The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-11-10
A REAL FRIEND OF CUBA.
Wise Words and Wholesome Advice to the
Cubans from Gov.-Gen.
Wood,

tASoSSA q o eAS@
sands were unable to gain a~dmittance,
and the streets in the neighborhood
were blocked with people.
Gen. Wood and his staff, accom-
panied by Gen. Fitzhugh Lee and his
staff, received an ovation on entering,
the bands playing America"
Senior Cisneros and Gen. Rivera es-
corted Gen. Wood to the platform, and
he almost Immediately opened the
convention.
"As military governor of the Island
of Cuba and representing the presi-
dent of the United States" ne said,
81 call this convention to order. 1t
will be your duty first of all to frame
and adopt a constitution for Cuba,
and, when that has been done, to
formulate what, in your opinion,
ought to be the relations between
Cuba and the United States.
1.-THE constitution must be adequate
to secure stable, orderly and free gov
eminent. When you have formulated
the relations which, in your opinion,
ought to exist between Cuba and the
United States, the government of the
United States will, doubtless, take
such action on its part as shall lead to
a final and authoritative agreement
between the people OF the two coun-
tries to the promotion of their COM
mon interests.
"All friends of Cuba will follow
your deliberations with the deepest
interest, earnestly desiring that you
shall reach just conclusions and that
by the dignity, individual self-re-
straint and wise conservatism which
shall characterize your proceedings
the capacity of the Cuban people for
representative government may be
signally illustrated.
The fundamental distinction be-
tween true representative govern
ment and a dictatorship is that in the
former every representative of the
people, in whatever Office, confines
himself strictly within the limits of
his defined powers. Without such re-
straint there can not be free consti-
tutional government.
NhoSA th$ ~ "hiSh
you have been elected and convened
you have no duty and no authority to
take part in the present government
of the island. Your powers arc strict
ly limited by the terms of thai Or
der"
Before withdrawing Gen.. Wood
wished the delegatesa speedy and sue
cessful conclusion of their work. He
said that Chief Justice Perez would
administer the form of oath which
the delegates might select, and he con-
Guided By appointing Senior Figuerero,
under secretary of state for the gov
eminent, as temporary chairman.
The convention organized with
Senior Llorente, justice of the supreme
court, as president, and Senior Villuen-
do as secretary.
The following oath was then admin
istered:
"We, delegates, elected by the peo-
pie of Cuba to the national constitu-
tional convention, swear faithfully to
fulfil the duties of our Office. We pub
licly and solemnly %renounce allegiance
to or compact made with any state or
nation, whether made directly or in
directly, swearing to the sovereignty
of the free and independent people Of
Cuba, and swear to respect the solu-
ton this convention may adopt, as
well as the government established by
the constitution"
All of the 81 delegates were present.
Senior Alleman, who said that the
convention was ''only a continuation
of the fight for independence"
moved hat the regulations governing
the old Cuban assembly at Yaya, in
1896. be adopted. AS nobody seemed
familiar with them the convention adj
journed until to-day at 2 p. m, when
copies will be furnished to the dele
gates.
The following resolutions were pre-
sented to the president of the conven-
ton, just before adjournment, and
will probably be adopted to-day:
"The undersigned delegates propose
that the constitutiOnalassembly adopt
the following resolutions:
"First-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
seer him carry out the difficult mis-
mission assigned him.
"Second-That the committee re-
quest Gen. Wood to cable to the presi-
dent of the United States as follows:
The delegates elected to the constitu-
tional convention assembled at their
inaugural meeting greet with pro-
found gratitude and affection the
president of the United States of
America, and they are satisfied with
the honesty demonstrated in the full
fillment of the declarations made in
favor of liberty and The independence
of the Cuban people,"
Released on Writ of Habeas Corpus.
Chicago, Nov. 6.-Ralph Silberstein,
arrested on a fugitive warrant from
Missouri, was released from custody
on a writ of habeas corpus by Judge
Gibbons. SiIberstein was accused of
larceny of jewelry samples in st.
Louis.
VII be Admitted Duty Free.
Washington, Nov. 6.-The president