Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1900-06-26
BVE OF CUBAN ELECTIONS
Much Depends On Use Of Suffrage
by the People.
Nationalist Party Seems 10 Lad In Havana
Qualification for Voters Probable Nun
Der Of Votes 10 Be POlled.

New York, June IA special to the
from Washington says:
The returns of the elections to he
held in Cuba on Saturday next will be
awaited with considerable interest in
this country for several reasons. al
though it is not expected that the senti-
ment in favor of independence or OF
to the United States will
find a direct expression until the time
arrives to choose members of a con-
stitutional convention.
How soon that will be may depend
somewhat on the conduct of the i'm
pending eections which are to be for
municipal ofiicers-alcaldes. treasurers
judges and members of councils.
In order to be qualified to vote man
must be native Cuban or the son of
native male Cuban, born while his pa
rents were temporarily living aboard:
or a Spaniard living in Cuba at the
time of the treaty Of Paris, he has not
made declaration of his decision to pre-
serve his allegiance to the crown of
Spain. lie must be 81 years old or up
ward on the day preceding the cleo
ton and must have lived in the mum.
cipality in which he intends to vote at
least thirty days Immediately preced-
ing the election.
He must possess, in addition to the
foregoing, one or more OF the following
qualifications:
Ability to read and write; ownership
of real or personal property to the
value of $3.50, American gold; service
in the Cuba narmy prior to July 49,
1898, and honorable discharge there.
from, whether native Cupan or not.
No insane person, idiot. pauper or
person who is deprived or suspended
from the exercise of his civil rights by
sentence Of a court Except for a poll
teal crime) shall be allowed to vote.
No person shall be eligible as a candi.
date for a municipal Office other than
qualified elector of the municipality
who is able to read and write.
The order under which the election
is to be held provides regulations for
the registration Of voters and no per
son not registered will be allowed to
vote. The cost of the election includ-
ing compensation Of registers and ele.::
ton officers, ballot boxes, ballots. etc.
is to be paid out of the Cuban treasury.
The order also prescribes regulations
for nominations Of candidates, returns
of registers and election officers, etc.
According to the latest Cuban census
bulletin the number of males of vot-
ing age is 417,953, 29O,995 being native
Cubans, Of whom 1lS,27S are able to
read and write and are therefore quail =
fed voters. or these 1906 are colored
persons. How many others were quail.
fed to vote by virtue of ownership OF
property or on account of service in
the Cuban army Is not known. Neither
are the figures accessible which would
show how many voters have been
registered but 1t is known that the
registration was pretty general, es-
pecially in the larger municipalities
like Havana, Santiago, Cienfuegos, Ma
tanzas, Pinar del Rio, Santa Clara and
Puerto Principe.
The first step in placing the admins
tration of civil affairs in Cuba in the
hands Of the Cubans as result of Gu
ban suffrage will be watched with keen
solcitude by the military authorities
not only in the island, but In Washing
ton, for on its success and the success
of other steps which 1t is hoped will
follow without any great delay will de-
pend to some extent the speedy with
drawal from Cuba of large portion Of
the troops now stationed there, whose
services will be needed elsewhere with
In the next few months when the vol
unteer army now serving in the Phil
ippines will have been disbanded. Two
battalions of the Sixth Cavalry are al
ready under orders for the Philippines
and they will be followed by other bat
talions and regiments from time to
time.
Havana MayoraIty Fight.
Havana, June 15.-Today, on the
very eve Of the elections, the only fea-
ture of the struggle in Havana which
gives rise to the least interest is the
contest for the Mayoralty. 1t Is a fore
gone conclusion that large majority
Of the Municipal Council will be Ma
tionalists. The National party organs
claim that all true patriots will vote
for General Alexandra Rodriguez, who
Is true type Of the revolution u
Senior Estrada Mora, the independent
candidate, on the other hand, declares
that the contest is struggle between
the sword and the toga, he, of course
representing the toga.
Senior Mora pledges an honest ad-
ministration, pointing out that II elect
ed he will take the Office untrammeled