GEOGKAPHIC SUBDIVISIONS 71 



pense, at least since the days of Tacon ; no public highways 

 have been constructed, nor have any improvements of a 

 public character been made outside of the city of Havana. 

 Even when the Cubans have undertaken such improve- 

 ments, they have been heavily taxed for the benefit of the 

 Spanish officials. The administration of Cuba is, and has 

 been since the settlement of the island, an absolute military 

 despotism. 



Above all the numerous edicts, decrees, customs, and po- 

 lice regulations, the fundamental law of the island is the 

 will of the captain-general, enforced by the following decree 

 of May 28, 1825, which is still in force, giving to the cap- 

 tain-general "the most ample and unbounded power, not 

 only to send away from the island any persons in office, 

 whatever be their occupation, rank, class, or condition, 

 whose continuance therein your Excellency may deem in- 

 jurious, or whose conduct, public or private, may alarm 

 you, replacing them with persons faithful to his Majesty, 

 and deserving of all the confidence of your Excellency ; but 

 also to suspend the execution of any order whatsoever, or 

 any general provision made concerning any branch of the 

 administration, as your Excellency may think most suitable 

 to the royal service." 



Under this law, which has been utilized with terrible 

 effect, misfeasance has developed beyond description, and 

 freedom has been a mockery. Year after year the least 

 liberty of thought or expression of opinion or suspicion of 

 liberal ideas on the part of the individual or the press has 

 resulted in imprisonment, death, or deportation. Further- 

 more, the elsewhere obsolete punishment of torture has 

 added horror to the cruelty of this edict. 



The right of free speech on the part of the individual 

 citizen has not only been restricted, but the rigorous press 

 law of 1 ss 1 requires every editor or manager of a paper to 

 send, duly signed by him, two copies of each issue to gov- 

 ernment headquarters and two other copies to the district 

 attorney as soon as printed, that it may be seen whether 



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