Evening star., 1901-06-29
CUBAN PROGRESS
Moving Fast Toward Its Own Gov
ernment.
SIGNIFICANT SHIFTING OF PARTIES
Purpose and Scope of the Election
Law.
SIDENTIAL TIM MB E r


Cuba is making preliminary progress
toward it's own government faster than
seems to be understood in the United
States. Because the constitutional conven-
tion has not been holding regular sessions
an idea has got abroad that it's work is at
a standstill. This Is not SO. The convention
took what amounted to a recess. and some
of it's members came to the United States
while a special committee was engaged In
drafting the electoral law under which the
new government will be put into operation
The reports now are that the draft of the
law will be submitted to the convention
early in July, and probably will be adopted
after few days discussion. This Is ali
in accordance with the original program
which contemplated holding the first cleo
tions in October. The understanding that
they would not be held until that time
was one of the reasons which caused the
convention to take such a leisurely course
in its consideration of the Platt amend
ment. 1t also caused the Cuban public to
remain tranquil.
Shifting of Parties.
The most significant development of this
week has been the shifting of the Cuban
political parties. That the nationals and
the republicans would accept the amend
ment was probable from the start, yet 1t
was felt that there would be party Of
the opposition whose actual acceptance
would be nominal and which would take
the attitude of finding fault with every
thing that was done. The prevalent idea
was that this would be the republican
party because it had among it's leaders 50
many orators whose gift for talking led
them into making radical and frOthy dec
Iarations of undying opposition, The news
from Havana shows that the contrary has
happened. The republican party, through
it's central committee or governing body.
by a very large majority, went on record
as accepting the Platt amendment without
reservation. The nationals on their part,
while accepting the action of the conven-
ton, pledged themselves to employ legal
means for securing its repeal. This is
meaningless reservation 1t merely shows
the shiftiness of some of the Cuban poll
ticians. They wanted to crafty the rem
nant of radicalism which still exists. 1t
may readily be assumed that they will en-
ploy no illegal means for perSuading the
American Congress to repeal the Platt
amendment. BY the time they get fairly
into their own campaign everybody VIII
have forgotten this reservation.
From the action of the republicans, those
who are familiar with the conditions in
Cuba have no trouble in satisfying them
selves that this party means to make
strong effort to secure its share in the fu
ture government of the island. The ma
tionals are now in power Many of their
leaders hold offices under the American ad-
ministration. The municipal elections
strengthened their control in most of the
towns and cities. Inevitably they are in
the better position to exercise the predomt-
nant influence and provide positions for
themselves in the future island govern
ment. But the republicans evidently have
determined to challenge this assumption,
and the really significant thing about their
attitude is that in order to strengthen
themselves they take what will develop
into a pro-American policy as against the
"A which
foreshadowed a few weeks ago. This shift
ing of positions is great gain for conser
yatism.
A Triumph for CapOte.
Among the individuals who heretofore
have been prominent in the republican
party it's recent action is a triumph for
Mendez Capote and his followers over
Gualberto Gomez and the ultra-radicals.
Capote. who is the presiding officer of the
convention. and who was member or the
committee that came to Washington. leads
the younger element, which has proven
itself to be less hot-headed than Is GUS
tomary with youthful Latin politicians.
He has some constructive capacity and is
full of ambition
Gualberto Gomez, according to the press
reports refuses to be comforted now that
the Platt amendment IS going to be an ac-
cepted and completed fact. When the
convention gave it's qualified acceptance
Gualberto and his radical followers threat
ened with formal cenSure Capote and the
other members of the republican party who
voted for it. Nevertheless, they agreed
that they would maintain an attitude of
reticence until the authorized representa-
tives of the party could meet and formally
declare what it's future course would be.
They had no doubt that they would con-
troll it. and that the organization, by for
NAL action, would take its stand as the
party of the opposition. Capote and his
followers were not inclined to dispute this
claim, and Capote himself resigned his po-
sition as the head of the party in Havana
province. From this it can be gathered
that the revolution which has taken place
within the last six weeks, and which re-
suited in the republican party supporting
the acceptance of the Platt amendment by
such a decided majority. has been deep
ona.
1t enables the ambitious leaders of the
organization to arrange themselves on the
side of progress and OF cooperation with
the American authorities
GuaIberto Gomez without Company.
Gualberto Gomez having withdrawn from
the party, is likely to find himself without
much company. Though he has been
good deal abused and criticised ignorantly
in the United States, l have never found
any one in Cuba who doubted his sincerity.
He is an idealist who. though knowing
Cuba's inability to free herself from Spain,
and recognizing her commercial dependency
on this country has deluded himself into
believing that the island can erect herself
into a strong nation without the United
States back of her. AS evidence OF his sim
certy he has resigned the management OF
the newspaper which was the organ of the
republican party, and which henceforth will
support the policy that incorporates the
Platt amendment into the organic law of
the future government.
For a fortnight more Gualberto Co
meZ has been warning the Cubans and the
Spaniards to beware of American absorp
ton through the medium of the Platt
amendment and other 'insidieus agencies.
One day his sentiments found expression in
a cartoon. The native Cuban was repre-
sented bound hand and foot to the stake
labeled Platt amendment. on the point of
which fioated the stars and stripes, while
at either end of the island and in the center
was a coal hod. The Cuban in contem-
plating the hodS was remarking to himself
that three coal hods would not keep him
from being a nation. The next view was
the same only the hods were beginning to
overflow and take up considerable room,
while the Cuban was becoming uneasy. In
the next view the Cuban was represented