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

In preliminarily adopting as a whole the
provisional electoral law drafted by Dele
| gates Tamayo. Quesada, Fernandez de
| Castro. Monteagudo and Morrda Delgado
| for the establishment Of the Cuban re-
publican government, the constitutional
| convention sought both to preserve the
idea Of democratic government and to safe
guard the material interests Of the island
! and its people. Free and equal suffrage
has been provided for all. in accordance
with the provisions of the constitution in
that behalf. Educational and property
qualifications have been provided for cam
| didates for offices connected with the, adj
ministration of the public funds. These
principles were adopted and Incorporated
| in the electoral law because there was no
restriction of suffrage. SO to speak, in the
work Of the revolution and because educa-
tional and property qualifications for candi-
| dates for public Office were deemed a means
| of insuring solid progress. In the opinion
of the convention the conditions and
| qualifications for office provided for in the
| new law will be sufficient for the establish
| ment Of a good social organization.
The convention has placed in the hands
| of the people the whole electoral machin-
| cry. 1t did this because 1t considered 1t
necessary that the people should demon
strate their capacity for self-government.
The people of Cuba under the new cleo
| toral law will have every opportunity to
exercise their intelligence and discernment
serve for the establishment of the first
Cuban government. The only limitations
now considered indispensably necessary
are those defining the eligibility of candl-
dates for Office.
All Cubans 81 years old on election day
may vote for provincial councillors, COVER
nors, representatives, senators and the
president. But they must be registered In
| the voting register in the proper munich
palities. Persons who have been finally
adjudged by a competent court to be In
capacitated to exercise political rights may
not vote. unless they have been pardoned
80 days before election day. Persons sem
fenced to prison for crime may not VOTE
unless they have been restored to their
rights year before election day. Indi-
viduals belonging to the army and navy
in active service are excepted from voting
as provided by the constitution. Persons
ported by charitable institutions and some
others. are also rendered unable to cast
their ballots by this new electoral law.
These provisions are not new in the pres
ent election law, nor are they wolly UNI
known in the United States The provision
as to universal suffrage was put in the
constitution in February last, when the
document was signed. Persons who had
been familiar with the progress of events
| in Cuba thought, as matter of course,
| that both the constitution and the cleo
toral law would contain such a guarantee.
and were not surprised. When Cuba was
calling for men and arms to go to the field,
no restrictions or qualifications were ex-
| acted. The men who fought for Cuban
| freedom from Spanish tyranny were not
| exclusively business men. or merchants, or
property owners But they were CubanS
who loved freedom and their country and
| knew how to fight for 1t. The exception
| as to individuals belonging to the army
| and navy was put in the electoral law in
accordance with te same provisions in the
| constitution. This provision Is novel. but
is perhaps not Of vital Importance.
| Wherever a candidate presents himself
| for ofi1ce connected with the management
| of the public revenue. he must be finan-
cially and educationally qualified to fill the
Office. First. he must be q voter: then he
must know how to read and write. These
general qualifications must be possessed
4 by all who aspire to public ONCE. But
I there are other conditions precedent to
nomination and election.
| II the candidate is running for Governor
| of a province or Provincial Councillor, he
must be: A Cuban by birth or natural
public. counting from the time of natur-
alization; must be 30 years old, with two
years residence in the province. and must
| be the head of a family or a property
a year before election. or have a profess
sion, or have filled other public ONCE by
popular election.
| If the candidate is running for congress
| as a representative, he must be Cuban
by birth, or naturalized with eight years
residence in the republic, counting from
naturalization, and be Is years old.
| Half the candidates for senatorial cleo
tors must be voters, Is years old, know
how to read and write, with two years
residence in the province, and must bt
large taxpayers on landed property. The
other half must be Is years Of age, witt
two years residence in the province, anG
have a profession or have filled Other
public office by popular election.