The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-22
THE REVOLT AT CIENFUEGOS.
MARINES LANDED TO PROTECT
SUGAR PLANTS OF AMERICANS.
CIenfurgOs OnrIal GrafterS Hated ny the
pcop'c-SOme Light N the Murder or
Rcpr,a ntRtiVe Nil!ucndoS- THE wafer
works Zeal Approved by Painra'

r.v,~,, Get. i5.-Thc landing OF
Ane~'c,7 narirce ut Cienfuesos on SEP
Il mhc. 10 IVES the result Of threats by
revolutionary leaders 10 dc troy the sugar
c~,utrals OF Soiedad, Uor ul,uero and Con-
,tgrcja. I'll tbc property Of Americans.
unless nrav Thousands Of pounds Of rifle
ammunition were supplied by that date.
The marines vcrc immediate " despatched
"a IN, sum ertatca nd nothing occurred.
,Whetbe~ any damage would have been
80 10 those spicndid properties Will re-
main q Question for individual opinion. as
Some maintain that the threat 40 destroy
IN grinding plants was never anything
hut a hluh by which the needy reNolu-
tionists hoped To obtain hall cartridges;
h first step 20 the military occupation
having been taken at Cieufuegos, marines
were soon 70 be seen in the whole District
The Cuban Central Railway. an English
concern, VIII ch had been the principal sdt-
ferer by the war, received cons'neraple
protect on, and between Cleniuegos ana
Santa Clara. a distance OF about ffty miles,
American marines in detachmHnts OF from
twenty-five TO fifty were quartered at every
station, and small bodies OF Americans
were also sent to SGg,Ei, where the SHOPS Oh
The componv are sit, ated, and to Santo
Domingo, Esperanza lad other STATIONS on
branch limos,
Az mot the Cuban Government was
nowerIess 70 domorc thar hold the principal
cites in santa Clara province, and ABOUT
its ability even to dc tn + there is room
for considerable doubt, az the issue would
have deperded more on "A frame OF mine
hegotten by rumor and rep.Gt than on the
result Of a series Of stand up Sights between
the rebels under Guzman ano Ferrara, and
the forces of the Government backed by
the very uncertain support Of the militia
men, who were being paid s. a day.
II the wantDn destruction of some half
dozen stations on the Cuban Central Rail-
. wav in the Cienfuegos district will appear
,,seless "a a measure Of war, it showed the
poverlessness of the Government to act
outside of the cities it claimed TO control,
and doubtless had a most ~dlsconceTting
effect upon the minds Of an uncertain ana
volatile people, who probably saw IN the
ashes of the little defenceless railraad depots
of Ranchuelo, Iq'as, Baiios, Artistic, Coma
rones and Patmora a warning as TO what
was IN store for other and more important
pieces Of property in case the rebels shoulo
be denied their demands.
The sympathies or support enjoyed by a
evolutionary movement in Cuba can never
be measured by the active opposition en-
countered by il. It is admitted both by
supporters Of the fallen Palma Government
and by neutral parties DESTROYS Of peace
at any price that where il is relatively easy
IN rather a small army of malcontents to
. fight the government or to plumber and
DESTROY property it is extremely difficult to
induce citizens to combine to carry on a
war in defence Of the Government or to
do ANYTHING more than to arm for the pro-
lection Of their own lives.
The c~onseduence has been that the rebels
had all the enthusiasm on their side in the
Cuban revolt, especially in the Cienfuegoe
district. where the small clique in control
had become so thoroughly hated and de-
spised for the tyranny, injustice and even
murder Of which it has been accused with
every semblance Of truth. 1t Is this TACT
which has made outsiders believe that II
the rebels had chosen they could have
captured Cienfuegos, Santa Clara and even
Havana.
Cienfuegos was undoubtedly In a posi-
ton to defend itself If the Government
volunteer force Of more than 1000 could
have been relied upon 10 hold the Few
spots not commanded by the fire from the
machine guns at the aqueduct, manned by
more or less experienced soldiers, Amerl-
can. German and Cuban, in the service OF
the Government and most anxious to
have a shot at the enemy. The Cienfuegoe
militia. however, does not seem to have
been unanimously regarded as likely to
have shown very much zeal in the defence
of the city.
Reference has been made in a former
article to the killing of Representative
ViIIuendos, almost universally believed tc
have been murdered for his courageoui
defiance Of the clique OF politicians in Glen
flegos who had managed the city anairs
20 their own taste. A short explanation
can be given OF the principal motive which
urged the Moderates in ~Cienfuegos, or rathel
one or two bosses, to maintain control oil
the municipality and district at all costs.
The water supply of Cienfuegos had lonl
been defective, as the springs at Jicotear
from which il was drawn, had been insuffi
Gent. and while the owners OF the aqueduc
realized the need of improving it he ha'
found his hands tied by lawsuits and claim
against his property, which prevented
necessary expenditures. Nevertheless, NJ
had made arrangements for drawing waite
from a place called Cardelaria before th'
revolution began and expected shortly
Ia bring the Weld up 10 the requisites OF
city of IS 600 inhabitants.
At the same time a rival concern ha'
~oriRinated the idea Of getting water from
Habanilla, whence. it is alleged. an abund
ant supply could be obtained. and a bon'
issue Of s3,OsO.OOO had been railroads.
through the City Council and a referendum
taken in which it is stated such person
as Gen. Martinez Campoe, Sefor Romer'
Robledo and other prominent Spanish
statesmen appeared in the year 1905 a
voting citizens Of Cienfuegos IN favor o
the project.
The referendum seems to have been a
f~arcical as the Presidential elections ha'
been in the same city, and an appeal wa
made to President Palma, who declare
the transaction legal, also the contract 10
the work at s.. $4,000.
It was to carry this deal TO a successful
issue that C~ienfuegos was made the fe
Of a party or group, and If any relianc
can be placed on the statements OF ar
p~arently reliable persons the Mayor 9
Cienfuezos endeavored to prevent tn