The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-01
As He HIS SEEN h
Rough Rider Rhodes of Okla
homa on Cuba's Progress.
HOW 1T WAS CLEANED
And the Yellow Fever's Play
Ground Wiped Out.
Especial Correspondence 10 the Eagle.

|
and If yellow fever would not come with
it. As to the first, do not know. There
has been no rainy season since the Amer
| lean occupation, now some fifteen months
1t is my opinion that that notorious
period is a myth. originated in the brains
of people who had always lived in cities
| and knew nothing of country life. 1t
did not rain here last summer as mucn
! as ordinarily in any part of the West
! There is always very heavy dew that
equals any ordinary rain, and is sufficient
for all crops except sugarcane. The peo-
pie say the sugar crop was short on ae-
count of the dry weather, claiming that
| other years the stalks are twice as large.
They are terrible prevaricators. aad are
50 enthusiastic about every thing con-
| ne.ted with Cuba that all their state
ments must be taken with a great deal
of allowance. An Oklahoma or Kansas
real estate dealer is not in it in COM
| parison.
Will yellow fever visit the island with
the advent of summer? Judging from the
past season. would answer emphaticalIy
| No. The reason for this Is obvious. yell
low Jack is caused by fifth and insani-
tary conditions. There are no sewers Of
any size so that all refuse matter, In
| Guiding the closets, was dumped into cess
| pools, there to breed germs that the
| contagious diseases of all kinds were on
| ly matter of course. The first act of
the sanitary board of engineers was to
order specially prepared pumps and tanks
| by which all this was removed and
| dumped into the Gulf stream far enough
| out so that none was carried back by
the tide. The result was that in Havana
! the few cases were kept under control.
while in MantanZas there was but one
| case in a very mild form. 1t Is true
the patient died. but he was a confirmed
drunkard and was just SOLDERING up af-
| ter several weeks debauch. The san
| itary board had to contend with every
| disadvantage as well as commence their
| work at the same time the fever started.
Now every city on the island is thorough
| ly cleaned and as nearly ali rest on
limestone foundations there is no germ
breeding nsld as in New Orleans and the
| likelihood of an epidemic is reduced TO
| a minimum Too much praise cannot be
given those who brought about the
| change for their work is certainly dis
| agreeable, dirty and offensive 10 both
| the eye and nose. The medical officers
who are responsible did not sit in their
chairs but went out and attended to ii
themselves.
While too much cannot be said in praise
of the medical STAFF and their work. yet
when it comes to the other branch of the
military the governing power, hey de-
serve only the severest condemnation
While no doubt they are all good mill
tary officers and many have medals for
bravery, yet as a governing power they
are a hopeless set. A set Of imbeciles
or children could not do worse. As an
Illustration, I will take the laws of the
country as they exist today. The United
States fought the war with Spain FOR
the sole purpose of freeing Cuha. From
what? From the laws that were oppres-
sing tine people The Military Governors |
of the several provinces with the Govern
er General have absolute power and yet
today, after nearly fifteen months &C
cupation, there has been but one instance |
Of a change and that IS in regard 70 |
marriage and divorce. Every other alb |
surd. ridiculous and oppressive law. many |
dating from tradition handed down from |
the Dark Ages, are not only in force, |
but have been enforced in many in |
stances, by the Municipality backed by |
Am erican bayonets in the hands Of Amer
lean soldiers under the Stars and Stripes. /
The difference between the United States
and the old European power is simply /
in their laws. The trainers OF the con-
st tuition were so careful 10 see that no !
A merican citizen should be Imprisoned /
and held without trial that they en-
bodied in the constitution words 10 the
effect that the writ OF habeas corpus
should not be suspended except In the
time Of war There is no writ OF habeas
crpus in the Cuban code and as con-
sequence not only Cubans hut Americans
ass well have been imprisoned for months
without trial The prisons. until recent
Is. have been in the hands Of Cuoans
and the 'svlvec' OF Havana was IN as
bad condition as under Spanish rule.
There IS not a chair. nor bed. blanket,
nor pillow furnished by the government.
and until recently every occupant had
10 lie down at night on the hard cement
floor with Only his clothing FOR covering.
Their food WIS given % them all mixed
together IN ore tin pan. and no soap.
towels nor water except for drinking vas
furnished The crowding o. al classes
OF prisoners together caused them u be-
come covered with verrnin and tire iack
OF proper food caused a constant dys-
entary. and in many eases contagious
skin diseases have been e0ngarfed-
There has been no distinction q persons, I
and every person arrested for any Cause
whatever has been Subjected 70 fne same
treatment N many cases American
citizens have been arrested IS the Csrza
police and so confined TO 5s turned loose
later On aseca1se there szs no charge
against them that would hold ~ they Rad
broken no law and were either arrested
through ire Ignorance % the police o.
on account u race prejudice
7-5fz kind u treatment q Americans ~
sr.sfn would have caused wave = r.
dIrratl9n n ere states 50 great - 70
cause tne pses.eeHi 70 interfsrs. even e.
ne extent * saeiaTsng zar. and yeE tals
Il true state q sas3rs under tna
T-rssea Ssstes azz ard American ugs-
.a-v -sfe The .Fiwsc~ q Havana s
z-ezlse.s ovsr ny one william Pstraer
xha q major n ~ l. z r@zsgar
a--~ Tf..e eonsstlars weTe zel k-axo
=, ss-h esenessIs Brooks ard Llsd.zza
There j. s5-ze excuse % bs psssdss IA
save- X military Offers a. rsgsxs. ~
.sat- s<su-afsan ~ vgezs Psaas instead e
Grating AID brca8ezinE thesr rrlass
.e..ss . eausrac, Ard 5sr7a&s the-a
4rev zre tauEaz thzs rExhs = rsrat s-ss