Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1900-06-22
Letter from Cuba.
HAVANA, CUBA, June Is, 100

Editor Sentinel: In my last letter cited
some reasons why, In my opinion, the
Cubans were 30 earnestly bent upon politi.
cal separation from the United States. One
reason-perhaps the strongest and most
natural one-I neglected 70 mention. 1t Is
this: They believe that national independ
ence means greater liberty. The love Of
liberty is inherent in the heart oil every liv.
ing creature. The founders of our republic
held as naught the value Of their lives If ex.
istence must be purchased at "the price Of
chains and bondage" 1t was an American
who said, "Tis liberty alone that gives the
flower OF fieeting lite its lustre and perfume,
and we are weeds withoutit;" and another
who exclaimed, when life was in the bal
ance, "Give me liberty or give me death"
thus voicing the sentiment OF all the hosts
who gave support TO the American arms In
the War of the Revolution.
In the letter above referred TO | told you
that the Cubans did not seem TO be great
admirers of the yankees" which term is
commonly used here TO describe Americans
generally. Some very good reasons for this
lack of admiration have recently created a
great sensation here and in the United
States, have apparently more amused than
angered the Cubans, aud have filled with
painful surprise, rcproach and shame every
hmeTlChu VINO uhs cNou bnc SilButOot ophIh
OF respect for the honor OF his country.
OF these things had no knowledge until
they came like a shock TO the public at
large; but did have a knowledge of GER
tain conduct on the part OF persons calling
themselves Americans, some of them hold
ing official positions here, which was Well
calculated 10 make the Cubans dislike them
and the country from which they came.
The class referred 10 had no sooner landed
than they swooped down upon poor little
stricken Cuba like 80 many cCnquering
heroes, and proceeded to lord 1t over every
body not in position 10 officially call them
down. They acted toward the Cubans as
IL they were 80 many Digger Indians, de-
void Of all intelligence and unworthy of the
slightest measure of respectful consideration.
Not being able TO understand their language,
they seemed to imagine that the Cubans be-
longed 10 lower order OF animals. Among
themselves they talked oil "Cubee" and the
"Cubeeans", as they called them, as if they
were worse than barbarians. l have seen
Americans" serving as "bosses" and ain
structors" of Cuban employees, a majority Of
whom were superior in many respects to
those by whom they were being bossed and
instructed. | have observed some of these
specimens around cafes, restaurants, and eat
lux nOuoCo, N"oS hNii WY
down their throats and damning the igno-
rance and worthlessness of the Cubans, with
theit mouths full OF corned beef and cabbage.
AS to the people who have hocked here
Ia quest OF business opportunities and for
the promotion of money-making schemes,
many of them were devoid of knowledge
of the English language. There are such
people In the United States, but we. do not
regard them as Americans. These people
must have come here from every portion of
the known world, but they pass off as Amer
leans, and the average native knows no
better.
When first came 10 Cuba was directed
to an american" hotel in Havana. found
that 1t was kept by queer old woman who
was no more an American than is the ex-
queen of the Sandwich Islands. One half
Of the hotel was on one side of the street,
and the other half on the other. The guests
had TO do their eating on the east side and
their sleeping on the west. The lodging and
living rooms were In the second story aud
an open court used as a dairy
and COW stables, in which were battered
about thirty cows and nearly as many
calves. Goats, pigs, ducks and chickens
roamed at large among the other animals.
My baggage was carried TO my room; fol
lOWCu, WIN buC lduuluuys OnC buih ~ wan
q delightful place TO live | boarded there
fifteen minutes, sitting on my baggage in the
middle OF the floor, explaining TO the aston.
lshed hostess that did not like the sur
until cab was forthcoming to
haul me away from the stable.
Later boarded at an "American" restau
rant conducted by Loung Chung Lee. He
had formerly run laundry 10 Helena, Mon
tana, and things appeared TO be compare
lively clean and were cooked somewhat after
the American style,
The leading American fruit store here is
kept by gentleman from Greece A promi-
nent American tailor is Solomon Isaac Ben
jamin. His people all hail from Jerusalem.
There are American doctors, lawyers, agents,
merchants, tradesmen, sharpers and swim
dlers from parts of the world, and also not
few who came from the United States.
Every now aud then q partner or employee
In an "American" business firm disappears
simultaneously with the cash collections,
and rewards for his apprehension are pub.
lished in the newspapers. Every species Of
imposition and fraud has been practiced
upon the unwary by people calling them.
selves Americans. A large proportion of
them were just such Americans as have
described, but many of them actually came
tTom Tue DthIco. NC SuUduh, uOb huOWluR
any better, consider them all Americans, and
on this account our people have reaped
much more discredit than they are justly en-
titled TO- But it cannot be denied that Cuba
has been afflicted TO considerable extent
with people from the States, whose pres
ence has shed no charm about them.
Mind you, do not mean to say that our
people generGtly-military, civil and unof.
ticial-have conducted themselves improp-
erly, but do say that proportion of them
have so conducted themselves as to natural
ly produce upon the natives an untavorabe
impression with reference To Americans
generally; Tor ii must be remembered that
the Cubans, as rule, have not yet learned
enough about our people to enable them to
justly discriminate between the vast ma.
jority of intelligent and worthy Americans
and the scattering elements, found every
where, that grossly misrepresent the real
character Of our people rs a whole.
A A. b.
|