River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-01-16

Central Valley, N. Y, Jan. 14-Gen.
Tomas Estrada Palma, recently elect
ed president of Cuba, is remark
able combination of Spaniard and of
American, and as such is peculiarly
| qualified to guide the destinies of
the infant republic in the days be-
fore it learns to walk alone. He
taught school here in New York
state for 20 years or more, and
though he has never learned to talk
English without pronounced Span
ish accent, he has imbibed the spirit
of American institutions, and, as a
consequence, the two foundation
stones of the new republic are to be,
first, commercial union with the
United States, and, secondly, the ed
ucation of the masses.
Not an Annexationist.
The president-elect is not an an
nexationist, but a most jealous pa
triot. He began fighting for Cuba
more than a generation ago, was i'm
prisoned in a Spanish Jail, has lived
| in the bush, knows the way of the
revolutionist, and yet hates war with
all of the hatred of good and peace
able man. He recognizes to the ut
most extent the debt due to the
United States on the part of Cuba;
but at the same time he assumes
that in attempting to free Cuba the
United States has done only a part
of it's work in driving the Spaniards
out of the island. He believes in an
exclusive commercial union, amount
| ing to a business annexation, be-
| tween the United States and Cuba.
! Wants No Army Nor Navy.
He does not believe in wars, nor in
armies nor in navies for the new re-
public. If he has his way Palma will
| have no armed forces on the island
except the so-called rural guards or
insular police. He takes the ground
| that the Platt amendment was really
the best thing which could have hap
pened to Cuba, because it pledges the
United States to defend and protect
the independence of the island.
For Commercial Union.
AS to a commercial union with this
country, Gen. Palma assumes that Gu
ba is so near the United States that
it must have in this country it's best
possible market, and, on the other
| hand, that the United States can nat
urally control the market in Cuba.
On this ground he favors the negotia-
ton by the new republic of treaty
giving to the United States tariff priv
| ileges such as are not extended to
any other nation in the world.
Cut in Tariff Most Needed.
AS preliminary to this Gen. Palma
urges that the first step should be a
| reduction on the part of the United
| States of it's tariff on tobacco and
sugar. In return he hopes that Cuba
will admit American machinery and
agricultural implements either entire
ly free or at so a low rate Of duty
as to give the United States the ex-
elusive control of the Cuban market
One Term Enough.
Gen. Palma does not expect to serve
| more than one term of four years as
president of Cuba. He hopes in that
| time, in a modest sort of way, to see
the revenues of the island on sound
basis. He is pledged to pay off the
old Cuban republic debt Of 100000
and also to pay the arrears due to
the insurgent army, both of these OBJ
legations having been recognized by
| the new Cuban republic.
Island Not to Borrow Money.
| Nevertheless, Gen. Palma is strong
! ly opposed to any immediate issue Of
| bonds or other securities. He thinks
| that as the Cuban revenues have prov
| en- sufficient for the government of the
/ island under the direction Of the Unit
| ed States military forces, as command
| ed by Mai. Gen. Wood, the same thing
| ought to be true when the Cuban gov
| eminent is organized on the first day
| of Nav next He proclaims that econ
| omy shall be his watchword through
| out the entire term Of his administra-
ton, with only single exception.
views on Education.
This exception is characteristic Of
| the man. Gen. Palma would spend all
| the money he could gather together Oh
giving the masses Of Cuba a common
! school education. While he was an ex-
| lie in this country for more than a
score Of years, he supported himself by
| teaching. He made close study Of
| the American public school system,
and he firmly believes that the peace
and the prosperity Of the republic Of
| Cuba can be guaranteed forever only
by means of the general uplifting and
| education of the masses of the people.
| All .educat ional funds he would spend
for the plainest, simplest and most
useful common school education. He
believes it will be some time before the
| government can spend any money on
high schools or universities; but he
does believe that liberal appropria-
tons for the common schools should
be absolutely the first work Of the new
| Cuban congress.
Dies in His Car.
Kalamazoo, Mich, Jan. IA. p.
| TT American avpracc Ynaccar-