The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-10-15

70 REiaN BIDS WILL BE ASK.
20 iil BUILDING PANAMA CA.
Nal.
yAsHINGT 'oN, D. G., Oct. Is. 81
IS expected that by the middle Of
u next week Secretary Taft will have
returned 10 Washington, when the
cabinet wilisbe complete and he will
doubtless have some interesting and
funny things 70 tell about the Cuban
revolution. What an absurd affair 1t
WINS andsis after all. Gilbert and Sui.
Ivan never rollaborated in opera
bouffe that could compare in high
strung absurd'ty with the ridiculous
actualities Of recent Cuban history.
The genial Secretary Of War doubt
less had an amusing experience IN
4 his role. Of peacenalser but II is doubt
.ful Il he was surprised at anything
he saw or heard or smelled or tasteI
N Cuba He became acquainted with
half child" people during his resi-
Z dence In the Philippines. The event
shows that the Secretary was not
slow in measuring the personnel Of
the island whether they call them.
serves Moderates or Liberals and thai
he played his part with mock serious
ness and treated with the bandit pa
tiiots mounted on stolen horses and
mules and armed with obsolete guns
as though they were the real thing,
Your correspondent has resided in
Cuba and is more or less familiar
with the Cuban as soldier, patriot or
statesman. To admire them or trust
3 them one must know Them hut slight.
". They dc not improve on acQualnt.
ance and those must be hopeful in.
deed who can believe that hey will
ever be fit for or capable of self.gov.
eminent. On the surface Their may
have been improvements In the adj
ninistration Of affairs in the Island,
hut as a matter Of fact there is not
and has not been much change from
I the time when the policemen pursued
I by day that peaceable calling and
by night we're the holdest of thieves
and burglars, robhins the houses
which they guarded during the day
light and with which their occupation
gave them greater familiarity. II
there are any statesmen in the island
who are honest there are few who are
not ridiculous and rarely does a stage
in the theater present more absurl
spectacle than lid the Cuban congress
during one Of Its sessions. The mem
bers with their waxed mustacLes, OIL
Z ed hair, powdered faces ami corseted
figures posed for the benefit Of the
gallery visitors among which Cuba
bellies were in the majority When a
speech was delivere! on The floor Of
the chamber great enthusiasm was
lisplayed at every Rowing rerOd ia
which the country was called the
sPearl Of the Antilles" or the Land
of sun and flowers" and great apathy
%hen questions Of finance and gov
erpment we're discussed. Apparently
y incapable of being serious in any.
thing but friVolity the Cnbans are
never grave except in pettlness To
ride in a street parade throwing pa.
per confetti at their friends and neigh
bors affords them never failing ex.
citement and delight for the four
weeks Of lent each year. In their or.
inion they owe The Americans two
Heartfelt grudges and these are the
adjustment of bull fighting and of re.
moving the vile smelling, dirt secret. |
ing, microbe breeding, mosquito in,
tested palms AMI plants from the nul..
z liz squares To hear a Cuban resent
4 these reforms made curing American
occupation would Re to suppose that
the Americans had murdered the first
born Of all the families or sJ!i al!
the virgins into slavery or been guilty
Of some other unspeakable crime.
Their dislike Of Americans is no less
Intense than their hatred of the Span
ish. That Senior Palma, who ha been
educated in the United States and alb
snrbed some ideals from his assomla
lions here, was heartily tired of his
Job among his fatuous people no one
can doubt who knows them, The Gu
Dpns have no patriotism or love OF
country and The revolution'sts wer-
lcthing more than crowd of dlsap.
pointed grafters Just as the mo1era;as
we're for the most part arrogant bu-
reaucratic Office holders. Unless the
government could be reorganized so
Us to permit every grown man on the
island to be President and all at the
same time and for life and with free
tntree to the pubic treasury there
Stll always be dlscortent, riot and