The record-union., 1897-08-08
srHEREACUBAN GOVERNMENT;

Have the insurgents a government
in Cuba. established and maintained on
civil lines, and successfully admins
tered over a large part of the Island %
That is the question asked by the op-
ponents Of recognition of the belliger-
ency Of the insurgents.
On their part the rebels answer ''yes, ="
and with emphasis: I'VE have fully
and synmetricaly ordered civil gov
eminent, with a Chief Executive and a
Central Council of Legislation; the nee
essary departments; a system of taxa
tion and internal revenue; customs
system and collectors; a system of pub
lie schools and a series of school text
books issued by the Government. We
have the island divided into States, and
| over each a duly appointed Executive
| Chief. These States are federated and
form a nation. We have sent repre-
sentatives to the seats of other nations,
and that they are not yet recognized is
not our fault We administer this civil
| government, State and Federal, over the
/ larger part of the national territory.
That We have not conquered all of it, is
simply a matter of military concern
ment"
Thomas W. Steep, in the August
Arena" has something to say about
this civil government in Cuba, under
| the reyolutionists If his statement is
correct, then the answer of the insur-
gents is complete, ought TO 10 satisfac-
tory, and to secure them recognition
at least as beIigerents. Mr. Steep, in
the course of his interesting paper
says:
! fundamentally and upon which the
| plans of the Government are drawn,
! the Republic of Cuba now comprehends
all the area of the Island of Cuba The
disposition taken by the head civil Of
fioers is that the entire island is under
| dominion of the Cuban Republic, but
that because some powerful foreign en-
| emy has landed on certain parts and
| taken posesssior-a for instance, Ha-
| wanna and its harbor, and Santiago and
! other cities, the civil rule cannot be ex-
tended into these quarters until by
! strategy the enemy can be driven from
the shores of Cuba In the national or
! ganization the power of government
was transferred by the popular assem-
! bly, to a Council of Government. Then
! departments were formed with Secreta-
ries at the head-SEate, War Foreign
Affairs, Interior and Finances. At the
| head of the Government were placed a
provisional President and Vice-Presi-
dent. In the Council of Government is
vested the legislative power
Politically the Island is divided into
| four States, Oriente Camaguay, Las
Villas, and Occidente. Each State is
| divided into districts, and each district
| into as many prefecturas and sub-pre-
| fecturas as are deemed necessary. A
district has from seven to fifteen pre-
fecturas The State is presided over
! by a. Governor, who reports to the Sec
retary of interior. The Lieutenant
| Governor is under. the Governor, and
has jurisdiction over a district His
corps consists of one secretary and one
assistant clerk The prefecture is the
smallest political subdivision but one
the sub prefecture. The prefecture has
a secretary and assistants. Then fol-
low the prefecturas, of which
there are generally from four to eight
in each prefecture.
The Lieutenant Governor is the inter
mediary between the Governor and the
prefecture. Besides his executive func-
tions the prefecto has judicial power
He records all contracts between citi-
zens, including marriages. He has the
| power to form a jury and to try all
cases, from the simplest intrigues to
! those of spies guilty of treason, when
| ever the cases cannot be submitted to
| court-martial.
Every portion of territory possessed
by the Cubans is subject to civil order
! The minutest detail is accurately and
| delicately balanced that, though the
! thoroughneSs for which the civil officers
are even now adroitly working has not
yet been attained, the whole govern
mental machinery is in harmonic oper-
| alton.