The sun., 1907-10-19
Cuba FcliN.

An arlstoCratic organization, demo-
cratic in principle and fact to the core
caste system at once rigid and elastic
such ia the true pearl Of the Antilles 10
which Lieutenant Colonel BULLARD refers
In this months Army and Nary Life. IL
would have delighted the soul of ARIs-
ToTLE to read the Colonels news. Here
a sober fact exceeding the dreams of
many utopian philosophers lies under
our noses.
The social hierarchy Of Cuba is based
on gradstions of color. At one end
stands the pure white. at the other the
pure black. Between the extremes
comes a growing multitude OF Inter
medistes" grading mp from the near
black TO the near white. and instead OF
asingle hard and fast -color line" obtain
ing, as in the United States, a numerous
sine' Of such lines is duly distinguished
and respected:
Social iife Is run largely by social clubs. There
are In almost every town and village negro clubs.
tWo or three grades OF mulstto clubs and white
clubs In ono club and at It's functions may appear
the husband, excluding the wife; In another the
wife but not the husband In third their chiidrcn.
bot neither the father the mother. To the
world this viii appear Incredible. almost noompre-
hensbIe: hero 1t s convention bIed. accepted and
operative
An important and quite logical accom-
paniment Of this segregation must be
borne in mind in order to appreciate the
real benefits Of the system:
These d,stnctious run but for a lifetime. by
crosses from generation to generation though some
deny H. men ascend. A little OF the blood, II II be
but decreasing. is not remembered against them
forever"
In other words. social rank in Cuba is
based scrupulously on individual merit.
the degree Of which is determined by the
shade of the skin. Some may blame this
principle OF differentiation. but If We once
concede the starting point the conse-
quences are admirable and it's results
compare favorably with those prevailing
in other politics. In Great Britain and
most other European countries a man
holds this or that rank because his an
ceetors either did or did not distinguish
themselves. Although the descendant be
. degenerate of the lowest type, he will
retain a once conceded honor. In our
own democracy, where such caste as ex-
lists is chiefly an affair OF money. q min
oompoop has before now remained haugh-
tily perched on pile reared by parental
hands. Nothing so deplorable in Cuba.
There a marvellously nice adjustment
of rank TO actual desert is found. Let
descendant fall by the least shade below
the ancestral standard, he is promptly
degraded II ia well known that throw
backs Of an obvious sort are by no means
cafreduent among persons Of colored
origin. In Cuba no such delinquency
Gces unpunished. II son sinks below
his parents by single tint he is mex
orably reduced TO a lower social circle.
He goes down club, OF IL may be two.
On the other hand. il he Ia brighter than
bis forebears, though but by the faint
est hue, his personal merit receives it's
fair reward. He rises step on the social
ladder.
IL is evident again that the implacable
definiteness Of such a concrete distinction
must safeguard Cuba against several
griovous ills to which other lands are
heirs. The substance Of the dividing
wall is indeed unspeakably delicate. II
N altogether imponderable. -rien que Ia
nunnce.' Nevertheless IL is alamantine
against would-be climbers and yoracious
buffers in. Nor craft nor push nor pull