The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1900-11-10
TO co IT ALONE
CONVENTION ASSEMBLIES TO PRE-
PARE CONSTITUTION.
Great Enthu.insm; Prevails and Zen.
Wood and FitxhuEsh Lee Receive
an Oyation-Gen. Wood Opens the
Convention and Addresses h
Delegates on Importance of
the. Occasion and the Duties Re-
nuired Of Them-Gen. Woods La
bors Are Appreciated.

auired of Them-Gen. Wood la
bors Are Appreciated.
-
Havana, Nov. 1.-THE Cuban consti-
tutional convention met in the Marti
theater yesterday afternoon at 2
o'clock. Long before that hour the
theater was crowded. Many thou
sands were unable to gain adnlittance
and the streets in the neighborhood
were blocked with people. Gen. Wood
and his staff, accompanied by Gen.
Fitzhugh Lee and his staff, received
and ovation on entering, the band
playing America" Senior Cisneros
and Gen.. Rivera escorted Gen. Wood
to the platform and he almost irnme-
diately opened the convention.
"As military governor of the island
of Cuba, and representing the presf-
dent of the United States" he said,
81 call this convention to order. It
will be your duty first Of all to frame
and adopt a constitution for Cuba, and
when that has been done, to formu-
late what in your opinion ought to be
the relations between Cuba n the
United States. The constitution must
De " ScCulC okdOAN N@
and free government. When you have
formulated the relations which ought,
in your opinion, to exist between Cube
and the United States, the govern-
ment of. the United States will doubt
less take such action on it's part as
will tend to a final and authoritative
agreement between the people of the
two countries to the promotion OF
their common interests. All the. people
of, Cuba will follow your deliberations
in the earnest hope that o h
reach just conclusions n that by
the dignity, individual self-restraint
and wise conservatism which hal
characterize your proceedings the
capacity of the Cuban people for self
government may be fully Illustrated.
1.-THE fundamental distinction be-
tween free constitutional government
and a dictatorship is that in the
former every representative of the
people, Of whatever Office, confines
himself strictly within tie limits of
his declared powers. Without such
restraint there cannot be free consti-
tutional government.
under the order pursuant to which
you have been elected and convened
you have no duty and authority to
take part in the present government
Of the island. Your powers are strictly
limited by the terms of that order"
Before withdrawing Gen. Wood
wished the delegates a speedy and
! successful conclusion Of their work.
He said that Chief Justice Perez
would administer the form Of oath
which the delegates might select, and
he concluded by appointing
Figuereo, under secretary of state. as
temporary chairman. The convention
organized with Senior L%lorente, justice
of the supreme court, as president;
yiiluendo as secretary. The following
oath was then administered:
I'VE, delegates elected by the people
Of Cuba to the national constitutional
convention, swear faithfully to fulfil
the duties of our office. We publicly
and solemnly %renounce allegiance to
or compact made with any state or
nation, whether made directly OF in
directly, swearing to The sovereignty
of the free and independent people of
Cuba, and swearing to respect the con-
as well as the government established
by the constitution"
AL Of the thirty-one delegates we're
present. Senior Alleman, who said that
the convention was 'tonly a continual
ton Of the fight for Independence"
moved that the regulations governing
the old Cuban assembly adopted in
1896. be used. AS nobody seemed fa-
miliar with them the convention adj
journed Until to-day at 2 p. M, xwhen
copies will be furnished to the dele
gates.
The following resolutions were pre-
seBted to the president of the conven-
ton just before adjournment and will
probably be adopted to-day:
..The undersigned delegates propose
that the constitutional assembly adopt
the following resolutions:
''Firat-That a committee Of the as
sembly proceed Immediately to call on;
Gen. Wood and to manifest the salts,
faction with which the delegates have.
seen him carry out the difficult mis-
sion entrusted to him.
"Second--That the committee res
quest Gen Wood to cable to the pres
ident Of the United States as follows:
The delegates elected to the consti-
tuttonal convention, assembled at
their inaugural meeting, greet with
profounds gratitude and.-afEection! the
president OF the United States OF
America. snd they are satisfied with
the. honesty demonstrated In the ful-:
fllment OF the declarations made I'm
favot. of liberty and Independence of
the Cuban people,"
|3SS%5SIs 0N~rSA. HIa- No. Hnt8FESNa&Mf5eS