The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-08-26
WANTS REFORM
Cuban People See Government Run En-
tirely By Graft.
ANOTHER INTERVENTION

May Be Made Necessary by The Unit
cd States If the Cuban Govern
ment Does Not Reform.-Cuba
Knows That this Means Final Oc-
cupation of the Island.
If the United States intervenes In
Cuba again, it will be because of the
continuance of the grating practices
of the Cuban officials. A wave OF
political unrest is sweeping over.
Cuba. So great is the discomfort
throughout the island, that the peo-
pie are loath to wait for political
relief until the coming elections.
Cuba is tired of graft. Instead Of
having s30,OO0,O00 in the treasury,
as it had at the beginning of the
Gomez regime, the government now
owes over s50,O00,0O0, which Is a
considerable sum to be on the wrong
side Of the balance sheet Of coun-
try SO small as Cuba. The people,
and they are expressing themselves
more vehemently daily, put this great
deficit down to political graft.
The people, today, in speeches, in
cafe talks, in communications to GER
tain advanced papers, the editors of
which are being hounded by the
government, repeat that they cannot
and will not stand much more of this
wholesale graft, which is putting the
country so far in debt it will take
years of economy to pull it out Of
the hole.
Grating of q very coarse and un-
refined character permeates all Gu
ban officialdom to such an ertent that
in order to get bill paid of $500
owed by the government fer q small
engineering job, the American con-
tractor had to pay $65. When a
Cuban speaks of graft, he never fails
to mention President Gomez. He
asks these questions:
How has President Gomez, on a
small salary, put away in his own
name several million dollars? How
is President Gomez able to build
100000 home on the Prado? How
is it that two cabinet officers have
resigned after becoming independent
ly wealthy in short time in office?
How is it that all foreign business Is
more or less neld up by the officials,
who demand and receive graft there
from?"
Such questions rs above are con-
stantly on the tongues Of the decent
people of Cuba. So grave has the,
situation become, that, If decency i'm
governmental circles does not soon
assert itself, trouble will ensue. The.
right-thinking citizens of Cuba real
ize fully that, If the United States
steps in to settle Cuban matters
again, the United States will stay on
the island.
The Cubans reason that the United
States will not consent to spend 20
or 80 millions every few years to set
Cuba about face. Realizing this, the
people today are extremely anxious
to oust the Gomez party and to get
the republic on a sound basis, be-
fore intervention is necessary.
The government has just voted
$4,000, 900 to improve Havana har-
Dor and to build much needed docks,
so that lighterage will be nc longer
necessary. The people Of Cuba see
in this move a chance for millions
of the Gomez type Of graft and that,
under the existing government, the
Havana improvements will cost near
er s60,OO0,Oo0 than S33,000,O00.
Cuba is not a poor country. Its
revenues are fairly large. The port
of Havana produces daily about $685.
600 in customs duties alone. The
national lottery produces over $780,
600 4 month. The tonnage Of the
mort of Havana amounts to over a
million dollars year.
These are just few Of the sources
| OF lUCOUlt III Ild'uHd etiohSj es'AA
there are other smaller ports where
4 millions of dollars a year are taken
in customs and tonnage dues. The
total income of the Cuban govern
ment last month was $3,677, ,4S9.32'
the total expenses for the same month
1855, ,946.63; making a deficit Of
sS,457.31.
The Cubans are asking where eli
this money has gone to, and the only
answer they receive is: Into the
pockets of the Gomez party The IL
naces of the country are in such a.
wretched state that the credit or
Cuba abroad is practically wiped out,
and the merchants, who are accus-
toned to receive goods on, long credit
are being requested to SEND money
J with further orders.
, The merchants blame the present
government for the existing state or
affairs, and are expecting within the
> next few months a radical express
> sion of lack of confidence In the
Gomez regime by way OF reYolu-
| tiOn