The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-25
IN THE A OF CUBA
why Annexation to the United States
In Not More Favored-Commercinl
and Race Interests Involved.

Special Correspondence indianapolis Journal.
ESPERANZA. Cuba. May z7.-Crossing
the island from Sagua la Grande TO Cienfue-
COS. by the exceedingly jerky train that
runs almost due south from port to port,
may be recommended as a sovereign dys-
pepsia cure. akin to horseback riding.
Though the pleasure Of the journey is
marred by the necessity OF holding on ones
hat and grasping the sides Of the seat. while
nodding like a toy mandarin to ones visa
Wis and threatening to pitch bodily into him
the scenery, as the traveller gets glimpses
OF it between these acrobatic performances,
A. beautiful enough to fill him with "tbe joy
OF living He sees long stretches of cane,
yellow as FURNISHED gold. with the sun shin
ing on fl; tobacco farms dotted with tower
ing palms. and the rank and file of fields of
Indian corn standing like armies ready to
march. Vast, empty meadows, inclosed
within low walls of piled-up stones that re-
mind him OF New England, are covered
with coarse grass upon which cattle ought
10 be feeding; they are interpreted with
poorly titled. or wholly untitled sections.
whose bright red soil and Haunting weeds
attest their wonderful fertility. At rare in
tervals stretches Of tropical jungle are
passed. apparently as unreclaimed as when
Tie hISI Opdnidiu set 1OOl Oh the lSldnu.
The lark spins out his interminabIe arias to
the summer sky; the notes of quail and
plover, Phoebe" and tomeguin are waited
on the soft. warm breeze, and beyond all
the distant hills glimmer like a dream of
the Delectable mountains. Palm trees, char
acteristic OF every Cuban landscape, are
omnipresent-sweeping away in curved lines
along the course of streams, standing in
--1~rIfl 1900 -~---l l. LT e
smooth. gray columns, whose majesty gives
one the feeling OF walking in a moonlit
cathedral. Undoubtedly the most beautiful
thing in nature is a tall and stately palm.
standing alone against a background of
heecy clouds In a turquoise sky. Its plumed
crest. tossed by every vagrant breeze, casts
no shade-or at best. but a tiny patch afar
of In the field. The stories OF travellers in
tropical lands sitting under the cooling shad-
ow OF palms are as absurd as those other
Mayne-Reid tales OF wayfarers reaching up
and plucking ~cocoanuts with which to slake
their burning thirst-a feat they might. per-
haps. accomplish If possessed of arms twen-
~ to thirty yards long.
A LAND OF OILERS
As one progresses farther and farther into
the heart of Cuba the nineteenth century.
with all its strife and turmoil, falls behind
and IS forgotten Each straw-thatched viii
dage encountered en- route-and they are very
numerous-seems given over to perpetual
sleep. The railway stations are not thronged
with the idle and curious, as in other rural
parts, but the people sit in their doors,
dreamily watching the train from afar, too
lazy for active curiosity. Occasionally a
more e~nterprising citizen, black as the hack
neyed ace OF spades. or with the lean, brown
profile Of Rameses II, saunters through the
cars. offering some trihe for sale; and ragged
children extend their hands for aims and
laughingly greet the traveller with the En-
giLsh phrases they have picked up, such as
Gin me a penny" "All right" Goodbye
AT one station a small girl, patched fore and
aft. but with the face Of an angel, lifted
timid eyes in response TO our salutation and
murmured GOD DAM" without an idea OF
the meaning OF the word she had heard the
Yankee soldiers use.
Each matched village has some distin-
gushing popularity. at one is made the
famous jalea de guayaba (gauva jelly),
which has such a sale throughout all Spanish
America 1t IS put up in narrow wooden
boxes. can be kept indefinitely, and is as
appetiztng as healthful. In the hotels OF
Havana it is Invariably served with cheese
as q dinner dessert. Another town is dis
tinguished by a great wooden crucifix,
erected on the public SQUARE with arms
opened wide 10 a sinful world. At Esperan-
"a, City OF Hope" a tall b~Irdhouse, close
by the church. extends q hospitable invita-
ton 10 all the deniZens Of the air. It shows
the kindly and poetic nature Of the people
so poor that ten dollars could hardly be
raised among them TO save a human life, yet
caring for the feathered tribes less IRE.
sponsible than themselves In several towns
the public well appears to be the social cen
ter. On an elevated platform. rooted and
tiled. but with sides open to the air. is q
great iron wheel. which everybody turns fol
him or herself. Oh. for the pencil Of a Mast
a Gibson or a Cruikshank! Women come
E~trolling across the fields bringing to the
well kerosene cans converted into buckets
and boys carry poles on their shoulders. &c
which are slung cans, Jars, demijohns, any
old thing that will hold water except a reg.
ular pail. Groups of barefooted girls CO.
quet with their lovers while waiting theil
turn ar the wheel. and b~edraggled matron:
sit on the steps exchanging neighborly COS.
sip. their saddle-colored babies, naked as
Correggio's Saint John. rolling about in the
weeds Sleepy and unimportant as these in
terror villages seem. they are the real Cuba
after all. and IN them the public pulse may
be more correctly told than in cosmopolitan
Havana. where the people have learned ths
wisdom or Disgusting their sentiments.
OPPOSE ANNEXATION.
BY the way. IL anybody at home is Of the
opinion that the Cuban nation will ever
welcome annexation to the United States
he may as well disabuse himself OF the er.
roneous idea Aside from patriotic nonsense
concerning the cause for which they eft
hled and died." there are several reasons
why a permanent alliance with Uncle Sam.
vel would be about the last thing the aver.
age islander woul desire. Most bitterly
and universally opposed to it are the two
distinct and widely different elements. which
together compose more than two-thirds oil
Cuba's population-the Spaniards and the
coiored people. With the former opposition
70 American authority rests upon a pure.
~ business basis. fearing competition
with the richer and more energetic race
While a few OF the larger financial inter
ests may favor an alliance. the commercial
classes in general are strongly In favor Of
independence. The bodegueros, for ex
emple-a very numerous class who own IN.
small provision stores which are located
on every corner Of every block in ever,