The Iola register., 1901-06-07
wv IfAN
THE CUBAN
SITUATION
Politics Will Take Most of
the Time Now
Citizens are Just Awaking
to Their Opportunities in
That Line
MOST INTEREST IN TOWNS
WOrkmen's Unions Taking a
Hand in Politics
The Election Law the Main
thing Under Considera-
tiOn at Present

Havana, May 20.-Cuba is in for
period of politics, and there is no help
for it. Within the next twelve months
every ambitious native will become a
politician, and those who have not
already been fired with the desire to
hold Office will find that passion
awakening. But the island will get
along fairly well in spite of the
political turmoil. Bigger crops will
be harvested next year than have been
harvested this year, and the mass Of
the people will not be turned aside
from their ordinary pursuits. With
the business men it will be simply a
question of watching developments
aud of adjustment to changing condi-
tions. With the producing classes in
the country there will be some inter-
est in the formation Of the new govern
ment, but it will not take them from
the fields. The country peopleof Cuba
will not fully realize their own share
in public affairs and their own prop
erty for several years to come. In the
towns where it is easier to form polit-
ical clubs, and where some of the
workingmen' 5 guilds or trades unions
have shown a disposition TO mix in
politics, there will be more activity.
1t is inevitable that tire town popula-
tion should take the leading part in
political affairs for while yet.
Possibly the people of the United
States recall the main provisions of
the constitution under which Cuba is
to work out her destiny. More than
three months have elapsed since the
constitution proper was finished. In
the meantime the relations with the
United States have filled the public
mind here to the exclusion of every
thing else, and quite naturally, for
they are of more Importance than the
organic law of the island, in so far as
concerns the American union. The
Cuban constitution, front the American
point Of view, is domestic affair, and
no more concerns the citizens of the
! United States than the constitution of
one state concerns those of another
state, but in general way its leading
features are interesting, and they will
become more interesting as the pro-
cess of creating the new commonwealth
develops.
The convention has now to busy
itself with the drafting of an election
law under which the organic law itself
will be put into effect. The under
standing is that the first elections
shall be held under the provisions
adopted 10y the constitutional con-
vention rather than under the regula-
tions which were promulgated by the
American military authorities for the
municipal elections. This recalls tha
the Cuban Constitution provides for
universal suffrage and that all Gu
bans y years of age will have "A righ
to vote, as well as all Spanish borr
inhabitants of the island who were IN
Cuba previous to April, 1900, and whC
did not then register as subjects o
Spain The Spanish vote actuall!
cast in the first elections will not be {
large one, yet there are some Span
J iards who will assert their rights a
electors. Cuban-Americans who hav
been enjoying kind of double citi
zenship during the period of interven
tion will have to determine their owl
status, because they cannot continu
to be both Americans and Cubans