The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-09-09
THEY WILL SIARVE
Rough Rider Rhoades Tells of
Conditions Threatening Cuba
WHEN UNCLE SAM LEAVES
Hardships Will be Equal to
Those Under Weyler-Reasons
Especial Correspondence to Eagle)

Sept. las the Democratic and Populist
parties are making statements about
Cuba and the colonies of the United
States which are not only half truths but
in many cases direct lies depending upon
the ignorance OF these countries. take
this occasion to say a few words in re-
gard TO those that touch Cuba. Bryan
says that if he is elected he via with
draw all the troops. Let US suppose. for
arguments sake, that everything would
be peaceable. that the inhabitants would
form governments and make laws and
otherwise deport themselves well. what
then? Simply this, as far as Cuba is con-
cerned it would mean absolute starvation
There would be a return of as dark days
as under Weyler. / know this statement
will be laughed at and pooh-poohed, and
many will say it is impossible in a tropi-
cal country, where everything grows
without work and where vegetables grow
in two weeks. As I have been here two
years and studied the people and the
country / think l ought to be ADLER TO
judge than anyone who has never seen
IT. All the soil here is of clay formation
and very heavy, supporting a growth Of
grass as heavy as a field sown to cane,
much Of it being johnson grass" that
has roots from fifteen inches to two feet
long and as large as ones fore finger
so that cattle or mules are required to
prepare even a small patch. and as nine
tenths of the population are living in
towns and cities where they have until
recently received work at 60 cents per
day, on which most of them support
| family, l would like some one to tell me
where they are 10 get the cattle. A yoke
OF cattle will cost $50. a cart $50 and
place S25, making a total of $3.50, in addi-
ton to which it would be necessary to be
at the expense of living while his crop
was growing and also the purchase of
| seed.
Again someone will say They could
have saved up some money by this time"
Wen, perhaps they could. 1t ought not
be a hard matter to save a few hundred
| dollars and support a family on 50 cents
per day. But even if they might they
| didn't, and it is the real and not the ideal
that confronts US I have had charge of
a large force of laborers for over fifteen
months, and if they are not paid every
week promptly they have nothing to eat,
so that in one week they would be starry
ing if out Of work. If one gets s. ahead
he Immediately quits work and does not
reappear until every cent is spent. when
he shows up and asks me to lend him a
dollar TO buy enough groceries to last
him until next pay day
Why would not this work continue I'M
der Cuban government? Because the Gus
tom receipts would not be large enough
10 keep up the work and If there was
enough to pay the official salaries it
would be Incorporated or misplaced
and be lost for any material benefit, part
ly by incapability but more likely by dis
honesty.
The New York Journal Of August @.
with flourish of head lines announced
the falling off of the custom receipts and
laying it 10 mismanagement of the Nc
Kinley administration. If it was mis-
management it was in withdrawing the
troops, for it was through them the
money came that supported the island.
The first six months after American oc-
cupation I was in Havana and never saw
a place where money was plentier
Everyone met had money. even the
children on the streets. and it was Ameri- |
can money at that. The reason for this
was that the pay roll Of the troops and
officers quartered in Havana was over |
half million dollars monthly. 1t was all |
spent in the city. In addition to this the
consular employees salaries amounted 10 /
100000 per month.
The American volunteer is great on /
taking home relics and everything in Ha- |
vana that could be utilized was purchased |
and carried back to the states and In one |
way or another the money was left in 4
circulation This brought more goods /
and run up the custom duties, which in /
turn went TO pay labor for road building 4
and street work The volunteers went /
home but were replaced by regulars. 20 /
there was no difference IN that respect.
as the regular soldier as a rule spends
every cent Of his salary. He is more IN
clined 10 dissipation than the volunteer.
but his money gets INTO circulation Just
the same. through the cafe and through
other channels.
very noticeable effect OF the with
drawal Of troops occurred about month
ago in Matanzas. when the Tenth lnfsn-
try was taken away and headquarters
broken up. causing the discharge OF gov
eminent clerks that were drawing month
Is S59eo. BEFORE that time IL was Amos,
impossible 20 get waited upon in any one
OF three large cafes started upon the
plaza Now the walters stand In the
doors idly whipping the air With ihsir
towels andJooklng for possible custom
er and Il one enters from three 70 Eve
walters come AZ him az once. When
questioned as 70 business they ln~arsaoly
reply NO Amerlcanos. No buslne~s.'
On every street the houses these people
occupied are closed ard the familiar
Spanish sign 'For rent starss from
every door.
Already the lack of znorev f. bling felt
and many iab0rers 65schzrEsS and q xii
steadily Ero~ worse AZ she surplus or
hand e dim.nishsd. TIE boys zba form
sriy made lviag setting papers ard
hoising csTairyras1s tsors@a are uax re-
8lc@d - begEaFy and ths pe5a4er wao
formerly DID a thriving basiness sfzagt
the streets Is mourning the departure q
the troops. All reports f-ora Havanz are
TIE same rs large force - rsruiarsi
have seen ces d7zn sna hard times ksvs
-es-lted i Is the same ~ ever tae
SAND ard a. every towa wssltes - Ger.
sral Wrods or hsx present trip zhe -srea-
az - waTk sor the =ssses = hrasRnt q
ais aftsns3oa- he has ordered raAAs =, E
b eusls aad streets r<ssires - every
slzcs, bsr aa seen az fse ograpsu1 sssr- &
us r. wstssrazrr tAzs E-E usst fssa z
ard there at = 70 z9fe z1ney - have
9 reeaznence
VIA ever &sseslaaa Earrzsa rsnasss =