The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-28
CUBA'S NEW PRESIDENT.
MASO, WHOM GOMEZ ChLLED
"EATHER OF HIS CoUNTRr.v
Known Also ne ''Tho Honest NHnso "-Raid the
Debts Ne Might Have Repud,nted Before ne
went Into the wnr-sAvcd the Revoiu-
tlnn c.a.. nnaL.z a....=i.a IL IL. Mai.

Known Also ne ''Tho Honest N1nso "-Paid the
Debts ne Might Have Repudinted Before ne
wont Into the wnr-sAyod the Revoiu-
tion from Being strnngied Mt 1s Birth.
There 10 nothing strange in the report that
the Spanish Government at Madrid and the
Spanish Ceptain.G General In Havana are very
much displeased over tho news OF tho election
OF Bartolome Maso as President Of tho republic
OF Cuba. Maso is among his countrymen the
very pink Of political honor and devotion to the
cause of their freedom. Under his term of
Office. which. according to the Cuban Constitu-
tion, will last two years, to October, 1899, there
10 not tho least hope for the Spaniards that
autonomy or bribery, or even the force Of arms,
will lead him TO abandon the struggle untl
Spain recognizes Cuba as an independent nation.
Bartolom6 Mas6 Is the author Of tho motto,
Independence or Death" which the Cubans in
arms have lately adopted, and he wields q COM
manding influence over all the army, from Gens.
Gomez and Garcia. his close personal friends,
down to tho last soldier.
THE election of Maso." says a letter from
Puerto Principe. was received here with gen.
eral JOY by all tho Cubans. Even those who
favored other candidates, us Gen. Garcia and
Domingo Mendez Capote. participated, after the
election was over. in the feasts Of the people,
because not a man in Cuba fails to love and re-
spect Mas6 for his noble character and his gem
erous patriotism.
when the final result of the canvass was nm
nouncod at Guaymurillo. the place In which tho
election was held, special couriers were sent all
over the State of Puerto Principe with tho news
OF Maso's triumph. In every Cuban town It was
the signal for public rcioicings. The officers OF
tho army were allowed to take part in the
feasts. During three days the military bands
played for the dances of the people. The women
and children left the strongholds where they
arc safely guarded against the raids of the
Spanish columns and Joined the enthusiastic
soldiers in their songs and cheers. 1t 10 really a
pity that this scene was not witnessed by those
foreigners who still doubt that the Cubans con-
troll the country and believe In the Spanish
reports which describe them as q few bands Of
negroes roaming to and fro"
"Maso received the official announcement Of
his election" writes another correspondent,
with stole calm. He had not presented his
candid&ture to the Assembly of Representa-.
of 1t. On the contrary. when his friends urged
him either to write u manifesto or to Influence
refused, answering: i do not desire to be
elected, and II ! am ! shall accept. the election
only as a duty vt imposed m @"t on me-" %oDs H9 is n The y seT}.
sacrld . e TO his country. We are not laboring
for ourselves no always says, but we are
country out OF AN cnslaved and debased Spanish
colony. For us arc all the hardships. and let us
only be satisfied with seeing. acfore our eyes are
closed forever. that we have attained the great
end for which so many Cuban generations have
Bartolom6 Maso was born In Santiago dc
Cuba 90 years ago. The only picture OF him
that the Cubans have in this city represents
him much younger than he Ia now. Some Span.
ish newspapers said early in 1895 that M"so
was a native of Catalonia. Spuin, and from that
WSaSr persons ;asa that IN 'h he psn 4 spanf fn,sF' i,fb, the
against his own country. The mistake may be
sscribed to the fact that a Cataionian named
stan Of Gen. Maceo. is also u prominent leader
in the Cuban ranks.
Mas6 was conspicuous in the last ten years.
war, and reached the rank OF Brigadier, fight
ing bravely in Santiago dc Cuba province under
zan;on n Was signed asn nh IN ISIS he hen REUSED ths .fe 20 su ..
the war until Maceo sailed for he United States.
Then he returned to tho plantations no owned
near Manzanillo. and there. in fourteen years OF
constant labor in the country. he made ~ fortune
100000 Marti. who prepared from New York
the new reyolution, wrote TO him about his
plans, and Maso en.hnsi1stically received them
and to risk his life for the freedom of Cuba. He
WAS the first important man to lake up arms In
the island against Spain, On the oath of Febru-
When he made up his mind to revolt for the
second time he went to the town of ManZanillo
and paid his creditors, closing all his accounts
as a farmer. The people who dealt with HIM in
his plantation business were all spaniards. and
"4Ch lhO IL " " AS Nhl . Y Nhhb Az "a ~
the head of the revolutionists near Manzanillo.
in spite, Of being his political enemies, they
praised his great honesty as a man. Hud Maso
desired to cheat them. It would have been easy
for him.. His own troops shortly afterward de-
stroyed his suGar.cnne fields to prevent the
Spanish Government from selling them and OBJ
such Instances as this make the new President
alike as the honest Mas6."
After the uprising of the oath OF February,
1895, the Cubsns found themselves at Barre,
M nznnillo. with so few arms and SO little ammu.
milton that many considered 1t folly 10 go on In
their patriotic enterprise. The arrival OF Gomez,
Maceo, and Marti was expected, but no certain
news of them had been received. In such circum-
stances q commission composed Of Seforoe Her
mimic Leyya, Juan Is. Spotorno, and other Auton-
In the name Of the Captain-Genera Of the island.
Don Emilio Calleja, some terms of surrender.
The Captain General pledged himself in tho
name OF Spain to grant political reforms to
nounces now-if the war were averted.
Maso rallied his men, reminded them OF their
votes to fight for "indepen dence or DEATH"
and answered the Commissioners that the
Cubans could never accept with honor any COM
promise with the Spanish Government not based
on their absolute freedom. Then the relentless
rienced young men OF Manznnillo. so per cent.
OF them with no other weapons than their agri-
cultural tools. couragcously stood tho herco
attacks of the Spanish columns under Gen.
LaGhp mbre. But within a month Gomez. Mnceo.
and Mnrti landed. They brought rifles and car
tridges, and they set tho revolutionary fire
from east TO west.
"Maso," wrote Gomez when the whole island
was ablaze. - saved the revolution and deserves
to be called the Father of his Country"
The election of President OF Cuba OF such a
trying TO end the war by granting autonomy is
q proof of the sincerity with which tho Cuban
army rejects all offers Of peace at the price Of
independence.