The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-18

Recent arrivals. as well as letters from
I cities in Cuba show very plainly that Span
I iards who have resided there have not. ia
{ spite OF the recent change In the political
I situation Of the island. lost their love Tor
| the garden spot OF the Antilles The Gu
ban himself though possibly he doesn't
know il. aud II he does Is unwilling to
! admit it. is a Spanlard 10 all intents and
purposes. He may not be. in fact h. Is
not. OF pure Csstillian blood but be IS
| strongly imbued with Spanish notions. AID
the customs Of the country now that an
enduring peace seems to have taken the
place OF iutermlnable war. have cropped
out anew. A conclusive proof is pre-
scented that II an intelligent and respect
/ able Cuban is well scratched Spanish SEN
timent Is bound 20 present itself
At the same time the Cuban element
itself. as distinguished from the mixed
breed. is something that cannot within a
generation be weaned from a condition OF
existence by no means inconsistent with
some degree Of Asiatic or African indiffer-
euce to the propgieties OF life TO call it By
the least Of its Objectionable features
This IS not confined to the wild and IN
cultivated country yet untouched By civil
ordinances in the wake Of crude rules OF
irregular warfare. but in the leading cities
Of the island they linger with no special
indication OF an early cancellation
Major J. r. Kenner. who has recently
returned to the United States after a long
service in Cuba as a paymaster in the
American Army declares in a recently
published letter that the Cuban is very
low down in the scale as to his ideas OF
civil government. He has been oppress-
ed and tyrannized over so long Major
Kenner asserts that the Cuban has very
meagre ideas OF our form Of government.
There are tive classes in Cuba toby
which are Outspoken foT annexation to the
United States. First. the Spaniards that
own the property OF the Island They are
for annexation, for the reason that they
believe under the United States their pos
sessions will be safe. Second. the labOring
classes are largely for annexation. for the
reason that they believe under the United
States their wages would be better. There
is a revolutionary class called in Cuba the
Politicians They are mostly mulatt0es
and insurrectionary Cubans that want the
offices They are the fellows that gave
General Brooke and Gomez so much trou-
BILE"
Major Kenuer expresses the opinion that
II this Government should withdraw its
forces and leave the Cuban politicians to
form a Government Instructions and reVO-
lutions would be as frequent as In any
South American State. lie refers to the
multitude of negroes in Cuba aud believe.
that the element will be a disturbing fac
tor in the future Of the island
The negro Of Cuba is. however. admitted
to be equal TO the average Southern negro.
While he is as black as ebony. he has a
well shaped head and good features and
generally is a man Of intelligence.
Major Kenner referring to eOrruptions
Of officials In Cuba says:
The coTruptiOns of the officials in Gu
ba. if Cubans may be believed relating to
taxation and the assessment Of taxes. was
simply astounding l was told by appa-
rently reliable men that a tax assessor. in
going 70 assess two persons. one whose
property was worth 81 600 and the OtkeT
$4,000. il the $4,000 man put into the
hands OF the assessor bride OF SlO0
OF some other sum. his property is usu-
ally valued a g. goo or $1,000 and If the
other man refused. he was assessed at $10,-
0O0. The assessor divided with his superior,
and the assessment stood. l am told that
this corruption pervaded all official depart
ments IN Cuba under the Spanish system"