The Politics of Intervention

The Second Intervention 95

fective. In Taft's words, "we cannot maintain the Palma gov­
ernment except by forcible intervention against the whole
weight of public opinion in the island."^30
Establishing themselves at Minister E. V. Morgan's home
in the suburb of Marianao, which was between the lines,
Taft and Bacon began to piece together the Cuban political
puzzle, hoping that a compromise might be found. They
learned that Freyre de Andrade, now a congressman, and
Montalvo admitted rigging the 1905 elections and that some
Moderates were belligerent to the point where they "were
willing to do anything to force intervention."^31 The Moderate
party, represented by Mendez Capote, would, however, abide
by the peace commissioners' decisions, and at least some
Moderates consented to have the 1905 elections voided if the
rebellion would end.^32

The initial difficulty in dealing with the insurgent-Liberal

leadership was to insure that whoever negotiated for the

Liberals spoke also for the rebel generals. Agreement was

quickly reached in a conference among Alfredo Zayas (who

"played the game well from first to last," according to

McCoy), the imprisoned members of the revolutionary junta,

and the rebel generals: Zayas would speak for the Liberals

and the Constitutional Army.^33

Taft decided that the Peace Mission would negotiate from

the compromise proposed by Menocal and the veterans, which

he thought was a fair solution. Taft believed that if the con­

gressional elections of 1905 were nullified and new elections

held, Estrada Palma would still be acceptable to the Liberals.

Estrada Palma had his faults, but his honesty and "disinter­

ested" patriotism were unquestioned and having him in office

would give the next government "constitutional continuity"

and the confidence of businessmen. Taft also realized the

presidency was the most powerful force in the Cuban govern­

ment, and Estrada Palma was more to his philosophical liking

than the other candidates he had met.^34

On the basis of their earlier statements, both parties seemed

agreed that new laws for elections, the judicial system, the

civil service, and provincial and municipal organization were