Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-04-03

Els Differences With the Cuban Mill
tary Assembly
REGARDING THE MONEY OBTAIN
ED FROM THE UNITED STATES,
BUT NOT YET PAID OVER-THE
lSSEMBLY'S ENDEAVORS TO
COERCE THE OLD WARRIOR
WE'RE A RANK FAILURE-HE
NOW DESIRES TO RETURN
HOME TO SAN DOMINGO.

NOW hCaJInGAO ~ W. OASA>
HOME TO SAN DOMINGO.
Havana, April 2.-To-day, as under
the Spanish regime, bribery and fraud
direct the Cuban courts. This is the
firm conviction of the military admin
istration. Governor General Brooke
is taking the matter up and intends to
clean out the corruption, to revise The
judicial procedure, to change the court
personnel, and to abolish the barbarous
practice of incommunicado, by which
the judge may imprison for life per-
son ignorant of the accusation against
him and of the names of his accusers.
1t is true that the statutes allow three
days detention inconmunicado, but
Judge under the practice that has grown
I'D, may make new commitment at
the expiration of the third day; an
other at the expiration of the sixth, and
so on without limit.
More than this, the evidence in GRIM
inal causes is taken by clerks, who, for
a consideration, write into the testl-
mony things never uttered, thus often
making the best friends of the accused
appear to condemn him. Apparently
the whole criminal and civil systems
have been arranged so as to make 1t
easy to buy and sell justice.
Gen. Maxine Gomez in a long letter dl-
rected to his wife in Santo Domingo, re-
views his differences with the so-called
military Assembly. He begins by de-
scribing the situation as it was when Rob-
ert P. Porter as the special representa-
tive of President Mckinley visited Cuba,
after the Assemby's representatives at
Washington had obtained promise of $S,-
OONOGO from the President. The writer,
proceeding, says:
This action on the part of the Assem-
blys committee, / approved. 1t was then
that Mr.. Porter appeared and asked me
as COMMUNICATIVE chief to decide to ac-
cept the 100000, to aid in its distribution
and in disarming the army, and to proceed
forthwith to Havana to assist the United
States military governor, General Brooke.
I agreed, and on arriving at Havana,
conferred with Gen. Brooke concerning
the payment and disarmament. 1t was
decided that Gen. Brooke should request
Washington to ship to Cuba the 100000
which had been obtained by the represent
tatives of the Assembly. I saw to the adj
justment of all questions that led UP to
the termination of the ridiculous armed
situation and began to entertain hopes of
an early return to San Domingo.
1.-THE Assembly then called upon me TO
visit it's president, saying tnat the object
sought was an unofficial exchange of
ideas. But they placed me upon the bench
of the accused my crime being that 1 was
inclined to accept the 100000, which the
Assembly itself, through its representa-
tives, had induced President Mckinley to
promise, a matter as to which I had not
been consulted. 1t appeared that [ had
broken off negotiations for $13,O00COJ. To
all this, I replied that had acted in the
best faith, but that nothing had been lost,
as l would withdraw the acceptance
had given. They then requested me to ar
ray myself on their side in order to give
strength to their resolutions. / answered
that had already done so and would con-
tinue to do so, except in cases where the
course of the Assembly was opposed to
my conscience, my sense of justice and to
lily lQod OF the pest interests Oh CuDa.
Regarding the matters under consider
alton, 1 said | had no hope of obtaining
more than 1900 eco from the United States,
and disapproved asking charity, contend
ing that the only method left was to raise
a loan, for which the Assembly lacked
adequate authorization. Furthermore, !
pointed out that the soldiers could not
wait; that already they were too great a
hrrd Of C,,Io
longer delay appeared to me to be cruel.
''The conference ended without accom-
plishing anything. 1 saw 1 could not
make myself understood by the Assembly,
and decided not to be mixed up with its
dongs, but to await Developments few
days later three men whom 1 did not
know visited me and said that several mil
lionaires stood ready to facilitate a loan
of many millions, but that the matter
was possible only with my cooperation.
] answered that I could not consider any
proposition of the kind, and regarded it
as strange that any one would be ready to
lend money without guarantee. Ny Wis
itors replied that the City Council could
arrange a guarantee. Then a committee
Of the Assembly approached me, asking
me to support the Assembly's efforts to
obtain a loan. To this l replied that Cuba
could not make loan, as she lacked the
necessary authority. The next day the
Assembly deposed me. 1 consider that L
have acted honorably and my strongest
desire now is to return home'
Agricultural conditions throughout the
country are improving. The tobacco crop
is good and Guines, the market garden of
Havana, will put on the market in a few
days $4,000 barrels of Irish potatoes, at So
barrel, and 5000 pounds of onions at
three cents a pound. A large proportion
of both will be supplied to the American
troops through the commissary depart
ment.
Postmaster Thompson has been estab-
lished in his official duties and the mill
tary branch of the postal service has been
abolished in Havana. 1t will soon be
abolished at other points