The record-union., 1899-03-15
Gomez and Anti-Gomez Factions Of
the Revolutionary Party
WING With Each Other TO Fan Flames Of
Discurd KindIed by the Assembly.
Indications That the As
sembIy's Short-Sighted Attack
on Gomez Has Simply Put an
End to That Body's Credit and
influence, the Weight of Sym
pathy Being With the Deposed
Commander


pathy Being With the Deposed
Commander
NEW YORK, March IA dispatch
to the Tribune from Havana says:
The teapot of Cuban politics has been
fairly boiling over again. The Gomez
and anti Gomez factions of the revolu-
tionary party are vying with each
other to fan the flames of discord
kindled on Saturday by the Military
Assembly's attempt to depose the vet
eran insurgent chief from the leader
ship of the army 1t is clear that
the controlling element in the Assem-
bly, could not have measured accur-
ately the prestige and popularity OF
that somewhat nondescript body be-
fore plunging into the foolhardy con-
test with General Gomez, which Sat
urdays resolution of deposition has
precipitated, for, with all the faults of
temper and judgment which may be
charged against him, Gomez remains
the sole military hero of the recent
rebellion, the one figure which appeals
without reserve to the great mass of
Cubans, whose tacit, rather than act
i've. support made the maintenance of
the insurrection possible.
Had Maceo or even Garcia lived
there might have been rival within
the army to divide with Gomez the
honors of the struggle against Spain
and to challenge now the eXpedieney
of his political policy, but, among the
Generals of the Military Assembly,
| none has as yet recommended himself
to Cuban opinion so as to attract a
distinct or devoted following.
The influence of the Assembly as a
whole is not to be set for a moment
against that of the real chief of the
| army, who fought it's campaigns and is
now endeavoring. with apparent disin-
terestedness, to secure for it the only
compensation for it's labors which it
can reasona bly, expect to receive
There Is chagrin at the refusal of
Gomez to chase the will O. the wisp of
an independent loan and at his firm
iEsistalace On an acceptance of the ar
rearages offered by the United States,
and these reasons lie at the bottom of
the Assemblys petty attempt to hu-
initiate him by depriving him of rank
and power In his reply to the As
sembly, issued yesterday, the veteran
warrior accepts the decree of retire
ment and renounces the Generalship,
but he remains, in spite of his enc
mics, the political head of the revolu-
tionary party, and in that role will
continue to direct the fortunes both of
the army and of the other elements of
the Cuban population, whose present
desire is for a speedy termination of
military control and the cessation of
the present guardianship exercised by
the United States
There are abundant indications that
the Military Assembly's short-sighted
attack on General Gomez has simply
put an end to that body's already at
tenuated credit and influence, and the
military administration, and here
American opinion generally had long
ago dismissed the Assemhy's preten-
sion to represent the wishes of either
the Cuban army or the Cuban people
La Lucha" attributes to General
Brooke this sarcastic remark on the
dismissal of Gomez from the chieftain-
ship:
I suppose the General will feel as I
would if some patriotic committee dis
missed me from the office l hold.'
The coincidence has also attracted
notice that in the same papers which
publish elaborate accounts of the de-
bate in the Assembly last Saturday, an
order appears informing the Governor
of the Department of Havana that the
United States Government will recog-
nize no financial obligations entered in
to by any person claiming to repre-
sent the people of Cuba without the
authorization of the President This
is a final and crushing blow to the
Assembly's pet scheme of an indie
pendent loan to satisfy the inflated
army payrolls which had been cut
down under General Gomez's supervls-
ion. The new order leaves the AS
sembly financiers without further oc-
cupation.
The average sentiment of Havana
finds it's best expression perhaps in
La Lucha," a newspaper with neutral
though decidedly opporturist tenden-
cies. This conspicuous organ If local
opinion vigorously denouncas the As
sembly's action and draws from the in
cident this unpleasant conclusions:
"Such an occurrence as that of Sat
urday is prejudicial to the interest of
every Cuban, man. woman and child,
convinced of the existence Of self-con-
troll, judgment or any of the traits
necessary for conducting an adminis-
tration when they see such glaring ,.v-
idence of what prominent Cuban
classified last night as Childish pettish-
ness"
1t takes eloquent and convincing
proof to compel a recognition of there
being any other type of politicians on
the islard. Porter made the Sc. eco. 900
agreement with Gomez The money will
be distributed by Gomez, and the in
structIon to General Brooke regarding
the formation of native troops conveys
the tacit acceptance of the plans of
Gomez submitted to Washington.
AS tc the attitude of the Cubans
themselves toward the Assembly, the
demonstrations of yesterday and to-
day speak conyincingly The Havana
newspapers are filled with protests
from all parts of the island against tho
removal of Gomez was kept in boun.ls
only by the energy of the municipal po-
lice, and to-day the popular feeling ex-
pressed itself in a street parade by
many Cuban clubs and societies, end
fpu in a SET of SpeecheS af Ganeral Co