The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-02
United States Government Feeding
Thousands Free of Cost and EN-
pIOying Many Natives.
NO WORD FROM R. P. PORTER
WHO Is SUPPOSED TO BE CONFER
RING WITH GENERAL GOMEZ.
A Spanish Papers Protest Against
Taylor ON the Situation.

HAVANA, Feb. 1.-Members of the mill
tary administration declare that the Cuban
demands should be checked, and that the
Cuban army should not be paid the vast
sums demanded. 1t is considered by them
that from 100000 to $6,000,000 is the most
the United States should allow. Since Jan.
/ the Cubans have had practically every
thing they wanted. The United States gov
ernment has been feeding all the hungry,
two million ratiops having been distributed
and another million has been ordered. The
Cubans have been given all the civil posi-
tons, and thousands of laborers have been
employed. When they are not pleased with
anything they promptly petition, as in the
case of the Banco Espanol and the collec-
tion of taxes. The most vociferous peti-
tions, so to speak, were presented to Rob
ert P. Porter for the payment of the Cuban
army The idea that the American govern
ment has enormous resources at its dis
posal in Cuba is growing, as the people per-
ceive that every request they make is
granted.
The American generosity in the matter of
rations simply demoralizes the recipients.
Long fed at the expense Of the United
States these people will not look for work.
Moreover the payment of good compensa-
ton to the city and rural police and work
men in government employ is said to be re-
sponsible for the strikes reported from all
parts Of the island, especially in the country
districts where the laborers demand in
creases which the farmers are not able to
pay. Political agitators do all IN their power
to spread the impression that nothing is too
good for the Cubans at the hands of the
United States If this too lax and overgen-
erous policy Is persstently followed up,
Americans here say the demands and ex-
pectations of the Cubans will increase in
unreasonableness and the longer the United
States government is indulgent the great
er the opposition will be TO the ultimate
coercive measures that may become neces-
sary if the Cubans. refuse the 100000 or
any other reasonable sum for pay of the
Cuban army.
WORKING UP PETITIONS.
A movement has been started by DIR. Cas-
tillo Senor Jose Antonio Gonzales Lanuza.
head Of the Department of Justice and Pub
lie Instruction in the Cuban Cabinet of adj
visers, and Senior Jose Miguel Gomez, of the
Cuban commission, and others to have all
the 134 municipal districts of Cuba petition
the authorities at Washington to pay the
Cuban army out of the customs receipts,
adding 10 per. cent, if necessary, to the du-
ties in order to do so The Cubans are TAX
ing a general attitude of criticism and COM
plant against the Americans. They say all
the Spanish office holders ought to be dis
charged and that the methods of admins
tration should be changed. The telegraph
wires to Remedies are working badly, so
there is no news from President McKinley's
special commissioner, Robert p. Porter,
rI,c hoe an Gil fc Can vim
Gomez
Ell Diario de la Marina will tomorrow
publish a leading editorial declaring that
if the Cubans continue their threats and
abuse with respect to the Spaniards the lat
ter will be forced to leave the country or to
pray the United States to annex the island
forthwith. f1l Diario represents the con-
servative Spanish interests, and its man.
ayers decided upon the publication of the
article after a consultation with the leading
Spaniards in Havana. The editorial will
say "All the newspapers support the
policy of an amalgamation of Cuban and
Spanish interests inaugurated by General
Maxine Gomez. But they also print da-
tribes against the Spaniards and the Cuban
autonomists. They applaud when an army
man is appointed to position, but they
censure when a pacifco is given work by
the Americans. If the matter were confined
to the press it would not be insupportable,
because arising from temporary excitement
and hatred, it would be modified in time,
but the mischief is that actions follow
words Perhaps the day is not distant when
the Spaniards and Cuban autonomiSts may
have to consider seriously the question of
leaving the country. as they daily told
to do, or bend every energy toward the
neXation of Cuba to the United States. They
are being forced to take one position or the
other. Already they are asking, If we are
so treated and threatened under the pro-
lection of the Americans, what will happen
when the Americans are gone and the Gu
bans are in control? The Spaniards are not
the enemies of Cuba. All have families and
business interests If they are treated as
Cuba s worst enemies, what shall they do?
Can we passiVely be boycOtted, they say,
and be absurdly taxed simply because we
are Spaniards as is being done in Manza-
Milo, or be killed, is being done in the
eastern provinces and in Pinar del Rio%
The Spaniards are insulted daily in the
newspapers by political agitators who call
for the disappearance of the last feather of
red and yellow. term of opprobrhlm APP
piled to the Spanish flag. We would be
without dignity and the instincts OF self
preservation were to submit quietly to
this persecution Let the Cuban leaders
who are responsible for the future OF the
island and who daily preach a union of Gu
ban and Spanish interests and the burial of
the past reflect upon this. If their actions
do not correspond with their words, Cuba
will be eventually almost deserted or we
shall ask the United States never to aban-
don II -