The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-17

NSAA
So much has been published and said in
this country with regard 70 the insnrrection
in Cuba from which there might be induced
impressions erroneous and hurtfulto the cause
Of the Liberals that we consider II our duty
TO make known TO the American people the
exact causes which actuated MS In taking up
arms against the Palma Government and let
the Americans judge for themselves whether
or not our cause is iustiiablc and right.
In the first place this movement must not
be confounded with the internecine strife that
so often disturss" the peace OF the republics
Of South and Central America. In these
latter ents the one object OF the leader
is to gain control of the Presidency. with
Us Il Is not so.
The Liberals of Cubs have no candidate.
for the Presidency. although there are in tho
party at least half a dozen OF able, honorable
! and patriotic men who could all the once
with credit TO themselves and 10 the country.
Our cause is OF much greater importance
than the mere acquisition OF power. We are
fighting for nothing more than our constitu-
tional rights, which have been arbitrarily
denied us py President Palma. We are fight
Ing against the prostitution of the ballot,
the qualification Of the judiciary and the
fragrant violation of the Constitution OF which
President Palma and his oficials have been
guilty.
We have been careful not TO overdraw the
\ serlOuSn eSS OF the political StuatlOn IN NuD0
and have made no charges thar cannot be fully
substantiated by unbiased Investigators I
The members Of the Junta feel confident tina
Secretary Taft and Acting Secretary Bacon
will give these charges the full and unprej-
| udiced Investigation that they deserve.
We charge that President Palma obtained
his election to ONCE through fraud aYd intimi-
dalton and by the denial TO the Liberals OF
their right of suffrage.
We charge that the government OF Presi-
dent Palma was directly responsible for the
killing OF Col. EnriQu Villuendas. a member
of the House OF Representatives at Glen
fueRos on September %. 1905. Col, Villuen-
das. a prominent member of the Liberal
party, had prepared charges against Presi-
dent Palma on which he expected to have
that Official impeached The day following
the publicity Of these charges. which was
! also the day previous 10 the primary election.
I Col. villuendas was attacked by the chief OF
! police and several of his subOrdinates and
| without any effort being made to arrest him
was shot down in cold blood,
We charge that President Palma has
usurped the powers and functions of the
governing bodies Of the municipalities and
| has annulled. arbitrarily and without war;
rant In law, the elections of Liberal officials.
displacing them with members OF his own
political party. the Moderates.
We charge hat he has in like manner re-
I mONeO from the OfDfn luukFN II NlUbN
to act in their judicial capacity according to
his dictates. President Palma also has i'm
prisoned without judicial proceedings mem
bers Of the Liberal party because they voiced
their protests against his dictatorial con-
I duct.
We charge that the Palma Government
has steadfastly refused to Investigate OF even
listen to the charges that Palma's election
swas obtained by the force of arms and that
the Liberals were at the point of bayOnets
/ refused the right to cast their vote for their
candidates..
We charge further. that the assassination
of Col. Villuendas was a Government con-
spiracy 10 intimidate the Liberal voters. This
policy of coercion and intimidation, aided
by the armed and uniformed forces Of the
republic, was continued throughout the
campaign. reached its climax on election
dav and placed Palma in the Presidential
chair for a second term.
The Liberals have made continued peace
full appeals that this injustice be righted.
but to all these the Government turned a
deaf ear. Denied the constitutional rights
for which the Cubans fought. bled and dice
for nearly half a century. We decided that
our one recourse was to again take up arms.
We now ask only one thing and that Ia
that the illegal and fraudulent election OF
( last December he annulled and a new cleo
ton held at which every Cuban citizen will
be given a fair chance to vote,
II has panied MS to see characterized as
bandits and cutthroats our ~Compatriots
of the Liberal party now in the field and we
cannot permit to 90 unchallenged this aspeT-
sion on their integrity. These are the same
men who in the Ten Years war and again In
the last revolution n Cuba fought for the indie
pendence which we finally attained and hoped
to enjoy. They are the same men whom
Gen. Weyler and the Spanish Government
also characterized as bandits and cutthroats
and we're defended by the then existing revO-
lutionary junta in New York of which Tomas
Estrada Palma was the head.
The battle to-day is not much unlike that
fought at that time. the one great difference
being that Palma is to-day the dictator of
Cuba instead of Weyler. The men who sur
round Palma are in many instances the same
men who supported the SpaSi sh regime
while patriotic Cubans were In the field fight
ing and suffering that they might establish
their independent government, These one
time autonomists. always opposed TO ab-
solute Independence. are now the advisers
Of President Palma. ON our side the leaders
are men every one Of whom fought for Cuba =
independence. which they would to-day be
ready to defend against any foreign Foe and
with the same arms which they used against
the Spanish tyranny of which Palma's closest
advisers were the chief eXpOnents.
We are ready TO leave II to the judgment
Of the United States whether we are patriots
or bandits.
Perhaps il is difficult for the American
people to see in any circumstance cause for
armed revolt, against an established gov
rnment. In this country where the judiciary
is untrammelled and impartial il is possible
to right any wrong through appeal TO the
law and Constitution. In Cuba the President
has BECOME to the law and to the
Constitution and the extreme measures which
we have taken were forced upon us.
Another yacht has been bought by the
representatives OF the Cuban Government
in New York and will leave for Havan
Wednesday TO assist the small mosquito
feet already got together by Palma in
preventing flibustering along the coasts
Of the island. She il the Peerless, formerly
owned by Charles W. Hardness of the Stand
ard Oil Company. The Peerless is a steam
Yacht IG8 feet long, p beam and measures
n gross to1s. The purchase price has not
cen disclosed.