New-York tribune., 1901-01-28
WANT COOK FIGHTING AGAIN.
MOUNTED DELEGATION OF CUBANs
CALL ON GENERAL WOOD.

Havana. JAN PA mounted delegation Of
two hundred Cubans from the provinces Of
Havana and Pinar del Rio waited upon Gov
ernor-General Wood, at the Palace. this after
noon. and extended thanks to the Military Gov
ernment for what IT had done in Cuba The
delegation also conveyed TO General Wood an
assurance that their countrymen In the two
provinces were in accord with them and would
work in harmony with the United States au-
thority. to whose wise administration the coun-
try owed its present prosperous and peaceful
condition. Each horseman carried flag. and
there a preponderance OF the Stars and
Stripes Two young Cuban women represented
Cuba and America.
The committee of the delegation feelingly ex-
planned TO General Wood the obligations under
which their countrymen felt themselves to he
for the good order and harmony prevailing in
the country districts. but they begged him to
consider that with returning prosperity IT was
only natural for the Cubans to turn again TO
some of the diversions they had known in for
mer days. several Of which-"time honored
amusements" the committee called them-were
now prohibited by law.
General Wood asked If they referred 10 cock
lighting, and they admitted that this Of
the amusements they wished TO revive. He
sured them that he would lay the matter before
the Secretaries.
There seems to be general movement in
the country districts of the island to secure the
legalization of cockfightng, and many petitions
have lately been submitted in aid OF It.
In an open letter to La Lucha' Senior Varona
says;
1t would be crime against patriotism not to
express ones anxiety and fear regarding the
danger OF accepting the constitution which has
been submitted in draft the Constitutional
Convention. The damage would be beyond re-
pair, and all who remain silent now are accom-
plices in irreparable injury 10 the country
The constitution submitted is merely alb
stract work of constitutional precept copied
from many constitutions. Some of these pre-
cepts are excellent but even they can only be
defended theoretically in some academy Of law.
characteristic feature of the constitution is
that il would elevate local boSsism into the
category of public institution. I must deplore
the movement to divide the island into six prov
inces Federalism would result in attempt to
get power into the hands of the few. Each prov
ince would think itself independent of the CEN
tral government. Each mayor would think him
self a feudal lord The big bosses and the little
bosses would be lords of all the property in the
country.
With two three years of provincial auton-
omy. all Cuba would be ruined. or else the peo-
pie would rise against the local bosses. The
fiscal authority of a province and the munich
pality would be delusionS. leading us to chaos.
All the advance that is possible on that line has
been made by Senior Desvernlne and senior
Cancio, but with federalism they could not put
check municipal bodies.
Cuba is able to govern herself If given
proper regimen, one suited to the country, with
it's population. the greater part OF which
Is uneducated and divided by great social diff
ferences. Provinces fostered and controlled by
the central government would prosper. but the
opposite would follow if the central government
undertook TO enforce law in self-governing prov
inces. A rupture would be inevitable.
Governor-General Wood has informed the to-
bacco exporters that the Washington Govern
ment has allowed his petition for so per cent
reduction in the expectation tax. The lowering
of Int Na he zTIh1 Of a aei-
tation among the tobacco interests in Cuba for
a year.