Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-15
Gross Election Frauds.


When the election occurred the result of
this arrangement was plainly apparent. 1t
is asserted that, there were more than
100 Goo ballots found in the boxes than
there were voters in the island. For eX-
ample the Template ward of Havana,
which has 49, electors. including the presl-
dent of the republic. returned 1.2J1 votes
Paula, with SGT voters, returned Ian
votes; the Arsenal ward, with $50 electors.
returned 25S votes: San Nicolas. with III
voters. gave Palma l.!61 votes: Cerro, with
| 1850 electors. gave Palma 2,l3l votes. and
| in San LaZaro, where there are $40 voters
| he received 500 votes. In TINS ward the
polling must have been at the rate of six
| votes minute in order to have accom-
| modated them all.
| Gen. Andrade, who managed the election.
| confessed to Secretary Taft that it was
] impossible to hold an election in Cuba with
| out fraud, and that these extraordinary in
| CreaSeS We're made by the election officers
| lin a spirit of mischief" In mis- report to
| the President. Secretary Taft evidently in
| dulepS himself in the luxury of sarcasm
| when he says, The truth seems to be that
| Gen Andrade and those who sympa thiZed
| with him in the plan which he pursued
| had become convinced that the universal
| suffrage clause of the constitution and the
| holding of elections according to the con-
stituuon and the law, with the Cuban cleo
| torate in its present condition of ignorance.
| would produce such instability in the gov
| ernmcnt to prevent tie growth and the
development of the country on the pros
porous lines which had been realized I'M
| der President Palma, and that it was nee
| essary in the best interests of Cuba to
| secure for him a solid support in both
| houses of Congress in order that the prop
| er policy might be followed
! Gen. Andrade's benevolent intentions were
carried out Every member of the house
of representatives, every provincial govern
| or, every presidential elector, was a mod
crate; no liberal candidate throughout the
1 ;eI,, i.vnd inrtf w
| sweep. The republican machine in Phila-
delphia or Tammany Hall in New York
| could not have done more.
| Revolt of the Liberals.
| That unanimous election was the cause
| of the revolution. The liberals would not
! abide by the result AS was their custom
| when they felt the heel of the despot in
| Spanish times, they took to the "bosque'
| (the BUSH, where their followers Joined
| them until they got together a nondescript
| army of altogether more than 10000 men,
| mostly ignorant negroes. who compose sew
| enty per cent of the rank and file OF the
| liberal party. A large number of the re
| mainder were ignorant whites. Had Pres
| ident Palma resisted: if he had not sum-
| moned help from Washington, this turbu-
lent mob of enraged and disappointed poll
ticians would have overthrown the govern
| ment, would have sacked the city of Hava-
| ma and would have burned the property
/ the wealthieSt of the native Cubans. They
| would have plundered the Spanish popula-
tion whom they hate their former OPP
| pressors. and would have committed no end
| Of devastation throughout the island. Sec
] rotary Taft in one of his early kilograms
to the President said: The even remote
possibility suggested in your telegram OF
last night that under any possible hypothe-
sis the Plat amendment may require the
present insurrectionary force to be treated
as government de facto, makes me shivel
| at the consequences. 1t is not a govern.
| ment in any of it's characteristics. but only
an undsciplined horde Of men under part
san leaders. The movement Is large AND
| formidable, and commands the sympathy
OF a majority of the people of Cuba, but
they are the poorer classes and the unedu-
Gated. The liberal party, which is bach
of the movement, has men of ability anC
substance in 1t, but they are not the leader.
of the insurgent forces, in whom such
government de facto must vest. II in any
| body"
The treatment of the situation by Secre
tary Taft and Assistant Secretary Bacor
They not only persuaded this armed moi
of ignorant negroes to surrender, but give
| up its arms in the very moment of victory
II was one of the most extraordinary event:
| i'm political history. And the behavior Of
| both the leaders and the rank and ME
since the surrender has been exemplary
| They have shown an extraordinary degree
, of patience and patriotism. would like
| to relate the details in another letter.
L -1-