New-York tribune., 1901-12-30
THE BIRTH OF A NATION.
SETTING N MOTION THE MACHINERY
Ply WHICH THE NEW GOVERN
MENT OF CUBA Is TO BE
ESTABLISHED.

-,-ssns,e-on. Dec % Especially will
-,a.-ess general election throughout the island
- cha II which will he elected Presidential
.,5 Senatorial electors. members Of the House
- penresentati tives. governors Of provinces and
rnarbers of the provincial councils. which cor
respond in e general way 70 American state
legislatures.
In accordance with the electoral law prepared
nv .be late Constitutional Convention, the
MAYORS Of the several municipal districts OF t"e
island. on October 24 last, called upon the
,oters 70 meet At the usual voting place in their
respective wards or precincts for the purpose
Of selecting a registration board, and unoer the
direction Of 2 temporary board an election was
held for the purpose Of selecting the regular
registration board prescribed by law Ihls
board was composed Of three members electeo
hv halo, The day after their election the
board assembled for the purpose OF registering
the names Of all citizens who had the right to
vote a. the general election and who requested
such registration. When, after due examination
ss n qualifications by the registration board.
,ba annicant for inscription in the list of voters
was found eligible. his name was duly inscribed
and certificate was issued to him which served
ss nroof Of the fact that he was duly registered.
After the period prescribed for registration
ELAPSED each hoard issued three certified copies
Of the registration list arranged alphabetically;
one was affixed 10 the building where the regis
tration list made out, another was posted
al the Office Of the Mayor, and the third was
forwarded 10 the Governor Of the province.
The next wheel in the electoral system is the
provincial electoral board. composed of seven
members elected by a majority vote Of the
municipal delegates appointed for the purpose
This is an intermediate body. standing between
the municipal boards and the central or federal
hos the
non Of all electoral proceedings within its
province
The central board of scrutiny is composed Of
the president Of the recent Constitutional Con-
ventior and four other members thereof, all of
whom had been elected by the suffrage Of the
people Of Cuba. and its duty is to pass upon all
protests and complaints regularly brought to its
attention, and il Furthermore aids in the inter
pretation OF the electoral law, whose efficiency
IS vet TO be put 10 the test of experience.
The plan Of nominating conventions has not
get been developed in Cuba and party lines are
loosely drawn. If, indeed. distinct parties repre-
senting different policies be said to exist
In the island. and in order for candidate to
nave his name placed upon the ballot he must
present 4 petition to the provincial board, signed
by certain number of qualified voters. the
number ranging from five hundred in the Prov
ince Of Havana TO one hundred in the Province
Of Pinar del Rio.
The provincial board forwards to the central
board of scrutiny the names of all candidates
properly vouched for. and the central board or
ders the printing Of the ballots, which in due
time forwarded under seal TO the respective
wards or voting precincts The names Of all can
didates appear on the same ballot, and the voter
indicates his preference by making mark op-
poste the name Of the candidate for whom he
dasfr m
The boards of registration on the day Of the
election act election boards, taking oath TO
perform faithfully the duties OF their office. The
voting is 10 be conducted in manner similar
10 that which now obtains in majority of the
States of this country. as Is also the counting
OF the ballots when the election is over The re
turns from the voting precincts are forwarded
10 the provincial boards, who revise the work OF
the local boards, and then their proceedings are
in like manner forwarded TO the central board
ON February 1s. 1902 the senatorial electors
are 70 assemble at the capitals Of their re-
spective provinces for the purpose Of electing
four members for each. Each province elects
Presidential electors in number equal to the
number of Senators and Representatives it may
have in Congress. These electors are to meet
on February 15 1902 and after their creden-
tials have been approved by a committee
selected from among themselves, they will again
meet at noon on February p, 1902, and proceed
10 vote for President and Vice President. After
the votes are counted duplicate tally sheets
are 20 be prepared and signed by all electors and
forwarded under seal to the central board OF
scrutiny for transmission to the Military Cover
nor.
Upon the receipt of the full reports of the
electors Of the different provinces the Military
Governor Of Cuba will announce the date for
the meeting of Congress and for the proclama-
ton Of the President and Vice-President- and
also for the formal transfer of the government
Of the island TO the new government established
as above described by the suffrage Of the people
Of Cuba.
Then the Stars and Stripes will come down
and the banner Of Cuba will float out over the
ca pital Of Z new born government. Cuba viii
take her place in the great family Of nations TO
work out her destiny. The United States will
have kept faith with Cuba and with the world.