Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-18
ROOT DENIES
MASO's REQUEST
viii Not Postpone the Cuban
Elections,
WHAT EFFECT WOULD BE.
II Would Proiona American Occupa-
lion Of the Island nnd Defer
Cuban Independence.

Washington, Dec. lI--Secy, Root has
addressed q letter TO Slldele A. PierrA,
the representative Of the Maso party
IN cuba, who Is at present IN this city,
denying his request FOR q postponement
Of the Cuban elections The secretary's
letter, which Is dated December 10,
IS as follows;
sir; The application for postpone
ment of the Cuban election presented
by you on saturday December IA, In
behalf Of the supporters Of Gen. Maso,
as candidate for president Of cuba, has
been carefully considered,
THE effect Of granting the appllca-
tion would be to prolong American oc-
cupation ana postpone the independ-
ence Of Cuba and the control OF the
island by the government Of her own
people This oaght not to be done In
the interest OF any candidate or with
out the most weighty and substantial
reasons. The substance of reasons
which you present Is that the central
board Of scrutiny as now constituted,
Ia composed OF gentlemen, none OF
whom Is In favor OF Gen. Maso and all
Of whom are IN favor Of Gen. Palma,
and you declare that that board Ia un-
fair and VIII be unfair in the perform
ancc Of lts duties
The board to which you refer was
constituted without reference to any
candidate and before any candidate
had been named II consisted OF the
president and four OF the distinguished
members OF the constitutional cOnven.
tion elected by the people of Cuba TO
provide for the establishment of the
new government II has the approval
OF the convention and OF the people
whom the convention represented
Since the board was thus constl-
tuted, candidates for the presidency
have been nominated and II happens
that you and your friends have nomi-
mated candidate who has no adhe-
rent on the board That furnishes no
ground for turning the board out OF
Office or for p0stponlng the election
and oyerturnng the election machinery
carefully provided for the representa-
tives OF the Cuban people IN convention
assembled and establishing new ma
ohinery for the purpose OF putting adj
herents OF your candidate into office.
III such course were adopted, new
nominations would be effec'ually re,
quired new propositions and new ar
rangemnts, and aen election might be
indefinitely postponed. 1t is false
theory Of official responsibility which
assumes that gentlemen placed in con-
NJ
would be guilty OF official malfeasance
because they may personally prefer
one candidate rather than another
AS TO the assertion that the central
board of scrutiny has In fact proved
to be unfair, something beside mere
assertion Is necessary No facts are
stated by you to sustain this assertion
except that you nllege that an ille-
gal selection of delegates to provincial
board OF canyassers has been approved
but you state that there was failure
to post list Of taxpayers, which the
city council OF Havana ought to have
posted on the 29th Of October, This
was not the business Of the central
board Of scrutiny.
II am informed moreover, by cable
from Havana. that the list In question
was posted on the Goth OF October. The
single days delay could not have oc-
casioned you or your associates the
slightest injury or Inconvenience. and
an objection based upon II is In the
highest degree technical
while / do not for moment sup
pose that you intend any such result,
] cannot avoid the conviction that your
request calls upon the United States
for that very interference with the Gu
ban election which your associates
have deprecated and which It Is our
duty and purpose to avoid. Your APP
plication must accordingly be denied"