Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-28

The commission appointed to revise the
laws and the legal procedure Of Cuba is
composed Of three Cubans, Messrs. Estevez,
Barriero and Zayas. and two Americans.
Horatio Rubens and ]. E. Runcie. The two
first-named Cubans are members of Gov.
Woods cabinet. The commission has been
at work for two weeks, and 1t will be sew
eral weeks more before its report is ready.
There has been some protest from the Gu
bans at the presence of Americans on the
commission. but Gen. Wood has assured the
Cuban lawyers that while 1t is the desire of
the Americans to eliminate the evils from
the legal system. there Is ND intention of
attempting to revolutionize the system on
an American plan. and thus force the Gu
bans to go to law school again to acquire
knowledge Of legal matters introduced by
the Americans.
During General Brooke's rule a PROPOSE
ton was made to appoint an all-Cuban
commission to revise the laws. This was
defeated by the leaders Of the revolution
airy party. 1t was six months after the
Americans entered into the full control Of
'tncommunicado' feature Of the old law
was done away with and all proposed re-
forms Of this character seem to have been
rejected by General Brooke's cabinet. In
the legal system of Cuba, as enforced by
the Spaniards. are contained nearly all the
evils which drove the Cubans to revolt and
brought about American Intervention. The
purpose OF the Americans on the present
lures and still maintain the Spanish system
Of law as a whole, which is believed to be
well suited to the country and the customs
of the people.
AS nothing can go into effect without the
consent of the American governor, 1t will
be realized that while the Americans are
in minority on the commission. their
ideas will undoubtedly prevail in the final
outcome. The Cubans however have moth
ing to fear from this, as both of the Amerf-
can commissioners are men familiar with
Spanish procedure and fully alive to the
necessity of avoiding violent changes in
the methods of doing business, II their
work is to be considered successful. They
are also keenly alive to the need for re-
FORM for If the present system should be
left intact. and the United States withdraw
from Cuba. it would be through the in
strumentality of this system that Cuba
would soon become a reproach to the name
of a republic owing to the ease with which
the leaders could subordinate the courts as
we'll as the governing power to their indi-
vidual purpose and ambition. The courts
were used IN Spain! to work the will of the
dominant power as they are used in nearly
every other Spansh-American country for
the same purpose. Property has few
justice: the guilty no assurance of punish
ment.
No Court House In Cuba.
There Is no such thing as a court house
| in Cuba. Ninety-five per cent of the court
| business is done by the clerks. II man
has a case at law he does not seek the
judge. but the clerk to whom that partic-
ular case belongs" When the judges
signature Is needed the clerk takes the
papers to him at his house. He may read
| before he signs. but this is doubtful in most
cases. The clerk makes his living from the
Htigants, and the result is obvious. The
| man who can make 1t most worth while
| generally wins the case. This was not con-
| fined to the Spanish occupation of Cuba
| but has been the case under the American
l rule 1t Is going on tolla.y and that is uh,-