The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-02
CubansHope
For Early


Delegates Of the Cuban revol.
party resident In Key West believe now
that few weeks will sec the final aud
complete separation Of Cuba from the
mother country and the republic Of
Cuba firmly established. So certain OF
this are they that it is predicted with
every show Of confidence that President
Bartolome Masso at once will issue q
call for an assembly to provide tempo
rarily for the administration Of the re-
public until permanent constitution
shall be adopted. The constitution on
which the present republic rests was
adopted Oct 20, 1897, and remains in
force until October, 1899, unless inde-
pendence is recognized by Spain before
that date. The officers of the republic
of Cuba were elected last November a.
follows:
President Bartolome Masso, who was
elected vice president by the constitu-
tional assembly in 1895; vice president,
Domingo Mendez Capote; secretary Of
war, Jose Baleman secretary Of foreign
relations, Andres Morano de Latorre;
secretary of the treasury, Ernesto Fonts
Sterling; secretary of ti,A interior, DR..
Manuel Il. Silva; subsecretaTy Of war,
Rafel dc Cardenas; subsecretary OF the
treasury, Colonel Saturnino Lastra; sub-
secretary OF foreign relations, Nicolas
Alberdi; subseoretary Of the interior.
Pedro Aquilero Kindelan.
Major General Maxine Gomez was
appointed commander in chief and Ma
jor General Calixto Garcia lieutenant
general of the army by the governments
council. The seat of government IL at
Cubitas, province Of Puerto Principe,
over 400 miles southeast of Havana.
Spanish troops have attempted several
times to take the capital by assault, but
the natural defenses Of the city enabled
the Cubans to repulse the attacks.
All the officers were elected by pop
ular vote, and thevote of each province
was taken to the capital and counted In
the presence of the Cuban congress.
Cubans claim that the republic con.
trolls today over three-fourths Of the is
land Of Cuba, and that the civil author-
tiles freely administer the laws In this
territory. The six provinces Of Cuba
Pinar del Rio. Havana. Matanzas. SAM
ia Clara. Puerto Principe and Santiago
de Cuba--are divided into prefectures,
which are under the supervision Of the
secretary of the interior. Each proyinoo
has its civil governor. who is appointed
by the president, but when independ-
enoe il secured the governors will b
elected by popular vote.
The r.hax, woyoIot sak o<> "A
into two parts--one acting in Cuba as
fighting insurgents, the other, called
the "exteriors,n who operate In the
United States, Mexico. South American
republics, Paris, Rome and London.
These "exteriors" are organized in
clubs. Each club has it's president, who
Is q member of the council Of presi-
dents. All are under the jurisdiction OF
Tomas Estrada Palma, head OF the
American junta, NewYork. The clubs Of
the exterior collect the 10 per cent Of
all weekly earnings Of members, which
are sent to the New York junta, This
voluntary tax of 10 per cent 10 used to
buy arms, ammunition and other mili-
tary supplies, which are sent by means.
Of filibustersng expeditions to Cuba.
This plan of warfare was drawn and
put into execution two years before the
outbreak of the present war by jose
Marti, known as the George Washing
ton of the Cuban republic.
The Cubans in Key West say that the
instant the American flag at the head
Of a column Of American troops is rais-
ed over the soil of Cuba the 'exteriors'
will bo ready to step into the ranks and
fight for Cuba under the stars and
stripes. But they will carry with them
the flag Of the Cuban republic, with its
five stripes Of blue and white and its
one white star on triangle of red.
Tho first Cuban flag was designed and
made by ,Narsiso Lopes Enilaa Tolon
and Cirilo villverde III iS42. They
were the leaders Of the insurgent conn
mission and tried to raise rebellions
Narsiso Lopes, who was an 'anne16s
zionist, landed with some Americana
and Cubans at Cardenas, Matanzas prov
ince, took the city and captured the
Spanish governor He afterward wae
caught by the Spanish and garroted at
Havana.
This flag is flying over every house in
Key West today, tor the Cubans are
wild with joy They received the news
the other day that the house and senate
had passed the intervention resolu-
tion, which declared that "Cuba is and
ought to be an independent and free re-
public" 1t was this left handed recog-
nitioieof independence which brought
the Cnbans into the streets with such
whoops aud WINS aud yells that they
raised the lid of the town. A process.
sion, headed by brass band, made the
rounds of the streets. and at night every
cafe in Key West was filed with .
crowd of exultant, hysterical. gesticu-
lating, high voiced Cubans, who are
wearing tiny American and Cuban hags
tied together and shouting Viva los
Estados Unidosl" Viva el pueblo
Ameriosnol 70 "viva Leel" "Viva Mo-
Kinleyr' viva II prena Amsricanoi"
"vivs Cuba lihrer which. being In