New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-08
TROUBLE FEARED IN CUBA
Parties Preparing for the tlec-
tons in November.
A NEW RADICAL PLATFORM
Lottery a Heavy Drain on the
Poor-Much Distress Through
out the Island.

Havana, Aug with the adjournment
of the Cuban Congress after a session
singularly poor in useful results, there
sound on all sides the first notes of active
preparation for the political campaign pre-
ceding the elections to be held in the first
week of next November. Everywhere it
is realized that in these elections the
young republic faces the most serious
crisis which has confronted it in its brief
career.
In .the coming contest half the Senate
and half the House OF Representatives are
to be chosen, together with a number or
merely local officials throughout the ISL
and The situation is complicated by the
great number of parties, with sun others
IN process of formation. The result OF the
elections is matter Of far less impor-
lance than that order shall be maintained,
not only during the election. but during
the campaign, and that all necessity for
recourse to military force shall be avoided
Among the minor parties now springing
into existence, and one which may &C
quire considerable force. is that of La
JoVen cuba or Young Cuba modelled,
SO its leaders say, on the Young Turks
and the party OF Young Italy Their
platform is radical one comprising such
airy system Of government. the revoca-
ton OF the sale of the property of the
Church to the nation. which was consum-
mated under the Magoon administration;
complete autonomy for all the provinces OF
the island, the abolition of the army and
the creation of a national rural guard OF
| double the strength of the existing body
reclamation from Spain of the 100000 paid
by Governor Magoon for the Spanish ar
| tillery remaining in Cuban fortresses IN
accordance with the terms of the protoco
which preceded the Treaty of Paris; the
reduction of all criminal penalties by one
half and the substitution of the electric
chair for the garote the prohibition or the
entrance into the republic of any memoirs
of religious orders, the suppression OF the
secret police, prohibition of foreign cor
porations from acquiring real estate IN
Cuba, and the abolition of all trusts
adoption Of the jury system in criminal
cases and reform of the National Lottery
so that all the money taken in for tickets
in excess of 3 per cent shall be distributed
in prizes. General Manuel F. Alfonso, OF
the Army of Liberation, appears as the
head of the new party. and is its prospec-
tive candidate for the Presidency.
The estimated surplus from the national
lottery falls considerably below the amount
witch the government expected TO get
fro m this source; not because the lottery
IS waning in popularity, but simply De-
cause the steady drain on the resources
of the poor for nearly a year has deprived
them of the means of buying more tickets.
In vain has every effort been made to slim
uate the sale of tickets, even to the ex-
tent of subdividpg them so that fractional
PARTS can be bought for % cents, and null
tiplying the selling agents so that even
the beggars in the streets go around hawk
ing tickets.
Narrowing stories are told by school
teachers OF children unable to so to school
for lack of shoes, and of others starving
because every cent has been spent in the
lottery. A short time after the lottery was
introduced there began a significant rise
in the number of proceedings for ejectment
for non-payment OF rent, and at present
the number of such cases is many times
il, excess of what it should be under nor
NAL conditions. At every drawing a larger
number of tickets is returned unsold. with
corresponding loss CO revenue TO the gov
eminent From many parts of the island
notably the usually prosperous Vuelta
Atajo district much distress Is reported
which is attributed in great part TO the
pt drai pf the lottery