The times., 1899-09-17
APPEAL 10 THE PRESIDENT.
Editors of the "Reconcentradoo
Criticise Secretary Root.

Editors of the "Reconcentradoo
Criticise Secretary Root.
The edit9rs of "El Reconcentrado, Ar
nauto andicervantes, have appealed from
Secretary Roots decision approving General
Ludlow's order suppressing their paper. and
have addressed the following letter to Mr..
Mckinley; j RI ,.,,,,,c.o,. 60. :. 1000
To the Presidents
We, the uIsier4 gned, are the petitioners named
in a letter addressed to the Honorable Secretary
OF War, on AHglst u, 1899. respectfully request
ing an investigation into the charges on which
III Reconcentrado,'' a daily publication con-
Quoted by MS in the city Of Havana, Cuba, was
suppressed by General Ludlow Military Governor
OF the province of Havana, refuting the SAID
charges SO far as they had been made known TO
us, and begging the revocation OF the said order
OF suppression, by which the most sacred laws oil
this Republic and of Cuba, guaranteeing TO the
press full and complete liberty, have suffered a
fragrant breach and direct violation.
In this petition. copy OF which IS enclosed
herewith for your Excellencys perusai, we cheer
fully submitted to the jurisdiction OF the clyil
courts for trial the accusations which had
! been brought against us, and Joined thereto an
I exhaustive statement Copy OF which is nkewlse
! appended) of the legal grounds on which we
based our right, clear and indisputable. to sueh
| civil procedure. We had hoped to avoid IN
creasing, by call of your personal attention TO
! tDls matter. the pressure OF your EAVeiNhNy
] occupations; but should not be men worthy
! OF the name, we should not be fathers worthy
| OF the name, did we submit TO the unwirranteu
! affront inflicted upon us by the terms Oh sne
| Honorable Secretarys decision, or accept Win
out a word of protest sentence based upon al
| legged findings which as infamous IN char-
/ acter as they are devoid of foundation IN TACT;
! The terms to which we particularly refer, ana
| from which now appeal to you, as to the
| highest authority in land whose ideals OF Jus-
tiee we feel confident, will never allow this
mysterious decision to stand, appeared en- the
| l+th instant in the published endorsement OF
| General Ludlov's action by the Honorable Sec
rotary OF War, and follows:
| vile publication Every government Is
| bound to protect the community against public
indecency in this well as in other forms
1t is to be regretted that the persons responslDie
! for the publication cannot be crimlnaily pun
/ lished''
| The same reports state that General Ludlow
| had no other ground for suppressing the paper
! However much at a loss may be 10 mag
| inc by what means or contrivanee such hnoinSs
! were arrived at realize but too we'll the enor'
| nous disadvantage at which we are placed Dy
i these subtle insinuations Yet we do not despair
| of the result OF an appeal TO you, and, through
| you, to the American people, from veraici
| which, not content with denying the accused
all hearing or opportunity of defence, joins
wanton and gross insult to false and illegal con-
| demnation Apart from the fact, which we re-
spectfully submit to your consideration as a
| further ground OF appeal, that the Honorable
Secretary of War did clearly overlap his author
| ity by practically usurping the functions OF a
public prosecuting attorney, and using language
which, in the mouth OF the Honorable Secre-
| tary OF War, when officially granting or denying
| a request for justice, has never been authorized
| or sanctioned by any law of the land, we beg
= your EXcellency to notice. on the one hand, the
/ fimsiness and inconsistency OF the accusation di
rected against us and on the other, the absolute
| want Of proof in support Of this ac
! cusation; the fimsiness and inconsist
| ency because the accusation does not
| state directly, but only insinuates, II
| appears and because it is not true that the
persons proven guilty of sucf offences could more
| successfully avoids punishment in Cuba than il
| this country or <yn any other civilized eommu
| nifty; the absolute want OF proof because the
| Government having at its disposal full col
Election of the numbers of 'El Reconcentrado, fo
the last two months previous to the papers sup
1 preston, is unable to discover single instance
| IN which the lays Of morality or decency were
! intringed by us. itnd because the applies tc
the four preceding months. which complete the
| record of sse paper's existence, and all thu
| numbers OF WHICH we more than ready tC
| submit to your Excellency for examination b,
any court or tribunal which may be appointed
| for this purpose.
! General LSdlow's report is stated to have beer
! based on thk assumption that we were claiming
| large sums from the Government of the United
| States, in damages for the losses inflicted upor
| us by the Summary confscation of our property
The enclosed docgments will convince your Ex
i cellency of the fatsity Of this assumption. W,
have distinctly stated our demand to refer onl,
| 10 restoration OF our liberty TO pursue avo
cation and Resume our work, though reserving
/ Of course, the right TO claim damages from tn,
/ United States Government in just re
! quest for justice should be further denied
| In conclusion, Mr.. President, respectfully
| beg that you read with kind attention the docu
| ments enclosed herewith; that you allow not t.
! stand, without hearing being granted us, a yer
dict which, il given credence to- would branC
| nd opr children with iufamy and tur
pitude in the eyes of all selfrespecting citizens
and that you either direct our case to be tret
| at Havana by the proper civil courts or appoint
| tribunal here before whom we may have en-
| ioyment OF our inaenable right to present ou
| side of the case, to lift up the veil of misap
prehension with which skillful and designing enc
| mics TO have blinded against us the Ameri
can military authorities and 10 dlsprove by hna
| and conclusive demonstration ealumny which
| we deny, repudiate, and protest against with th
full vigor OF our manhood.
| We await your Excelleney's reply with Tranquil
confidence Can this leading Republic, with it
traditions and its ideals, afford to uphold yer
dict and approve a sentence which, without tru
reason select two really law-abiding citizens ano
| declare to them that, henceforth, they shall NJ
longer enjoy the God-given right to thei
families bread in the pursuit of the only calling
4 to which they are adapted? Very respectfully,
| r. ARNAUTO
A. CERvANTES
| In an interview with Times reporte
yesterday the Cuban editors said that /
President Mckinley would only give few
minutes to an investigation of the case b
could soon ascertain that a great wron,
had been perpetrated, and that they ha,
been made the victims of General Ludlow
| wrath
"In Cuba" said the editors, 1--WE hav
laws 10 punish libel and blackmail and t.
suppress obscene and vile publications. w
can prove to the President that Secretar.
Root seriously erred when he said in hi
statement which he gave to the press tn
other day: 1t is to be regretted that tn
persons responsible for the publication can
not be criminally punished
What we complain Of Is General Lud
lows czar-like act. He ignored the law Il
which we were amenable if we biackmaile,
and ltbeled people and published yil
sheet. as he charges and as Secretary Roo
| SAYS in his endorsement. The fact is, Gen
erai Ludlow is in hole; his act was un
| warranted and is not sanctioned by the Gu
ban people, and an investigation will shov