Evening star., 1901-12-18
oIERRk'S REQUEST DENIED
OF THE CUBAN
ELECTION INADVIsABLE.
The Secretary of War Says That lt
Would ProIong American Occupa-
tion and Intervention.

The Secretary of War has addressed an
open letter to Mr.. Sidel G. Pierra, the rep
resentative OF the Masso party in Cuba,
who recently protested against alleged
federal interference in the Cuban elections
In his letter Secretary Root says:
The application for a postponement Of
the Cuban election presented by you on
Saturday. December II. in behalf Of the
supporters of Gen. Maso as candidate for
president of Cuba, has been carefully con-
sidered.
THE effect of granting the application
would be to prolong American occupation
and postpone the independence of Cuba
and the control of the island by the gov
ernment of her own people. This ought
not to be done in the interest OF any candi-
date or without the most weighty and sub
stantial reasons. The substance of the
reasons which you present is that the CEN
tral board of scrutiny as now constituted
is composed of gentlemen none of whom Is
in favor of Gen Maso. and all of whom are
In favor of Gen. Palma, and you declare
that that board is unfair. and will be un-
fair, In the performance Of its duties. The
board to which you refer was constitutes
without reference to any candidate and be
fore any candidate had been nominated.
It consisted of the president and four OF
the distinguished members of the constitu-
tional convention, elected by the people OF
Cuba to provide for the establishment of
of the convention and of the people whom
the convention represented. Since the board
was thus constituted candidates for the
presidency have been nominated and Il
happens that you and your friends have
nominated a candidate who has no ad-
herent in the board. That furnishes no
ground for turning the board out of office
or for postponing the election and over
turning the election machinery carefully
provided by the representatives of the Gu
ban people in convention assembled. and
establishing new machinery for the pur-
pose of putting adherents Of your candidate
into office. If such a course were adopted
new nominations would equally require
new postponements and rearrangements.
and an election might be indefinitely post
poned. Ii is a false theory of official re-
sponsibility which assumes that gentlemen
placed in conspicuous positions of public
trust will be guilty of official masfea sance
because they may personally prefer one
candidate rather than another.
No Facts Stated.
"As to the assertion that the central board
Of scrutiny has in fact proved to be unfair
something besides mere assertion is neces-
sary. No facts are stated by you to sustain
this assertion, except that you allege that
an illegal selection of a delegate to a pro-
vincial board of canvassers has been ap-
proved, but you give no facts showing that
the selection was illegal; and you state that
there was a failure to post list of tax
payers, which the city council of Havana
ought to have posted on the 10Th of October.
This was not the business of the central
board of scrutiny. / am informed, more
/ over by cable from Havana that the list in
question was posted on the 3oth Of October.
The single days delay could not have occa-
stoned you or your associates the slightest
injury or inconvenience. and an objection
based upon it is in the highest degree tech
nical. While L do not for moment suppose
that you intend any such result, 1 cannot
avoid the conviction that your request calls
upon the United States for that very inter-
ference with the Cuban election which your
associates have deprecated and which II Is
our duty and purpose TO avoid.
"Your application must accordingly be de-
MED"
Pierra Again Asks Reconsideration.
Mr.. Pierra sent another letter to Secfe-
| tary Root yesterday asking a reconsidera-
ton of the decision by the Secretary. Mr..
Pierra recites the omission to post the list
of the largest taxpayers referred to In his
previous letter to the Secretary and de-
clares that the postponement prayed for
need not prolong the American occupation.
as suggested by the Secretary. The central
| board of scrutiny, he says. Is a most orig
inal creation. and no similar election organ
| ism has ever existed anywhere. He re-
quests that an equal number of members.
representing the other presidential candi-
| date be added to the board, and that SINH
| lar measure be adopted in connection with
the provincial boards In which General
Maso has no representation: Mr.. Pierra
SAYS he is not here especially to plead the
cause of General Maso or OF any political
party. The outcome OF the election. as
things now stand. he asserts. will not be the
stable government which the United States
wishes to see established in Cuba; 1t will be,
on the contrary. the beginning of serious
disturbances. Mr.. Pierra has received a
dispatch from Dr. Hernandez. the president
of the union democratic party and chairman
of the electoral coalition in favor OF General
Maso. telling of meetings In Havana and
various parts of the island protesting
against illegalities committed by officials
and demanding justice"