230 THE POLITICS OF INTERVENTION
to reward their followers and strengthen their leadership.
In all respects they were stunningly successful.
On February 6, 1907, Zayas, Juan Gualberto Gomez,
Monteagudo, Garcia Velez, Recio, and Asbert (a majority
of the Liberal Committee) called on Magoon to present an
alternative armed forces plan. They first pointed out that
police work was a civil function, whereas national security
was a military function. Therefore, the Rural Guard, a con
stabulary close to the people, could not function as a regular
army, which should be isolated from the people for training
and discipline. A militia would not serve because it would
lack the military training for modern warfare. In addition,
the army, as the embodiment of the nation's honor, must
be beyond reproach, and the Rural Guard was associated with
the repression of the old regime. The Liberals stated they did
not want the tainted Guard officers involved in forming a
new army. Moreover, the Liberals said they feared more civil
oppression by the Guard, which an army might check. Then,
as the clincher, they pointed out that a mounted Rural Guard
would be more expensive to maintain than a similar number
of foot soldiers.^27
Major Slocum defended the Rural Guard with a sharp
attack on the Liberals' motives. They opposed the Rural
Guard, Slocum said, because they had failed to subvert it
with their own cronies, and the commissioning and enlist
ment laws would continue to protect the Guard. The Perma
nent Army, Slocum candidly pointed out, was nothing more
than a giant political payoff.^28
Magoon cabled Washington that the proposal to increase
the Rural Guard had stirred up a hornet's nest: "Much oppo
sition from all parties. Every newspaper here opposes plan.
Liberal papers respectfully, Moderates fiercely." He urged a
postponement of the reorganization decree to allow him to
give the problem more consideration. Taft granted the request,
but wanted "no unreasonable delay."^29
With the proposal of a new regular army now introduced
into the debate, the battle lines of the controversy underwent
a rapid shift. Suddenly, Cubans of almost all political per