The San Francisco call., 1908-11-09
'CUBANS TO RESUME
SElF-GOVERNMENT
Election for President, Vice
President and Congress to
Be Held Saturday
United States Troops Will Be
Withdrawn January Is, on
Patriots Birthday

HAVANA. Nov. Son Saturday next
elections will be held throughout the
island for president. vice president
senators and representatives in the
lower house of congress, to whom, ac-
cording to the present program. viii
be committed the fate of the restored
Cuban republic on the termination of
the government of Intervention, jan
uary 2S, 1909.
The troops of the United States will
be withdrawn on that date, which is
three days in advance of that originally
set, in order that their departure may
mark the anniversary of the birth Of
Jose Marti, the Cuban patriot
Preparations for the elections are
now complete. All the election officers
have been appointed. the electoral
boards organized and the last ballots
distributed. The whole island Is ab-
sorbed in the outcome of the struggle.
The conservatives are headed by
General Mario Menocal and DIR. Rafael
Montoro, the presidential and vice
presidential candidates. respectively,
while General Jose M. Gomez and his
former bitter rival in the party leader
ship, Alfredo Zayas. are the nomi-
nees of the liberal party, the Miguelista
and Zayista factions, finally uniting
their parties in support of Gomez on
the understanding that he would not
be nominated for a second term.
FAIR ELECTION ASSURED
1t is assured beyond peradventure
that absolute fairness will character
ize the election, about which every
safeguard has been cast by the pro-
visional government. Both the political
leaders have given assurance that they
will accept loyalty the result of the
popular verdict.
a.,
the platform OF the two parties, both
having as their chief planks the preser-
walton of the republic. equal rights for
all citizens. the encouragement of agri-
culture and commerce and the mainte-
NANCE of friendly relations with the
United States.
The struggle is. frankly, for the pos
session of the government and the con-
troll of public patronage.
General Gomez and General Menocal
are veterans of the revolution and each
has large following. DR.. Montoro is
the foremost orator in Cuba and was
nominated in the expectation of his
being able to control the Spanish vote.
but he is unpopular. with many Cubans
on account of his attitude during the
revolution, when he held office in the
autonomous government In the last
days of the Spanish regime.
ZAYAS THE LIBERAL IDOL
Senior Zayas is the idol of a large
section of the liberals. He was the
leader of the last uprising against
President Tomas Estrada Palma, but
his followers are suspected of giving
only lukewarm support to the candi-
dacy Of General Gomez, between whom
and Senior Zayas there was an implac-
able feud until 1t was apparent that
the very existence of the liberal party
was dependent upon a compromise.
whereby Senior Zayas withdrew his pre-
tensions to the presidency
The two factions, however. did not
actually fuse. but Zaya accepted a NOM
ination for the vice presidency and the
Zayaists promised to aid in the election
of the coalition candidates
The business interests and the large
property elements are strongly In favor
of General Menocal. but the result of
the presidential election probably will
be very close.
The result will not be known for
several days. despite the elaborate ar
rangements for the prompt forwarding
of the returns from 1.49S polling places.
The electoral college is composed of
1O7 members, the various provinces be-
ing represented as follows:
Pinar del Rio IA. Havana 26, Matan-
zas IA, Santa Clara %. Camaguey 9,
Oriente 22
The polls will open at a. m. and
close at s p. m. Each province is en-
titled to six Senators and a proportion
ate number of the SO representatives.
according to population.