New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-13
THE WEST INDIES,
THE REVOLUTION IN CUBA.
THE ELECTORAL QUESTION.
,y,ow ORR OWN CORRESPONDENCE


~ bc ON element of change, whether II IT,
rro,rcss or be for peace or war. goou POI
tn, cveolcs have said, through their papers, ul'
~ ,,o1ro not a particle tho poor franchise OH
-, that they have been blinded and cheapu
t.ro nv such an offer; that they VIII not W Ill
1e.os3bscribng to a Spanish result; thai t,ey
o+o II this purpose is to be fulillea 'noD log
~, ,tonld the electoral law have i's way 10
+od &C close province of Spar 40 =:
1,ords Standards and SpSnsh lnnucioe' III
A. ;,,torest of those who hold SPAIN lor tno i''oiI
scbv,s sake. will carry the es'iU'lS - 4"
intv. This they are appaFHHS ,,oI,.zoS ~
ent since the law of elenons' aiie"us ""Y, IT,
this correspondence is pro 40' sn, fon,
4 hans have contomp"ed Slcns o.Ie, Tbo,
10 decent ofunder lhe cliVuH,9'"Noo''
fsss To feel al bst that tney tuon' 49,
, Tess ~ 10', and contriyed majority on the
q | no nauS Snanisb retroqression can overtop
S,'e u u, oct If they devote tits feared that the
'D"' hall the same as if they do not; and that
n'"O C,uba viii be effectively misrepresented
- cortes of Spain. Back Of all this apprehension
,uoneral obiectlon to Spain, grounded upon long
.,,nation and fortified by the Cuban individuality.
T4oI,v, u, question is q poor law with mean pre-
or,Ilo--so Americans would judge it; but suppose
81 must be regarded as kind Of progress. Ii pro-
ds for elections where elections never were before
rational sense; but it rather provides for, or
,;ves room TO- unfair elections while offering an ex-
trcroeIy narrow opportunity 10 make those elections
fairer The law was worthy of the Government
which in the hey-day of its vitality and with all
nonslayeholding Spain at its back, dare not decree
IN any form. did not utter brave word to that CT
feet. did not manifest a full and hearty resolve to
that epd-the emancipation of Cuba l do not pre-
tend to say that the Minister Of Foreign Affairs re-
ceiyed consideration from the Slave Board of
Madrid to quiet his just and stateSmaniike qualms
respecting an institution which, rs long rs 1t exists
on Cuban soil is Hack commentary on the chaTac-
ter Of Spanish liberties and aspirations But the
Minister might as well have realized the common
gossip as to be spokesman for all the shortcomings
and now suspected untrustworthiness of the Pro-
risonal Government with regard to the affairs of the
Ever Faithful Island 1t is not what the Spanish
Government has done for that is little which seems
80 much at fault but it is its general omission and
apparently unlimited conservatism, of which
nothing is positively promised, and from which
nothing can be distinctly hoped or predicted.
Months after date the Spanish revolution has
reached Cuba. The electoral law is its fruit Spain
has voted at large, but it is not known when Cuba
will have her actual reimbursement such 1t is. 1t
was rs well, no doubt, to have afforded Cuba the
practice Of her right time ago as now; but 1t
was assuredly convenient for the Provisional Gov
eminent in Spain to have escaped any considerable
number of Liberal votes from the island. Besides,
smother machinery was thought to DO required for
Cuba than that of the universal suffrage granted to
Spain The island is saveholding, hence the pretext
If restricting it's franchise. Every 900 inhabitants
IN Spain were allowed representative, but in Cuba.
counting all her inhabitants, only one deputy is
given TO every 100000 inhabitants. Omitting the
blacks and coolies the apportionment is still but one
TO $4,000. In Spain the suffrage was free, without
any tax qualification in Cuba it is limited by the
provision that the voter unless lie belongs to pro-
fesson shall have paid the large sum of SO in
taxes 1t is not sufficient that father or mother, who
NAV be wealthy shall have paid this sum for their
households; the son who desires to vote must have
p. 4 the tax also. The Cuban elections are to be
practically managed by men who are looked upon as
half-enemies at least that is to say, by Spaniards
willing to fulfill any demand of the Govern
ment They are to take place in circumscnptons
and districts but it is provided by the imposition
of the Spanish law that district shall have its own
representative or its own viii. To explain: Havana
and Pna del Rio constitute the limits OF one crcum-
scrpon but the entire number of six OF seven depu-
ties to be chosen from this large section will be nom
mated by the great majority of electors IN Havana
and of course will be elected by them. Pinar del
and having less population than tho Havana neigh
borhood may vote as they please, but the result will
be the same. In the particular described the law
seems TO have been made ngeniousy for the purpose
of aiding the ascendency of the Spanish Government
influence at the seapOrs, and suppressDg, far as
possible the representation of the interior Creole
district. With so many disadvantages, it wOnld be
preposterous to say that the law just given to Cuba
is fair law But in one respect, that Of not per
hitting the common soldier to vOte-and this was an
exception made in simple decency, and with wise
gard to a crsis-does it give the Cubans chance
The apporOnment the circumscriptOn, the registra-
tion the tax qualification are all features Of wrong
in the constitution of the law Compared with the
suffrage granted the people of Spain, it seems
strously unjust. 1t does not even guarantee what
Gen. Dulce has recently announced through the Off
cial organ as part of his political creed-that Cuba
shall have the same rights as any other province OF
Spain, and more.
The orders issued by the Captain General pursuant
TO the publication of the law of election explain its
spirit and intent well as any Spanish authority
may. Something, however. remains vague after all
that is said but perhaps this yagueness must be ac
copied as kind Of explanation in itself-as for in
stance that the governing people hereabout and il
the mother country do not wish to mean toe mucl
while they are doing so little and yet wish to NEAR
everything. The Governors recent circular agains
the refractory press, leaves very little OF no bert
that can be considered distinctly Cuban to be in
dulged in before the advent of the franchise for II
says that all words against the dignity Of the nation
all phrases directly Indirectly against the integri
of the national territory, all articles and paragraphs
which tend TO favor the cause of the insurrection
shall be considered punishable Ofenses This in
struction interpreted by hostile fuDctonary, woulC
leave hardly anything for honest press to say upo