El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-05-05

then we all know just how much bust
| ness everybody else was doing by the
' amount OF mail ne got. but now with
| this free delivery, nobody knows any
thing about his neighbor
| form, and subject only to the fmnost-
tions OF home grown despots But IL
would have neither peace nor security
| or life and property. 1t would sink
| TO the level of Hayti It's industries
would vanish and its fertile fields
would revert to the dominion of the
! spirit Of the jungle, the while its peo-
| pie returned to the barbarism of their
/ parent Africa
Race Question the Issue
While 1t is impossible for anyone pro-
| Tossing the high ideals claimed for
American political institutions to give
unqualified approval to the personal or
| political career of Jose Miguel Gomez,
| everyone who has the good of Cuba at
heart must hope that he will be sue
eessful in his efforts to end the fncipi-
] emit negro revolution. II he fails. and
| il the struggle between the races is
| now precipitated, nothing short of a
miracle can save Cuba from certain
and complete political disaster. It Is
! the first time that the race question
has been made sfuarely an issue, and
/ 1t is, therefore, the first time that the
/ Cuban republic has been face 10 face
with the necessity of settling a vital
| question OF Internal politics.
The United States government took
over the island Of Cuba from Spain on
! Jan. 1. 1899. and conducted the affairs
! Of the island for three years. while
preparations were madefor the inaugu-
ration of the independent government
/ In 1902 the United States turned over
the control OF the island TO the Cuban
/ government, at the head Of which was
president Tomas Estrada Palma For
more than three years the government
conducted its own affairs, and was, to
a degree. successful and prosperous.
All Cubans Want Offices
But too many Cubans were burning
with the desire to hold public office
and TO live off the public treasury. The
Palma government was unable to salts
| fy the demands of the hordes Of office
/ seekers The result was a revolution.
| Disappointed and disgruntled leaders
\ raised the standard of revolt and. by
means Of inflauimatory denuneiation of
| the governing powers and insinuating
| appeals to the cupidity of the criminal
J classes, they attracted a large follow
\ ing Actual war was begun and fight
I ing lasted a month
| United States to Rescue.
| President Palma. unable TO cope with
| the situation, appealed to the United
| States for aid President Roosevelt re-
| sponded by sending TO Cuba his seere-
/ tary of war, William II. Taft Mr. Taft
proclaimed himself provisional governor
! OF the island and set up government
! in Havana, which took over the entire
control Of Cuban affairs. and which en-
deavored to settle the differences
among the Cuban people In this set
Element the provisional government
| went far in recognition OF the right
Of revolution By permitting the revo-
lutionists to retain the ownership OF
| the horses they had taken during the
one months war, the Americans gave
| what the Cubans were pleased to con-
slider a seal of approval TO the charac-
! teristic Latin-American industry Of re-
volt for revenue only.
Liberal Party Strong.
Political parties in Cuba exist only as
the expression of the organized appe-
tite of several groups of leaders Dur
ing the last American Intervention.
| when the governmental reorganization
| was being discussed, people Of Cuba
divided into two. general groups. The
Conservative party was made up OF
! the wealthier classes and most OF It's
members were white. The Liberal party
had a vast majority OF the people OF
the country in its ranks. both white
and black. But unfortunately the party
| was divided into two factions, not by
| reason of any difference of political
| opinion, but because of the opposing
! and competitive political ambitions OF
/ two party leaders One OF these was
| Jose Miguel Gomez and the other was
Alfredo Zayas Their followers were
! known then. and still are. as MigueliS-
tas and Zayistas-
| Realizing that continued division
| would throw the presidency into the
| control of the Conservative party,
truce was made, and the two leaders
entered into an alliance, offensive and
| defensive, for the purpose Of control
! ing the government and the public pa
t.tronage. BY the terms OF this agree
/ ment Gomez was to be elected president
and Zayas was to be made vice presi-
dent. The coalition was successful at
| the poles. and Gomez and Zayas were
elected by an overwhelming majority
Celebrate Victory With Banquet.
/ On IAN %. 1909. the United States
1 government for the second. time. re1
| tired from Cuba and turned over
/ fuu powers of sovereignty TO
chosen representatives of the Cub
| neople Immediately murmurs "
heard from Zayista quarters. complai
| ing that Gomez was not giving his pa
| ltfcal partners a square deal in then
| distribution of pie. However Zayas
| himself made no open complaint. The
| coalition between the Migueltstas ana
j Zavistas continued nominally IN force
[ and effect until few weeks ago. The
/ rupture was admitted. and the Mig
/ ueIistas celebrated the end of the Goa
! litfon by a great banquet in Havana
/ BY the original terms OF the agree
! ment of the coalition. Gomez was TO
/ serve a full terms of four years as
| president and then he was TO retire
| and support the candidacy of Zayas for
/ the supreme executive office That this
1 agreement has been terminated by the