The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-10-07
N0 FREEDOM NOW|DUE TO Be KNOWN
GOMEZ SAYS LIBERTY IS ONLY 4
NAME IN CUBA.
JalIS Are rilled with Political prlS.
oners, Who Are without Hone OF
Justice From Judges and f1aais.
transformations worse Than
Under Veyler, Says Gomez.

New York, OCT. 5-''Liberty il dead
intCuba. and the condi don Of affairs
there is worse than it ever was under
Spanish rule, even in the most Zero.
cious periods Of the Weyler govern
ment. Financial ruin and diahonor
face the people. II things continue az
they are, the nation will be converted
into one of hereditary rule
The foregoing declaration was made
by Gen. Jose Miguel Gomez, governor
of the province of Santa Clara, and
candidate of the Liberal party for the
presidency of Cuba, at the New Am
sterdam hotel, where he is stepping.
II am here to rest for some days."
he continued, land to breathe the air
Of liberty which is lacking in my own
country and for which have fought
so long.
F1any Political priS0neIS.
ION false charges the government
assassinates the Liberals, the jails are
filled width political prisoners. and wo
have no hope of Justice from judges
and magistrates who recognize no law
but the will of the government. We
are hindered in casting our votes and
Cuba is now suffering reign of terror
never equaled under Spanish tyranny.
It was such things as these that made
us withdraw from the elections. Pub
lie funds are used for electoral pur-
poses. The sanitary condition of the
island is disgrace. The Cuban gov.
eminent has employed thousands in
the sanitary department, but for vot
ing, not for working, purposes.
1T has become impossible to dare
to oppose the government without risk
Of ones life or liberty. The mayor of
Havana has been deprived of his office
against the law and the whole Of the
council have been dismissed because
they were liberals. No one dares con-
fess his political opinions for fear of
assassination, for which purpose the
most desperate criminals are allowed
by the government to be at large.
United States Responsible.
''For what is happening in Cuba the
United States government has direct
responsibility. Palma is ena bled to do
as he is doing only by telling the peo-
pie every day that in case Of disorder
the United States would send troops to
punish them and to sustain the Palma
government.
II believe if the Plat amendment
holds the United States government re-
sponsible for order in Cuba it should
never be taken, as supporting the un-
lawful acts Of the present government
and as serving al a screen for the COM
mission of such acts as have been COM
mitsed against, the opponents Of that
government. 1t 10 the duty Of the
United States to put stop to such q
condition, and il affairs continue as
they are much longer we shall have to
appealto the United States to do 90.
eff the United States should inter-
vene in the matter of elections and in
sist that these elections should be car
ried on honestly, it would be proved
that 80 per cent Of the population are
liberals. That proportion Of the peo-
ple hate Palma and his expressions
worse than they hated Weyler, for the
conditions he has enforced are worse
than ever existed under Spanish do
minion.'