Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-26
TO EvADE NEUTRALITY LAWS.
OklnhOmnns organizing an Oath
bound Society to Go TO Cuba to
"CuItivnte Tobacco"

El Reno, o. T., Dec. 25.-(Special) The
friends of Cuba in Oklahoma have adopted
a scheme peculiar to themselves to get
around the neutrality laws of the United
States. The patriots of the territory are
working in behalf of the cause through
secret, oathbound organization, the intent
and purposes of which are set forth in a
ritual inscribed Cuban colonization by
laws" which contains the following:
The undersigned hereby organize them
selves into a colony under the style and
name of the Cuban Emigration and Agri-
cultural Colony, the object and purposes
OF which shall be to go to Cuba, purchase
or lease for term of years lands of not
less than 10000 acres, in the district of
Vuelta Abajo, extending from Rio Hondo
to Cuyaguateye and Rio Mantua on the
southern coast of the island. The mini
mum membership of the colony shall be
not less than 100 nor more than 200. The
fee for membership shall be 800, to be
paid to the treasurer upon the arrival of
the colony in Cuba. The membership fee
shall be known as the colony guard fund.-
and shall be expended only for the pur-
chase or leasing of lands, the purchase of
seeds. instruments of husbandry and other
material necessary to place the colony on
a solid footing.
THE prime purpose of the colony shall
be the cultivation, manufacture and sale
to this exclusively, but may enter upon
other civic enterprises to be determined
after arriving in Cuba. Each member of
the colony may, at his option, provide
himself, at his own cost, with such fire
arms as he may deem necessary for his
own personal protection, but no contra
band of war shall constitute any part of
such outfit. Each member shall pay his
own expenses to the seacoaSt or town of
emharkation. Persons physically disquali-
fed to endure hardships are not eligible to
membership. Each person on signing the
roll OF membership shall obligate himself
in the most solemn manner to be true to
the colony and under no circumstances or
conditions which now exist or shall here
after exist, shall be divulged to those not
members of the colony the policy or the
inside business and deliberations of the
colony. Each member is required to re-
pair to the place of embarkation promptly
on receiving proper notice, on pain of be-
ing expelled and branded a deserter.
THE officers shall be: One supreme COM
mander, who shall be known as governor;
one first assistant commander, one second
assistant commander, who may succeed
each other according to rank; one chief
surgeon and one assistant surgeon, whose
salaries respectively shall be $500 and $3.50
per month, but in no case shall such sal
aries attach, or he allowed or paid until
after colony lands in Cuba; one secretary
anu one treasurer, NiloSe sdidEIcSi toSelh-
er with the commanders. shall be fixed by
the executive committee hereinafter
nGmed; an executive committee of fifteen,
to be elected by the colony after it arrives
at its destination. The duties of the COM
mittee shall be general; they shall select
the land for purchase or lease; have gen.
eral supervision over the affairs of the
colony; order the payment of all moneys
to be paid by the treasurer; prepare and
issue regulations for the government of
the colony and the control of its property,
which regulations, when issued, shall be
enforced impartially by the supreme COM
mander and his subordinates; they shall
also fix all salaries not provided for in
these articles of association. Any officer
may be removed for cause. Meetings may
be held, changes made in these articles,
officers elected or deposed at any time the
supreme commander or the executive COM
mittee may order"