Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1905-10-12
GOMEZ WANTS HELP.
Says Impossible to Secure Honest
Election In Cuba.
CALLS PRESIDENT PALMA A OESPo1
Ne believes Thet Under the Plat
Amendment the United States
should see That People
Are Protected.


New York. Oct. 7.--Gen. Jose MIG
uel Gomez, the candidate OF the llDer-
al party for the presidency OF CUBA,
who is at present in New York, said
Friday that 1t is the duty Of the
United States government under tne
Plat amendment TO interfere IN CuD<
and to see to 1t that the island mas
genuine and honest elections f1e
described what he said was the des-
potism of President Palmas govern
ment and the combined and open use
of fraud and force in Cuban elections
as follows: no.,
1.-THE days Of the 21st, 22d ana zSd
of last September were days OF terror
in all Cuba The chief leaders OF our
party were arrested, respectable men
men of conservative ideas. merchants
and distinguished professional men
The assassination Of Villuendas TOOK
place. He was Young man OF srsa.
vigor and the leader Of the liberal
marty in the house Of representatives
"A stupid story Of dynamite was
invented, being made up only 70
nate an impression on the United
States. as II was only received with
laughter in Cuba. On the 22d day OF
September, the day preceding the
election of members Of the election
boards, the moderates arrested the
leaders of our party organizations.
and on the 23d the ballot boxes were
taken to the polling places. already
stuffed with votes and defended by
men of criminal antecedents armed
with rifles, and also by the rllral
guard and the municipal police.
Wherever the members of our party
resisted they were fred upon. In the
province Of Santa Clara there were
many killed and wounded.
After having prevented the Liberals
from voting on the 23rd, the election
leader Of the Moderate party filled up
the ballot boxes according to their
desire. On the 25th Of September the
drawing up Of the list Of voters was
begun. It was padded to an extraor-
binary degree, there being inscribed as
voters names Of persons who had never
existed or had died. In many cases the
number of names Of the voters false
" inserted were more than double the
number of names of genuine voters.
Asked whether the coming December
election might be conducted In this
same manner, General Gomez replied:
Eyes, the result in the coming cleo
tons will be that as this body Of i'm
aginary voters has been created, the
will Of the genuine electors VIII be
stiAed by the members Of the boards OF
election officers, who will fill the ballot
boxes with the voters Of false electors
~ assure you that, If interpreted
honestly, the Plat amendment can
not be a guarantee Of bad government
Iin Cuba by placing bad government
beyond the reach Of all punishment for
its misdeeds. That the interruption OF
this amendment ought either to be a
liberal one land in case the protection
of the United States Should be exer-
cised in favor OF the Cuban people
whenever the government violates Its
fundamental rights) or broad one,
and In this case the attitude OF the
United States should be one Of COM
pIete passivity as long as the rights
Of foreigners are not interfered with.
1T would not be dlHicult for the gov
eminent Of the united states to as
certain the truth Of what have as
serted, and to see to 1t that there are
genuine and honest elections, which
is all that we ask"