The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-05-22
CUBA'S ELECTION LAWS
Senior OapOte Studying the Laws Of
Other Nations.
THE oUBANs ARE STUDYING.

At Day ana Night Schools, Established
TO Prepare Them For the Use of the
franchise, the Attendance Is Nu-
merous and Enthusiastic.
Havana, May 22.-Senor Domingo
Mendez Capote, secretary of govern
ment, has been devotlng considerable
time to study of the electoral laws of
various nations, with a view of for
mulating plans for Inauguration here.
Universal suffrage is considered advis-
able In some respects, but 1t would
have many Objectionable features. On
the other hand Senior Capote thinks
an educational qualification would not
prove satisfactory, unless sufficiently
comprehensive to exclude those taught
especially for elections He says the
Cuban league Is doing much in the
way of preparing the voters to exercise
the electoral function. Day and night
schools are conducted in all the viii
lagos for this purpose, the education
being gratuitous and attendance being
numerous and enthusiastic.
The great objection to a property
qualification is that a majority of
those in cities who formerly had prop
erty the Spaniards in particular, and
many capable Cubans, have been to-
tally ruined during the last three years
and would not be Justly treated we're a
property qualification enforced. Senior
Capote is carefully considering the
| problem, and will submit his views to
Governor General Brooke about the
middle of next month, when he will
ask for the issuance Of such a decree
as he will then have In readiness. The
Cubans, for the most part, however,
disapprove the present system of MAX
| ing laws, contending that Seniors Ca
pote and Lanuza have too much in
| fiuence with the military administra-
| ton and persuade General Brooke to
| sign DEGREES under a belief, on his part,
! that the people desire them, when, as
a matter of fact, the secretaries have
considered nothing except their own
individual wishes.
Senior Launzua, secretary of the de
partment of justice, entirely disap-
proves such reforms in the criminal
| procedure as the abolition of the prac-
tice of incommunicado and the confer
ring upon accused persons of the right
to know the specific charge against
them, to face their aocusers and to hear
the testimony offered. In this position
the Havana bar supports him. The
substance of his argument against the
reforms-which Is an elaborate affair
lis that under such conditions Grim
inals would be able to concert a de-
tense. He thinks it would be mad
visable to adopt the American system
of trial, and seems to believe 1t would
be better that the innocent should
suffer than that the guilty should have
a chance to escape. This view will un-
doubtedly be set aside as soon as a
reform decree can be properly drawn
A number of persons interested in
the debtor and creditor degree" at
tended the departure of the five COM
missioners yesterday afternoon for
Washington, where they hope to Sc
cure a modification of the measure
DIR. Junco, the head of the commits
sion, said the question was one OF
great importance because affecting mill
lions already invested and preventing
millions from being invested.
"The proof of what l say is seen in
the fact" he declared, that on the
day when the decree was issued all
loan transactions ceased. The very
next day the rate for loans rose from
to per cent In excess of the usual
figures. Business men consider that
they have no security in Cuba that Is
safe, and the people in whose behalf
the decree was most desired are really
the principal sufferers"
General Ludlow has revoked con.
eession given in 1904 to the O'Reilly
family, under which they were allowed
to tax every head of cattle slaughtered
to the amount of 80 cents. This will
save about $100 per day. 1t is esti
mated that during the existence of the
4 concession the family has collected
= from $3,000,000 to $5,OO0,O0O.