The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-03
WANTS CUBA Ss:yT FREE.
REF. DIR. LANDRUN THfyhs RICH
MOND OUGHT 70 SPEAK or.
Says Cuba Belongs by Right to the United
states-The Speaker Views OF
the spanish Oppression.

| prelude on the pcrversion OF last Thanks
| gving-Day TO intemperance ana excess,
spoke In answer TO the question, shall
| Cuba be Free? His discourse was based
on II. Corinthians, III. y: Where the
spirit of the Lord is there Is liberty"
After a biblical Introduction, the speak
er continued as follows:
Every intelligent lover Of liberty has
his eye now Oh Cuba. Cuba, the largest
| OF all the West India Islands and the
most important OF all the Spanish colo
NAL possessions. IS only about one hum
| dred and thirty miles south OF floriua;
| Cuba IL about 500 miles long, east ana
| west. has "a width varying from 100 10 -
| miles, and an area o. nearly lObu square
| miles. The island was discovered ~
| Columbus in 1872 In lJl1 the Spanlarus
| colonized IL, and. with the exception OF
| few short intervals. have held IL ever
| since. Since the annexation OF flofiua
| TO The United States our Government
has shown considerable interest in the
| destiny Of Cuba. In 1913 President folh
! authorized the American ambassador 10
| the court Of Madrid 10 offer the spanish
| Government S1Ou.rlp,u0D for the sale OF
| Cuba. Spain promptly rejected the propo-
| sition. This rejection utterly discouraged
| the Ctbdns. Since then insurrecuon after
| instruction, revolution after revolution
| has swept over the unhappy island.
| Again and again Cubans have resolved To
| be free again and again republic has
| been proclaimed by the struggling pa
| triOts, who have always expected SYM
! pathy and cooperation from the people
! OF the United States. Individual Amerl-
cans have responded 10 the appeal, bands
! of Americans have repeatedly entered
| Cuba 10 unite their destiny with the
| struggling insurgents. American heroes
| have struck sturdy blows and American
| blood has dyed Cuban soil ana enrlcheu
| il for the further production OF patriots
4 eric
1 ever, have done nothing. Orsc, thty
/ have actually stood cOldly by ana Deheld
| Cuban conservation and courage 60 down
| before the overwhelming numbers, the
| brute force and inhuman ferOcity OF span
| ish sodicry This very hour Cubans are
| making last supreme effort.
SHALL RICHMOND HELP?
For once. thank Cod Cuba's cause IS
| stirring the American heart TO feel ana
| sneak as IL mas never felt or spoken be-
| Chicago, In masS-nceting Assembled, nave
| proclaimed. Cuba shall be free. Chl1
| cago was followed by Boston, and Boston
| by Washington. and Washington by Ne"
| York And the time Is at hand When
| Richmond in some respects the most
| thoroughly American city on the CON
| tinent. should arouse herself gather hei
| citizens under the monuments OF WASH
| ington and jefferson, and echo back 10
| the great cities OF the Union, Rlchmonu
| says, Cuba shall be free, Richmond
I
| land the want and woe and wretchedness
| of civil war. Richmond people can SYM
| pathize as none other with those unhappy
| people now passing through its horrors
| I'm an adjacent island. My reasons LOT
advocating the recognition Of the Cuban
| republic are these. First. gratitude lot
! foreign help extended 10 us during our
| great revolution should inspire US 10 al-
| ford like help 10 all other struggling
! peoples. American armies unaided could
| not have achieved American indepenu-
ence. Recall the history Of the war. IKE
member Yorktown. We call hOikloNh
, an American victory. Was ~ Baron
/ Steuben and German sympathizers were
| there Lafayette and French volunteers
! were there. French fleet OF twenty-
| eight ships cO-Operatcd with Washington.
| Yorktown was victory or Americans
! and their allies. Without the assistance
| of allies Washington could never nave
! compelled the capitulatiOn OF CornWaiiis.
| Lovers Of liberty all over the world were
| one with our fOrefathers In their unelual
| contest for nationality and freedom. Ana
| shall we. their sons, with fuli khoWieuse
of the fact that our liberty was accom-
| plished by the aid Of foreign bravery
and blood. turn a deaf ear 10 NE plteous
cries of our brother revolutionists across
the Bahama channel?
THEY THROTTLE THE PRESS.
Consistency as advocates Of the Mon
! roe Doctrine and It's necessary inierences
! demands that America help the CuhallS.
| America guards the liberty OF the hemis-
| phere. So she has said TO all the worm.
| America warned French troops out OF
! Mexico. and Macmillan. bereft of French
| bayOnets, fell, and Mexico was Tree.
| America would not for a moment, III my
| Judgment, allow monarcnlcal govern
| meut 10 disDlaCe the republic or bIaIl.
] All the South American republics sladly
/ owe themselves the Dards Of the colossal
| democracy of North America. AS our
| country has set itself up as the CUSTODIAN
| and champion Of liberty throughout all
[ longer
| aid to the Cuhans without justly de-
! serving the ridicule and condemnation
| of all the western nations.
| Humanity common humanity, demands
| that We sympathze with cuba. spain
| never did and never VIII tell the truth
| about Cuba. She Will not permit the
| world To- know what IS gong on IN inc tne
| island. Whv does Spain throttle free
| press and strange free telegraph
| Spain knows she is not carrying ON
civilized warfare. but is both allowing
and encouraging all manner Of barbara
| ties In 1863 during the late civil war,
| CAPTAIN General Nalmaceda was guilty
| OF Outrages which General Grant then
| our President. cried out against as
| disgrace to modern civilization Captain
| General CampOs In 1880 seems 10 be
| equally as brutal as his predecessor Of
! 1869 Spaniards. In civil war, respect
| neither combatant nor non-combatant;
| women. and children In one common
| slaughter. Cubas widows and orphans;
| Cubas wives and children unprotected
| while husbands and fathers are absent
! from home fighting the battles Of their
| country. Cuba's pOverty-strcken. down
| trOdden masses. Cubas refugees out
| lawed and homeless in their native land;
| Cuba's nameless and innumerable IN
| dgnities cry aloud 10 God and 10 all
! good men for the plying eye the pray
| ing heart, the helping hand.
BELONGS TO Us 10y RIGHTS.
Neiehborly good feeling demands that
| we help cuba She lies at our very door
/ Only Canada and Mexico are nearer
! TO us Cuba belongs to us by rights.
| Some day she will be ours. We DO not
need TO purchase the island cuba. VIII
come 10 ms OF her own accord as IeNas
| came 10 MS Treat cuba as you did Texas.
| Then. when Cuba comes she VIII come
| In her pride and glory a tree inar,
! pendent. democratic State. Cuba VIII
1 bring MS possessiOns rich beyond the
dream OF avarice Cuba must come 10
| rs Her coming IS absolutely essential
to our control OF the Gulf of Mexico, 10
| our continental supremacy. and manifest
| destiny. Christianity itself demands that
Ne stoo Tho war i'm Cuba. our duty is
| nlain and simple. All we have 10 do Is
| 10 recognize the Cuban patriot as bel
| lirerents with all the rights and privi-
| leges accorded bciicerents IN modern
warfare. and Cuba is free. Spain cannot
win. She cannot again subjugate Cuba
Spain's greatest general meets with de-
| feat i'm every important engagement;
| Snain's resources are drained 10 a condi-
| ton OF national bankruptcy. Spain can
| not carry on the war moment longer
Than Americans are willing to see n go
! on. only let America will that the war
| end and end IL viii az once, and there
will be in the redeemed and regenerated