Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-03

vote actually cast In the nrst elections will
not be a large one, yet there are some
Spaniards who will assert their rights as
electors Cuban-American who have been
enjoying a kind of double citizenship dur
Ing the period of Intervention, will have to
determine their own status. because they
cannot continue to be both Americans and
Cubans.
Discussion of political organization and
party leaders Is bound 10 crop out during
the period Of preparation for the elections,
but 1t is my belief, based on observation
during the last two or three years, that
one fear which has oppressed Americans is
going to be disspated soon as the
Cubans come into their own. This Is the
fear that the defeated party will refuse to
acquiesce in the will of the majority.
Everything that has happened SO far has
negatived this apprehension. 1t was tested
several times when the delegates were
formulating the provisions of the consti-
tuition. They had earnest and sometimes
bitter controversies over certain questions
but when the controversy had been fought
out and a decision reached. the minority
always acquiesced and the work went for
ward If there had been no dispute The
most noticeable instance of this kind was
shown In the struggle over the eligibility of
Maxine Gomez for the presidency. The
division OF sentiment was very close and
the old chiefs opponents were very bitter.
But when they lost by a single vote they
accepted the result without Immature.
Another illustration was afforded in the
government. One party was strongly in
clined to the unitarian plan of wiping out
the distinctions of the provinces, while the
other party wanted the provinces erected
into substantially Independent sovereign
ties. A compromise reached which
was satisfactory to neither side but hav-
ing once been agreed upon it was adhered
to In good faith.
To Abide the Majority's Decision.
In broader sense the willingness Of the
minority to abide by the decision Of the ma
jority may be seen in the acceptance Of the
Plat amendment itself While a few in
dividuais Will remain irreconCilabIe most
Of the opponents of the amendment are
disposed to accept the result cheerfully.
They will cooperate in making it's pro-
visions effective and will strive to have
their share In the new government Nat
urally the supporters of the amendment
will make much of the Cuban interpreta-
ton under which 1t is accepted but this
does not obscure the main fact of acqui-
escence by all factions. The worst that
will be seen of the disposition to deny the
will of the majority will be the action OF
political organizations throughout the ISL
and occasionally in refraining from taking
any part In public affairs. This will be
due TO the feeling that they will be beaten
on whatever particular issue is at stake.
In order to save themselves from defeat
they Will prefer to hold themselves in a
Latin way. one of the many Latin ways,
which Americans do not and cannot un-
derstand, but allowance will have to be
made for 1t In the future and there should
be discrimination between this kind of
suiking and actual revolutionary resist
ance to the will of the majority or to the
control of the party which may be in
power.
1t is no discredit to the Cubans to saw
that the long lack of training in govern
ment has left the island In a position were
the amount of talent and experience neces-
sary 10 administer and govern new COM
monwealth Is somewhat deficient Rela-
lively Very large number of important
public positions will have to be filled There
Will be president and a vice president
and cabinet, though the latter body is to
be the creation Of law, and Its members do
not have to be elected. After many trials
Gen. Wood has found that 1t is possible to
nave fairly good Cuban cabinet 80 that
this question In the future may not prove
of grave concern. But there will have to
be senators and representatives in con-
gress, civil governors of the provinces and
members Of the provincial councils
Senate and House.
For the ambitious Cuban politician I'm
questionably the most desirable place will
be the senate. That will be a very select
body In point Of numbers. Its membership
Will be a trifle under that Of tho first
United States Senate, chosen after the
thirteen states had cemented themselves
into a Union The Cuban senate viii have