Evening star., 1909-03-07

the recent elections. and Mario Garcis
Kohly. Felipe Sarrain and MIGUEL F.
Viondi, all Of whom were elected repre-
sentatives In congress in the same cleo
ton, and Juan Gualberto Gomez. the sec
retary and the only colored man on the
commission.
sion were Col. E. H. Crowder and Maj.
Blanton winship Of the United States
Army-both Of whom have just returned
to Washington-and Judge Otto Sohoen-
rich, who came from the bench In Porto
Rico to take charge of Gov. Magoon's
Office, and who acted as interpreter at the
sessions. Although several Of the Cubans
spoke English fuently. neither of the
American army officers understood Span
ish, and 1t was necessary to organize
corps of interpreters and translators. who
were under the direction of Mr.. SAM
Houston Carr. a newspaper man VINO Waa
identified with the editorial work OF sew
eral papers i'm Havana during the first
American intervention and is 1uent
Spanish scholar.
AS may be readily ina gined. the Difficult
ties arising from the bi-lingual deltbera-
tions of the advisory commission were
occurred. Col Crowder. who Is of a
judicial tenor OF mind. and took his work
very seriously, was often exasperated
upon reading the notes transcribed by the
Cuban stenographers from his interpreted
remarks. and at times expressed himself
in terms for which there are no Spanish
equivalents.
AS the American intervention in Cuba s
affairs was declared to be only for the
purpose of establishing a stable govern
ment to be turned over to the officials
elected by the Cuban people, the first
legislative work Of the advisory commits
sion was the drafting of modern and
efficient electoral law. The Australian
ballot system was taken as the foundation
and an elaborate law, resembling in the
main the general election laws of the
United States. was evolved. One of the
most striking features of the scheme was
the proportional representation" provi-
sion by which the majority is assured of a
fair share of senators and representatives
in Congress. Great results were expected
of the proportion representation plan.
some of which were realized but the fact
that the conservatives. or minority party,
elected their candidate as mayor Of Ha-
vana-an office almost as important
that Of president of the republic-on a
straight vote. apparently witnesses to the
superfuity of the proportional representa-
ton feature of the law. The most weighty
criticism urged against the electoral law
is that it is extremely cumbersome and
unreasonablv expensive \ number of
permanent electoral boards and officials
are created. all with large salaries and
during electoral periods OF thirty days al
election time. The elections held for mu-
nicipal and provincial officials and for
president and vice president under the
new law were models of fairness; but
that fact was due to tn, presence and
personal supervision of American officials
more than to the provisions and safe
guards of the electoral law.
-
During the days of Spanish rule the
governor general-like the king-was the
source CT all honor and the absolute au-
thority, Legislative and executive, in Cuba.
Mayors and municipal councils fourished
in the sunshine of his approval or with
cred under his frown. The most insig
nificant expenditure in obscure rural
hamlet had to be approved by the gov
erncr general before it could be paid.
The taxes were farmed out to the Bank
of Spain, which collected and gave re-