Meade County news., 1917-03-15
Negroes, Now Become Wealthy,
Demand Full Enjoyment Of
Constitutional Rights.
ELECTION METHODS CORRUPT
Eighteen Years of Freedom Has Not
Put Cuba on Anything Approach
ing Plane of United States or
the Great Nations of
Europe.

New YOrk.-Cuba's negro problem
is largely to blame for the revolution
ary developments which have centered
attention on the rich little island re-
public.
There is no color line in Cuban suf-
frage laws. There is not even denial
of the right to vote.
And it is q common observation in
Cuba that the negro goes to the polls
more regularly than his white COM
patriot. The negro is proud to vote,
while the white is often too proud to
vote. The latter is Indifferent and
often lets election day go by without
exercising his right of suffrage.
The negro goes to the polls and
votes-but whether his vote counts is
another matter.
Cuban election methods are hope
lessly corrupt-at least, 19 years of
freedom have not been sufficient to put
them on anything approaching the
plane of the United States and the
great nations of Europe.
Through these methods, the Liberals
in sympathy with the revolt say, their
party was cheated out of the recent
election.
The Liberals constitute the party of
the masses, especially the negroes. 1t
Is generally admitted they have ma
jority of the voting population. In
fact, Raoul e. Desvernine, counsel to
the Cuban legation at Washington,
said few days ago with certain
amount of cynicism:
1T is perfectly true as he (Dr. Ores
tes Ferrara) says, that 80 per cent of
Cuba's population belongs to the Lib
eral party, but it is equally true, al
though he does not say so, that the 81
per cent is composed largely of the
peon class and that the brains and
breeding Of Cuba are affiliated with the
Conservative party"
Tenacious Of Rights.
Senior Desvernine Is not the only
Cuban in this country who takes the
stand that 'intellect" and "birth''
should control Cuba-for Cuba's bene-
fit. They point to the undoubted fact
that the present administration of
President Mario Menocal has been ex-
ceedingly honest and efficient when
thrown against the dark background
Of the frauds perpetrated in the ad-
ministration Of Jose Miguel Gomez.
But Cubans, like Americans, do not
like rule imposed upon them, even
for their own benefit. The Cuban ne
gro, especially, is tenacious of his
rights. He is far different from the
American negrO-mOre ambitious and
more Independent.
Negroes formed q large share of
the army of independence. These vet
Grams of the war with Spain do not
allow any man to take precedence of
them simply because he is a white
man. 1t is also to be remembered
that there is not the distinct color
line drawn in Havana and other Cuban
tOwns which we take for granted In
the United States. Many negroes have
held high offices in the government.
Their social position is often one of
which few American negroes would
ever dream.
If the present revolutionary spirit
Is quelled with the help of American
troops it is. bound to break forth
again. This is the opinion of the men
here best acquainted with conditions
in Cuba. The germs of unrest, feed
ing on feeling of injustice, cannot
easily be destroyed.
The negroes in the last few years
have increased so in power and In
wealth that they now demand the
complete enjoyment of their constitu.
tional rights and they are forcing the
issue.
Santa Clara and Oriente, two prov.
lnces that are traditional Liberal
strongholds, are the centers of the
present trouble. Santa Clara is the