The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-10
BROOKE MUST QUIT.
Civil Government to Be Estab-
lished In Cuba and Porto
Rico.

New York, Nov. 1O.-A special to the
Times from Washington says:
The first task to which the president
will address himself now that the cleo
ton is over, is the establishment OF
civil government in Cuba and Porto
Rico. He is displaying considerable i'm
patience to have this work, which has
been hanging fire SO long pushed
through as soon as possible. The first
step toward the establishment OF civil
government in Cuba is the completion
of the census and that it is now expect
ed will be finished by the end OF the
month.
The presidents desire is to have Gu
ban government in operation at
once SO that congress may be enabled
to observe its practical workings, and
be aided thereby to frame laws for the
permanent government of the island
Gen. J. P. Sanger viii leave for Cuba
on Saturday to observe the taking or
the census. J. G. RathbOne, the direc-
tor Of posts for Cuba, has just arrived
in Washington in response to call
from Postmaster General Smith, and
General William Ludlow has been sum
mOned from Havana to confer with the
president.
On the conference with Gen. Ludlow
more than on anything else, will de-
pend the future of Cuba. It was given
out some time ago that when the time
for the establishment of civil govern
ment came, Gen. Brooke would be sent
for, but events since then have made it
so clear that one of the department
commanders may be better able to give
information of value on the subject
than the governor general, that Gen.
Ludlow has been sent for in his place.
The president himself is not quite con
WINGED that the CubanS are yet ready
for government, but some of the
members of the cabinet are, and if
Gen. Ludlow supports them in that
view. the future of Cuba will be as
sured. The commander of the depart
ment of Havana is an energetic officer,
who has made a study of the island en-
tirely apart from his official duties, and
he is an authority on the subject. The
measure of lf-gOvernment which will
be given to the Cubans apparently will
depend on him
In any event, the end Of Brooke's
term as governor general - close at
hand. The department commanders will
remain for while, to be ultimately
superseded by civil governors, if the
plan works well. but the governor gen
eral will go Nor is there any pros
pect that Brooke will exchange the gov
ernOr generalship for the position of
civil governor. That officer, it is I'M
derStOOd, will be either Gen. Ludlow,
Gen. Wood or Gen. Wilson. Several of
the Havana papers are demanding the
appointment of Mr. RathbOne and his
appointment would give satisfaction to
the Cubans, but it seems likely that the
appointee will be one of the department
commanders Gen Fitzhu2h Lee is
also advocated for the post.
Cubans here, even of the agitatOr
class, would find no fault with the ap-
pointment of Gen. Wood. He and Gen.
Wilson have ESCAPED the attacks which
have been leveled at Gen. Brooke, and
even at Gen. Ludlow The Times cor
respondent recently asked two of the
most violent of the Cuban agitatOrs.
! editors of a paper Which had to be sup
pressed by the American authorities if
| there was any criticism whatever in
| their party of either Wood or Wilson.
! They reluctantly admitted that not
| even the independence party had found
! anything to quarrel with in the admin
! istratiOn of either.
After the appointment of the civil
governor a portion of the army win be
withdrawn, but how large a portion has
] not been decided upon. The trouble
! with the appointment of one of the de-
partment commanders is that he would
| have to resign his commission. 1t is
( believed that Gen. Ludlow would be
more likely to do this than the others.
/ and this leads to the belief that he will
! be the appOintee, although Gen Lees
| friends point to the fact that as his is
! a commission in the volunteer army. it
/ would be easier for him to resign than
| for the others. The civil governor viii
/ be Invested, it is understood. of a II mill
tary functions, except those which the
/ governor of a state exercises as the
/ COMMUNICATIVE chief. AS it stands now
most of the officeholders under the Gu
! ban government are CubanS, and the
! experiment will be a practical one in
! self government. Gen. Ludlow has
! made all the municipal appointments in
/ Havana, including the mayor.
If Cuba does get self-gOvernment it
l will be mainly due to Secretary Root.
| He has urged the substitution of civil
/ for military government ever since he
I entered the cabinet, and has been the
! prime mover in the cause of self-gov-
! eminent.
When the case of Porto Rico comes
/ to be considered. it is believed that the
! appointment Will go to Governor Gen
| eral Davis.