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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (June 13, 1902)
w$jimwFiKrw'vmtm$) PW 3 Y began to blow, and the crowd outside, thinking tho transfer had taken place, commenced to cheer. In tho midst of this babol of noise General Wood read a brief papor to Prcsldont Palma, stating that in tho namo and by authority of tho American government ho relinquished authority in the Island and surrendered it into tho keoplng of tho now government to be administered in accordanco with tho constitution adopted by tho peoplo of Cuba and tho Piatt amondmont. Ho thon read a letter from President Roosevelt oxtondlng congratula tions to President Palma and expressing his good wishes for thb success and prosperity of tho re public. General Wood thon with a faltering volco assurod President Palma of hlo appreciation of tho courtcslos shown him and of his sincere rogard and good will for tho now government and tho Cuban peoplo, and with this American occupation ended. Tho prosidont read from manuscript, wrltton in Spanish, his acceptance of tho responsibilities of tho ofllco, and, speaking for his government, promised to fulfil tho terms imposed. Thon in English ho replied in a few heartfelt words to Gonoral Wood's farowoll. Gonoral Wood extended his hand and, aftor a cordial greeting, tho presi dent turned to tho chiof justico, took tho oath of ofllco and then modestly received and acknowl edged tho congratulations showered upon him.1 As soon as General Wood ceased speaking tho American flap on tho palace was lowered and tho Cuban flag raisdd In its place amid tho accla mations of tho multitude Simultaneously with tho lowering of tho flag on tho palaco building tho. " flags that floated from tho other government build ings wore hauled down and Cuban flags quickly substituted for them. Tho crowd at tho end of the Prado raised a mighty shout when tho stars and stripes on Morro Castle came down and tho ginglo-star Cuban flag was flung to tho breeze; and yet, happy as they wero, there was a touch, of sadness in their rejoicing, for .they, had ,como to love, tho American flag. A member of the com mission charged with tho transfer of tho flags on Morro Castle told me that when tho American flag was lowered tho Cuban soldiers stationed at that placo ruBhed forward and caught it up, saying that it must not bo allowed to touch tho ground they oven pressed its folds to their lips. Tho Americans present wero deeply touched by tho affection displayed, and well they might be. VIVAS" IN PLENTY. As soon as tho ceremonies wero completed at the palaco General Wood and his staff officers, ac companied by tho president, his cabinet, tho mem bers of tho court and congress, and other officials, marched behind tho escort to tho wharf. Tho SpaniBh word "viva," which means "livo," is usod in tho samo way as our word "hurrah," and as tho procession moved toward tho boat tho crowd waved and cheered "Viva General Wood," "Viva Presldento Palma," "Viva la Ropubllca Ameri cana," "Viva Cuba libro." All wero proposed and given with equal fervor. In fact, tho good will entertained for tho Americans was so apparont on every hand that no partiality was shown In tho salutations and oxclamatlons. Having seen tho Americans safely aboard tho Brooklyn, which carried General Wood and his staff, and tho Morro Castle, which carried tho soldiers, President Palma and his cabinet returned to tho palaco and held a consultation; but tho peoplo lingered on the Prado until tho ships passed through tho channel out into the sea and thon waved a farowoll to tho government that had entered Cuba as a friend, withstood the tempta tions which como with the oxerciso of power and, as soon as a stablo government was established, removed tho flag from the Island, only to leave it enshrined in tho hearts of tho people. President Palma is small in statuo, but large in experience, capacity and patriotism. Ho is a man of education, refinement and wide acquaint ance. He took part in tho war of 1868, and was ono of tho early presidents of tho government then formed. Ho was taken prisoner and was In a The Commoner. Spanish fortress when the treaty of 1878 was aigned. His release was finally secured at the re quest of tho republic of Honduras, where ho had resided for a few years; but ho had no faith in tho promises made by Spain, and when he left tho prison it was with tho determination not to re turn to Cuba until she was an independent na tion. After a brief sojourn in Honduras, where ho married tho daughter of the president of that ropublic, he moved to tho United States and lo cated at Central Valley, N. Y. Thero he estab lished his home and reared his family, occupying his time and securing some income by teaching school. When ho entered tho war for indepen dence a large estate which he owned was confis cated by tho Spanish government, and this was afterward offered to him if lie would return to Cuba and take tho oath of allogianco, but he was so earnest in his desire to secure Cuban indepen dence that ho declined. Ho was, however, in constant communication with tho people of tho island, and when the hew insurrection was started in 1895 ho became the head of tho American junta, and it was largely through his wise and persistent efforts that tho peoplo of the United States were brought to un derstand tho condition of affairs in tho island. Ho is called from his long exile to be crowned with tho honor of being Cuba's first chief executive. I have become sufficiently acquainted with tho man to be convinced of his greatness and good ness, and in congratulating him I expressed the hope, which I believe to bo well founded, that his influence upon his people may be as far-reaching and as potent for good as tho influence exerted by our first president upon tho American people. THE FIRST CUBAN CABINET. The president has selected a strong and rep resentative cabinet; Carlos Zaldo of Havana will be minister of state and justice. He is a leader of tho radical wing of the democratic-republican party, which opposed adoption of the Piatt amend ment to the constitution of Cuba and opposed Palma for president until his opponent (Masso) had withdrawn from tho race. Senor Zaldo Is a lawyer and member of tho Cuban-American bank ing house of Zaldo & Co. Tho minister of the interior will be Dr. Tamayo, a doctor and member of the nationalist or military party (headed by GeneraP'Maximo Gomez) from which both Brooke and Wood drew most of their cabinet material. Dr. Tamayo is a cousin to President Palma. Ho is the only mem ber of General Wood's regime retained in office by tho new executive in making up his cabinet. Minister of Finance Garcia Montes, republi can, is a lawyer and friend of General Mendez Capoto, under whom ho served as a sub-secretary in the Brooke cabinet Montes' appointment to tho head of the finance department under tho new ropublic is attributed almost solely to the per sonal influence of Capote. The latter voted for the Piatt amendment. The minister of agriculture, commerce and in dustries will bo Emilo Terry, the millionaire su gar planter of central Cuba. He is also one of the leading bankers of Cienfuegos. Minister of Public Instruction Eduardo Yero is a disciple of Jose Marti, former editor of tho junta newspaper "Patria," in New York city; re cently connected with tho Cuban school system as a superintendent under Commissioners Fryo and Hanna. Ho is a man of excellent educational qualifications. Minister of Public Works Manuel Luciano Diaz is a Spaniard, and engineer and former rail way superintendent. CAPABLE OF SELF-GOVERNMENT. That tho people of Cuba are capable of self government is not a question open for dispute. Henry Clay declared, in his defence of tho inde pendence of the South American republics, that God never made a people incapable of self-government; that it was the doctrine of thrones and a reflection on Jehovah to say that He created peo ple incapable of self-government and left them to tho government of kings and emperors. Clay's Yl. a,No. ai. logic is sound. Capacity for government is not ti thing to he acquired or to be bestowed; it is in herent in tho reople. As individuals differ in ,wisdora, in self-restraint and in moral character, so nations differ, but it cannot be said that any nation has reached perfection in tho science of government or in the art of administration; neith er can it bo said that any -nation is so low down, . in the scale of civilization that it needs a foreign master. When Jefferson was Invited to suggest laws for a French colony which, located in the United States early in the nineteenth century, ho declined, and gave as his reason that laws wero tho outgrowth of the history and habits of the people and that no alien could be sufficiently in sympathy with, or sufficiently informed' about, a people to make their laws for them. Self-government is in itself a developing process and growth in capacity comes with tho exercise of human rights under self-government. But one who visits Cuba and becomes acquainted with the people need not rest the case upon ab stract principles, for ho is convinced by observa , tion that the Cubans not only have the right to govern themselves, but also have the ability to do so. That they will make mistakes is certain, but have we not make mistakes in the United States? That they may sometimes resort to violence in stead of reason is possible, but have we not done so in the United States? It is oven possible that tho island may occasionally bo the scene of civil war, but have we not had civil war in the United States? The child will stumble and fall in its effort to walk, but is there any other means by which it can learn to walk? Cuban independence will not give the peoplo a government free' from fault, but it will givo them a government as good as they deserve to have a government that will improve as the peo ple themselves make progress in virtue and In telligence. Free government docs not mean that each citizen will have just such a government asi he 'wants; it simply means that the people will have such a government as the majority desire, and that each individual can present his views to his fellows with the confidence that whatever 13 best for all will ultimately provail. A NEW COUNTRY NEW PROBLEMS. Several important questions will require Im mediate consideration. The question of sanita tion will, of course, receive the attention of tho new government; for Cuba cannot afford to bo shut out from the outside world, and it cannot ex pect communication between the island and the United States unless that communication can bo carried on without risk of disease. Education is a problem of the first magnitude. While private and parochial schools can do much, the public schools must place education within tho reach of every child and thus fit all for more Intel ligent participation in the affairs of the govern ment. The deep and widespread Interest already manifested in the improvement of school facili ties gives great encouragement for the future. It should be the policy of the government to encourage home building and iome owning. Un til human nature is entirely changed men will give better care and cultivation to land which they own than to land which they rent. Tho stimulus that one finds in the sense of proprietor ship is indispensable to the highest effort To this end the growth of great estates should be dis couraged and a wider distribution of the land en- couraged. Saving should also be encouraged and to this end government savings banks would be useful. The government must be careful to avoid tho .evils of private monopoly. Man is too frail to bo intrusted with tho power which a monopoly gives, and the president and his advisers should be on their guard against the dangers which come with, the granting of franchises and concessions for tho control of any branch of business. The govern ment of Intervention has reserved to the Cuban government the right to cancel and annul aU