El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-05-06

n EN-. ,Evaristo Estenoz and a score
II of other negro political lead,
erS of Cuba are all in jail
as result of their activity in the or
ganization of an independent negro
party They are charged with attempt
ing 10 foment a revolution and a gen.
eral uprising of negroes against the
whites, having for its purpose the CON-
plete control of the Cuban government
by the negroes This revolt was sched-
uled to take place on May "a
The formation of this new party the
projected revolution. and the prompt,
although high-haDded action of the Co
mez government has brought tie re-
public Of Cuba face to face with tie
FIRST vital issue of is political history.
Although past political quarrels have
/ been extremely bitter, not one of them
has involved any real principle. The
campaigns have been simply struggles
| between opposing factions with nothing
at stake except the offices and the pub
lie patronage
Race Question.
But the race question involves the
very life of the republic. Its injection
into politics means that there will be
no peace in Cuba until the question Of
negro representation in the government
| is settled finally. There is grave rea-
son to fear that neither whites nor
| blacks ever will consent to compro
mise which either party would respect.
According to the census taken in Cuba
| during the last American occupation, 20
percent of the Cubans are white and
only so percent are negroes. But the,
census cannot be relied upon in deter
mining the relative strength Of the
white and negro parties
Characteristically contradictory, the
negroes who are not absolutely black
claim to be white men, but at the same
time they give hearty and loyal support
to the negro race in political and social
controversies. The census enumerators,
a great many OF whom were negroes,
accepted the simple statement of every
person as to whether he was white or
black. even in defiance of the testimony
OF the enumerators' own eyesight- In
spite of the census showing it Is assert
ed by Cubans, both those of Spanish
and of African ancestry, that consider
ably more than half of the Cuban peo-
pie have negro blood in their veins.
The White Population.
During the long struggle between the
Cuban patriots and the Spanish gov
eminent large portion of the white
| population was either neutral or in pos
tive sympathy with Spain. The ne
groes always were on the side of the
revolutiOnistS and always were willing
to- lay down their lives for Cuba
Liore.' Antonio Maceo, the most bril-
liant military leader of the Cuban rev.
dictionary army, was a negro, and il
is a significant fact that his birthday
is the most generally observed Of all
the Cuban national holidays. 1t prob
ably is true that great many of the
negroes composing the rank and file
of the Cuban army were willing to
fight for the sheer love of fighting, and
that they knew little and cared less for
the political liberty which inspired their
leaders. The immediate license of guer-
rilla warfare meant great deal more
to such as these than did the prospec-
fife liberties Of a republican govern
ment
This very fact, however, adds TO the
danger of the present situation because
the nature of these negroes has not
changed and they will be as willing to
join in the revolt against the Cuban
republic as they were to risk their
lives in the effort TO overthrow the
authority of the Spanish monarchy Per
haps they win be even more willing
when they have listened to the incen-
diary speeches OF negro dema gogues
who will play upon their prejudices of
race. 1t is not difficult to imagine the
Cuban plantation negro rising TO drive
from the island every white man in
authority. The white man is in his
eyes the symbol of restrictive discipline,
and that he does not like
The Color Line.
During the half century preceding
the establishment of the Cuban repub-
lic whether in actual war or in plot
ting and planning, the revolutionary
leaders endeavored always. and sue
cessfully, to prevent a division among
the Cubans along the color line Since
the foundation of the republic its po-
litical leaders of all parties. have at
tempted to carry out the same policy
Of Cancellation and compromise But
in so doing they have invariably prom
ised more to thesnegroes than they have
been able to deliver.
In the last election, which resulted
In the selection of Gomez and Zayas as
president and vice president, the ne-
groes were promised an equal share
in the distribution OF patronage This
promise was broken. The Liberal party
also appealed to the negro vote by
pledge to- repeal the puritanical anti |
gambling laws which had been saddled
upon the Cuban people by the Ameri-
cans. This promise was redeemed, and
as a result a national lottery is rob-
bing the people. both black and white,
of every cent they manage to save after
they have amused themselves at the
cock fights. The negroes are reioiced
that the restrictions prohibiting cock
fighting and gambling have been re-
moved; they are delighted with the OPP
portunty to buy lottery tickets; but