Arizona republican., 1900-08-07

The United States war department has issued the order for an election to
 CUBAN be held in Cuba on the
 CONSTITU- third Saturday of Sep
 TIONAL tember, to elect dele
 CONVEN- gates to the constitu-
 TION. tional convention. to be held in Havana, on the first Mon day of November 1900. This is the necessary preliminary for the or ganization of an independent gov crnmert to which the United States is to transfer the governmental con- trol of the island, when reason- ably assured of the stability of the new republic, in accordance with the joint resolutions of congress. Upon the active, intelligent, popular interest to be taken in this election and upon the patriotism, ability and character of the delegates selected to frame a constitu- tion, will depend the success of this first attempt of the Cuban people to or ganize democratic rule, presumably up- on the model of the United States. The permanency of the new order will de- pend greatly upon the character of the men who are to set it on foot. Happi- ly the American republic was installed by patriots of the highest worth. The great ability of these founders was publicly acknowledged by hostile Eng fish statesmen. So, also, in the Ameri- can states, the constitutions, particu- larly the earlier ones, were drawn by a select body of citizens.
 An error in the fundamental law of a country may propagate mischief for years, to be removed only by the tardy and expensive process of constitutional revision. The common, the most prolif- ic error, is to insert too much detail in struments provisions which should have taken the form of laws. The Cu- ban convention will have, fortunately the experiences of more than a century of constitutional government in the United States to draw upon in con- Structing a government, republican in form, adapted to Cuban needs. The sa- lection of federal senators by the pop ular vote of the states is a proposed change in our organic law which will suggest a departure in the Cuban con- ctifu+ior. fror, O,1r ,,rocs 1ura in tI,ic ra spect; and the election of the president by the direct vote of the people will probably bs an attractive provision for the Cubans
 The danger is that the Cubans may not take suffiient interest in the cleo tion of the delegates. It was announced after the municipal election in June that to an American observer the Gu bans regarded that proceeding with in difference. In the language of a de- spatch from Havana the day after the election, there was not even a crowd in waiting to hear the result declared Not a cheer was raised nor were there any of the ordinary indications of cleo tion excitement.
 This means that the Cubans have not yet developed the political fervor so much in evidence in the United States. It is possible that the election of dele gates to the constitutional convention to determine the future form of gov ernment of the country may excite much interest from the American point of view. Even the first presidential election, if Cuba becomes a republic, as it is believed she will, may not be very exciting. Some patriot like Gomez might be elected by almost common consent. But deep interest must be de- veloped in the duties of citizenship sooner or later, if the Cuban nation is to survive as a republic. The issue of annexation to the United States may infuse extraordinary interest in the coming convention, or in the elections hereafter. This is an issue which the United States is in honor bound not 70 exploit. An interruptions protecting power could adroitly manipulate the convention, or the subsequent elections, in it's own interests and absorb Cuba. The proposal of annexation should come, if it ever comes, first from the Cubans themselves. acting of their ire will. and long after the military power of the United States has be with ,J ,.. IVY, from ha leland