The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-12-05
The Cuban Republic---Limited.

The Revie,o of Reuiews for Deem
Der publishes an article by Walter
Wellman which discloses more fully
than has heretofore been done the real
policy of the United States regarding
Cuba. The Cuban constitutional con-
vention is in session at Havana; state
ments are persistently made that this
government will not observe its pledges
respecting Cuba's independence. In
view of these facts and circumstances
Mr.. Wellman's article is regarded as
timely and significant. Mr.. Wellman
it is generally understood, knows the
purposes of the administration, so far
as they are known to any one outside
of the inner administration circle, and
his article ought to set at rest the charges
of national bad faith 30 frequently re-
ported during the recent campaign. In
the course of the article Mr.. Wellman
says:
Now that the Cuban constitutional
convention is in session, and it has
been possible to learn something of its
composition and spirit, members of the
administration at Washington are hope
full of a happy outcome. 1t is believed
that the American policy, which till
now has been kept well in the back
ground, will be adopted by the con-
vention as its own. If this proves to
be the case, then indeed will the people
of Cuba have cause for thankfulness;
for they will secure all the advantages
of nationality along with the perfect
security which is to be found under the
powerful wing of the great republic.
The Cubans will gain full control of
their domestic affairs, without interior
ence by the United States, save that
they are voluntarily to restrict their
power to contract debt. Under the
new regime Cubans will be justified in
looking upon their republic as nation !;
for self-government, in the fullest
sense, is to be theirs. They may make
all their domestic laws, set up their
own governmental machinery, fix heir
tariffs, levy their taxes, order their ex-
penditures, establish their courts, police
their territory, without fear of interfer-
ence or dictation from abroad.
But the foreign relations of the re.
public of Cuba are to be conducted at
Washington, not at Havana. Cuba
will have no ministers abroad, but will
speak through the State Department
and the diplomatic establishment of the
United States. Foreign governments
having business with Cuba will address
the Secretary of State, Washington,
and he will communicate with the
island government at Havana. In
wardly Cuba is to be sovereign ma
ton; internationally it is to be an
American State. In other words the
republic of Cuba is to be to the United
States almost precisely what the Do
minion of Canada is to Great Britain,
save that Cuba will choose president,
and not have nominal governor
general appointed by the paramount
power.
The basis of the franchise in Cuba is 9
matter of great interest and of funda
mental importance. 1t is the foundation
of Cuban independence. On this will
depend the permanence of Cuban re.
public, its success in maintaining order
the existence of peace and the advance.
ment of the islands prosperity political
moral and material. On this subject
Mr.. Wellman says:
Secretary Roots great desire was tc
give the future Cuban republic an
electorate which should preserve it
Obviously, if he had wished to wreck
the budding nation, to bring chaos and
disorder within it, and make inevitable
another and less unselfish Intervention
by the United States, he could have
done 30 by the simple and natural pro-
cess of throwing the franchise open tc
all male inhabitants. In this way he
could have worked the ruin of Cuba as
self-governing entity. That would
surely, and probably without much de-
, lay, have thrown the island into the
lap of the United States. Mr.. Roo
, might easily have made the mistake O.
going to the opposite extreme OF ar
ranging an electoral scheme which
would have shut out most OF the Gu
bans, and placed the sovereign power
within the hands of the wealthy and
educated-the Spanish traders and the
Cuban professional classes. He adopt
t ed, instead, happy mean. Any Gu
8 ban (or any Spaniard who has re
! nounced allegiance to SPAIN may vote
provided he is twenty-one years old
has resided in the municipality thirty
8 days Immediately preceding registra-
= ton and possesses any one of the fol
lowing additional qualifications:
~ Ability to read and write; ~ owner
= ship OF real or personal property to tn,
I value OF $3.50 American gold; 3) service II
the Cuban army prior to July 18, 1898, ant
: honorable discharge therefrom, whether
1 native Cuban or not.
The man who prepared this plan Of
electoral franchise was determined
that Cuba, as State, should be sue
Q cess II any saving merit lay in wis,
q foundation. He wanted neither
. Haiti nor San Domingo, with masse
L of ignorant and irresponsible elector
= dominating society, usually under tn