Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-02-16
REAL CUBA.
is Resources and Customs
of Its People Told by a
Practical Vermonter.
STATE SENATOR GRIFFITH
BE Heroes Shafter and Hobson- Pene-
trnted the Heart of the Island aud
Saw the Natives at Bome-H
solution of cuban Problem.

But few men who have been to cuba
Turing or since the late war nave had
better opportunities of learning the true
situation in that island than state senator
SlaS l.. Griffith, of Dandy. H. went
there for the purpose of learning the op-
portunities for the successful Investment
OF American capital in timber
lands and SO got away from
the common routes Of tray |
among the native Cubaus ana having let
tcrs Of Introduction to the army officials
IN change there he was also enabled to
learn some facts about the military opera
lions there the past summer which have
not yet appeared i'm print Prdctica, to-
the core and thorough in whatever he un-
undertakes sen. Gritith has been able TO
suggest one of the most sensible solutions
of the Cuban question it has nccn the
writer's privilege to hear. He - not 1T
all cnamorcd with military administration
Tor cuba. The soldiers there nre too
anxious to whip" the Cubans and do not
understand the real nature of the natives.
They do not need whipping says the
Senator and he says that his way of deal
iuS with the CubHnS would be iirSt to
give the Cuban S2j for his rifle and ammu-
nition and as "a capital to purchnSr too )
to begin the cultivation of his property.
tive him to understand that if hc has
Dec INDUSTRIOUS mat dt the plu OF I'm
months ne will be loaned another so and
50 until he has been allowed 800 This
sum is as good as $1,000 here and will give
,Vcry honest Cuban a chance to start in
life again. Having secured his sun and
ammunition with the first so we would
nave the cuban disnrmcd and with the
remaining SO conditional upon am indus
trial life we would have the cuban bound
to useiui life for a given period ana so
well started in the Industrial pursuits that
hr1in'' and at n loss cost than a continued
military occupltion of the island.
In rcnard to UoIson senator Griaith
docs NOT look uuon him ~ the hero he
has beon nicttlrrd In fact he is not at
MI i'm favor with the officers who served
IN tho tuban war He did arromDli- n
v-b.t bo att ,nrted To do as he lost his
nrnd and sanlt mo NIorrir,ac n lone dis
,n,,,a frnp, whore no rIarnod Anntbnr
Il iact leaned ,l.nut thc case was tbat the
Nil nilo. Of tbo Norrinnar aslled for tho
trivilre,e Of .,uidiur mis- shin 70 ft> destin-
vtior hut vas refused in nr,icr mar U,h-
rnn might navn me rIorv peonI. there
are confident mat if tha old nilot had heen
ri,,on Tho onnortunit,. to guidc tho III
lion vou1d have hcnn more successful
senator Crit,ith kopt a memorandum of
och da1,.s ,rorl, ara will he ,Ilovad IN
tcu rho s.or,, ae hn has II vrittnn ol,t for.
nr.sor,ati,n l., shouId ba .tatn1 hnrc
tt,t 10 ,a,,,rt sant nrt Ly ., ,r,i,or IN
,..al me me 'ePo,t 81 OuC - - "tt'Vi -
.hasrd 9n0o acres of tin,bnr land in Cuha
Is entirely false. He looked over some
tracts but mas not made any purcha scs
As yet. The first letter to quote from was
written Christmas morning while senator
md Mrs Griffith were at The Inn, "
Tampa, Fla, waiting for a boat 10 Hav-
ma He says:
SO,,U rrc,11r O>- St1Auvrrp
This house, The Inn, is far sized.
,icely furnished, sets good table, is built
>ut in the pay, and rests on piles the wa
ier under hotel being three feet deep.
Mid ducks, sea gulls and peiCanS are
Tcry plentiful ana quite tame. Tucy are
led stale bread ana no shooting Is allow
I'd. Skaters army we're camped in sight
pf The Inn ana were loaded ON boats
pot twenty rods from where | SIT. Tine
Inn W,eS where Shdtt@r. Mics, wheeler
md Roosevelt stopped. We are occupying
len. Whealors room ana TN" manager
rays the table ! am writing TINS letter ON
was the table Miles used durns MS stay
ne6uqu"' t'lH' ,.ee