Evening star., 1899-04-01
Crockery Department.
House & Herrnn@mr 2s% 2s: g1=9O8 Seventh Street.

CollaZo are the best known. CollaZo was
one of the comman nders in the province of
Santiago. He has the faculty of writing
letters, and his views are generally made
known by long articles in the newspapers
complaining that Cuba has not yet reached
the state of Eden, and that therefore its
aspirations not realized. CoilaZo had
a reputation Il bushwhacking fighter,
but he is making a greater reputation as
fault finder. Gen. Lacret made his record
during the first year two of the insur-
rection, and was trusted by Maxine Gomez
and Antonio Maceo, Later he was active
in the filbustering expeditions. He fell out
with Gomez for some breaches of military
discipline, and since then has been vio-
lent opponent of the old insurSent general.
Lacret is of French descent. He has no
capacity as politician. and will never
develop a political following. His own
friends are those who combat his notions
most strenuOuSly.
Recently the attempt has been made by
the opponents of Maxine Gomez to bring
forward Bartolome Masso as their leader.
Masso, when the insurrectOn broke out,
was Il sugar planter near Manzanillo. He
went into the field with the insurgents and
the Spanish authorities, because of his in
f1uence, made extraordinary efforts to per-
suade him to renew his allegiance to the
crown. He continued faithful to the in
surgents and became the president of the
provisional government in the woods. In
the later months he was cast aside and
suDDlanted by some of the men who are
| now seeking to bring him forward again.
Masso has heretofore been quite conserva-
tive in all his actions.
! The effort has also been made to identify
Salvador Cisneros Betancourt, the Marquis
| of Santa Lucia with the radical movement.
He is quite an old man, who was in the
I ten years war. and was the first president,
| so called. of the Cuban government when
| the present inSurreCtion broke out. He has
i thus far remained neutral and has depre-
! Gated facuonal divisions among the Cubans.
| DIR. Bustnmente's Opinion.
! When Gen. Lacret and his associates
| started their movement they sought an
| opinion from DIR. Bustamente, an interna-
| tional lawyer of continental reputation, re-
| garding the nature of the American occu-
! pancy according to International law and
usage He issued a 'dctamen'' or report
| in which he analyZed the subject in the
| light of the resolution of Congress, the
| executive messages and the declarations
| made by the American peace commissioners
: at the Paris conferences. From this analy-
sis DR.. BuStamente reached the conclusion
that in international law the American oc-
| cupancy was temporary, and that Cuba
must prepare for an Independent existence
| AS this doctrine had been repeatedly stated
in Washington, and the American mill
! tary authorities had reiterated it, DR.. Bus
tamente's conclusion did not cause politi-
cal commotior. Senor Gfberga, who had
| been what was called radical autonomist
issued, on his own behalf, a long address,
| in which he also declared that a Cuban
party must be formed. The implication was
\ that Senior Gtberga was willing that the
| Cubans who wanted to arrange themselves
/ into a political group should join with him.
! Their response was not hearty. Giberga
\ had not been an insurgent, and he could
| not |--'id up following. Lacret and the
radicals were willing he should join with
/ them, but not as the leader.
The opinions of the Marquis Apeztegua
were privately circulated He is a sugar
1 Dlantar who uDlpld he rnle
| throughout without incurring the resent
| ment of the Cubans. Though Cuban born
/ he was the president of the Spanish party
| which known the union constitu-
| tionals. They were the tories who OPP
posed all reforms for Cuba Apezteguia
| sought to cooperate with Banco in sup
! porting autonomy. but the party repudiat-
| ed his position. The views of the marquis
| privately circulated, are against annex
! alton. He is said to have written a letter
/ to Cen Brooke, explaining why, in his
| opinion, IL is better for both the United
\ States and for Cuba not to agitate an
/ neXation. He is likely to co-operate with
| Gomez in the policy of Industrial recon-
\ struction.
| The Juntas or Clubs.
The germ of political organization in
| Cuba lies in the juntas clubs. There
never has been a basis of popular repre-
| sentation. In the years Immediately pre-
ceding the insurrection there were three
I ties III the island. TDeSe were
| the union constitutionals or conservatives,
| the autonomists or home rulers and the re-
| formistas trimmers. The reformistas
were also called the mugwumps, because
| they had no fixed allegiance, though in the
| later years they co-operated with the au-
| Economists. The local juntas elected dele
/ gates who formed the juntas magnas or
/ central committees. This was the basis of
| the parties. There was no such thing as
! primaries, but there was an approach TO
| the caucus in the power given the central
| committee. The Cuban people never had a
| chance to understand the meaning of elec-
4 tions. When a pretense was made of con-
| ceding suffrage on the basis of property
| and poll tax it was so contrfved that 90
| per cent of the voting power was in the
hands of the Spaniards. The elections were
! SO much farce that they usually passed
/ without the community knowing they had
! been held. The election officials would post
up the official registry and would some-
times return every qualified electer as hay