Evening star., 1928-11-13

Cuba's election of President Machado
without opposition and with an eXtraor-
dinarily large percentage of the eligible
vote polled inpreSses many American
observers most favorably. Others see in
it proof that no real democracy exists
on the island
The attitude of the critics of the un-
opposed election Is represented in COM
ment by the Chicago Daily News, which
asks, SIS there no opposition party
in Cuba?" The Daily News quotes
some observers as alleging that there
is considerable opposition to Machado,
but freedom of agitation and discus
sion has been abolished by the govern
ment. which, in fact, though not in
theory, is an absolute dictatorship"
That paper concludes, 'The quiet
much too quiet-election which has
taken place in Cuba and which has
given the present regime a new lease
of power may we'll cause certain
amount of anxiety among the friends
of the island republic"
Similar criticism comes from the
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, which remem-
bers that during the Pan-Amerlcan
Conference early this year delegation
representing the anti-American mi
nority of Haiti was not even permitted
to land in Cuba to present its case at
Havana" The Eagle adds: III Is
ridiculous TO assert that Cuba mas
democratic government except in form.
In real democracies there is always an
opposition party which presents a cam
didate at the national election. Cuba,
like other Latin American countries
governed by dictators, has the kind OF
government that fits conditions. 1t
satisfies us because it works with us.
The time we become excited about
wicked Latin American dictators Is When
they are unresponsive to our speclal IN
terests."
Surprise that the Cubans voted as
extensively as they did in view OF the
conditions is expressed by the Savannah
Morning News, which eXclaims; 1t
was declared that about rs per cent
of the eligible voters participated In
this election in which there was no
opposition to the Machado ticket!
Those Cubans do vote! If the election
had been as hotly contested as the one
in this country there might have been
two or three hundred per cent OF the
vote polled."
Cause for rejoicing at the absence OF
casualties is found by the New York
Evening Post mo candidate and no
party sustained defeat" says the New
York daily mo scars were left in the
body polite. The word Overwhelming
is altogether too mild to apply to
President Machado's majority All III
all, it was a just -about-perfect election,
and if everybody in Cuba is not happy
it may be because politics, even Wnen
! it approaches perfection, does not
always bring happiness"
AS viewed by the Charleston Eve
ming Post, however, ut is an excellent
thing that conditions in the young
republic, established under the aus
pices of the United States and GUIDED
through troublous periods by its great
northern neighbor, should have reached
SO stable a political state in the 50
years of its national life. The Cubans
have shown" in the opinion of the
Evening Post, capacity for self-govern-
ment, sensible appreciation OF their m
! innate relationship to and measurable
| dependence on the United States, anu
there is no reason why they should not
share with this country the prosperity
and peace of long period OF years.
Denial that it is a case in Whlch
opposition was overaWed by despotlc
power" is made by the Columbus, ONO,
Evening Dispatch, which holds that
"Machado has had nothing OF the despot
| in his handling or the pfesluelcy. .1 th9
people of Cuba" in the opinion OF tnat
paper. "seem to be tired of revolution
in favor of ambitious politicians, and
they are thoroughly satisfied with the
era of peace which has attended
Machado's administration. Therefore
no opposing ticket was put up. All TINS
may be strange to us, but 108 years ago
no candidate was put up against Presl-
| dent Monroe"
The experience of President Monroe
is recalled also by the Boston Tran
script, which offers the explanation OF
the recent Cuban election: "One thing
that all parties in Cuba are well resolved
on is a disposition not to provoke an
other intervention by the United States:
Such an intervention would occur II
there were disorder in the election, and
the Cubans are well aware that such
disorder might result among them in a
bitterly contested election. President