, and intellectually
fully capable of governing themselves. But,
unfortunately, they are in the minority.
The great bulk of the Separatists are the
rank and file OF the Cuban army, many of
| them negroes or mulattoes, and nearly all
the rest small farmers, who know nothing
I about the world beyond their little island
a lazy lot. as denseiy Ignorant as imam
| bilious. God help the long suffering Queen
of the Antilles should she fall absolutely
| into such unstable hands! Most of these
| rag-tag patriots have become downright
lunatics or rather monomaniacs like Co
| meZ given over to the one idea of their
own great consequence, and since the dis
ease Of 'revoluting" has with them be-
come chronic aud incurable there is no
hope Of their laying down their arms per-
manently while the breath of life remains
in their bodies. At the slightest proyoca-
tion they will take to the field again and
keep it up eternally, as their fellows do in
Salvador Honduras and other revolution
cursed portions of Spanish-America.
Favored the Insurgcnt Cause.
The 'AutOnomista or autonomis; Gle
ment. We're the great property holders of
the old regime in Cuba, eminently re
| spectacle. but unprogressive. AT heart
; they favored the insurgent cause. but never
| cspOused it openly. As We say in Ameri-
/ ca, they remained ,'on ihe fence secretly
preferring annexation TO independence as
| the easiest way out of il. but saying moth
| ing on either side. What complicated mat
ters stiil more was that the heads of some
/ of the most prominent Creole families.
whose sons and daughters were rabid Sep
for provident reasons OF their own; and in
these patriarchal families the head of the
house is ruler and his word is law, so far
% outward conduct is concerned.
The Aunexationists are not numerous
enough 10 cut much figure In an election.
They are mostly Cubans who have been
educated in the United States and spent
time enough there TO understand the finaR-
| cial and other advantages which would ac-
crue from annexation. They are a worthy
element. practically American in every
thing but birth; and their ranks are in
creased by our renegade countrymen who
having lived long in Cuba, have forsvorn
| the land of their nativity and call them
selves Cubans.
The so-calle'' Conservative party is a
class entirely different from either of those
above mentioned. They are true descend
ants of the Conquistadores. after Cortes'
own heart In the past they assumed an
air OF superiority over all in the island,
except the army and the church, In the or
der named. They were the Shylocks OF