The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-03
CUBAN ELECTION
 WILL BE PEACEFUL There Are Five Parties in the
 Field MAY FORM COLOR PARTY General Rivns Issues Report That Shows DeplorabIe Conditions Ex- isting in Capital on Ac-
 count of likeness
MAY FORM COLOR PARTY

Havana, September 26.-With the ap- proach of the elections there has been perceptible a growing hope that what re- mains of the campaign and the electoral struggle itself may be passed without serious disorders
 The first Cuban election. that of 1904 at which President Estrada Palma was elected for second term, was confessed ly carried by fraud, which fact led di- rectly to the revolution of August, 1906 the overthrow of the Palma administra- ton and the second American interven- tion which continued under the governor generalship of Charles E. Magoon until Gen. Jose Miguel Gomez, who had been elected president at an election held in 1908 under the direct supervision of Col onel Crowder and other American of ficers.
 The election was conducted without hitch or fraud. It now remains to be seen whether the administration of Pres ident Gomez is competent to guarantee the people of Cuba a similarly unm- peachable election. That he will make every effort to do so there is no doubt, but 1t is questionable whether it is possi- ble to guard against the results of the bitter factional animosities that are g. marked feature of Cuban politics.
 When the campaign opened last sum. mer. there existed a feeling of despon- dency in regard to the prospect of a peaceful election and this feeling was in tensified as the campaign progressed by the continuation of the schism between the Miguelsts and Zayaists factions of the liberal party and the frequency with which political meetings broke up amid fierce fighting.
 At three of the most important meet ings held in Havana, Guines and Cien- fuegos, kSives and pistols were drawn, many shots fired and pitched battles were only prevented by the intervention of the police and rural guards. Recently. however, there has been subsistence of excitement and apparently a disposition of the warning factions to get together.
 Another thing that seems to make for peace is the apparent determination of the conservatives not to attempt to put out their full strength at by-electon at which only half the members of the lower house and municipal officers are chosen, but to make a determined fight for vic tory at the political elections to be held in 1912.
 Most of the candidates for the various offices have now been named, and in Havana alone there are no less than five parties in the field. These are the lib- erty party (Zayaists). the historic liberal party (Miguelista), the independent lb- eral party (headed by General Nunez), the workingmen's party and the party of young Cuba. There is also a possibil- ity of the resurrection of the Independent order of color party, the formation of which was declared to be illegal under a law of congress passed last summer, which denied recognition to all political parties organized along racial lines
 Former Senator Bravo Correoso of Oriente, has been engaged by members of the party of color to bring an action in the supreme court to test the const- nationality of this law.
 A report recently issued by Gen. Ar mando Rivas, chief of police of Havana, shows a deplorabe condition of affairs in the capital. So great has been the increase of idleness and mendicancy since the establishment of the national lottery that General Rivas declares that some steps must be taken to correct the evil, and to that end he has invited a number of prominent citizens to form commit- tee to study the conditions and suggest remedy
 General Rivas says that he finds an in- creasing and most alarming indisposition to perform any useful labor which results largely from the prevailing passion for OIIlce uuHtlHS, WHICH dHectS OupdHS ol all classes These officeseekers, the gen. eral says, throng the entrances of all governmental departments. pestering the chiefs for appointments of any kind.
 While this rush for office Is going on General Rivas says there is a constant unsatsfied demand for skilled workmen and labor of all kinds in the city and country. Worse than this the general finds a rapidly decreasing number of young Cubans employed in factories and various trades. that the indications, he says, are that before long Cubans will be divided into two classes-beggars and officeholders.