The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-06-25
Unhappy Cuba Again.

Although Consul General Lee has
| made official denial of the report that
he had sent an important communica-
tion to the state department relative to
certain informal and unofficial state
ments which corroborate much that had
with reference to the wanton barbarity
of the Spanish troops. From these pri.
vate admissions 1t IL possible to fore
cast the tenor of his official message
which is yet to come, and upon the
preparation Of which he IL now engaged.
The Washington correspondent Of the
Philadelphia Press. MIR. Gibson, has
seen private letter from General Lee
to relative living at the capital, in
which the statement is made that the
Spanish do not regard the laws Of
modern war nor the usages customary
among civilized nations at ALL" Gen.
eral Lee adds: From every quarter
there Is the same testimony concerning
the barbarities of the Spanish soldiers.
Some of the evidence l have heard
would be beyond belief, did I not know
it to be most reliable. Violations Of
women, the plunder Of inoffensive citi-
zens, murder, every form Of rapine, Is
the invariable story Of prisoners and ma
tives of the island who happen to be
under suspicion, and 1t takes very little
indeed, here, to place you under sus-
picion."
No doubt it was undiplomatic for our
consul general at Havana to write such
statements in private letter, but 1t
can hardly be said that Spain herself
has set very good example of scrupu-
lousness in the observance of diplomat
ic traditions. Only short time ago the
Spanish minister to this country sought
through the public press to influence
American legislation concerning Cuba,
an oftense from every standpoint more
heinous than is General Lees.
AS consequence Of the revolution in
Cuba our trade with that island has
suffered many millions Of dollars loss;
American holdings Of property in Cuba
have undergone great depreciation; the
comfort and even the lives Of American
| citizens to the number Of hundreds have
been placed in Jeopardy and a violence
has been done to the moral sensibilities
of every liberty-loving American citi-
zen. If in the full view Of these estab-
lished facts the present administration
will not do its duty as made plain by
| congress, the next one WILL
Under the act Of 1874 boroughs in this
state We're authorized to issue bonds
up to an amount equal to per cent. Of
their assessed valuation. The legisla-
ture. in 1895, passed an act intended to
modify the rate of taxation prescribed
by the act Of 1874 in cases where the full
limit Of indebtedness was reached, but
through u mistake, the latter act made
1t appear that boroughs could only bor-
row up to 2 per cent. Of their assessed
valuation. This delimitation was not
Intentional but the Lancaster county
court in the case Of Sener against
Ephrata borough held that It was valid.
and the supreme court has just affirmed
the Lancaster decision. Until remedied,
this mistake is liable to cause much con-
fusion in borough affairs. The next
legislature will doubtless correct its
predecessors error.
The Toronto Globe. in a column re-
view Of American politics, reaches the
solemn conclusion that the Democrats
at Chicago will nominate Cleveland on
q straight-out declaration for gold. It
will not be long until the Globes proph-
ecy will be put to the test,
1t must be embarrassing to the
Wilkes-Barre Records well-known mo-
desty to have to re-iterate daily the
purity of its motives and the self
sacrificing honesty Of its Intentions
Our neighbors virtue Is altogether too
defensive.
| Already the Popullsts and the free
silver Democrats are quarreling among
themselves as to which shall be known
as the senior partner in the contem-
plated coalition. 1t Is easy to foresee
their utter disintegration.
And 80 It appears that while Lord
Salisbury was talking sweetly in public
about the delights Of peaceful arbitra~
tion the British government had on
the sly sent force Of surveyors down
into the region in dispute between Ven
esuela and Guiana, to lay out military