The state herald., 1899-06-02
FOOLISH REFORMERS.
DEALING HARsHLY WITH Gu
BANS.
Changes In Customs Are Not Always ADJ
vantaKeous Chewing Tobacco Replaces
Cigarettes.

If the newspaper accounts are cor
rect, there are apparently some fool
reformers, high In authority, at work
In Havann.
First 1t was reported that laborers
must wear shirts. Then the dress ar
bitter had something to say as to where
ana when women should wear dresses
low at the neck and with sleeves.
Smoking Is to be prohibited on street
ears and omnibuses. Shops are to be
closed on Sundays and there Is some
sort of regulation as TO their opening
hours on week days. The cafes are to
he regulated"
The Cubans did not like the sanitary
orders that compelled them to keep
clean and preserve sanitary tidiness
about their premises. With much pa
tience the health officers explained the
need OF these changes, ana the good
results that would follow. The ma
tives are learning the truth of these ex-
plantations. and the grumbling has ap-
parently censed.
Just how those in authority are JUS
tifying the need of some of the more
silly orders has not been explained. In
II land where everyone smokes every
where, 1t would seem unnecessary to
Interfere with the tastes and inclina-
tions Of the people. American ideas as
to wearing 'sHparel naturally differ
from those Of the Cubans. The neces-
slty of making them agree Is not clear.
Most of the Cuban babies run wild,
naked as chcrubs, until they are six
or seven years old The Cubans have
got used to these solemn, round, fat.
tumbling rascals, and 1t Is doubtless
no greater hardship for the few Ameri-
cans on the island to stand 1t.
The Cubans seem to be powerless To
protect themselves against Disagree
able American customs. For instance.
tobacco chewing was scarcely known
In Cuba until the Americans invaded
the island. Now the sidewalks are
stained with dark splotches of tobacco
juice and the spat of the expectator Is
heard everywhere. a Spaniard has rec
ognized the necessities of the American
chewer, and Il factory has been started
to make plug tobacco. The cigarette
smoking Cuban finds his pleasure re
strictcd and the customs of his coun-
try changed. His heart must be filled
with admiration for the American who
cannot stand the thin smoke from the
burning of pure light tobacco such as
he smokes, and finds joy and artistic
easement In the squirting of dark deco
rative streams on the sidewalks and
over the painfully pure white marble
of the cafe floors.
And there are the cafes. They were
so open that they were almost parts of
the street. and as orderly as an Ameri.
can hotel dining room. Gentlemen
came thera early for their coffee and
bread and later for their breakfast.
The idle ones. and they were many.
came all hours of the day to drink and
pun cigarettes. Countless numbers of
ligeades were drunk. and the idlers are
fond of all sorts of sweet drinks with
lisping names. The drinker of claret
makes 1t thrce-fourths plain water
and the slipper of brandy makes 1t even
more plain wnter-great goblets before
and after taking the liquor Some were
content with drinking plain water with
a bit of cruted sugar In 1t. For the
most OF the time they talked In low
tones. although excited groups are oc-
casionally to bc seen.
The black. brown. yellow and white
children In the evenings played games
IN the plaza In plain view. ON "mu-