THE SUliANTON T1UBUNK-TUESDAY. APRIL 2G. 1808. 9 I i i GRIEVANCES WHICH LED THE CUBANS TO REBEL Conservative Review of the Causes of Spain's Downfall in the Queen of the Antilles. Colonel Henry Hull In Pittsburg Times. What la Cuba's complaint against Spain? Of course, tt In generally un derstood that It is tyranny, Injustice, nnd oppression, but at a lime when It looks ns thotiRh tho United States might be compelled to Intervene to gain Cuba's Independence a specific state ment of the acts of oppression com plained of may be opportune. As In nil cases of this kind, the statements of tho party making tho arraignment aro one-sided, und contradicted by the oth er Bldp. Tho Declaration of independ ence was an ex parti; statement, nnd no doubt King George regarded It us false nnd slanderous, but the American peoplo put It before the world and then proceeded to back It up with the forcu of arms. Pew people even In Englund now attempt to defend the course of the British government towaid the col onies, nnd while there are those now who assert that the Cuban representa tions with regard to tho Injustice they suffer at tho bands of Spain nre over drawn and in many respects false, it Is not likely that a people would have risen In rebellion against u powerful mother country six times In 70 years, waging once a sttuggle that lasted 1(1 years and cost Spain tho lives of 200. O0C soldiers, nnd have now waged for three years another In which Spain lias sacrificed nearly ns many more, without having a real and substantial ground for complaint and resistance. Cuba's grievances, stated as briefly as possible, are ns follows: 1 Cuba Is not nllowcd to mnnngo her own affairs. The Cuban budget Is pre sented by th( Madrid government to the Cortes and voted by over MO Span ish lepresentatlves, regardless of the Cuban special ones, except those who, being elected through the inlluence of the government, nre always ready to vote with it, even If it Is against the Interest that they appear to represent. 2 Cuba has her own treasury nnd what is called her own debt, but not the right to fix expenses, salaries, number of employes, nor to appoint them. The Madrid government holds that right and sends the olllceholdera from Spain. Generally paying to be ap pointed, they fall V. Cuba as birds of prey, ravage the country, nnd return home with the spoils. An official who has served IS years In Spain may servo two more in Cuba and then retire on a pension or four-llfths his salary which Cuba has to pay. 3 Cuba has been paying the debts raised by Spain through her wars In Mexico, South America, and San Do mingo; also the sulnries to all the Spanish ministers and consular officials Ip America and the amount granted by Spain to the line of steamers between Spain and Cuba. Irately Cuba has been released of part of this burden. 1 All loans raised to meet the war expenses and keep up the Integrity of the nation are not paid by the nation nt large, but charged exclusively on Cuba, without any Interference from her part as to the loans, Interest, form of payment, etc. 5 Cuba takes no pnit In regulating her commercial affairs nor her tariff. The Madrid government rules over all, having always a majority In the Cor tes ready to npprove its acts. So It happens that while the United States Is the commercial metropolis of Cuba and buys from her SO per cent, of her production, Cuba in exchange cannot buy of the United States machinery, farm Implements, provisions nnd goods of nil kinds, because the important duties fixed by Spain amount to more than the price of the articles in the American market; but if the same ar ticle Is shipped to Spain It can bo re exported to Cuba and compete advan tageously in price with the same object Imported Into Havana from the United States, Injuring thus the Interests of Cuba and of the United States In their commercial relations. C While most of the merchandise from Spain enters Cuba free of duty, und only n few articles are subject to a normal duty, Cuban products are ex cluded from Spain. Sugar from Cuba Is subject to such high duties In tho so-called mother country that they amount to prohibition. Salt meats from tho Argentine republic aro forced Into Cuba, not In reciprocity for tho admittance of Cuban cigars or nny other Cuban products, but for the bene fit granted by the said republic to the wines from Spain. 7 Cuban tobacco and cigars are nl most excluded from Spain, notwith standing their being tho second Im portant production of tho island nnd unrivaled In the world. The Madrid government has established so strong a monopoly in favor of a trust for tho manufacture and sale of cigars in Spain that Cuban products can only be sold there through the agency of and payment of a high commission to this company. S Countless millions of dollars have been officially taken from Cuba to Spain In times of her prosperity, nnd when she has come to her ruin through tho scandalous mismanagement of the Spanish government she is charged with all the expenses made to preserve the Integrity of tho nation and the oppressive policy that will nt last pro duce the Independence of the Island. 9 Separate from the municipal and tho provincial taxes, the ordinary bud get Imposed upon Cuba by Spain has been as high as $10,000,000, being at present over 2S.0&0.000, to be drawn from a population of 1.500,000 and a de solated country. The extraordinary budget to meet all the expenses of war Is unlimited. BABY HUMORS Instant relist lor tkln-torturcd babies and rrit for tired motbera lu a warm bath with Cwicciti. Boip, ana a single application of Ccmccmi. (ointment), tbo great ekln euro. The only speedy and economical treatment for itching, burning, bleeding, scaly, tml pimply humors of tliosklu, scalp, and blood. (yticura It Ml4 tbWtfbOut th VOrtl. POTTItPsUtf kD rstlVIOL Ctmrori. &! rroprUUii, bottwa, Qy Uo Ourt fct r B4b; Humor, uaiUd fti, BABY BLEHiSHESc'rV'Kor!' 10 Taxes are levied by the Madrid government on every Imaginable thing, and not only on the estimated profit that projierty, professions. Industry, commerce, etc., can produce, but even on tho amount paid for said taxes; on every Inhabitant from 14 years up, on publla nnd private salaries and pen sions, and on tenants on and for tho amount they pay as farm, house or of fice, there being besides the high-priced stamped paper for till official and busi ness transactions. 11 Since 1836 special laws were promised Cuba, and in IS0S. CO years later, Cuba is still without them and subject ns ever to the prey and rava ges of the unscrupulous Spanish gov ernment, Spanish polltlcnns, merchants in Spain nnd public employes, nil of whom speculate with the mismanage men of tho country. In support of these- charges the Cu bans offer evidence, which seems con vincing. Spain's plan of taking the control of Cuban affairs out of tho hands of tho Cuban people was accom plished by an electoral law which had for Its object, first, to reduce the num ber of voters; second, to give always a majority to the Spnnlards, who form only D.a per cent, of the totnl popula tion of Cuba. To this effect It mndo the electoral right dependent on the payment of a very high poll tax, and In this wny.succeeded In restricting the right of suffrage to only 63,000 in a to tal population of 1,500,000, or 3 per cent, of the whole number of Inhabi tants. In order to give a decided pre ponderance to the Spanish-European element, nnd confine the electoral pri vilege to Industry, commerce and pub lic officials, to the detriment of the owners of real estate the tax on tho latter is reduced to 2 per cent., while the exorbitant poll tax of $23 is requir ed from those who would be electors an freeholders. Moreover the simple declaration of the head of n commer cial house Is sufficient to consider nil of its employes ns partners, having, therefore, the right to vote. Thus it comes to pass that tho district of Gul lies, with 13,000 inhihitnnts, only COO of whom nre Spaniards, has an electoral list of 32 native Cubans and 400 Span lards, or 0.2."i per cent, of tho Cubans to i;0 per cent, of the Spaniards. This shows why the native Cuban represen tatives in the Spanish Cortes have never exceeded bIx lu number, and on some occasions only three, out of a body of 430 members. As to the sen ate, native Cubans nre practically de barred from entering It. The qualifi cations for membership prevent it. To take a seat In that body the candidate must have been a president of that branch or of congress, or a minister o the crown, a bishop, a grandee of Spain, llc-utennnt general, vice-admiral, ambassador, counsellor of state, Judge, or attorney general of the supreme court, etc. Xn Cuban has ever held any of the above positions, and but two or three are grandees. There are n- few additional qualifications for this body which few Cubans have, but the whole number thus qualified does not exceed 23. Similar discriminations exist with re gard to local governments. Not a single Cuban is an alderman in Ha vana, and In the district of Ilnvana In ISO! there wore 31 Spanish aldermen out of 3". In Guines there was not one Cuban. In the simo epoch there were only three Cuban deputies in the pro vincial deputation of Havana; two in Mutanzns, and three In. Santa Clara. And these nre tho most populous re gions In the Island of Cuba. Spain appoints Spaniards to all the lucrative, Influential and representa tive offices. The governor general, tho reglonnl and provincial governors, tho "intendentes." comptrollers, auditors, treasurers, chiefs of communications, chiefs of the custom house, chiefs of administration, presidents and vice presidents of the Spanish bank, secre taries of tho government, presiding Judges of the "audlencla," presidents of tribunals, magistrates, attorneys general, archbishops, bishops, canons, pastors of the rich parishes all, with very rare exceptions, aro Spaniards from Spain. The Cubans are found only ns minor clerks In the government offices, doing nil tho work and receiv ing tho smulle&t salaries. Since 1S7S Mntanzas has had 20 governors, 18 Spaniards and two Cubans, and of the latter one was a general in the Spanish army. Within tho same period only one native Cuban has been governor of Havana province, and he had lived all his life in Spain. In all tho other pro vinces there has never been a native Cuban governor. Not a single Cuban ha3 ever served on the council presided over by the minister of tho colonics. The governor general receives a sal ary of 50,000, with a palace, country house, servants, coaches, and n secret service fund; tho director general of tho treasury, $18,500; the archbishop of Santiago and the bishop of Havana, $18,000 each; tho naval commander gen eral, Jlfi,302; the general second In com mand of the Island and the president of the "audlencln," $15,000 each; the governor of Havana and the secretary of the genernl government, $8,000 each; the three clusses of chief clerks of ad ministration receive $3,000, $1,000 nnd $3,000 each respectively. In the army the salaries run ns follows: Major gen erals, $7,500; brigadiers, $4,500; colonels, $3,450; captains of men-of-war receive $6,300; captains of frigates, $4,5C0; lieu tenants, $3,370. All these functionaries nre entitled to free lodgings and ser vants. Such salaries as these, to come out of the taxes Imposed upon 1,500,000 people, have helped to swell Cuba's public debt from $25,000,000 In 18C8 to about $00,000,000 at tho present time. In addition there have been shameless peculations of the public funds. A de bato In tho Spanish Cortes In IS90 re vealed tho fact that $0,500,000 had been aken from the safe In the Cuban treas ury, notwithstanding that It was locked with three keys, each In the possession of a different functionary. Then It was known that, under the pretext of falso vouchers for transportation and fic titious bills for provision!), during tho previous war. defalcations had been found amounting to $22,811,500. In March of tho same year General I'andn affirmed tbU tho robberies committed through tho Issue of warrants by the board of public debt exceeded $12,000. 000. The public expenditures for the last fiscal year reported were $26,411,314. In terest on the publlo debt consumed 40,89 per cent, of tho totnl amount; the de fend of Cuba against its own people, the only enemies who threaten Spain, Including tho cost of tho army, 36.50 per cent, leaving for nil tho other ex penditures for civilized life only 22.52 per cent. Tho interest on tho public debt is $9.79 per person; in Franco it Is only $6.30. The annual taxes per head In Cuba aro $16.18, nnd in Spain less than halt so much. As to the tariffs It need only bo said, n showing the discriminations under which the Cubans labor, that upon tho same quantity of Spanish goodB tho duty is X2C.G5, if foreign, $17.20; knit ted goods, Spanish, $10.95, foreign, $l!l."; sugar bags, Spanish, $4.09, foreign, $82. 62; casslmeres, Spanish, $15.47, foreign, $300. The Cubans complain that not only are they robbed, but they arc deprived of personal liberty for trivial causes, denied tho right of fair trial by an Im partial court nnd banished from their homes to penal colonies without even the pretense of a trial. The Cuban rural population aro subjected to tho most crurt treatment by tho nrnied police, who beat them unmercifully and even kill them under the pretense that they nre resisting arrest. Prisoners liavn been put to the torture, and al though no executions for political of fenses have taken place since 1878 It Is because the government has resorted to tho more simple expedient of assas sination, tier oral Polnvleju. has de I'lutrd with utmost coolness that In December of 1SS0 he had 263 persons seized In Cuba, I'aluia, San Luis, Son go, Guantaunmo und Sagua. de Tanamo and transported the same day nnd tit tho same hour to the Afrlcn Island of Fernando Po. In December, 1891, there was a strike of wharf laborers In the province of Santa Clara. To end It the governor captured the strikers and banished them en masse to the Island of rinos. Nobody trusts the honesty or inde pendence of tho Judges. De3plto the provision of the constitution, without warrant and for Indefinite time, impris onments aro most common In Cuba. Tho magistrates can tighten or loosen the elastic meshes of the Judicial pro ceedings. The presidents and attorneys general of the "audencla" receives their Instructions at the captain general's office. Twice have the governors ot Cuba aimed at establishing a special tribunal to deal with the offenses of the press, thereby undermining the con stitution. Twice has this special tribu nal been established. Moro than once has a straightforward and Impartial Judge been found to try a case In which tho Interests of Inlluentlal people nre Involved. On such occasions the straightforward Judge has' been re placed by a special Judge. The liberty of the press is a farce. Many journal IMS have been banished from the coun try without even the formality of a trial. Some have been tried by court martial. The newspapers are allowed to discuss public affairs theoretically, but tho moment they denounce nny abuse or tho conduct of any official they feci the hand of their rulers laid upon them. In 1SS7 "Kl Pais." the of ficial organ of the home rule party, was criminnlly prosecuted because It had stated that a son of the president of Havana "audencla" was holding a certain office contrary to law. liefore the peoplo can hold public meetings previous notltlcatlon must be given to the authorities and a functionary is appointed to be present, with power to suspend the meeting whenever ho deems such a measure ndvlsable. Un der this system meetings of worklng niens unions and planters' associations have been forbidden. Those aro tho charges which the Cubans make agalnsi he mother coun try. There are those, even in this country, who say they have no founda tion in truth or Justice. To this no other denial would seem necessary than to point out tho fact that Spain, in her desperation at the threatened lots of the Island, has promised to grant to Cuba everything thnt her people de mand In the wny of reform, provided only that she be permitted to retain sovereignty over tho island. If there wore no evils to be corrected, and tho Cubans have no grievances, then how can concessions be made, or how can Spain remove those things wn'lch do not exist? NAVAL FIGHT AGAINST ODDS Almost Certain Destruction Awaits the Crews ol War Ycssels. PERILS OP TUB TORPEDO BOAT TRAVELLERS' ELYSIUM. I.ocntlon Not .Undo Public lor Men tions Which Will Ho Understood. The pilgrim alighted on tho depot platform of a small Ohio town shortly before midnight. A hack stood near by a four-wheeler und the tired traveler was toon en route to what the driver assured him was the best hotel In town. When tho carriage stopped the visitor pulled half a dollar from ills pocket and tendered It. "No, thank you, sir," said the Jehu. "Pleased to have accommodated you." Three minutes later the man had reg istered. "Want to go to your room right away, Mr. Smith?" queried the clerk. "Yes." "Well, say," said tho clerk, with n mysterious wink, "how would a good drink of whiskey strike you before you go to bed?" , "If it's a drink of good whiskey I think it might bo the proper thing," was Mr. Smith's answer. The clerk took one with his guest, "Just to bo sociable," nnd the some what nstonlshed Mr. Smith retired. Next morning Mr. Smith arose with the sparrows, but the clerk was with him. "Morning, Mr. Smith," said he. "Hopo you slept well. Just going Into break fast? Say" another confidential wink "what do vou think of a nice cock tull for an appetizer?" Mr. Smith, who believes In picking up all the gold nuggets on which he stubs his toes while walking life's pathway, yielded assent. Ho nlso wondered what kind of a game ho had discovered. At noon the obsequious clerk was at the dining room door. "Would a bottle ot beer fit In with your dinner, Mr. Smith?" Tho now thoroughly astonished Smith simply nodded. That afternoon ho left town. His bill was simply for bed, breakfast, and din ner. The whiskey, cocktail and beer were not in evidence. At the depot lie was engaged In con versation by a somewhat Inebriated in dividual who wns proclaiming in vocif erous tone3 tho beauties and glorleti of tho town. "M'fr'nd. where did you stop?" Mr. Smith told him. "You sh'd been at ozzer house," was the emphatic nnRwer. "Everything free. Flowed with llqu'r." Mr. Smith thought he had done pretty well lu tho splrltous line and said bo. Then the ticket agent smiled and said: "If those darned fool hotel keepers don't quit fighting they'll bust them selves nnd make the brewers Independ ently rich." The name of this elyslum Is there fore suppressed out of consideration for the heirs and assigns of the hotel men. A Well Directed Shot Will lllow a Ilont nntl Crow to Atoms lu an ln-stnnt--IIistory oftbu Vain Attutnpts to Opsrnto Submnrlno Vessels-ltu cunt Successful Trials of tho Hol land. From tho Chicago Times-Herald. The naval officer who remarked that the erection of n monument to tho memory of the officers and crew of the dynamltu cruiser Vesuvius would he In order Just as soon as that vessel went Into action spoke with a full un derstanding of the probabilities attend ing the first engagement between the warships of the United States nntl Spain. He might have Included the heroes who wilt form tho crows of the torpedo boats, the torpedo boat destroy cis, nnd even the armored cruisers and battleships. Their chances of life will be but a trifle better than those of the men on the Vesuvius. One well-dlrect-shell nlmed nt this llonting magazine of dynamite means Instant annihila tion. One round from a rapid-fire gun has but to strike n torpedo boat In the right place to send her to' the bottom. One torpedo, as has been demonstrated in the harbor of Havana, can tear into fragments the most formldublo battle ship utloat. In the days when iron nnd steel had not supplanted oak In tho construction of fighting ships, when long toms, car ronades and ten-pounders were the equivalents of breech-loading rllles and machine guns, when a full broadside at close quarters lacked the destruct tveness of a single projectile from a high-power Htle over a range of four miles, tho sailor felt that as long us his ship floated he had as good a chance of reaching dry land as his enemy. He had an abiding faith in the specific gravity of wood, und counted on finding a piece of his ship for a life-preserver If the fight went the wrong way. To day he is In much tho same fix ns the man who went sailing In a sieve before he lenrned to swim. There wns never n hope so forlorn, however, that a leader was lucking, and no leader ever failed to find those who would follow him. Today the navy Is being recruited ns rapidly as possible with men who aro of too high an order of Intelligence not to know the perils before them. A certain propor tion of these men will be assigned to the torpedo boats, a branch of the ser vice which has been recognized as the most hazardous of nil, making an ex ception in favor of any actual work that may be attempted with such new fangled Ideas as the Holland nnd Rad datz submarine torpedo boats. Mnrul courage of the highest order will be re quired of every officer and enlisted man when the call of duty takes him Into an engagement with any of these dead ly engines ns his weapon of attack. Experience has demonstrated that tho torpedo bout, whether operated above or below tho water, Is as much of a menace to the life of Its crew as It is to tho ship It attacks. It may run the gauntlet of the machine guns un der cover of darkness and deliver a fatal blow against the armored side of the battle ship, but tho chances nre as one In a hundred that the explosion which sinks the big ship will destroy the frail little boat and Its crew. The submarine torpedo boat is an unknown quantity in actual warfare, unless Its worth Is estimated by the results at tending repeated trluls of similar boats during tho civil war. TRIAfc, OF THE HOLLAND. Recent trials of the Holland sub marine boat seem to have proved her an easily managed craft, capable of diving and coming to the surface at tho will of tho operator. Whether this flsh-llke machine will behave sao nicely in time of war remains to be seen. It Is to be hoped that she will establish a better record than tho submarine boat constructed by the confederates In 18C3. Naval officers have expressed grave doubts whether the Holland will ever accomplish anything but the destruc tion of her crew, just as tho confed erate boat did repeatedly In tho at tempts to use her against union ships. And thereby hangs a story of heroic daring equal to any recorded In the his tory of the American navy. In the fall of 1863 a tiny, hnlf-sub-merged torpedo boat attacked the fine new union war vessel, New Ironsides, as she lay at anchor In tho Charleston harbor. The attack was successful, In that the torpedo exploded three feet under the water against the side of the New Ironsides, but tho force of the ex plosion wns not great enough to do any other damage than partially sink the little boat nnd make possible tho cap ture of her commanding officer. En couraged by this trial, the confederates constructed another torpedo boat at Mobile the same year after plans pro viding for her use beneath the water. She was constructed of boiler Iron, her lines approaching those of tho Holland boat very closely. Sho was thirty-five feet long nnd carried a crew of nine men. Eight of these worked n hand propeller, while the other steered tho boat and regulated her movements be low tho surface of the water. Sho could bo submerged to any depth desired or propelled on the surface, and In still wnter could easily attain a speed of four knots an hour. Several successful experiments were conducted in the harbor nt Mobile, and then one day the boat failed to come to the top of tho water. She was raised, and the bodies ot her crew were given a moro fitting burial. Then sho was towed to the Charleston harbor and put Intd service. Sho was designed to ap proach a vessel at anchor, dive under her keel while dragging a floating to pedo, and thus bring the torpedo against the side or bottom of tho ves sel. The first night set for an attack resulted In death for the nine men com posing the crew of the boat. She was lying at the wharf when a passing steamer swumped her by the wash following. Once again she was raised and tied up to the Fort Sumter wharf. Once again she sank, and six men went down with her. Again she was brought to the surface, and after being thorough ly repaired was placed In charge of a lieutenant nnd eight more men for trial In the Stone river. She behaved splen didly for a day or two, und then dived to tho bottom and stuck her nose In tho mud. Nine more men were suffo cated. For the fourth time the con federates raised this Ill-fated craft nnd resumed ngaln the experiments In the Charleston harbor. The trials were suc cessful until nn attempt wns made to dlvo under a vessel at anchor, when sho fouled a cable und became a coffin again for her crew. THE LAST ATTEMPT. With a faith In tho future ot tho boat that could not be shnken the con federates raised her again, A bravo lieutenant asked permlKilon of General Renuregard to attack the Housnlontc, a new war vessel lying In tho harbor. Consent wns given, with tho condition thnt the boat should work upon tho surface with a spar torpedo, and that the crew should bo composed of volun teers The attack wns made on the night of Feb. 17, 1S64. When within 100 yards of the Housatonlc the torpedo boat was discovered by n deck officer. He was slow In giving the nliirin, and the delay In slipping her cnblo nnd starting her engines (vns fatal. While all hands were being called to quarters and confusion reigned supremo on the war vessel the little boat ex ploded her torpedo against tho side of her bulky foe nnd knocked n hole In her below the wnter line. Four min utes later and tlm Housatonlc was resting on the bottom of the harbor, a total wreck. Five of her crew wero killed, either by the shock or by drown ing, and the others were rescued from the rigging. What became of the tor pedo boat? She wns never seen again. She wns either swamped by tho Im mense column of water thrown Into the air by the explosion or she wus carried down by the suction created by the sinking war vessel. W. H. Macbeth. REMEMBER THE GREAT BARGAINS ADVERTISED SUNDAY ARE ON SALE ALL THIS WEEK. SPAIN AND THE SPANISH. Area nnd lopuhitlon--Lcss Than 18,000,000 Inhabitants --. How bpniti Hns Loftt Its Power. From tho Times-Herald. It Is interesting to know that the total population of Spain Is 17,563,632. Mnny people, without looking up the matter, would sny at a guess that Spain's population was 35,000,000 or 40, 000,000. Hut It is, in reality, not 18,000, 000. The area of France Is only a few thousand square miles greater, and yet Frnnce has a population of very near ly 40,000,000, Texus has an area of 274, 356 squill e miles. Spain could bo laid out on Texas und Texas would have 70.6S6 square miles left over. The states of Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois and Aluhama have more population to gether than has Spain, and are Im mensely more wealthy. These states could borrow enough money, with their whole field of commodities, men and capital behind the loan, to pay off at one coup the whole national debt of Spain. They could raise, pay and main tain a bigger army than Spain could. Their natural resources could outlast Spain's ten to one. Their steam power Is infinitely greater, and as man power can always be gauged by steam power you can Imagine the difference. These four states could exist if they seques trated from all the rest of tho world. Spain could hardly live a day. ONCE THE GREATEST NATION. Spain was onco the greatest nation on the face of the globe. Say, rather, she was twice so. First as a centre bf learning and science under the Sara cenic rule, when the city of Cordova had a mile of gas-lit streets and foun tains of quicksilver played In the pal ace yard of the caliph. Second, when she was the greatest military power In Europe. If you look at the names of countries, cities -und places In tho western hemisphere you will realize what a grand empire Spain once was and what a power she wielded over men. Hut Spain could not stand the mnrch of modern Invention. She has steadily shrunk and shriveled und lost her possessions, until now all she has loft worth speaking of is Cuba. The Philippines are Insignificant posses sions. HER DECADENCE. Why has Spain lost all her power? The theorist, who holds that education Is the cause of progress, will point you the answer In tho statistics concerning Spain's illiteracy. Only one nation In Europe Is lower In enlightenment than Spain. That is Italy. Of all tho popu lation of Spain only twenty-eight per cent, can rend and write, four per cent, can read only nnd sixty-eight per cent, can neither read nor write. When you ome to think of It this fact staggers tho mind. Here Is a nation In the heart of civilization, nnd sixty-eight per cent, of its people have no conception what ever of tho marvels of the printing press or of the letters that Cadmus brought to Europe. Rut let us go a little deeper Into this matter of Illit eracy. I do not desire to talk about causes; the sociologists can do that. Hut were one In the mood to do It a sociological study of Spain would be worth tho writing. Spain, as I have said, has a population of less than 18, 000,000, and sixty-eight per cent, of her peoplo cannot read or write. Tho United States has a population of, let us say, 70,000,000. Of tho native white popula tion In this country only six per cent. cannot read or write. Of the foreign whites only thirteen .per cent, cannot read or write, and of the colored popu lation fifty-six per cent, cannot rend or write. Rut, accounting for the for eigners and the negroes In the compu tation, there Is but thirteen per cent, of the population In this country that cannot rend-or write. Think of It! Out of nearly 40,000,000 native white Ameri cans only six per cent, cannot read or write, and Spain's percentage Is sixty eight! AN ILLITERATE PEOPLE. Let us seo how Spain compares In Il literacy with her neighbors. It Is not precisely Just to Spain to compare her with such u wonderfully fortunate peo plo as wo nre. in England (London) three per cent, of men and four per cent of women make their marks on tho marriage register. English illiteracy reaches a little higher pen -:uitge in somo of tho counties. .'v.etlen Jiarf hardly any Illiteracy at all. Only 0.11 per cent, of tho recruits cannot rend or write. Of the French conscripts only 0.1 per cent, cannot read or write. Of tho recruits In the German army only one-quarter of ono per cent, can not read or write. In Austria eighty six per cent of the children of school ago are at school. Jit the Russian army recruiting it was found that only twenty per cent, of the men wero Ig norant of letters. Russians at largo tnny be as llllt'.'rate as are Spaniards, but the statistics available do not go to show that such Is tho case. Tho sta tistics in tho Statesman's Year Hook show Italy to be considerably more il literate than Spain, but outside of Italy Spain's Ignorance 1b monstrous In Eu rope. Spain's banking power, like her steam power, Is practlcoliy nil. She has in all not qulto 7,000 miles of rail road. It is fashionable to laugh ut China with her seventy-elrht miles ot Menm railroads and her backwardness In point of civilization. Rut it must bo admitted, however much we dislike to do so, that, making allowances for her environment and her advantugos, Spain is worse than Chin" Real Sacrifice Sale of Ladies' Tailor-Made Suits, Wednesday and Thursday YOU may have read of the recent failure in New York city of a well known manufacturer of Ladies' Suits. Experts in the line say there were none better than he. You know about the boy whose "eyes were bigger than his stom ach." That was the trouble with this manufacturer. He made too many Suits for the depressed market the crash came and the gilded sign of success no ioriger hangs over his door. But his Suits vviere good ones and we're glad to offer them to our public at about half their worth. This is their story they're in two lots: Lot No. 1 These Suits are made up of very tine materials. The Jacket is Silk lined the Skirt is the new graceful hanging kind, vivt bound. They come in black and navy blue. In the lot are also a number of Homespun Tailor Made Suits, made up from green, tan and Gadct mixtures. The New York manufacture's price of these Suits was fcio. Special Here Wednesday LQ and Thursday only pJ.07 4 'Hi mm Lot No. 2 The second lot are Eton Blouse Suits, which come in Navy, Brown, Green, and Black Cashmeres'. Waists are handsomely trimmed ; also a lot of the same style suits made up from Scotch Twills in grey, green and cadet. These latter are made to be worn open as a Revere. The New York manu facturer's price of them was $12.00 and $15.00. Special Here Wednesday (7 on and Thursday Only P 7) SUIT DEPARTMENTSECOND FLOOR LACKA, AND WYOMING AVE. Mail orders for these garments will be promptly filled on the days mentioned. Send us the size and color you require, taking particular pains to give the cor rect bust and waist measures and length of skirt. All goods are delivered free. Bft (TO Who aro the Spanish? "What is their blood, their enthnography, their race? We have no end of history almut Spain. I'hilnlogy tells us they are Latin. Their language was once vulgar Latin, stub us the Roman spoke. Hut It wus cor rupted by the invaders from the north nnd grew to be what It now is. There are traces In the language of ancient dialects which the Spanish got fiom the Greeks, the Carthagenlans and tho Phoenicians. The Cloths took the vul gar Latin which the Romans had left and made the language of Espann. In remote nntlqulty there were certain Celts who mixed with the Iberians (orlglnnl Inhabitants of Spain). Then came the Phoenicians and the Cartha genlans and later the Romans and last the Goths and tho Visigoths. And there you have the story of Spanish blood nnd race. The Vandals conquered part of Spain and their section of It was i ailed Vandalusla (whence tho modern Andalusia). I do not think wo can say the Spanish have hud any worse origin than the lest of us. We have the same ancestors, but tho other Mediterranean races have left Spain almost ns far behind ns they have left the Mongols. The Rasqucs nre not of tho same blond ns other Spaniards. Professor Mueller In his great work, "Anthropology," says the Ensqucs are the remnant of n distinct race, and Professor Ernest Hueckol says tho Husques uro descend nnts from n totnlly different npe-llke man than that which was tho father; of the Jndo-Germanic tribes. AN ANOMALY. Refoie tho age ot steam engines und telegraphs, when Europo wus semi civilized, Spain was u great nation. She wus n strong savage among suv ages. Rut this Is the age not of cruelty (and how cruel Spuln has been and Is!) It Is tho ago when nmity not enmity rules or Is maklnir t rule. For the sake of romancce i would not- like to see Spain die. She Is so full of color, so anomalous, no alone In Eutupe. mi nobly fierce, so proud among nations. that have almost given up the savuKe pride we had from the old times! She Is like dream glimpses of lluroun-ul-Raschld. And yet, with nil, there Is no more pathetic thing In all the world. We are Impressed when we see the death of u man. How much more should we bo Impressed as we look thoughtfully and attentively at the quick respiration of a dying nation! LAST YEAR'S COAL OUTI'I'T. Largest Production and Lowest i'ricoi 011 Record, Prom a preliminary statement compiled by K. W. Parker, statistician of the I'nlted States geological survey. It is shown thut the total output of coal In the Lulled States In 1E97 amounted approxi mately to His.KO.OW short tons, with nn aggregate value of tU'8.100.000, a fraction less than Jl per ton. Compared with 1S3C this Ehowa an increase lu tonnago ot , 2"ii,uu0 tons, or abrut 3.?- pur cent. Tho in t reuse in the .dtic f the product was inly f l.Tixi (nn). a. little le.ss than 1 per cent. I'lie iimMtnt of co:ii pi- nluced in po, wna tliii lurgost on record. The uvcrngo valuo i. r ton ;im the lowed ever known, con tinuing the declining tendency shown for the p:ist six years. Tho Increase In production and tho de cline in value was confined to the output of bituminous coal. The anthracite pro duction In Ponnhylvunlu decreased nearly S.2jr,uuu tons, from M.riG.OM hhort tons of 2,'Hio pourds, to P2,122,t08 short tons in lb!7, whllo tho average price received at tin mines, per short ton was tl.tj (ti.K- per long ton), In both years. This Is not un Increase, hut It Ih mil' h Uilter than tt loss, 1 ci nt per tin iiK'tinlug u total of more ih.i:' half a million of dollars, in obtnlulm this average price tor uuthra clto coal per ton tt must be lemembered that only mailutuble sizes ure considered, und tho item of "colliery consumption," usually consisting of culm, or waste, and an otherwise) vnluless pioduet. Is not in cluded. Excluding this factor the iii.ir kctubln product, of anthracite coal In Pennsylvania during U37 wan 4S.U7.S(Jl long tons, ugainst 4I,US,1C0 long tons lu IWfi. Of tho twcnty-nlno bituminous coal produclng states there were only ulx In which tho production In 1SH7 was loss than In tho preceding year. The.iu s.lx w ra Cicnrglu, Indlun Territory, Kansas, Ne braska, Ohio und Oregon. In hftcen of them tho output wus tho luigest ever cb talned. Of the ilvo competitive states pre vlously mentioned only one (Ohio) had a decreased production in 1M'7. In twenty out of tho twenty-nine htntes producing bituminous coal the nverngu price per Ion in ISO" wus less' than It wus in 161)8, the general average for the rutted States being Kl cents In KM und M.O In 1M)7. The decline of 1.1 cents on u totnl production In 1S07 of HG.OOO.OOO tons represents u de crease of something over J3,(jeo,OW from wliat would have been the value If tho price hud been the same ns It was 111 1MW. Conslceiing tin- Industry by slnten, Pennsylvania holds her usual position. Tho combined product ot unthraclte aivt bituminous coals from the Keystono stats amounted to liW.WM.im0 short tons, nearly Th per cent, of tho total output. Pennsyl vania's percentage) of the total bitumin ous output was' 37. her output of nott coal being M.ow.Om) tons. Illinois icmulns in the Kccoml place with a total of a little over so.mw.on,, .hort tons. West Virginia comes third, having Increased her out put nearly TOO.tXX) tons over UOiJ, and lead ing Ohio, which comes fourth, by nearly 1,250.000 tons. Alabama reached her max imum output of fi,si3,"70 tons und stanil.i nfth. Iow.i sixth, lacked only S."i.000 of 0,000,000 tons. Maryland produced 4,112,000 tons, and Indiana u little over feno.ouo tons. CASTOR I A Tor Infants and Children. The Kind You Have Always Bought Bears tho Signature of &a&ffl&m
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers