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

| them of his efforts to teach his people the
knowledge of self-government which. by
| twenty years of residence in the United
States, he acquired from association with
the American people: of his successful hand
| ling of the finances of the Cuban govern
ment; of the economy of expenditure in his
| administration of the encouragement he
| had given to the investment of foreign capt.
| tai, and of the consequent prosperity which
had come to Cuba during the four years or
his incumbency as president. HE mani
Tested an intense interest in the large ball
ance which there was in the treasury, Sassi
Secretary Taft, land the greatest regret
that the balance was likely to be reduced
by the extravaganza of expenditures IN the
efforts made and making to suppress the
insurrection. He said that he had insisted
upon the maintenance of all the guarantees
of civil liberty under the constitution, and
had declined to suspend them until the in
surrection had proceeded TO point where
1t could not be avoided; that for six months
he had been aware of the plotting that was
going on against the government, but so
great was the prosperity and the comfort
of the people, and so successful had his
government been in the arts of peace, that
he declined to take rigorous steps against
the conspirators, for he had supposed that
such an Instruction was impossible. He de-
plored what he regarded as a lack of graf
itude and patriotism on the part of those
who were supporting the Instruction. and
gave us number of instances tending to
the basest purposes by pecuniary greed and
for office. His demeanor dignified and
earnest. the evidences of his sorrow were
touching, and what he said made a deep i'm
preston upon u.s..
Real Cause of the Outbreak.
This quotation gives correct portrayal
OF the character of the late president of
Cuba, but there is another side to the
story. President Palma was not entirely
l. H. IL
for the insurrection, which was the
cessful attempt of the moderate party I'M
der the leadership of Gen. Freyre Andrade,
member of his cabinet, to re-elect him
and his administration and to secure ma
jority in congress by the most unblushing
frauds, intimidation and unlawful manipu-
latiOn of ballot boxes that was ever known
outside of Mississippi The liberal party
would not submit, nor would any Selt-fe-
SpeCting community in the United states
have submitted to such an outrage upon the
sacred right of representative government
One of the Havana newspapers, in an ar
tce under the title Painful Figures. re-
marked that the election leaders have
shown such little brains in conducting their
schemes that they have made themselves
ridiculous and foolish. The schemes re-
ferred to We're nothing more than to gam
victory at all hazards. which could have
been gained without going beyond the I'M
it's of probability. According to the returns
it appears that I32,3l3 persons voted in
y
of the republic, which, as everyone Knows
is 1.;H3,Wki. 1t is "A monstrosity. the pater-
nifty of which should he denied by its va
rious Perpetrators. because ii gives them
the title of ilio;s and bars the doors TO
further political asp.ra ions.
The military government established by
the United States in Cuba after the span
ish war, in compliance with the pledges
contained in the Teller amendment, turned
the authority over to President Palma ana
duly elected congress in May, Eh2. pom
his installation in office President Palma,
who had been unanimously elected, cccu-
pied an independent position ana invited
into his cabinet men without poiitlcai
affiliations or without obligations TO the
parties to which they belonged. TINS non
partisan or bipartisan government con-
tinuei until the spring of 1869, when ffesl-
dent Palma sought the support oil the moo
crate party, which had majority i'm con-
gress to secure much-needed legislation
AS a consideration for this support he
dismissed his INDEPENDENT advisors and APP
pointed cabinet composed entirely or
moderates, active and skillful politicians.
1t was known as the cabinet de combate,
because the members were veterans of the
war of independence. They proceeded forth
with to change the personnel of the NUM-
cipal governments, the police. the rural
guards the employees in every department
and to manipulate the boards of publc
works and other branches of the govern
ment so as to secure political control of
the island. Every liberal on the govern
ment pay roll was dismissed from office
and his place filed by politician OF the
moderate par3y.