The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-02
Probably VIII Be Supported by a
Congress Composed Mostly of Ma
tiOnaIists, His own Party.
CELEBRATION AT SANTIAGO
INTERVIEW WITH PALMA AT HIS
HOME IN NEW YORK STATE.
He VIII Cultivate Friendly Relations
with the United states, and
Favors Reciprocity.

that the entire Palma ticket will be elected,
and that Thomas Estrada Palma, the Ma
tionalst candidate for the presidency of
Cuba, will receive the unanimous vote of
the Electoral College. The adherents of
General Bartolome Maso, Democratic can
didate, who recently withdrew from the
campaign, not only withdrew their candi-
dates but refused to go to the polls.
A remarkably light vote was polled
throughout the island. La Discussion as
cribes this Indifference to the certainty on
the part of the Palmaists of being vic
torious. and consequently a majority of
the people remained at home and cid not
vote.
La Lucha says the light vote can be
taken as a protest from the Cuban people
against the imposition of official candidates.
The Diaro de la Marina says that the re-
suit is an indication that the Cuban De-
mocracy may look upon the American pol
icy as inevitable.
The presidential campaign in Cuba, which
closed by the election of Tuesday, con-
Quoted with considerable spirit, but peace
fully withal. There were but two candi-
dates in the field-Thomas Estrada Palma
and General Bartolome Maso. The former
was regarded as by far the strongest of the
two, and General Maso made but a half
hearted campaign, as he recognized the
fact that the odds were largely against
him.
The election was held by virtue of the
authority of the new Constitution of the
island and under the supervision of the
United States civil and military authorities.
The instructions of the American officials
ifi Cuba were not to medde in any way
in the election.
The term of the president of Cuba, as pro-
vided in the constitution, is four years.
He can be reelected, but is ineligible for
a third term. The Senate will be COM
posed of twenty-four members, six from
each province, and their terms are fixed
at eight years. The provincial legislators
and a double number of electors will elect
one-half of the whole number every four
years. In the lower house there will be
one member elected for each $4,000 people,
and the terms will be four years. One
half of the house will be elected every two
years. Substantially all of the guarantees
in the American Constitution are embodied
in the Cuban constitution.
At the election presidential and senatorial
atives, governors of provinces and men,
bers of provincial councils were chosen.
On Feb. "a, 1902 the presidential electors
will assemble in the capitals of their res
pective provinces and cast their ballots
for President and Vice President. The re-
suit will be certified to the military gov
ernor of Cuba. who will communicate it
to the Cuban Congress.
The Vice President of Cuba is president of
the Senate, and 'in case of temporary or
permanent absence of the President of the
republic the Vice President shall substitute
him in the exercise of the executive power.
Should the absence be permanent the sub
stitution shall continue until the end of the
presidential term"
The Cuban Senate will be composed of
four senators from each of the six prov
inces into which the republic is divided.
Thomas Estrada Palma is known
as the Washington of Cuba" He is lit
tie past middle age and has spent the great
er part of his life battling for the inde-
pendence of his people. For a long time
during the early years of the rebellion of
the Cubans against Spain he was at the
He is decended from an ancient family
of CASTLE. He was born at Bayamo in
1885, studied law in Spain and determined
when a youth to free Cuba from the yoke
of the dons. In 1877 he partly realized
his ambition when he was elected president
of the Cuban republic. He served in the
field during the ten years war, in which
over 100000 Spanish soldiers fell. At the
close of that strife he refused to swear
allegiance to the king and exiled himself
in Honduras, where he married and be-
came postmaster general and otherwise
conspicuous as a statesman. in 1853 he
came TO America established an educa-
tional institution and as soon as the last
revolution appeared threw himself into il
heart and soul.
Since the close of the Spanish-American
war Palma has resided continuously in
Cuba and has devoted his best energies
to the restoration of peaceful conditions
among his cOuntrymen. He has given a
cordial support 10 all measures proposed
by the United States government for the
rehabilitation of the island. He was in
fiuential in framing and securing the adop-
tion of the new constitution and is one
of the most popular men personally in
the island.
General Bartoleme Maso, Palmas nomi-
friend He wished TO withdraw absolutely
from the contest for the presidency, but
his partsans insisted that he should re-
main in the field He made no effort to
secure votes. however. He is one of
three brothers who imbibed from their
father an undying hatred for Spain and
the Spanish. These three received their
first Lessons in warfare during the ten years
war. Maso is part Spaniard and part ne
gro. His father was full-blooded Span
lard, but Maso hated Spain with a fierce
rank OF major general by the incredible
bodness of his fighting. When peace was
restored the MasOs took the oath of al
legiance 10 Spain only TO break IL shortly
and join Garcia in his guerrilla movements
They were safe in the mountains of San
tiago de Cuba when the revolution came
Maso is a naturalized American citizen.