New-York tribune., 1901-05-18

worIes .ron, a single centre Some Of the
demonstrations went further than the MI @
who provided for them intenoeo' .,ng an +bn
irreconcilable stand against ever dccSp.i9 ..ai
pia,, a,,erdn,n,t This makes ii a little din
cult for the Radical members VIZ az . ~ ~ S
indorsed that course to retrace ,s ,,tttn, tbs
| IN their own view entirely Justlhes puIuHs inc
| raenonsibilitv on their colleagues who were not
quite so ra bid II Is case OF pau WE I IN
| ing home 10 plague the tnschlel d,tf
! ever. some Of them recognize tne sltuauoh' anu
! while tbev talk considerably they interpose no
! earious objections 10 the steps leading up TO
/ EST q hlshing a Cuban government IN whlch they
,.laot 20 have n part The keynote was given
them hv Senior Villuendas the youngest member
! Of tbe convention who issued manifesto say
ing that he had learned that the Platt amend
men. was not the action OF a political party in
the United states, but the will of the Amer
lean nation. He therefore urged the acceptance
of the amendment as means of securing an
island government by and for the Cuhans in
preference to continuance indefinitely OF mill
tary rule. This was the most sensible mani
festo that has come from the Radical members
of the convention. 1t appealed to Americans
because it recognized a practical situation
WITCH could not be talked away by elaborate
ofations.
THE SPANISH ELEMENT.
The Spanish press of the island has taken
marked interest in all the developments in the
convention and in the progress toward setting
UP a government which will end the American
military control. The Spanish classes as such
not to take part in public affairs but their
newspapers show the interest which they feel
The Spanish press as a rule is critical but not
impartial toward either the Cubans the
Americans 1t exhibits the Latin disposition to
discover fine distinctions and 10 raise clouds of
dust over immateriai points. Generally il tells
both CubanS and Americans that both are gon 2
to be disappointed. and this means that in the
future the Spanish classes expect to do good
deal of croa king and to indulge in the We told
you So style of journalism. Yet this disposition
is not quite 50 marked as IT was. and there are
growing evidences of rapprochement between
Spaniards and Cubans. At a local political
meeting in one Of the villages near Havana an
ambitious leader had Of his little girls
dressed in garments allegorically representing
cuba. while another child clothed alegori-
cally as Spain. Enemies yesterday friends to-
morrow. was the poetic explanation given.
Why not fri 9nds to-day" inquired the organ
OF the Spanish press in Havana, and then pro-
ceeded TO mOraiZe existing conditions with
the hint of the political influence which the
Spanish classes might exercise If they were
gwen proper encouragement. The suggestion
was 4 good one from the Cuban point of view,
hut while the Cubans tolerant Of the Span
larcS they are not quite ready to turn them
Tor aid in political affairs, and the Spaniards
are not quite ready voluntarily TO come out Of
their retreat
1t is one of the good signs OF Cuban notifies
that so much attention is being given 70 the
bearing Of economic and Industrial questions
on the government OF the island. The Ameri-
can authority has been in danger of mourning
unpopularity the last few weeks because of
spring drouth While the dry weather helped
the grinding of sugar cane. IL interfered seri-
ously with tobacco growing and general farm
ing. Real suffering and losses were caused In
many localities through the weather conditions
and the local politicians were beginning TO cite
the distress as Of the results of the Ameri-
can occupation. 1t is a form OF criticism which
Is as difficult TO meet in Cuba in the United
States when there is drOuth a plague OF
grasshOpperS in the West. The demands We're
going up pretty strongly that the American
authority. being responsible. must do something
and some chicken pillaging and other minor
thievery in the country districts cited as
proof that the people We're being driven 10
brtgandage a means OF support. Happily
the summer rains have come and the spring
drouth is broken. 1t will be some time yet he
fore the agricultural districts can fully re-
cuperate. but every DAYS rain helps them.
and while they are not overwhelmed with pros
perity. at least they in better condition to
provide for their own necessities until the next
| season This means a subsistence of the more
violent political agitation and calmer discus
| sion Of the questions OF new Cuban government.