The times., 1899-06-18
GOVERNMENT INssANTIAGO.
Interesting Paper on>-Its Establish
ment by General Wood.

q
graph on THE Establishpent of the Civil
Government in the Proyfnce of Santiago"
published in the current number of the
New York Independent The distinguish
ed physician. soldieF. and administrator
writes: ~
When the American authorities took
charge of the Province of Santiago de Cuba
they found the civil affairs of the province
in a condition of complete chaos. The
treasures of all the different municipali-
ties were empty; the offices were vacant;
public records, such as had not been burned
or destroyed, were bundled up in abandon
ed buildings. The courts had ceased to ex-
ist. In fact, there was only semblanee of
any form of civil government. In many of
the towns few members of the old
'Guardia Civil" still continued to maintain
an appearance of order, but, practically
speaking. there had been a complete de-
struction of civil government. and ii rested
with the newcomers to do what they could
toward re-establishing proper form of
government which would give the people
necessary protection, and guarantee such
condition of order as would once more
tend to re-establish business and invite the
confidence of outside capital. Without cap
ital it will be very difficult to bring about
a condition of real prosperity, for despite
portion of Cuba today presents vast col
lection of what once were magnificent es-
tates, but are now in a condition of COM
plete ruin and disorder. The old proprie-
tors are STILL in many cases, in possession
of the land, but modern, conditions demand
very extensive improvements and costly
machinery. To get these, money has either
to be raised by mortgage on the real estate
or by new investments from the outside.
In arIar To. obi rot, hic OF n
like a reasonable rate of interest, or to
bring new investments here, it is necessary
that such a civil government exist as will
guarantee protection to invested capital
and give a fair promise for suitable con-
dition of affairs in the future.
Whatever work has been done here has
been founded upon the belief that no liberal
form of government can exist except
| among an intelligent, well-educated peo-
Pile; that such government must be based
! upon profound respect for the civil rath-
er than the military, law. and that its main
I reliance must be upon the natural indus
/ tries of the country, avoiding, to the great
, est possible extent, the old Spanish system
of officialism combined with militarism.
"A great failing OF this people is their
| desire for office and salary, considering,
as they often do petty official positions
more honorable than honest labor. 1t is
|
| heavily, because it is simply the natural
| outcome of what they have always seen,
and of what has existed here for genera
| tions. In establishing such form OF civil
| government as has been provided in this
province there has been as great an avoid
ance as possible of everything tending to
multitudinous offices and unnecessary OFF,
| cials of all classes.
THE idea with which this work has been
| iS n
. palities upon the simplest and most eco
nomical basis consistent with fair degree
! of efficiency. OF course. ii was impossible
| to change altogether the old system. We
| have had to begin even IN the little towns,
by appointing mayor, a sec. etary, and one
or two municipal police officers, simply be-
cause this was the system to which the
people for many generations had been ac-
| customed; but in making these appoint
ments every effort has been made to select
the best men and an adequate service for
the salary paid has been insisted on. I'm
der the old system men went to their CT
fees at a. m, left at;11 a. m, and came
back for an hour in the afternoon. There
were great many clerks, many of whom
| were totally unnecessary, In each little
town one found a great many officials doing
very little, no schoolhouses, no sanitary
regulations-in fact, nothing indicative of
high degree of civilization. 1t was a
pedantic humbug from top to bottom. In
place OF this condition, we, so far as pos
sibe with the limited time and means at
our command, have established these
little towns. giving them the officers abso-
luteiy necessary to maintain an efficient
administration of the public business. We
insisted upon a thorough sanitary super
vision of the towns. thorough cleaning
up of the streets, private houses, yards,
I at he
schools in the best buildings obtainable; a
prompt monthly payment of the teachers
salaries; the forbidding of public school
teachers having private pupils In the rub
lie schools--a condition which existed for
merly and led to great abuses Every ef-
fort has been made toward the re-estab-
lishment of the courts upon the most
economical basis consistent with prompt
transaction of the public business. The en-
tire judicial machinery of the province has
been put in operation upon an economical
basis. At the head of this judicial system
stands the supreme court of the province
which is supreme only for the time being
as upon the establishment of the supreme
court for the island it will continue simply
as the audiencia or superior court of the
province, from which an appeal can be
taken to Havana.
THE greatest evil of the present system
is in the method of criminal procedure
Persons accused are often months in prison
before trial. The only remedy now avail
able lies in converting the first instance
courts into courts capable of trying Grim
inal cases. At present, aside from very
minor cases, all criminal cases are tried
before the superior court. or audiencia
the unfortunate being held for month!
| awaiting trial in most cases. | have dont
what | could to remedy this condition by
| offences not caDital bailablp. aQC
by establishing the writ of habeas corpus
The policy is also to apply large portion
of the public revenue to the reconstruction
of roads. bridges, etc, and to encourage
throughout the province, in all the largel
towns, such sanitary reformation as tn,
means at hand would permit. In othe
words, to state it briefly, the policy ha!
been good schools. good courts, good mu
nicipal government on the simplest posi-
BILE lines, application of all available pub
lie revenues to public works which vii
tend to improve the health and sanitar!
condition of the people, making the towns
attractive and reopening the country u
agriculture and commerce; the mainte
nance of the civil police to preserve order
the avoidance of supernumerary officers
: Insistence, with tiresome monotony. ! an
afraid. upon the fact that prosperity come
as the result OF hard work and simple
honest, and efficient government. and tn
avoidance of the old system OF supernu
merary officials. heavy taxation, and ne
glect of industry and commerce.
5 ITO the people was given a Bill o
Rights which guaranteed to them tn
freedom of the press, the right to ASSEMBLE
} peaceably, the right to seek redress 70
grievances, the right of habeas corpus, an
the right TO present bail for all offence
5 not capital. Every effort was made TO i'm
IL.