New-York tribune., 1908-03-30

iation OF the laws OF the French capital. Other
fundamental laws which the Cuban Congress
failed to enact were those regulating the con-
duct of elections. providing for system of pub
lie accounting. and defining the limits of the
executive power. and many more. Some Of these
Mr. Magoon has already supplied, and he will
doubtless supply them all before he leaves the
island TO its own devices. For that reason the
new Cuban government whether il comes into
existence next year or the year after, with
workable code of fundamental laws. Will have a
far better chance OF success than its predeces-
sor had without such a code. Indeed, since
Governor Magoon is abolishng the one real
cause of the former failure he is making future
success as certain as it can humanity be made
Nor is this the extent of the work of redenp-
son which is being performed. Material i'm
p-overnents are being made which may appeal
even more directly to many OF the people than
VIII the new laws Under Mr. Magoon's admin
istration more good roads have been built In the
island than in all the four centuries before.
When he went TO Cuba ne found on the island
nrIv two steam rollers for road making. Dur
ing the Palma administration appropriations
had been made for roads. but when the
money was provided il was found that there was
no machinery for doing the work. and as the
arpropriations were explicitly for the work and
not for the purchase Of machinery nothing could
done Moreover. there was. DeHeNe, IN All
the island not q single courthouse. a public
scroolhouse which had been erected for that
purpose In the building OF roads and bridges
NJ Magoon has not merely improved the indus
.-ial condition Of Cuhs-he has correspondingly
improved its political and social status In the
great tobacco growing province of Pirar del
Rio for example, there had been 8 chronic state
Of discomfort Some Of the people were per
sis1ent offceseekers. and some We're constantly
plotting Instructions Mr.. Magoon gridironed
the province with good roads. The result was
expressed &c ne by prominent man in Havana
There Were. he said. no longer any political con-
spiracies or any oficeseekers in Pinar del Ric.
Whereas he used TO get many letters from his
friends there asking him TO secure them govern
rrent employment in Havana. he got none
The people found that. with the improved roads
for getting 10 and from market, agriculture was
more profitable than politics or revolution To
apply the old saying. they had taken TO raising
more tobacco and less hell
Rr. Magoon is thus teaching the Cubans, for
the first time in their experience, the collective
benefits Of good government Before his advent
government il Cuba had meant something quite
apart from the general welfare Of the people or
else iliraicaI 70 IL Government, said vet
e-sn Cuban TO me- used TO mean TO some of US
something 10 resist and to conspire against; TO
some Of US something from which 10 draw per
most Of US something TO which we must pay
heavy taxes without getting anything in re-
turn But now it is beginning to mean some
thing which promotes the general welfare of the
r,eople which gives better roads and schools,
which makes life and property more secure
which enables men to make more money, ana
which in brief, promotes, not as OF old, merely
the individual profit Of the of6ceholder. but the
general profit Of the whole people Naturally
public interest in the government and attach
rrent 10 il are increasing. So too, is increasing
Z most hopeful inclination 10 seek civil rather
than military leadership. Practically all the old
military leaders Of real distinction and important
following are now gone and their successors,
who are military chiefly in and pretenson,
command little confidence, and cannot hope sue
cessfully 10 compete in popular esteem with the
practical benefits OF an enlightened system of
civil government.
In doing his varied complex and arduous work
in Cuba Mr.. Nagoon has acted with that fine
combination Of frrnness and sIavity, Of author
fly and tact, which must characterize the sue
cessful administrator. He has been notably
cautious when caution was needed, and equally
expeditions when his course was Enthusiastically
clear Note the case Of the notorious Nasso
PARA His conspiracies 10 get up a cutthroat
revolution were town talk for weeks. and peo
pie wondered why OF earth the Governor did not
arrest him The reason was simple Town talk
is not legal evidence But during all those days
OF seeming unconcern the Governor was ex-
hausting the resources OF scrutiny and invesu-
cation 10 secure the positive proof which was
needed. At last he got it. and then the gen
ersI" did not remain at large an hour. That is
the sort OF administration which is effective in
Cuba, and which has made the Provisional Gov
error & terror 10 evildoers and the idol Of all
well disposed Cubans. An eminent publicist
who IS familiar with men and affairs in many
lands has likened him 10 Lord Crorer- Per
sonauy the likeness is faulty. the American Cow
e-nor di fering radically il temperament and
disposition from the great British pro-consul.
But in the supreme achievement Of bringing or
Ger out OF z land long accustomed 10 chaos, and
IL giving salutary laws and public works TO
people needfuI but destitute Of those things, and
perhaps above all, in teaching the general and
collective benefits CT good government to peo-
PIE whom good government had been I'M
known, there is an interesting parallel between
the two which is creditabe 10 them both
w. F. J.