1914 Cuban parliamentary election explained

Midterm parliamentary elections were held in Cuba on 1 November 1914 in order to fill half the seats in the House of Representatives,[1] as well as a single seat in the Senate. The National Conservative Party was the biggest winner, taking 22 of the 49 House seats and the sole Senate seat.

Results

House of Representatives

National Conservative Party (NCP)

Liberal Party of Cuba (LPC)

Unionist Liberal Party (ULP)

Cuban National Party (CNP)

National Conservative Party!Candidates*!Status!Votes**
Wifredo Fernández Vega36,940
Francisco Galatas Errasti25,047
José Baldor Valdés25,122
Narciso Camejo Pimienta10,030
Alfonso Masón García8,879
Liberal Party of Cuba!Candidates!Status!Votes
Armando del Pino Sandrino22,708
Estanislao Cartañá Borrell17,927
Ramón Vidal Díaz17,700
José Lazo Rodríguez7,156
Alfredo Veliz Muñoz9,690
Unionist Liberal Party!Candidates!Status!Votes
César Madrid Vega5,515
Ramón Hernández9,082
Virgilio Rayneri7,488
Modesto Gómez Rubio6,920
Ibrahim Urquiaga Arrastía7,963
National Conservative Party!Candidates!Status!Votes
Gustavo G. Menocal Deon19,434
Domingo Lecuona Mádam21,761
Alfredo González Benard17,474
Miguel Arango Mantilla18,521
Eduardo García Vigoa14,872
Liberal Party of Cuba!Candidates!Status!Votes
Nemesio Busto Delgado14,614
Juan Gronlier Sardiñas16,006
Celso Cuóllar del Rio***17,452
Francisco Santiago Hernández13,056
Antonio Génova de Zayas11,975
Liberal Unionist Party!Candidates!Status!Votes
Agustín Mederos Lens13,068
Enrique González Gómez6,116
Silverio Sánchez Figueras10,067
Roque E. Garrigó Salido11,385
Fidel Fundora Vega15,373
National Conservative Party!Candidates!Status!Votes
Joaquín R. Torralbas de la Cruz24,012
Manuel Rivero Gándara48,096
Antonio Cazañas Gómez36,029
Juan Jiménez Casto Palomino33,710
Oscar Soto Calderón de la Barc26,509
Rafael L. Mariscal Domínguez22,421
Carlos Robau López33,953
Rafael Cabrera Sánchez29,326
José A. Hernández Fales26,534
Pedro Pamps Camps39,107
Justo Carrillo Morales41,234
Liberal Unionist Party!Candidates!Status!Votes
Orestes Ferrara Marino54,347
Andrés García Santiago36,550
Antonio Calvo Cárdenas19,553
Roberto Méndez Peñate47,868
Manuel J. Delgado Delgado23,195
André Calleja Capote24,038
Ricardo Campos Martínez38,504
Mario García Madrigal23,880
Fernando J. del Pino27,811
Pablo Lezcano Larrondo24,019
Juan Fuentes Borges19,219
Liberal Party of Cuba!Candidates!Status!Votes
Eduardo Guzmán Macías2,006
Carlos Calonga López3,890
Félix Arias Segrera1,225
Casimiro Haya Serrano2,603
Fortunato Sánchez Osorio1,139
Ernesto Collado Castillo1,108
Manuel J. de Carrerá Sterling1,193
Isidoro Tristá Pérez1,541
Antonio Rojas Oria1,446
Juan A. Espinosa Espinosa1,182
Andrés Pereira Torres1,244

Other Elected Representatives of Santa Clara Province

National Conservative Party!Candidates!Status!Vote
Luis A. Milanés Tamayo38,801
Manuel Giraudy Vivar32,255
Miguel López García31,199
Pablo G. Menocal Deop36,366
Calixto Enamorado27,616
Francisco Alvarez Lago23,053
Juan P. Sánchez Silveira18,769
Wilfredo Albanés Peña29,024
Arístides García Gómez26,233
Félix del Prado Jiménez35,696
Francisco Gutiérrez Barroso25,378
Eduardo González Manet30,124
Liberal Party of Cuba!Candidates!Status!Votes
Sebastián Planas Mojena26,614
Arturo de Feria Salazar32,499
Justo R. Canipiña20,111
Manuel León Valdés32,227
Manuel Plana Rodriguez del Rey26,839
Enrique Samuel Duany30,046
Ibrahím Arias Gutiérrez30,689
Idelfonso Llamas Cobos17,931
Alberto Duboy Castillo27,078
José R. Barceló Reyes37,788
Alberto Castellanos19,065
Rogelio Robianas Arquimbau20,457
Other Elected Representatives of Oriente Province

[2] [3]

Allegations of Fraud

Although there were initial reportings of a steady and well-organized election, later information would come to dispute that, starting with a controversy regarding whether or not President Mario Menocal should have been allowed to vote, due to him having failed to register in the district that he lived in.[4] Later evidence would come forth showing an election that was tampered with ballot harvesting and voter fraud.

As reported by the Journal Gazette, allegations of fraud were rampant following the conclusion of the election. It was reported that there was a <10% voter turnout, yet the La Habana Province saw a voter turnout of 1,200,000, despite the fact that 7 years prior, the entire population of Cuba was barely above 2,000,000 people.[5] Votes were alleged to be sold in lots for $200. Despite calls for an annulment of the election due to fraud, the election was not recalled.[6] It is generally believed that the election was, at least in party, fraudulent. The Wilkes-Barre Semi-Weekly Record, while not reporting fraud, echoed similar concerns of inconsistency and suspicion regarding population issues in La Habana province.[7]

The Baltimore Sun reported similar claims. 2 days after the election, the 10% voter turnout statistics had been leaked. It was also recorded that some of the alleged voter fraud contained the names of dead men, such as Evaristo Estenoz, who had died a 4 years before the election during the Negro Rebellion. Later, it was reported that the Senate had failed to fill a quorum, and a message written by President Menocal regarding the state of the agricultural sector's economy.[8] Earlier in the year, the Sun had reported on fraudulent votes within the senate, stating that in the process to elect a Speaker of the House back on August 31 had 3 more votes cast than there were members in Congress, leading to more suspicion that the 1914 nationwide election could have been tampered with.[9]

Official Vote Count of La Habana Province**!Party!Votes
National Conservative Party349,115
Liberal Party of Cuba338,086
Liberal Unionist Party253,239
National Party of Cuba89,130
Federal Worker's Party10,773
Republican Party36,380
Party for Morale23,893

Notes and References

  1. [Dieter Nohlen]
  2. News: 6 Nov 1914 . Año LXXXII Número 307 Edición de la mañana . Spanish . 8 . . 17 Feb 2023.
  3. Web site: Primelles . Leon . 1955 . Crónica cubana 1915-1918 . archive.org . Talleres Tipográficos de Editorial Lex . 45–47 . es.
  4. News: 2 Nov 1914 . Cuba's Election Tranquil . 1 . . 19 Feb 2023.
  5. Web site: Censos en Cuba . Census in Cuba . es . National Office of Statistics of Cuba . 24 February 2014 . 10 March 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130310062720/http://www.one.cu/publicaciones/cepde/plegablecenso/Plegable%20Censo%20Sitio.pdf . dead .
  6. News: 7 Nov 1914 . Frauds in Cuban Election . 5 . . 18 Feb 2023.
  7. News: 13 Nov 1914 . Cuba Election Report . 4 . Wilkes-Barre Semi-Weekly Record . 19 Feb 2023.
  8. News: 3 Nov 1914 . Cuban Election Farce . 1 . . 18 Feb 2023.
  9. News: 1 Sep 1914 . Congress Ballot "Stuffed" . 14 . . 19 Feb 2023.