Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-04-15
CUBA pEMoRALizED
BY CRAZE FOR GRAFT.

OF Chicago Record-Herald.
Havana, Mar. 25.-One OF the causes
OF the unrest in Cuba and the de-
moralization of the common people is
the manner in which they have been
debauched by gratuities since the war
of independence. From 10000 to 49,
900 men have obtained employment
under the government, one-half Of
them holding sinecures at large sal
aries that were created for their in
dividual benefit without regard to the
public interest and at least 0.000. 900
has been distributed In cash theoriti-
cally as compensation for the services
and the sacrifices Of those who took
part In the war against Spain. This
generosity has enabled the more rest
less portion of the community to live
without labor. and 1t is naturally diff
cult for them to settle down to work
According to common rumor the larg-
er part of this sum went into the
pockets OF spectators and middlemen
and the pay rolls were padded with
the names OF imposters, so that the
men who actually did the fighting got
very little OF 1t and are still clamor-
ing for relief. Only the other day
committee OF generals waited upon
Governor Magoon and with rather per-
emptory emphasis demanded that he
should Immediately pay the veterans
of the war of liberation" the money
that is due them.
A certain lawyer here in Havana
Is supposed to know everything and
to tell the truth at all times. He
is good deal Of cynic and often
speaks with plainness that Is pain
ful. 1t was told that he could give
me more accurate information on this
subject than anybody else, and SO
asked him how much money had been
paid out in gratuities since the occu-
patton Of Cuba by the United States
army In 1898.
Altogether about $4,000, ,OOO," was
his reply. "In the first place. the
United States government paid $4,000.
900 cash to Maxine Gomez and his
associates to keep them quiet during
the early days OF the occupation.
When they discovered that we had no
intention of giving the island over
to their tender mercies after the evac-
uation by the Spaniards they began
to threaten trouble. and we bribed
them to behave under the pretext of
assisting them to return to their
homes and to get a new start In life.
We gave $75 cash to every man whose
name was on any roll Of the so-calIed
army OF the republican liberation. A
great many who got the money never
had anything to do with the war, and
good many honest men received
nothing, because they refused to give
rake-off to the generals who made
up the rolls.
"One OF the first things the Cuban
government did after the republic was
set on its feet was to borrow $685.
100000 to pay these same troops.
They have since borrowed $16,OOO,-
900 more. and have disbursed $1,000
900 in cash out of the treasury. That
makes total OF S5S.000. 900. AS soon
as this loan was placed with New
York bankers at very heavy sacri-
hce the certificates furnished the al
legged veterans became marketable as
sets. Certain speculator from the
United States devised . method by
which they were able to buy up nearly
half OF them at prices all the way
from 16 to 80 per cent of their face
value. and In that way q considerable
portion Of the money found its way
into the pockets of our enterprising
fellow countrymen."
How many nance were on the
rolls?"
Between $4,000 and 10000. The
list was made out by q committee OF
Cuban generals and was padded un-
Thousands of men got in
several times under several names.
Take. for illustration. the name OF
lose Maria Domingo. an enterpriEng
,olorod inDurHept. Upon prumiofng to