The Washington herald., 1909-01-27

pie, SO surely does the Cuban politician
smile with Joy at the vision OF goat
The goat is the national emblem Of po-
litical success IN Cuba "Chevo'' Is the
Spanish word for goat It is also the
Spsnish word for graft. The goats OF
Spain. no less than the goats OF Har-
lem, are omnivorous. That goat viii
eat anything, from lace handkerchiefs
and embaImed beef cans to arTnoT plate
ard Iyddits shells. has been depicted by
Spanish comic artists as faithfully and
tYuthlessly as BY American comic artists
What was more natural than that q
politician Ofice-hclder's omnivOrOus appe-
tite for rake-offs should suggest the
goat? Whereupon "chevo" took on its
new meaning. and the goat was put into
the Cuban slang vocabulary 20 CO duty
as noun, verb. or adjective, as the case
might require.
Thus It may be said that the political
parties IN Cuba are divided as the sheep
and the goats. with the variation from
the sacred parable that every sheep IS
consumed with ambition to turn into a
goat Great is "cheyO" and the Cuban
politician is its prophet
Il may be suggested, by some Grass
American who has Old-fashiOned notions
about extracting the beam from ones
own eye before applying high-power
magnet 10 draw the mote from the other
fellows optic orb. that American politics
IS not altogether free from the influence
OF 'chevo." That may be true. but Il
is also true that American politics has
q great deal else involved in its mazes.
The vast majority Of Americans adhere
either 70 the Republican or the Demo-
cratic party. because Of conviction upon
matters OF principles. because Of senti-
ment OF association because father
voted that way or for some reason
which cannot be charged 10 direct per
sOnal pecuniary interest in getting some
Of the graft
The Cuban does not adhere 70 his po-
litical party. be IL Liberal or COnserva-
tive. because Of convictions upon matters
Of principle for the very simple reason
that neither party processes 70 hold 20
any distinctive principles whatever They
both profess certain doctrines concerning
liberty and the life Of the republic. and
such gIittering generaIities. but each pro-
feSses as much as the other and no more.
Nor does the Cuban cling to his party al
legiance because Of sent aentaf assOcia-
ton or because OF ancestral training.
Party robes are loosely worn IN Cuba
4 man changes his party over night. and
there IS not one particle Of the stigma
which attaches 10 a 'tuTnC0at" or
'bolter" in America or England Not
only 90 the members Of the party change
at VIII and often, but the parties them
selves change their names and Organiza-
tons whenever they feel ike il II is
less thar seven years since the Cuban
republic set up in business. and in that
time the party which started Il control
as the Republican party changed its
name 70 Moderate" and then TO Con
serUatlve"
The ease with which a man may change
parties does not affect the virulence Of
party strife nor the vocifeTousness CT
party feslty. A LIBERAL is a Liberal be
cause he IS q liberal and needs The 100.
he yells about Liberal principles and
promises that the cock fights VIII be
opened up the minute the Americans get
out 4 Conservative IS a Conservative
because he IS a Conservative. and he IS
Just as strong for cock fights as his Op-
ponent.
IN the recent elections in Cuba there
was not one difference OF opinion between
the parties which could possibly Be raised
TO the dignity Of issue" Both parties
promised the same things, both declared
the same things. and both were convinced
that the election of the opposition meant
ruin for the nation.
There IS real difference between the
two parties, however Il is a difference
Of personnel in the ranks rather than OF
principle OF leadership. The principles
are interchangeable. the leaders go from
one camp 70 the other at viii. but the
rank and file of one party IS different
from that Of the other The Liberals are
about five shades darker as 10 skin than
are the Conservatives
II would be unfair 70 say that the
Liberal party IS strictly q negro party.
but Il cannot be denied that il owes its
present power 70 the brother IN ebony
Considerably more than half the people
Of Cuba have negro blood in their veins
II the proportion OF African blood Is less
than e half, or q fourth, It IS vigorously
denied The census emn1iuators took
the peoples word es 10 ancestry. and
the census shows that 703 per
cent Of the CUbans are white and only
81 are negroes. But the census cannot
be relied upon in politics. and the Cubans
have awakened 10 the realization that the
party with the negro votes viii get the
''chevo"
The Palma administration recognized
the negro, but It did not elevate him 10
a high place in the government. The
negro resented the discrimination He
had fought and bled and starved for
Cuba I4bre'' One OF his race. Maceo
was the military genius Of the great revo-
luton. He believed he was entitled 10
the fruits OF victory. Therefore he gave
a willing ear to the Liberal leaders who
sought TO overthrow the Palma regime
BY revolution. Nobody charged Palma
with dishonesty, but he was surrounded
by weak advisers. and when the admin
istration stole the elections the Liberals
raised the standard Of revolt The ne
grOes took their machetes and rallied TO
the revolution.
When the American provisional govern
nlent had torn the choice bits Of 'chevor
from the grasp OF the Palma officers and
had distributed them among the fsuisbed
Liberals, the leaders Of that party were
certain that they could win any election
that might bs held So there were two
aspirants for the Presidential nomination
Gen. Jose Miguel Gcmez and Senator
Alfredo Zayas. Instantly the Liberal
party was split in twain. The Miguel
istas and the Zsyistas were at each
others threats, and the grand old Lib
eraI party was IN q pickle. The municipal
elections came on. and, 10 the consterna-
tion Of the Officeholders, the Conserva-
tives swept the country
The Liberals were frightened and, see
ing their fnternecine strife would be their
undcing, patched up a truce A coalition
Of the two factions was formed for the
sole and only purpose CT carrying the