oxen, and with a fighting cock
perched upon its beam. Their campaign cry might therefore appropriately
have been "Cockfighting and Idleness!" It is not agreeable to recall
that such issues appealed to so large a proportion of the citizens of
Cuba that upon them the election of 1908 was won.

Much of the stock in trade of the Liberal campaign consisted also in
denunciation of General Menocal. The Liberals declared that he was
representative of the class and the regime that had practically been
dismissed by the United States government in the Second Intervention,
namely, the "silk-stocking" or intellectual class, which did not
sympathize with the people and with the real cause of popular liberty.
It was also pointed out as though it were an opprobrious fact that
General Menocal had associated with himself as Vice-Presidential
candidate Dr. Rafael Montoro, to whose character and ability not even
the Liberals ventured to take exception, but who had been an Autonomist.
When this reputed reason for his defeat was mentioned to General Menocal
he declared that he was willing to accept it, though he did not believe
it to be the true one; adding that after having been associated with Dr.
Montoro during the campaign and having intimately exchanged ideas with
him, he regarded him, Autonomist though he had been, as one of the best
men Cuba had ever produced, and would more gladly be defeated with him
than be victorious with the companion of his opponent.

The various provincial and municipal officers who had been elected on
August 1 took office and the new provincial laws went into effect on
October 1, 1908. Because of the persistent failure of the Cuban Congress
hitherto to enact new municipal legislation these were the first local
officials chosen by the people since the municipal elections which were
held under the first American Government of Intervention of 1901. Since
1901 all vacancies occurring in municipal offices had been filled either
by the votes of the municipal councils themselves or by appointment of
the national government. This was because no provision had been made for
their election by the people. Naturally this state of affairs gave great
dissatisfaction and repeated demands were made by the Liberals for the
removal of the holdover officials. It was also contended by the Liberals
that the election of members of the provincial councils in 1905 had
been illegal. Under the old law provincial governors and councilmen