The San Francisco call., 1901-12-28
THE ELECTIONS IN CUBA.

~ UBA'S first political campaign as a free coun-
try does not augur well for the future 1t
- has already reached stage that would
suit in not the United States troops present
in sufficient force prevent an outbreak. AS it is
one OF the contendng parties has announced an in
ention Withdraw its candidates and take no part in
the election The reason assigned for the action is
that the control OF the election machinery is in the
hands OF the other party and that the candidates of
that party will be counted in matter what the
popular vote may be-
General Maso and his party undertook to contest
the election OF Palma the ground that Palma does
not truly represent the aspirations of the Cuban
people for complete independence He is accused of
being too friendly and submissive to the United
States. The cry of the Maso men was for mo in
reference" Scarcely had they got their campaign
well launched, however when they discovered that
all the members of the board of scrutiny sup
porters of Palma. Thereupon they at once ceased
clamorng against American interference and set
about trying to obtain such interference on their
behalf
In Of the Maso memorials to General Wood it
is stated that the Palma men, not content with
placing their supporters in control of the election
boards, manipulated the list of persons eligible as
senatorial electors to prevent the Maso party from
getting suitable candidates for that office In de-
ton, the statement of the Maso memorial alleges
that out OF list of 24o of the heaviest taxpayers
made by the Ayuntamiento, from among whom the
parties have to select candidates for senatorial elect
ors, twenty-five dead and eighty are foreigners.
number of the most prominent and wealthy Gu
bans not included in the list, while the names of
a number Of bankrupts appear Many persons
named in the list be identified owing to the
incomplete way their names are inscribed.
The offenses charged in the Havana district are said
to be typical of what has been committed in the way
of political chicanery throughout the island, and the
United States authorities have been asked to investi
gate them. Any investigation, however would ne
cessarly entail an interference with the election and
that just what the United States intends to avoid
However, we gain nothing by refusing to interfere
for the Maso party, finding that we will not help
them, have turned upon us and denounce our Gov
ernment for assisting Palma.
| At recent meeting of the Maso leaders there was
adopted resolution declaring: "The central board
is coalition of partisans, and that General Maso
after eXhausting every means to insure impartality
recttude and justice at the coming elections has be-
come convinced that neither in official circles in the
! United States in Cuba does the intention exist
to see that the elections are carried out with sufi-
cent legality reflect the real wish Of the Cubans
who are desrous of independence and anxious to
elect freely their first constitutional government"
The resolution has been approved by the Naso or
gans. One of them appauds the withdrawal of the
party candidates and says that without the guaran-
tees demanded Of Secretary Root the election will be
farce and "a Justification of the will of the people
1t adds: THE Maso coalition should not lend
themselves to the betrayal of the public will and
should not cooperate in policy which tends to lay
the foundation of the republic in gigantic fraud"
Such being the relations between the two parties
it seems clear that nothing but fear of the United
States prevents them from fighting. Should Palma
take office and the United States troops be withdrawn
a revolt of the Maso party seems almost certain to
follow. 1t will then be for the United States to de-
eide whether to let the factions fight it out or estab-
sh in the island authority sufficient to keep the
peace permanently.