Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-16
Why Cubans Stir Revolt
Continued FROM First Page

1 reason was one OF the most violent
opponents of Estrada Palma and
! Menocal He was elected to the Office
of President for the term of l925-ig29
on A platform Of no reelection" in
accordance with the fundamental prin-
| cipleS of the Liberal party of which he
| was the candidate However. in a few
months after he took office he formed
an alliance with the leaders in Con-
Eress Of the opposite party the Ma
/ tio1al Conservatives. with the view to
bring about certain changes in the
! electoral code for the purpose Of pre-
venting the formation of new political
parties or the reorganizat ton of the
/ parties then in existence. and to impede
! the entry Of any independent candida te
! in the election.
| In this manner Machado brought it
J about that none of thu Cuban citizens
outside Of the vicious alliance known as
| 'co-operativeism." were able TO vote for
| any Of their candidates in any election
that has been held since 1927 for the
| reason that by means of the combina-
ton the electoral ballots do not carry
the name of any candidate for public
! ONCE who is Objectionable to the pres
ent administration And so II was BY
| this system the delegates to the Con-
stitutiOnal Convention which changed
| the constitution at the pleasure of Ma
| chado were elected. And by the same
means Mschado himself was elected for
A new term Of six years. although he
had repeatedly sworn that he would
| never be candidate for reelection.
was Illegally Amended.
I, The Constitutional Convention was
| called for the purpose of considering
| the abolition OF reelection When as
sembled, the delegates, al the direction
Of Mschado, in violation of the old con-
| stitution, did not content themselves
| with continuing the practice Of re-
election, but Illegally amended the con-
stitution to provide that the present
/ incumbent tMachadol should have A
| term Of Office for six years. provided ne
was reelected Under the provisions
( of the constitution, as amended, no
! other President can be reelected. The
J old constitution permitted one re-elcc-
! ton for term Of four years only
/ After the adoption of the new consti-
| tuition Machado ran for office of Presi-
! dent as the only candidate and, OF
! course was reelected
| II is not possible i'll this brief account
: OF the situation in Cuba to detail all OF
/ the violence, prosecutions and crimes
| that have been perpetrsted by Machado
and his associates TO maintain them
| selves in power.
Army Is Made Strong.
| After Machado had changed the cleo
! toral laws at his pleasure, little by little
| he placed the military In control Of all
| the principal departments and ofices
| of the government, bringing the army
/ to state Of great efficiency so that he
4, could use IL against the people when
! the opportune moment should arise.
! For this purpose he has spent in the last
| two years an enormous sum of money,
notwithstanding the serious world crisis
/ and the great financial su7erinRs which
| Cuba is now enduring Because of the
enormous taxes imposed by Machado
! and by the waste Of money OF the treas
/ ury TO make an impression upon the
! people and TO enrich many of his
! friends With new taxes and loans he
| has spent more than $3.50 900 900 over
| and above the ordinary budget Of the
! nation, Cuba is not able TO Withstand,
| in eras depression, public eXpendl-
| lures Of mere than $50 900 900 or 500
! 100000 annually. Macnado, neyerthe-
! less has collected approximately $780,
| 100000 Of taxes these last years. and
| needs at least $4,000 900 TO meet the
expenses OF government.
Mule Gets More Money.
Notwithstanding. he has cut down the
| salaries OF all employees except the SOL
/ diers--the government employees sala-
| ries have been reduced 50 per cent Ac-
/ tualiy an army mule in Cuba has al
| most twice the amount Of money allotted
| 10 him Tor Sustenanee as The inmates
! of the government hospitals All Ct
! these retrenchments, however, have not
| been effective TO overcome the eXpenoi-
| turS which the republic has made for
| the public works built by Machado and
| the military establishment which he has
1 foisted upon the country.
Machsdo has been for several years
! preparing TO impose his government by
| force upon the Cuban people He knew
! that Cuba could not exist without its
! Political freedom and if the people were
! permitted to exercise their liberties, he
would not b. able to maintain himself
and his creatures in Congress in power.
! Neither Machado nor the Congress holds
| Office by the vote Ct the Cuban people.
| The elections during his administration
/ have been a farce Notwithstanding that
his adversaries have not been able TO
! vote. Mschado has taken great care to
have 1t appear that more than 30 per
! cent Of the electorate have voted and
N order 10 obtain this result. he re-
serted TO the stufflng of ballot boxes.
Peoples Desires Curbed.
/, II there had existed IN Cuba the
/ right OF assembly the right of associs
! ton and the free expression CT thought
! guaranteed under the constitution but
now denied to the Cuban people the
| structure OF the Machado machine
/ would not have been able, within six
+, months. to resist without crumbling the
/ force OF public opinion, and he would
| have been compelled TO resign his office
| or bring down upon him a revolution
| OF all the people Machado could not
! afford 10 be criticized or discussed by
/ the people When he began his plan
| 10 change the constitution to suit his
| ends. the Union Nationalist, in which
are the principal Cubans of all political
| persussions began TO organize itself
+, Systematically. In order 10 prevent the
! free and open discussion of his conduct
and the organization Of his opponents,
Msehsdo began TO interfere with the
| activities OF the Union Nationalist. for
bidding their public gatherings. dis
banding them through the employment
! Of the army and police. He interfered
| with the organization of its clubs and
associations. It was prevented from or
! ganizing itself into a political party by
reason OF the law which Machado pro-
! cured to be enacted. He suppressed its
NEW spsperS and threw into pfison hun
/ dreds OF Its members without even a
! trial and without any OF them having
/ been found guilty CT any vialotion Of
! Law or OF any crime.
Supreme Court Decision.
| In 1880 Machado, by q decree sought
/ TO prohibit all political meetings. His
! adversaries proceeded in the Supreme
/ Court and there obtained a decision to
| tho effect the presidential decree was
! unconstitutional The Nationalist party.
4 therefore was able to hold a meeting
/ 81 about so 600 people in the central
| part OF Havana without any disturb
/ snce occurring. Machado was furious.
| and when the second meeting OF the
! Nationalist took place. in the city Of
/ ArthrntSa he Ordprhrf tho rniv bafNre-