The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-28
CUBAN ELECTORAL LAW.

, For presidential elector the candidate
must be Cuban by birth, or naturalixed,
with eight years residence, as in other
cases: 80 years old and a two-year resident
of the province.
The candidate for senator must have
been born In Cuba and be at least IS years
old. Naturalized citizens are not eligible
for the ONCE Of senator.
The provision of the electoral law as to
the qualifications which candidate for
the presidency must possess IL copied from
the constitution without addition. The
candidate must be a Cuban by birth or
naturalization. In which case he must have
served Cuba with arms at least ten years
In her wars for independence, and he must
be 40 years old OF more. When this clause
was originally drawn in this manner It
was for the purpose Of making Maxine
! Gomez eligible for the presidency. Since
that time General Gomez has many times
publicly stated that he would not be a
candidate for that office; and. SO far as the
old chief is concerned, this clause has only
an historical interest.
The qualifications and requirements de-
manded Of candidates for the vice presi-
dency are the same as those for the presi-
dency.
Such are the requirements exacted of all
candidates for public ONCE There are, be-
sides. certain incapacities and incompafl-
bilities. The exercise Of any elective pub
lie office Is made incompatible with filling
also with any employment paid for out of
the public revenues. II such candidates
should be elected they could not qualify or
take the new Office without first resigning
the old. Officers of companies and corpora
tions having contracts with the state.
province or municipality under which pay
ment is to be made out Of public funds
must also resign before they can fill public
office. Persons elected who refuse to take
the oath of office cannot assume or dis
charge its duties,
In one important respect the new cleo
toral law contains a modification in the
method of voting. 1t adopts the system
whic has been in use in England since
1872 for municipal and parliamentary cleo
tons, originally suggested by William Ed
ward Foster, a respectable statesman OF
the English liberal school. The innovation
relates to printed protests. colored and
| numbered ballots. and Is designed to lessen
the chances for fraud and render less diff
cult the investigation and detection Of
crimes against the ballot. The system has
produced good results elsewhere. 1t COM
bines with the secrecy of voting the Sc
curity of the count.
| If the constitutional convention shall
| finally adopt this electoral law, the con-
vention itself will establish the various
| branches of the new government. This Is
| in accordance with the programme out
| lined by General Wood in his order call
:, ing the convention and prescribing its
! functions.
| According to the present electoral law.
if no substantial changes shall be made
| in it during the discussion of it by articles,
| the existing branches of government will
be made use Of in conducting the elections
1t would be costly and cause delay to pro-
vide others. Thus the municipal alcaldes
and the provincial governors will have
their functions and lend their aid, both
| subject to the convention, which will re-
solve doubts and decide disputed questions.
The convention has not taken action with
respect to municipal elections out of cour-
tesy and consideration to the government
! Of the United States. Those popular ad-
ministrative corporations as the cleo
toral commission called them, were con-
stituted by the transitory orders of the
ml4ltary government, and will end in June
| Of next year.
| In the matter of penalties for crimes
1 against the ba...l the convention seems to
! have preferred fines as being practicable
and efficient, though imprisonment Is also
provided for.
| Perhaps the most important thing was
| left for the last. At the end of the cleo
toral law are some half dozen 'transitory
| provisions" which have for their object
the shortening OF the time for the estab-
lishment Of the new government. General
Woods rough estimate was eight months
| at the outside, and unless the time Is
shortened as provided In the electoral law
all of that time will be required. But
every advantage, both as to Cuba and the
United states, is in favor Of an early es-
tabiishment of the new goyernment-for
Cuba, in order that the present sugar crop
may get the benefit of any tariff reduc-
tons which the coming congress may
grant before it adjourns; anu for the
United States, SO that the question as ia
! annexation hereafter can be raised and
decided once for ALL That question can
not be probably or safely raised or de-
1 cided until, after the establishment of the
new government, the Cuban people express
their wishes upon the subject.-New York
Tribune.