New-York tribune., 1905-01-06
CLAIMS OF CUBAN REToLUTIoNISTS.

The question of paying its revolutionary SOL
diers still troubles Cuba, and President rama
has q serious task before him TO secure 1or the
veterans what Is justly their due without open
ing the door to raid upon the treasury Which
would seriously injure Cuba's reputation ana
credit abroad In 1902 everybody seemed sat
isfed with the proposition to pay S25,UUO.Voo
for the discharge in full of all obligations TO
the soldiers. The next year committee, under
General Gomez, made a list Of nearly fifty thou
sand names of soldiers entitled to payment and
showed that under the original agreements their
claims amounted to $57,000,000. OF course, the
earlier plan ceased to be satisfactory, and not
even content with $57, 100000 in Spanish silver,
which is said to have been the basis of the Origi-
nal agreement or something less than $4,000,
600 in gold, the soldiers and spectators who had
bought up their claims at a discount have begun
clamorng for $57,OO0,O00 in gold. They have
had set apart for them already about $31, 100000
from loans hitherto effected and have received
part of it, The contest now turns on further
appropriations.
Two plans will come before the Cuban Con-
gress at its session this month. One is to bor
row $100O0OO0 to discharge the claims in full
as accrued in Spanish silver. The other plan is
for loan Of $30,0O0O0O, about $26,OO0,0OO of
which is to pay the claims on a gold basis.
Many disinterested observers feel that $57, ,0O0,
600 in Spanish silver is much more than ample
to pay all just claims and that payrolls have
been greatly padded. Still, they admit that the
Gomez report and the action already taken in
way commit Cuba to a settlement on the silver
basis with the whole army as returned Unless
it can be shown that the original expectation
was payment In gold settlement on any other
than the silver basis would seem to be mex
cuSably playing into the hands of SPECTATORS
That is matter which should easily be settled
as an historical fact. How was the original
agreement expressed? Was it in terms a stipu-
lation for gold, or did it assume payment in the
current money of Cuba, Spanish silver? If the
latter, the demand for $57O00000 in gold is
nothing but an unprincipled raid on the Cuban
treasury, and any surrender to 1t would be a
serious blow to Cuban stability. The island
cannot afford to load itself down with a huge
debt, not TO meet honest claims, but to fill the
pockets Of spectators, a great many of whom
are in the United States
The situation is not parallel to that which in
duced Hamilton to plead for the redemption of
our Revolutionary soldiers claims in specie
While Continental bills and drafts were tre-
mendousy deprecated, they were theoretically
based on specie, and when issued they were
understood to be redeemable in specie so far as
anybody had faith that they would ever be re-
deemed at all Spanish silver, on the other
hand, was and is a reasonably stable measure of
value. The man who contracted in 1897 to pay
Spanish peso for an article would be outraged
by demand now for gold dollar 1t Is not
question in Cuba CT deprecated currency and
what is honorable in the way of redemption.
1t Is merely question Of what was the original
agreement. When the soldiers enlisted under
the arrangement of 1895 for peso a day, did
they establish a right to a gold dollar? or
course If the contract was for American money,
that settles it. Otherwise a payment Of $751;
100000 in gold would seem to be lamentable
confession by Cuba of inability to resist strik-
ers, domestic and foreign, and protect its own
treasury and taxpayers