Arizona republican., 1901-09-19

resentative for every 5000 of the pop
 ulation. The school system ought to be extended; and as there is a dearth
 of school-houses. large expenditures should be made for such buildings The
 Army of Liberation will clamor at
 the doors of the Cuban congress for
 back pay, bounties, and pensions, eall-
 ing for an amount which no man can estimate. The bonds issued by the Gu ban junta during the revolution, the amount of which has never been made public, will demand recognition. to-
 gether with their unpaid interest cou-
 pons. With the general government.
 the provinces, and the municipalities free to grant concessions. to make
 loans. and to contract debts. and with very natural desire to have some
 ready cash. it is to be feared that ob- legations will be assumed the total amount of which will reach a startling sum.
 There is grave danger that the ex- pertinent of the Independent govern
 ment of Cuba by Cubans will have the
 following results: The revenues will
 decrease and expenses will increase:
 projected improvements. absolutely
 necessary for the development of the
 country, will languish; schools will be | neglected; sanitary measures will not | be inte,ligently prosecuted; and the country will retrogade. These things | may now be predicted with some de-
 gree of confidence without assuming that rival parties will raise the stan | happened in every Spanish country in
 America. The latter possibility has been scarcely mentioned in treating of the Cuban question. as 1t Is a matter
 which time alone can develop; but as every one of the fifteen Latin-Ameri-
 can republics has had many domestic
 revolutions, the conclusion is reason | a ble that Cuba is not free from the same tendency, and may in the near future appea. to the bayonet rather
 than the ballot to decide presidential
 contests. The president. under the Gu
 ban constitution, will have almost su- pfeme power in the distribution of patronage, even in the provinces. The government will be a central one, and
 the provinces for governmental pur- | poses will have a nominal rather than
 a real existence. Conservative Cubans.
 with large interests in the island, urge the speedy establishment of indepen-
 dence. not because they have conf dence in it's permanency. but because | they see that the trial must be made;
 and they look upon it simply as nec-
 essary step to final annexation or con
 trol by the United States.
 If the natural wealth of a country
 were measure of it's stability. there
 would be hope for Cuba; but Cuba was rich bsfore the revolution. The ex- ports per capita in 1897 were ss3.1o. far
 larger than the exports of any Spanish American republic. Cuba, under Span ish control. had Q greater wealth pe- capita than the states of Virginia.
 North Carloina, South Carolina. Geor- gia, Tennessee. Alabama. Mississippi. | Louisiana. or Arkansas: but this very | wealth. actual and potential. is an ele-
 ment of danger iather than security fer the stability of the future republic. l for 1t has been productive or proIiSaI- ity rather than prudence. According
 to the census of 1899. taken under the direction of the United States, the rural property of Cuba was valued at $1S4,- | 724, S36. on which rested a mortgage in | debtedness of S106, ,S97 ,249. In other
 words, it is mortgaged to about 60 per
 cent of it's full value. The town prop
 erty makes even a worse showing. It
 is valued at s13s.91 O59, and is mort
 gagged for s1OO 72s. .943. almost 80 per
 cent of it's full value With the re-
 linquishment of United States control
 in Cuba. one of the first problems tha
 new government will have to face will
 be to make some arrangement for pay ing. scaling. refunding or repudiating | this enormous indebtedness.
 |