The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-06


Cuban Junta; Ernest L Conant, who is
the legal adviser Of the various depart-
ments, and Major Runcie. who was with
General Wood in Santiago. All are Ia
niliar with the Spanish laws and all IN
derstand how TO respect the sensibilities
/ OF the Latin lawyers. who were fearful
/ that the whole system OF Roman juris-
( prudence was going TO De overturned by
not the purpose at all Instead. the COM
mission Will seek TO codify the present
conflicting codes, prune away the redun-
dancies. modify some Of the statutes
which are most oppressive in their re-
strictions on the personal llberty of indi-
viduals and devise means Of guaranteeing
prompt trials 70 accused persons It IS
conservative scheme. and when carried
through viii be another evidence OF the
value OF doing Things" which Is the
leading idea of General Woods policy.
Coincident with this working on the
code will be the efforts OF the civil and
abuses Of the courts. and. mora especial
ly. the monstrous exactions Of the Zee
system. 1t is hardly necessary TO say that
the gravest task Is in finding officials
from Justice OF the Peace UP who viii
administer the laws fearlesslv and hon
estly. But it is a plain stSA all the
way through. and the Governor General
talks of it as such.
There IS another side to the Spanish 4
laws and the administration Of them I'M
der American authority which will be
even more decisive experiment over
in the CUstom-house Colonel TasIser II. \
Bliss, the Collector. sits IN his office and
talks horse sense In polished Castilian 20
Spanish importers and Cuban politicians
II IS q historic building In which his
office is located. The Archbishop OF the
diocese in looking over the records dis
covered that part Of the edlfce was erect
ed within the lifetime Of the first gene
ration Of Spanish colonists. The sons q
some Of Columbus sailors may have seen
the stones laid. After the English occu-
patton, nearly a century and a half ago.
the San Francisco monks abandoned Il ,
because it had been profaned by military
The old church then became
the Custom-house. Il It's walls had ears =
they woIld have heard many interesting A.,
stories within the last 800 years, yet there
would never have been such echoes rs
ire now ringing through the old build
ng. It all comes about because the test q
las been reached which Is to determine c
whether it is possible to secure the sup =
'ort Of the community In administering !
Latin custom-house honestly. and 5
whether the courts can DC depended on =
o sustain such administration. p
At the end Of his first year Collector n
Bliss checked off and found that during :
lis twelve months he had dismissed lsi p
mPloyes. Some had belonged to the old !,
Danish regime. during which Il was the n
legitimate perquisite OF the customs Of p
Gals to divide with the brokers and the
Importers. Others and the majority.
'ere Cubans appointed in pursuance OF .
he policy Of naming Cubans for Offices {
lot ell these discharged employees were
isnlissed for dishonesty. Some were N
mply incompetent. others Indifferent
lany were In a degree honest themselves =
ut they refused to recognize their obi
atoms to aid in stopping dishonesty on -.
le part of others. The Collector did not J"
anne them, because the old system was %
III impressed on their minds but ne %
new that II the customs administration %
ere to be a success Il must start With %
le recognition on the part OF every Of az
;ial and every customs broker and every ~
iporter that stealing Is stealing ~
When the dismissals were made. there 81
1uld be protests and clamors and 70
reats. but Colonel Bliss went dorgssly ar
iead. He had nothing 70 DO with poll III
C or questions Of policy. lie was siup- a.
carrying out his Instructions 70 give pr
honest and enlcisnt administration o. of
. Custom house. ca
=.
nos the Spanish merchants were qusru- Aii
IS. They ia not care for politics. they an
"a. but the Cjsstom-h1use was heir mi
ve-nnent and they thought they had m
hit 70 ind fault Rith s., 5ust a. he 20
hans found fauit with the American h9
Etary rule. Then tho Cuban politicians no
their friends would move on the col
tor fn force 70 secure TIE entire cus-
n administration FOR tfeInse yes but p,
went forward on a straight lire The g.
max came 4 fsw weeks ago when
sarthe5. which Involved c.st1nss era-
yes. broke-e and importer. TEE nrst
niles ~ Havana got sho1k when ~
ir Offspring Ne-a arrested. azd tae -.
N was filed wffh -lsnor azainv. B4zs
ty-snt After rhst cane the 1Giz- Il.
ion c. 11e brokers and importers. wao =,
nd that tbc-e vas ~ .ul Fss1nfty FOR re
e6cisries q customs tra1ds The cd
,nish p-overb. ITO ro3 t1s state ss ~. ~
roS went around. ard some ~ fsgse
b ha9 ag7revet ire American 1agrozs
thoug1t rllst To- nasoh
was oeiuT uoafe a-ozc e .rfainz IN
snt
ol.~ofor Bllas s7Fesrs sornsfiroes. pee
~ ghs outcome - SIS army rratslnx
swo-e a good zeal over taeee csaseaaaa
sEa. There Tars sanle cases q sresch-
and lu-yafltucs Es8-a woufs haes
j. 3 n7a1 ,TasasG "a q sheslo1sesI sem
81 sEasr Egt a. aa oIses 20 saeas
e Instances = edeilty zalea gaze =
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Czsto=n-ao - re sscasl sz-ras -
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he a-rsse- eanoloees af9 not seresaa -
ozt q The esgptrT sznsFh,u- Ess f
rst TIE 1aea1a saasssssz sae rs
Ks lis wzs ons e-essraEtas. az -
y sgs1ggrsec-ent cz=as we n "a
e passed srsn - coz rss = sfs ess -,
, z9,aa-st-sa - .t1e ea1rfr AZ -
sss = zss saaa.sa law wsre sg-aaz - ---
sc;Sr EsiEs sxs a. eTay -aa. ees ----
Aasfag so raeen 81 q wsia lazTs-x. ~,
- sast rss hfa.ssrzsees II tre =er
sstlce wsrs astraxesss AsffzslF - -
aszs Hsn ffaszrs zsE = 49,
ssaxas - tsfeTsose -eFs - 80.
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