New-York tribune., 1901-12-21
THE CUBAN ELECTION.
MP PIERRA'S CONTROVERSY WITH THE
SECRETARY OF WAR.
the Editor of The Tribune.

SECRETARY OF WAR.
ro the Editor of The Tribune
sir. In to-day's Issue of your valued paper m
o-e in full a communication from the Honorab1a
Secretary OF War. addressed to me. stating the
orounds upon which he denies my application for 4
1ostponement of the Cuban election to January 81
ba reform Of the provincial boards Of canvassers
~ the Central Board of Scrutiny etc and I hopa
,ou will also publish my answer in Justice to the
cause defend. apparently trivial and really grave
Ny petition TO the Honorable Secretary of War is
based on the following facts: First that all the
members Of the Central Board of Scrutiny are
candidates either for Senators or for Renresen+a-
tves second, that they all partisans of one os
the Presidential candidates. Senior Estrada Palma:
third that they are all members of the Estrada
Palma Executive Campaign Committee; fourth that
the other Presidential candidate General BartoIoe
Maso is not represented in the board fifth that the
said board is in charge of the general direction OF
the election, and IN Issuing orders and instructions
in reference thereto it has shown itself to be par
ta and unfair; sixth. that it has sanctioned Illegal
acts faVorng their political interests or those of
the Presidential candidate whom they support;
seventh tnat IN several OF the provincial boards
canvassers General Maso is not represented; eighth
that the list OF largest taxpayers (from which
Senatorial electors be selected according TO
the provisions Of the law. should have been posted
for public inspection on October 29 and on Decem-
br il had not yet been prepared. and NINTH that
the Illegal selection of delegate to the Provincial
Board of CanVassers Of Havana had been sane
toned by the Central Board of Scrutiny
The Tuth OF the first seven factS-and they are of
grave lmport-the Honorable Secretary OF War does
Lot question. In regard TO the eighth he states
that he has received information to the effect that
the list Of largest taxpayers publicly posted on
October So and in regard 10 the ninth he does
consider it as proved f. G. PIERRA
Washington, D. c., Dec. IS 1901.
Here follow the salient portions of Mr. Pierra'A
letter TO the Secretary of War:
WHAT l have asserted 1 prove. I think.
your Satisfaction 1 confined myself pointing
out only facts not because there are not Others
but because those two are of public notoTiety ana
Special investigation necessary to prove them
namely The illegal selection OF delegate the
provincial board and the omission post the list
ton law provides that the selection OF the said
delegate shall be made within the third day after
mat IN wMch the period Tor the registration OF
electors expires: On November l9, the secretary
Villuendas announced that the third day expired
on November % inciose herewith newspaper
clipping No l. with paragraph marked with blue
pencil On November -, without having been sum
the boards of registration, all adherents of the
members OF the Central Board of Scrutiny, met
has forty wards. ana each had board of regis
tTation; According to the law, each board OF
fore, forty delegates, and only fifteen, as already
authority; met and selected the delegate to the
provincial board The majority, the twenty-five
the said delegate protested; but the Central Board
oi ii ~ etsSseu IS ne se he osiea5 % far
or even legal anywhere and evinces the partiality
Of the Central Board OF Scrutiny.
As to the list of the largest taxpayers having
been posted on October 80, allow me to say that
the information is absolutely erroneous and If in
estgated will De found @ 70 be So on s Peeem0eF d Der
Yet been prepared. and OF course. could not have
been posted. On the morning of the said day. De-
cial session for that purpose and eleven names (as
seen by inSosed neTSERspeT E Snp@PRg @ NI & . enSc6 TgTg
list Of largest taxpayeTs is madei @ 1t Is evident.
pared even on December u, it could not have been
posted October 80
1t is very true that it was not the duty of the
al Board Of to pF6paTe @ Te Saa Post POS 5 {h
dav fixed bv the law expired the City Council of
Havana, not having complied with that provision,
s traG % r BoaTd Of scrIifinv however failed to
Iake apV acton in the matter. and on December
It ordered the City CounciI Of Havana to proceed
TO do the said work In connection with this mat,
Zayas member Of the Sentral Board Of s., Sergti9S
of the majority therein Is it not plain that there
ton and the posting Of the list? At all events the
law was not complied with and i was materially
Scrutiny knew in advance how the list was to be
fbafr own nurposcs The people at large were kept
in utter ignorance. Was such proceeding fair or
the fSeR centsa sefaa BosTd Of serung Ser lSs '
ow me net to say 1hft fb thg kmepeaB oecupat6n and
postpone the independence of Cuba, According to
the Presidential and Senatorial electors TO meet
and elect the President and the senators on 3 fep-
Piled with If the general election ordered FOR
f1ecernber 81 deferred until January Il; but even
eupposing that it should be found necessary or con
TeTert to extend the time fifteen or thirty Gays,
ought it not to be done for the sake of fnsuring
fair and honest elect:on2
Tho Central Board Of Scrutiny was certainly con-
etituted without reference TO any candldate aIld
before arv candidate had been nominated. and the
fact IS Acknowledged in the memorial presented ps
10r Hernandez to the Military Governor The poafo
was appointed by General Wood before the aS, Elec3
fon law was promulgated, and nomination coGio
he made nrevious to the PRONUNCIATION or the 6ald
law AS drafted by the convention. IT PROVIDED tnat
+ha convention itself should perform the FUNCTION
efteryTard assigned to the Central Board OF Scru-
finv General Wood objected to the arrangeInenl,
on the ground that some, perhaps Inany OF t tne
members Of convention would De caroludtes,
and II was inexuedient and highly immoral that
candidates should have under their charge the con-
6ur+ Of the election. If IT was ineXpeclent ana
birh1y immoral that the convention as a Whole
should direct the election is it not lneXpedient ana
hehiv immoral that five Of its mem berS an canaI
Sa+es and all partisanS Of the same Presldeltlal
candidate should be ntrusted with the same Iotic
$50 II was not likely that all the rleInperS OF
sj1e convention would be candidates. ana II IS
soc+ +}1a+ they are not and IL was not likely Ihet
+Eav al would be partisans of the same tresIoeL-
tisI csn5i5ate and It is also fact that they are
not.