Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-05
Believed That He Will Unite All
Elements Opposing the
Military Government.
Maso's Demand For Indepen'
dence Has Endeared Him to
Cuban Patriots.


q lowed, is directly contrary to the pro
,r gram OF the military government
: some particulars.
1t has been generally understood tha
. Senior Tomas Estrada Palma is tn
candidate behind whom the influenc
4 of the military government, at who's
II head is Gov Gen. Wood. will be founc
: 1t is understood In Washington tina
g Maso will unite all other important ele
r ments of strength behind him. He ha
made an open bid for the support of TIL
q blacks in the island, and this is strong
: er than has been generally realized. II
round numbers, there are 100000 whit
inhabitants in the island and 100000 col
ored people. This makes the colored vot
ing population 80 per MT of the whole
Gen. Maso bids for the Spanish arts
tocrat, as WELL and also for the auton
omist party support. His position as /
lieutenant general on the Cuban arm,
brings to him the support of larg,
percentage of the soldier element. Ever
those who oppose him most bitterly ad
nit that he is man of high character
LIE lG GNSSFNiOAil .tliiShe
Cubans. His career has been one te
appeal to the romantic and emotiona
temperament of the Cubans. He was
the first president of the Cuban republic
in the ten years war. He owned an i'm.
mense estate in the province of Santi-
ago. the richest in the island, and the
heart of the producing district
Fired by patriotism and the love OF
/ Cuba Libre,' he exhorted the workmer
on his plantation to enter the Cuban
army. AT the head of a company of his
former employees. and with a commits
sion as lieutenant general, with the Gu
bans collected about him, he set fire to
his rather pretensious home and all the
| buildings on his plantation. While the
flames leaped high he took to the
woods He fought in that and the more
Irecent war for Cuban independence. AZ
/ ter the war he came to his estates
again a proud and naughty old man,
land poor. but having lost nothing of
that assumption of dignity which the
| Cubans so love and ADMIRE.
| The military government made over
| lures to Gen. Maso. He replied them.
| He would accept nothing for himself or
! those who were related to him. His In
dependence and his answering adher-
ence to a program which has for its end
the establishment of an independent
government for Cuba have endeared
him to Cuban pnrtiots. An incident
which was printed in the daily papers of
Santiago and whose echoes found their
way to the United States did more than
anything else to establish the belief in
the old mans sincerity and his devotion
to his island and it's people. 1t was at
time when the members of the consti-
tutionai convention We're being chosen
Gen. Gomez and others had been won
over by arrangements made thru the
military government for an Income
which would permit them to enter into
politics. These facts were laid before
Maso by Gen Wood, with the sugges-
tion that he stand for election as one OF
the delegates and the military govern
ment would see that his income was
provided and his participation in poll
tics did not impoverish him. Maso is
reported to have risen with dignity and
declared: You have no right to offer |
the use of the revenues of our beloved |
islal d for such purpose. i will die in
poverty and want before l will accept |
any VI ldNOI OIi Oily put StilC III.
dependent government of Cuoa."
The facts as to the interview between
Maso and Gen. Wood have not been sue
oessfully denied. They We're brought out
in the press of the island and then sup
ported by attidavits of the mayor of
Santiago, who was present at the inter-
view. Whatever may have been the eX-
act manner of their occurrence they are
recalled at this time as one of the Incl
dents in Maso's career which have en-
deared him TO the people. His influence
extends over Santiago province, as he
makes his home at Manzanillo on the
south coast. 1t also reaches much of |
the population of Peurto Principe prov
ince. The two provinces include five
sevenths of the area of the island, tho it
does not so appear to the eye on the
maps. The two provinces form the
eastern half of the island. There is
distinct line and sectional feeling be-
tween the western and eastern portions
of the island.
The only criticism which has been
made successful of Maso is that he
grows visionary with advancing years
However, in his present fight for the in
dependent government of Cuba on
solid basis he makes plea for the sup
port of the autonomist party. which in
Guides the only people who have had ex-
perience in government outside the
appointees under the military
establishment.