New-York tribune., 1901-12-30
cuRAN ELECTION PLANS.
,1 prFRRA SETS FORTH ADDITIONAL
REASONS WHY DATE SHOULD
RE DEFERRED.
rha Tribune.

ass1o -, letter IN regard to the petition which.
h.hslf Of the majority Of the Cunan electors and
' ,sc+ion with the Cuban election, l have ad-
N - the government of the United States
<+ that vour opinion is adverse to it does not
6,,.i,sh the value of The service which you have
added TO the many which you nave rendered to the
,eople OF Cuba and TO their numne representa-
,,re am so convinced that 1 am pleading
,ood cause and my confidence in the sense of JUS
a.. ~ the American people and government is so
raat that even II adversely criticised at first be-
rsrss hene somewhat complex, IL is not easily
understood at once. feel certain that when that
a,,sa sbsII have been fully presented justice will
1e 5o,A n # At present, am sorry to say,
80, ,rsnossessions due in some respects to lack of
,fornation and in other respects to erroneous in
formation put me at a great disadvantage in my
,dAavors TO justify fully the pretensions OF those
7renresent But discussion will produce its natural
s4pects Light VIII be thrown upon those points
which now appear obscure, and the truth will be
.l,c,ted Should this. unfortunately. happen in
time 10 prevent what am trying to avoid. and the
election is held on December 81 under existing ar
rangenents, sure that its results will confirm
my predictions and show at the same time that I
have come here not only a Cuban deeply in
terested IN the welfare Of his country, but as a
faithful and loyal friend of the United States
You are quite right IN supposing that neither my
self nor my friends. supporters OF the candidacy
Of General Maso, intended for one moment to in
yolve the United States in any local faction feuds
in Cuba" This is precisely what We are trying to
avoid Such is the object OF petition AS things
stand, the people of Cuba believe that the
United States favors one candidate Estrada Palma,
and. therefore, allows his adhereuts to have full
ronrrol Of the election machinery so that they NAV
secure his triumph. Estrada Palma's supporters
do not hesitate insinuate that he is the man
wanted in the Presidency by the United States and
consequently, and shall be elected. One of the
newspapers which uphods his candidacy. La
Discussion has announced editorialy that Estrada
Palma is preferred by the United States because
he is known here. But such insinuations and
nouncements are unnecessary. The mere fact that
the Central Board Of Scrutiny appointed by the
Military Governor that IT is clothed with powers
never held by any board Of canvassers anywhere.
that all the members of it ardent partisans OF
Estrada Palma. and at the time leading mem
bers Of the Estrada Palma Executive Campaign
Committee, well candidates for Senators and
Of necessity leads the Cuban people
10 believe that the United States favors the cleo
ton of that candidate and his supporters. In other
words. that the United States has taken sides-if
you please so TO call i-with the faction composed
of the offceholders and their friends, headed by
Estrada Palma and managed by General Maximo
Gomez. And the Discrimination Of the United States
Government TO modify and reform that board con-
firms the people of Cuba in that belief. If the
United States they properly observe, created that
election machinery for the purpose OF securing the
free expression of the will OF the majority of the
people how is II that, experience having shown
shat it does the purpose, II is suffered
10 continue up and allowed to produce re-
suits exactly the reverse Of those 1t intended
70 bring about2
If the people Of Cuba were living a normal po-
iticaI life, If they were already consttutionally
the repugnance OF the United States to
alter the date fixed for holding election would
be absolutely justified But Cuba is not in that
condition Politically everything is unsettled there
the outcome and the creation Of the he to viii Of the
islation is carried by military orders and things
sstablished one day are sometimes abolished on tae
iection aw has alreg9T been amended in Several
Tor presenting the nemina lions for Senators has
dental and Senatorial electors have been Inodied,
If it was proper to make those changes. why should
Il be improper TO make those others which nave
I am informed that in the province Of Santa
Clara ten thousand false registrations of cleo
tors have been mac1 and in that of Matanzas from
been made in the province of Havana. but have
no estimate Of them yet. Boys twelve years old;
men who are dead have been registered as electors
tricks and deS-ices yCere orsanIzed win men he
longing all 10 the ofhceholders' party, and as the
all those fictitious electors will appear voting on
election day. II must be borne in mind that the
very far from being as perfect as in the United
the extreme precautions in the United States
70 insure pure election. and therefore: It is ex,
fraud when Il has been prepared from the first step
IN the election process.
To revise those registration lists which in many
cases besides containing fictitious electors have
also 10 revise the orders and instructions issued
and the decisions made by the Central Board of
law. some twenty twenty-five days are required.
Hence the petition made to have the election de-
ton be given General Maso in the Central Board
Of Scrutiny. The said Central Board of Scrutiny
municipal or State boards OF canvassers in the
United States, Here the functions of these boards
are purely ministerial: they confined to can
vassing the returEs-that is. TO that they have
etc. Those boards of canvassers have nothing 10
ciding ouesTions arising in connection With ~ nor
in interpreting the law. and much less have they
ZION law Of the State OF New-York. Article VI.
Section 100 to I42. Similar provisions are found in
the election laws Of other States. The Central
been intrusted with the general conduct OF the
election. and has been empowered TO decide ques-
orders and Instructions. to Interpret the law. etc
!atiVe powers. and, being composed Of men all be-
ionglng TO one political group the temptation to use
too great. And they have used and abused them
Tor that purpose. The men of the Central Board
men placed in similar circumstances have almost
invariably oone-abused their powers TO promote
could not be expected from a board clothed with
n 5uen powers unless the contending political ele-
Ihe changes petitioned for are not made in the
interest Of any one candidate especially. They
me interest Of fair play and in furtherance of
Tereby tb H & 9T t1e Y SlIeo states Tor an eection
5eateas ny that OF the majority, be freely ex-
ptessSo ana such certainly will not be the If
tHe elecuon is held under existing arrangements.
i certainly believe, you say, that less fac
sonai ma. intriguing and more practical getting down
Suoa most needs: but which is the intriguing
ersi Maso who are doing everything openly and
publicly; and who are simply asking for protection
10Y tner rights against the encroachments of a
nn93inort$ which has the ear and the favor OF the