Evening star., 1901-05-04

If Maxine Gomez wants to be president
of the Cuban republic he will fill that Office
Notwithstanding his age. lie is now past
seventys His influence both with the mass
es and with a large conservative class Is
very strong. 1t was shown when the con-
stitutional convention got into deadlock
over his eligibility because he was not
natiVe-born Cuban. At that time powerful
influences were eXerted against him. Some
of his opponents Were moved by personal
animosity, while others We're sincerely ap-
prehensive of Cuban government with
Gomez at the head, because of his arbl-
trary temperament and his military habits.
During all the struggle General Gomez
remained quietly at his home, refusing TO
lift a finger. But in the end his opponents
weakened and the convention made him
eligible. A very high official in the United
States, who is noted for his political insight
remarked at the time that II the conStltu-
tional convention could not bar General
Gomez from the presidency, there was no
other means of barring him. This undoubt-
edly was true if General Gomez wills it to
be president. Heretofore his declarations
that he would accept no office have been
received respectfully, but they have not
carried conviction. Yet within the last
month there have been signs that the old
insurgent chief was thinking of some one,
else than himself, and it is known that he
does not look unkndly on Estrada Palma.
Some of the bitterest enemies of General
Gomez are also friendly to Palma, and it
Is possible the latter cOuiu De CHOSEN WIFI
practical unanimity. He fully comes up to
the American idea of availability.
When General Calixto Garcia came to
Washington, after the American occupation
of Cuba he discussed the future of Cuba
and its probable chief executive. He
named half Il dozen candidates, and pointed
out the objections to each one. General
Garcia was the prospective rival of General
Gomez, and the two men We're not fond of
each other. After he had shown how sew
eral of the Cubans who might have aspired
to the position were not available General
Garcia remarked, Then there's Maxmo
Gomez and myself l have too bad a tenn
per to be president and so has Maxine
1t ought to be a civilian, and Estrada Pal
is the man" General Garca's death
removed him from the scene and MaXimo
Gomez since then has had no military rival
but 1t would be significant and would augur
we'll for the future of Cuba If events should
show that he agrees with General Garcia
that civilian should be president and
that Estrada Palma is the man.
Palma's Visit to Key West.
Mr. Palma has not been in Cuba for
years. Some wise friends who began
coaching him as soon as the war between
the United States and Spain broke out ad-
vised him to keep away during the Ameri-
can military interregnum, and this advice
has been in line with his own disposition
OF late years the nearest he got to Cuba
was during visit to Key West, when the
insurrection was at its height. This visit
was marked by what threatened to become
an international complication. The Cuban
cigarmakers at Tampa gave him great
demonstration and the Cubans in Key
West proposed to outdo 1t. The line of
boats which plies between Tampa and Ha-
vana touches at Key West, and the cap
tain of the one which carried Palma
thought he would do his share toward
making the visit a success So he had the
ship gaily decorated and it may have hap
pened that the Cuban colors We're blended
with others, AT any rate, the Spanish
sui at Key West was very indignant and
made remonstrances to the captain general
in Havana and also to the American au-