THE SEMI-WEEEXY ROBESONIAN.
3
THE CUBAN ROW POLITICAL.
It Is Not an Insurrection. Says
Mr. Gonzales, Bat a Revolt of
"Outs" Against "Ins."
Columbia, S. C, SpclI from H. E. C. B., t
C narlotte 0 bserrer .
' The reople of this section of
the oonntry are becoming very
ruuoh interested in Cuban affairs.
It begins to look as if President
Roosevelt would intervene and
f make war on the fighting neigh
bors, secretary of War Taft is in
Cuba now. doing what he oan to
bring about peace. United States
i warships and soldiers are on hand
. to quell any row that might arise.
I was sent, yesterday, by The Ob
server, to Columbia to interview
Mr. W. E, Gonzales, the editor of
The State, concerning the situa
tion as he sees it. Mr. A. G. Gon
zales, father of the Gonzales broth
ers, of Irouth Carolina, was a
native of Cuba. Up to the time
of his death he took a keen inter
- est in the affairs of the island and
his sons have inherited his fond
ness for Cuba. The, late Mr N.
G. Gonzales at one time left his
editorial work and went to Cuba
and fought with the patriots
against Spain. Mr. W. E. Gon
zales, ope of the best informed
men in the South on the condi
tions in Cuba, is very much inter
ested in the future welfare of the
country and the people.
Mr. A. G. Gonzales was a mem
ber of the first Cuban junta and,
in 1848, came to this country to
get a large body of American
soldiers, who were just returning
from the "war in Mexico, to enlist
with the Cubans against the Span
iards. He had $3,000,000 as a
guarantee, but the project fell
through. Two years later an in
dependent expedition was gotten
up and the insurgents landed at
Cardenas. Mr. Gonzales was seo
ond in oommand to General Lopez.
He was in actual oommand, as
Lopez could not speak English.
The Spanish garrison at Cardenas
was captured. Mr. Gonzales was
the first Cuban wounded, fighting
for Cubanjiberty. But the Cubans
had to retire from Cardenas. The
reinforoements that were expected
did not materialize The attacking
patriots fled to Key West for
safety. In 1851 a second expedi
tion of Cubans and Americans
were organized, but most of the
soldiers were captured and put to
death by the Spaniards.
Mr. Gonzales crossed over to
this country and settled in South
Carolina, married there and reared
an interesting family of children.
He joined the Confederate army
when Fort Sumpter was fired on
and fought until General Lee sur
rendered. He was a colonel of
artillery.
Mr. W. E Gonzales is an inter
esting man. I called at his sanc
tum today and prevailed on him
to give me an interview on the
Cuban troubles. He is so deeply
n teres ted in the little island and
the people there he seemed glad
to talk about them. I found him
very attractive. He is a young
man with iron gray hair, cunning
eye and animated faoe. After
having passed the compliments of
the season with him I interrogated
him concerning Cuba. He is af
fable and clever.
"What do you think of the
Cuban insurrection ?' I asked.
Tt is really a revolt of the Outs
against the Ins,'' said Mr. Gon
zales. "It does not amount to an
insurrection. It is more like a
politioal struggles brought to an
acrimonious point, as we see it in
America, than anything else.
"Whilst the reports that have
ejrnanated from Amerioan corres
pondents in Havana are oaloulated
to lead the American public to
believe that the revolt ' is wide
spread, the fact is that all the
insurgents that have been reported
in the field are confined compare,
tively tca very small area. The
island is 600 . miles long and there
has been no evidence of unrest in
the centra portion of the Santiago
end The reports are sent by
friends of annexationists, who are
made up largely of what we term
'American interests' the interests
of the Americans and their agents
amount to about $1,500, COO or
$2,CO0,O0O, which has been invested
in Cuba within the last seven
years.
"From the very outset the re
ports from Jlavana have exagger
ated the strength of the insurgents
or rebels, and minimized the abil
ity of the government to cope
with them. They have also indi
cated that the people of Havana
regardless of class, were desirous
of American intervention.
' 'As a sample of these reports I
will cite you to the following item
sent out by the Associated rress
from Havana on the 16th. of the
month :
' '1 he new situation was received
at the hotels and clubs with b ank
surprise, were it was consiaereu
that the arranging of peace with
out the guarantee of the Unite!
States behind it would be an un
welcome outoome,- it being feared
that the future tranquility of the
island would not be assured.
''In this story it was reported
that the government was about to
affect an amicable settlement with
the rebels.
''No power on earth can assure
tranquility in Cuba unless the
Cubans come in with their own
free will. Here is another sam
ple of the dispatches that are
being sent out from the island.
This left Havana on the 23rd. It
reads:
" 'All classes are now waiting
for the conditions under which
tranquility will likely be restored
in Cuba, and disappointment is
expressed on every side because
of the likelihood of peace being
brought about without armed
American intervention.'
"There has been no, appeal for
assistance to Washington from
the Cuban government. We have
absolutely notbiDg except the in
definite statements of American
correspondents in Havana to in
dicate that the uprising is serious
or that the government feels un
able to cope with it. On the
other hand, there has been no
loss of life since the initial skir
mishes between the malcontents
and the rural guards more than
three weeks ago, and even the
Havana correspondents, who have
so industriously pushed this prop
aganda for intervention, have not
been able to report the destruc
tion of property.
"I would be very elad to see
Cuba become an American State
with the consent of the Cubans,
but it is manifest to every obser
ver that Mr. Roosevelt and his
administration consider interven
tion as synonymous with anex
ation, and it is certain, that to
bring that island under American
domination against the will of a
large majority Of its 2.500,000
people, will not only be a gross
injustice to a people that have
for more than a half century
fought for independence against
overwhelming odds, but it will
result in untold trouble and ex:
pense to this country.
"It is surprising to find South
ern papers advocating the domi
nation of Quba and consenting to
a disingenuous construction of
the Piatt amendment. For in
stance, The Richmond Times
Dispatch and The Baltimore Sun
direct attention to the fact that
the platform of the Democratic
party in 1860 contained a plank
advocating "the acquisition of
Cuba on such terms as shall be
honorable to ourselves and just
to Spain.' If these papers were
familiar with Cuban history they
would know that the patriots of
Cuba, 12 years before that date,
asked to be taken into this re
public." Mr- Gonzalez' father was one
of the men whp came to the
United States to make this offer.
"They were seeking relief from
the bardens imposed by Spain,"
continued Mr. Gonzales, "and
desired the independence that an
American State then enjoyed.
But as3 Cuba would have had to
come in as a slave State the anti
slavery party opposed acquisition
The Democratic party of 1660
would not have advocated the
rape of Cuba as is now proposed
by so many Republicans and
some Democrats. Mr. Roose
velt's utterances in his recent
warning to the Cuban people
clearly show his belief to be that
if the American forces are now
employed to quell an uprising in
the island that they will never
be withdrawn.
"It will be interesting to know,
by what authority Mr- Roosevelt
takes such a position. If he sends
an armea torce into uuoa me
only authority he has for doing
so is contained in what is known
as 'the Piatt amendment,' adopt
ed by Congress in February,
1901. The clause giving authority
reads: 'That the government of
Cuba consents that the United
States may exercise the right to
intervene for the preservation of
Cuban independence, the main
tenance of a government adequate
for the protection of life, prop
erty and individual liberty.'
"It will be observed that this
amendment provides interven
tion' primarily for the purpose
of 'preserving Cuban independ
ence,' and yet Mr- Roosevelt
implies that intervention would
mean the destruction of that in
dependence and this erroneous
idea seems widespread in Amer
ica. "Fifty-eight years ago the
Cubans revolted against Spain
They were crushed time after
time. but kept rebelling. There
was revolt after revolt.
"The people of this country
should not and cannot forget the
cruel Weyler and his reign of
terror and brutality. The Cubans
could not be expected to be quiet
if they were forced into the
United States by tricks of Span
ish merchants and American
speculators.
"These annexationists have had
a lobby in Washington and it is
my opinion that the natives have
had liberal aid from Americans
in Cuba to encourage them in
this revolt."
In concluding Mr. Gonzales
said: "I do not think that the
United States has any business
sending warships to Cuban wa
ters to parade for a show. Cuba
has no navy. It looks as if the
President were trying to convince
the people of this country that
something great was about to
take place in the island. It seems
absurd to me. Cuba has not asked
us to intervene. There is no real
necessity for it; the news from
there proves that."
Correct.
Monroe Journal.
We all feel grateful for the
kind words and deeds of those
who remember us in the time of
distress and in. the hour of af
fliction. But why should we
want to express so obvious a fact
through the newspapers? When
we have gotton over the wounds
or have seen light through the
trouble and are not able to thank
in person those who have helped
bear our burdens, it is a mighty
poor way of expressing appre
ciation to send word to the paper
to write you up something good
and nice. Some time in the un
forgotten past the people of this
town an rf"" nty go t into the
habit of
thanksL
""scards of
on like grim tit
pie seem to think tha
not buried with due honors.
less the card oi tnanics appears
It is done, too, in most cases, not
from any real desire to express
a feeling of gratitude, but be
cause it is the custom. Such
cards might once have been real
expressions of gratitude, but if
so, they have ceased to be, and
are only a habit. Let's throw it
off.
The newspaper is the old reliable ad
ertising'medium.
onus
Townsend Brothers
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