San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-08-30
FREE CUBA.
Contributed Sermon.

The sermon this morning delivered
from the Light pulpit is not by the
usual preacher, nof7in the usual tone
OF those generally delivered, but new
ertheless, one of as great vital impor-
lance, if not of religious character.
The subject of this discourse is
long suffering and, depressed Cuba,
standing with uplifted hands as an in
nocent child receiving punishment
which it does not deserve, and APP
peals to us for mercy, for aid, and for
protection.
Can we. as liberty loving Ameri-
cans. go on unconcerned and allow the
little liberty loving band of patriots
on that fair island to waste their life
blood and exhaust all their strength
in this struggle for liberty, without
giving them aid? /
This is the qul bat is being
pondered by IONS of people in
this great cour of ours-the ques-
ton of can and shall we allow such to
20 on.
The sooner conclusion is arrived
at, the better, for it will eventually be
one and the same When the conclu-
sion is finally arrived at and someone
makes the move, the American nation
will arise as one body and declare
Cuba shall be free.
All our people need do is look back
over our dark days, when the country
we love so dearly. was a subject to the
English crown, at the troubles and
priyations which our forefathers suf-
fered under that rule, and the atroci-
ties committed on this country by the
tyrannical rulers of the old world, and
we have Cuba of today before us
When thoughts of those days come
up. they make the thinker, should he
have drop of the blood Of the genu-
: inc American in his veins, feel as if
he could arise and 20 through the
uhasaships his forefathers suffered in
the Revoldtien to have the satisfac-
ton of avengirig those wrongs. Ev-
cry drop of his hot blood tingles.
BY recalling to memory the scenes of
those dark and bloody days, we have
fair Cuba's privations and troubles be-
fore u.s.
The very same trouble brought on
these two struggles for liberty. On
the American colonies it was the
English whoHttempted to make them
pay all the expenses of that tyranni-
cal government, by overtaxation. On
Cuba, it is cruel old Spain, with her
bloody record, who attempts to de-
press the fair island and crush it I'M
der her heel in order to wrench money
from it to support the rapidly decay
sang and bankrupt royalty of that ma
ton
Therefore, the cause of America in
her early days and that of Cuba now
are one and the same.
We glory in the bravery of the pa
triots who fought and lost their life
blood for the liberty of our country.
but simply speak occasionally of the
same kind of a struggle which is now
going on in that fair island-the queen
: of the Antilles.
Yes, speaking of it is scarcely all we
do. The cause of this struggle is not
considered thoughtfully and closely e.
nough. else Cuba would have been a
Republic long ago and instead of the
work of Spanish butchery and bru-
tality now going on, the whole island
would present scene of industry and
prosperity, of thrift and emery.
Our forefathers were not alone in
their fight for freedom. They, it is
true, furnished she majority of the
men who fought Sd wen -as fhe lead.
ers, as is Cuba today. but We're aided
/. by foreignere as is needed by Cuba to
day.
Some of Washipgton's best generals
and leaders were moved by patriotic
Inspirations OF leave their native coun
tries and join the small army of patIi
OTIS in this country battling for theil
freedom and their rights.
We had our La Fayette. our Steu
ben and others who assisted in our no
bic cause-who were foreigners drawn
here by-their love for freedom ant
their desire that everyone should b,
entitled to it.
Thus, as the Good book says, "D'
unto others as you would that the!
should do unto you" why can't W.
send suceor to those long suffering pa
hCiots in Cuba, as was done by othe
Us to us.
struggle we We're assisted b.
& srs. Now we should re