Evening star., 1901-06-29

law which Is soon to be laid before the
convention is not fully understood. The
committee which has that subject in
charge has to provide both present and
future election machinery. The first cleo
tions must be held under the authority and
direction of the United States, just as the
municipal elections have been held. Until
the United States actually relinquishes its
authority and turns over the government
of the island its responsibility exists. The
only difference Is that those which are
hereafter held under its authority may De
on the basis of universal suffrage instead
of under qualified franchise based on edu-
cational or property owning conditions as
at present.
Since the special committee has been at
work an effort has been made to have II
provide for qualified suffrage in the imme-
diate elections, leaving to future legislation
the determination of whether the franchise
shall be universal or not, but this would
require the constitution which has been
adopted to be revised and amended again
because it provides for universal suffrage
in electing the officials of the municfpall-
ties, the provincial officials and the mem
bers of the house of representatives.
The real difficulty with which the special
election committee has been wrestling Is
to determine what constitutes suffrage OF
the second grade" for the constitution pro-
vides that the president and the vice
president shall be elected by such sur
frage. The Havana reports show that this
mittee, which, nevertheless, has MADE
progress in formulating general law pro-
viding for an electoral college. The pro-
vision of the Cuban constitution requiring
that the chief executive shall be chosen by
this suffrage of the second grade is a most
unwise one. and the perplexities OF the
committee are showing it's unW1Sdom. II
would have been much simpler and better
to choose the president by direct vote or
the whole island, because Cuba is not com
posed of sovereign states, as is the Amerl-
can Union whose Constitution 1t seeks TO
copy in providing for the election OF the
president and vice president. The full de-
tails of the committees draft with re1er-
ence to this point will be followed WIN
some concern, because there is danger OF
election entanglements, whatever interpre-
tation may be put upon the Suffrage OF the
second grade.
Presidential Timber.
While the committee is at work the man
most concerned in the result Of its labors
remains silent. This is General Maxine
Gomez. No matter how much the Cuban
politicians deny it, this involved provision
was put in the constitution in order to keep
General Gomez from becoming the first
president After his enemies failed to make
him ineligible because of his foreign birth,
they secured the vague statement OF the
manner in which the president should be
elected. The notion then was that by some
means they could set up barrier to MS
selection. But if General Gomez intends
to be president which his best friends now
think is exceedingly improbable no COM
mittee can devise a means or de1eatlng
him, because he still has the mass OF the
people back of him. General Aleman and
one or two other members of the election
committee are bitter enemies of General
Gomez, but they know their own limita-
tions.
In the recent changing about Of parties
and leaders there has been a suggestion
hal no rpDnhlicanS want to name the
candidate for president and that they pro-
pose to make Estrada Palma their choice,
while the followers of bartholomew Naso
of Santiago province want to be In position
to secure the electoral vote for him. The
nationals and even the union democrats
are just likely to unite on Palma as are
the republicans What all of them now are
working for is to secure control OF the
electoral college. which Is to be devised by
the special election committee. and, per
haps approved by the convention. The
changes from party to party OF numoer
of prominent men have something to DO
with these ambitions. as much, perhaps, as
their convictions with reference to the
Platt amendment. In Cuba, when public
man changes his party, the proceeding IS
quite a formal one. His late associates do
not stigmatize him renegade. and his
new associates do not welcome him as
distinguished and patriotic leader who has
been courageous enough to leave the dis
reputable party with which previously he
has been identified At least they do not
talk this way at first. All sides wait to
see whether the convert brings any fol-
lowers with him. If he does his conversion
is important and he gets front seat in his
new party associations. II the followers
remain behind he gets back seat and
nothing more is heard of him.
Sentiment as to Dates.
Should the committee make it's report and
should the report be adopted by July TO-
the first Cuban election will be held Octo-
Der TO- which is the anniversary of Baire
or the uprising at the beginning of the ten
years war. The Cuban constitution as
adopted provides that ninety days after the
PRONUNCIATION of the electoral law the func-
tionaries created by it shall be chosen.
Consequently sentiment enters into the
suggestion that the law be promulgated
on July TO- and the first election be held
on October 10. This election, however,
could not be for all the functionaries who
are to become part of the Cuban govern
ment. 1t may apply to the provincial off,
cials and to members of the house Of
representa- tives, and it is also possible that
the voting for president and vice president
may be provided on the same day, and
their actual election by means of an cleo
toral college take place later. But the Gu
ban senate, which is to be an integral part
of the legislative branch of the govern
ment, cannot be constituted till a hundred
days after the first election, because the
senators are to be chosen by provincial
councillors and special delegates, and the
constitution provides that this choice
should be made a hundred days after the
provincial councillors and special delegates
chosen.
II all the functionarles except the sena-
tors should be chosen October 10, it would
be January 20 before the senate could be
constituted and little later before both
branches of the Cuban congress could or
ganze and be ready to exercise their CO.
ordinate functions. This would leave no
margin for transferring the entire govern
the CubanS January I
just three years from the date of American
occupation, as has been proposed. If it
does not prove feasible to constitute the
new government before February "a, 1902,
which is the anniversary of the uprising
that marked the last insurrecton, ma
jority Of the people Of the island will not
become impatient.
CHARLES M. PEPPER.
The Bath of the Orange.