Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-22

doubly sure, had used the rural guard to
keep liberals from the polls, and had him
self been in command OF force or swirl
automobiles in Havana on election day,
which dashed from ballot box to ballot box
with bands of street sweepers and other
repeaters. The result was an overwheim-
ing victory for the moderates. "A clean
sweep" said Mr.. Zayas. dropping into the
American vernacular When this brief OF
the liberals was submitted to secretary
Taft, several days after his arrival, Ha-
lists.
A division of the so-called constitutional
army" was within mile of the residence
of Mr.. Morgan. the American minister,
Quinta Hidalgo in MarianaO, nine miles
from Havana, where the commission had
taken up their residence and had begun the
conferences. There was no time to UNDER
take such an investigation as congress
sional committee would resort to under
similar circumstances. Furthermore. there
was some question to whether the en-
voys had the right to direct such an inves-
tigation. They had come here not as ar
bitrators, but as mediators. They
were sure in their own minds
that the elections had been stolen.
The reports of Minister Morgan to the
State Department months before mad SHOWN
this very clearly. The brief of Mr.. Zayas
contained charges that were backed up by
evidence. Able and honest-minded Cubans,
of which distressingly small minority Gen.
Menocal, president of the veterans. Is a rep
there was no doubt about the truth OF the
charges against the Palma government In
regard to the election frauds Americans
who had no sympathy with the feoeis also
came forward to testify to the same effect.
But Secretary Taft is a lawyer and &C
customed to investigating things very thor
oughly before passing Judgment. More
over, as he and Mr.. Bacon were here as
peace mediators, they were not prepared to
compel the moderates to consent to new
election. At this juncture, to their amaze
ment and greatly to their relief, their
course was simplified by the confession on
the part of President Palma's associates
and even by members of his cabinet that
the elections were irregular and that the
burden of the charges of Zayas on this
score was true.
1t was a member of President Palma's
cabinet who took pains to give Secretary
aft a detailed explanation of how neceS-
sary it was to use the rural guard, and the
other means which Andrade resorted TO,
that the moderate party might be continued
In power. The election of the liberals. this
cabinet minister explained, would have
put an end to the prosperity OF CUBA.
Would have placed many negroes In Of
flee; driven foreign capital away from the
island and delivered a blow at the pros
perity of the people and the stability of the
government from which it would have
taken years to recover.
But what about the registration or
nearly 100 600 more names than there are
voters in the island" asked the Secretary.
With a shrug of the shoulders and
smile as if he regarded this as the most
amusing phase of the whole deal, the Sec
retary's informant replied. THE regis
traton board became so enthusiastic that
they did not take their work seriously.
They registered those 100000 men merely
for fun"
Before suggesting a compromise. it was
necessary to determine whether Senior
Zayas represented the rebel chiefs. Zayas
was a lawyer and president of the liberal
party, but Secretary Taft wished to be
sure that as such Zayas represented not
only his party but the constitutional
army well. This was the object of
the night conference in Marianao. when
the various rebel chiefs were summoned
before the commissioners.
Thus the final agreement was reached
after a series of heart breaking delays and
necessary but irksome coddlng Of the child
ish honor" of the men on both sides who
had confessed naively to more different
sorts of political rascality than it is often
the misfortune of an American official to
see uncovered.