Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-04-10

Bull Run had been fought-were at the
hands of Spain?
Why my friends are talking as if war
was right upon us if we give TO the Gu
ban patriots this recognition. They seem
/ to assume so much. Mr.. Speaker some
of the statements that have been made
| here remind me of the story of the old
maid. away up in the seventies. who was
! standing before a burning furnace, and
| the poor old woman began to cry. when
someone standing near her asked what
was the matter, why she was crying?
| IN by. she said Il was just thinking
| that if ! should ever get married. and
should have a child and il should fall in
10 the furnace. what a fearful thing it
would be- daughter and applause.)
And so our friends on the other side are
| asserting here what fearful thing it
would be If we should have war with
Spain on account of recognizing
! beligerents the Cuban patriots a year
and half after they have begun the
struggle and have been making their
marelously successful fight for indepen-
dence. when we know that Spain recog-
nized the Confederacy soon after the
beginning of hostilities: and yet. not
Withstanding that action. no threat of
war was ever made in this whole broad
I land on account of that action of the
Spanish Government. tApplause.) And
/ he II remembered. too. that Spain recog-
nized the Southern rebels when the stake
was not the retention of an island 3.0p8
miles away. but the life of our Govern
ment. the existence of our National
Union. Indeed. had the rebels better
cause to tight for thrty-ive years ago
4 than the Cuban patriots have now? They
We're contending to destroy the grandest.
busiest, and most beneticent Government
ever instituted among men. The Cuban
patriots are fighting to overthrow des-
potiSm which has robbed them of their
substance. dwarfed the development of
their resources. hndered progress, re-
pressed improvements. ground them with
aAtticn too hurdensome To bear, violated
all promises. and practced the brutaf-
ties of the Middle Ages.
; Gentlemen on the other side say Who
knows all these things? Why. they are as
notorious as is the existence of Cuba it
self and the best evidence of any fact.
next TO an ocular demonstration. is its
universal and indisputable notorety.
Spain, by her cruelties and barbarties
IN Cuba. has richly earned the title of
! the Turkey of America. We have for
mally expressed our sympathy for the
outraged Armenians. and have con-
dcmned the great Christian nations OF
Europe. We have called them selfish and
Cowardly because. controlled by their
fear of each other and theirown interests,
they have raised no hand to arrest the
hutchery of .Armenians by the thousands.
And shall we have another Armenia.
with all its inhuman crueltieS in this
hemisphere. and close to our own doors.
and hear the crying appeals of the OPP
pressed, without so much as Il formal
protest washing our hands, like Pontiac
Plate of responsibility? We can not esq
cape responsibility by saying. like Cain.
as do gentlemen upon the other sidf. Il
am not my brothers keeper (Applafse.)
Thomas jefferson said. II trembl9 for
my country when | remember that God
is just. He referred TO the responsible
ity of his countrymen for maintaining
human slavery His solicitude was well
founded. Four years of civil war. tne
death by slaughter and disease of %vWp
brave. devoted Americans, and the de-
Struction of billions of dollars worth OIL
property were part of the penalty which
we have paid for that national CRIME;
| believe in Gods justice. oeile,e
that Europe will pay dearly for her coii
Indifference to the bloody butchery OF the
Armenians and if we shall snow equai
Indifference to the barbaritles eoliilit'eu
upon the Cuban patriots, strussiihS az
our forefathers struggled for liberty ana
independence if shall give them no
friendly recognition, but by defeating
these resolutions send word TO them, 10
Spain. and to the world that great. Tree.
republican America casts her weight into
the scale of the oppressor. then De-
lieVe we shall have another CRIME TO
answer for. the penalty OF which we can
not measure and can not escape. tGreat
applause.l
Do we prize liberty only for ourselves?
Shall men lose their souls when they ag-
sregate into Il nation?
Let us do right: right in the eyes of God
and humanity right in the eyes of men
who have freedom and know what Ii
costs who can understand the lodgings
and aspirations of patriotic hearts. and
who believe that every oppressed people
struggling for freedom is entitled to the
sympathy and help. so far as il can be
extended. of every nation that is free. In
this direction lie safety and honor. In
any other direction lie dishonor and dam
ger.
CHere the hammer fell)
All those terrible itching diseases Of