The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-26

| For having acted independently of them
| in the matter, the assembly charges Co
mez with disobedience and INSTRUMENTATION,
and vacates his command. 1t denounces
him as a traitor Not content with that
the members vote the expulsion from their
! body Of Mr. Quesada who was a party TO
the PortsrIGomez arrangement, and de-
nounce him also as a traitor and an &C
| complete of Gomez.
Again, the assembly has been making
lot Of very foolish talk Of securing con-
siderable loan for the island, which would
enable it to give the troops a much larger
sum than $3,000.O00 and, it is quite openly
charged, give the assembly something OF
a slice for its own use. Such proposition
is utterly absurd, and in considering It at
all. the assembly IS arrogaring a civil
function and authority which in no way,
directly or indirectly is vested in that
body. 1t is not a representative body. On
the contrary. it Is virtually a self-const1t-
uted body Of limited powers and limited
functions. It has absolutely no authority
10 contract debt on account of the island,
or to mortgage the future by in any way
bonding the revenues. As patriotic body
IL
should have accepted the situation. It
should have welcomed any deal. openly
and honestly made, by which the army
would receive any sum Of money, and.
through DISARMAMENT, be returned TO that
productive industry through which alone
there will come any hope for the future.
They charge that, in this arrangement
with Mr.. Porter, General Gomez not only
exceeded his authority. but. as well, OBJ
structed and overthrow their plans for a
larger payment to the troops.
There is no doubt that the people Of the
island are on the side of Gomez. The
same-fs the case with the majority Of the
army. though very small minority are
probably actuated by the "loaves and
fishes" Gomez is the more likely party
% handle the cash for which they are
waiting. I have yet to meet a foreigner
who has a good word to say for the as
sambly The Times Of Cuba. printed in
English and edited by an American. heads
its account Of the meeting Of March e:
'Black ingratitUde Of the revoIutionist
party towards the man who brought Am
erlcan intervention" BY its action the
assembly mas honored the old general and
itself in the minds of all right
thinking people. 1t Is also possible and
quite to be hoped that it has cut its own
throat. Its removal from the field would
be something toward clearing the political
\ considerable significance attaches to
the incident in its illustration of Cuban ca
pacity for self-government The Havana
Advertiser prints this morning the Cuban
flag in a space with a deep black border,
implying the death Of the hope Of Cuban
La Lucha Of March 70
states: THE Americans are not to be con-
WINGED of the existence of salf-control
Judgment, or any Of the traits necessary
for conducting an administration. when
they see such giaring evidence of what a
prominent Cuban last night classified as
childish pettishness.' and it takes very
eloquent and convincing proof to compel |
recognition Of there being any other |
ype of politicians on the island" The |
FINES Of Cuba says: AS foreseen by |
most people who have been acquainted !
with the Cuban revolutionary personnel, |
he Cubans cannot govern either their |
empers or their actions. politically. and |
he party IS sure to break up into a hun |
lred sections" Other papers comment in !
he same strain. Some. who desire indie
comment in sadness. Others, |
who desire annexation, comment exult- /
nsly.
In view Of all the facts Of the contend
ne desires, Of the American pledges. of the
-ec0gnized present unitness Of the people
or complete independence and self-gov-
arnment it would certainly seem that the
curse Of wisdom, fairness, and justice lies
p thar middle course of American control
or a definite time which has been sug-
yested in former letters. Before any an
lexation should come, the island is at
east entitled TO an educational probation
Try period. A. G. r.