Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1912-09-27
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND
THE FINANCIAL. TROUBLE OC
CUPY THE PUBLIC MIND.

Havana, Sept. 24.-It is felt general
ly here that Cuba is approaching
crisis in its history as republic. Two
serious questions occupy the public
mind:
Can Cuba survive the present state
Of her financess Can she hold as hon
est and orderly election for the presi-
deacy with lyal submission of the
defeated party to the will of the ma
joritya
That the treasury is empty; that the
last dollar of the l5e,5o0.oOo spayer
loans has been spent while the work
OF sewering and paving Havana, the
principal purpose for which the plan
was formulated has been almost stop
ped If not of abandonment; that the
government is at its Wits end to find
money to meet its vast expenditures
while receipts from customs and the
lottery have reached their lowest
points-all this is asserted by the enc
miles OF the government and most of
it frankly admitted by all.
Last month the government default
ed for the first time on the account
due to the sewering and paving con-
tractors for work done in July amount.
Ing to about $4,000. The govern
ment declared that it found itself un-
able to meet the bill simply because
it had no more money. The con-
tractors appealed to the American le-
cation and sufficient pressure was
brought to bear to convince the gov.
eminent that payment was imperative.
The following day the money was
forthcoming.
Ihere has been much speculation
as to whether the government will be
able to satisfy the claims of the con-
tractors due toward the end of this
month; but there are indications that
President Gomez, realizing fully the
peril Of another default, has made an
extraordinary effort and will pre-
pared to meet the obligation and thus
tide over the crisis for another month.
The press continues to be filed with
pessimistic articles bewailing the f.
nancial and political perils that beset
the republic. Careful estimates show
that the Gomez administration has
spent during its two and half years
Of power at least $14O,OOO,OOO. Ex-
perts declare that the only hop for
Cuba lies in cutting down her expens-
es at least fifty per cent.
There is nothing to justify reason
able expectations that General Mario
Menocal can carry the election, es-
pecially as he has just formed an al
lance with the wing of the liberal par
ty under the leadership of Gneral
Ernesto Asbert, governor of Havana
proice. The chances of Vice Presi-
dent lays election appear to be d.
minishing, although his following is
stron.
Both conservatives and liberals are
making strong bids for the negro vote,
the former cndeavoring to excit the
luminosity of the negroes agaist the
liberals on account of the fatalities to
me Of their race during the last in
surrection in Oriete, and the latter
endeavoring to placate them by prom
ises Of unconditional pardon of thou
sands of egro prisoners now confined
in jails.
TIL association of veterans under
the leadership of General Emilio
Uunez, which has hitherto stood fast
for non-partisan publication of the
government and the "Cubaizatio' of
the civil service, now seems to b in
way of being badly split along party
lines, but whether to the advantage of
on side or the other does not yet APP
pear. The election is to b hid No
vember and the new presidet will
be iaugurated May 20.