The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-03-16
.F0R THE FREEDOM OF CUBA
DR. RUSSELL II. CON WE'LL BEFORE
 THE CONGREGATIONAL CLUB.
New Haven Audience Hears of Cuba's Wrongs From an Eye Witness-Ruiz Was Murdered-Spanish Spy Dogged the Lec- turer's FOotsteps-Cl -Cleveland's Cuban Policy Denounced.


 Rev. Russell H. Conwell of the Tenn pie Baptist church and Temple college, Broad street, Philadelphia, addressed the Congregational club last evening in Plymouth church on Cuba" MT. Con- we'll has recently visited the island and had many interesting things to say about the people, their habits, modes of living, and the warfare that they are now conducting for their independence.
 The aboriginies of the island, ac- cording to the lecturer were a peace able and peace loving race, whose men were brave and whose women were comedy.
 Mir. ConWell gave a brief summary cf the cause which led to the interming- ling with the aborigines the races that found their way to the island as well as the results that such intermingling mad brought about. Of the present Cubans he said they were a liberty loving peo- pie, who had never known what the word signified to its full extent. The lecturer passed quickly over the in- dustries of the island to the main ques- tion of the hour, "The war that is now
 
 Cubans.' The same principle that the American colonists fought against was at the bottom of it. The right of inn posing taxes without allowing represen- tation. The taxes became almost pro- hibitory and the people could not SUD- port their families under it's exactions. The treachery of the Spanish govern ment is dealing with those who took up arms against it was illustrated. A young man named Gomez, who had raised a company of men, was given to understand that he would be released if he delivered himself up to the cap- tain general. The young man compiled. but instead of liberty he got twenty years in prison. ~
 Dr. Conwell said that Ruiz was an American citizen and was never in arms against the Spaniards, but was arrested and thrown in a dungeon and subjected to the cruety of the savage because he could not tell what he did not know, and that was the locality of Maceo's army. For 3S5 hours he was subjected to this treat ment, and when Consul General Lee de- manded an entrance into the prison so that he could talk to the prisoner there came back the word that Ruiz had committed suicide. He had beaten his brains out with a club he did not have. Murder had been committed. The speaker said that if he were to tell all that was connected with the mur- der, the killing of 100 others would re- suit. The consul general himself, nor the correspondents of the newspapers dare tell the whole truth about these atrocities. There Is no doubt the Span ish government would hear of it if spoke all that I knew of the murder of Ruiz. The day that the Philadelphia papers announced that was to go to Cuba man came to my house and wished to send letter to the insur- gents He was told that I would not compromise anything by taking letters to the insurgents. He was not satis- fled with the statement and he came again, and said that he would be glad to accompany me to Havana. He knew the language and could be of much aS- sistance to me. When told that did not wish anyone to accompany me, he offered to pay all his expenses. I then began to think that there was some- thing wrong. l received one letter from him that I did not keep. I dis missed the matter from my mind. At Washington I saw the same man there, and then I knew that I was being watched.
 The day I left Charleston my Spanish friend put in an appearance at Angus ta Ga. I saw him watching my hotel and I called the attention of the hotel keeper to it. The next moning the paper had long account of Rev. MT. Conwells being spotted by a Spaniard. I saw no more of my friend until 8 day or two before l left Havana. then met him face to face. He could not help speaking to me He said: Are you enjoying your visit"
 The lecturer was told by one Spanish captain that while small garrison of insurgents was encamped near cer- tain sugar plantation his regiment re- ceived s1O,0oO per month to guard it. This was the method of the Spanish army all over the island.
 The laconic reply of a ticket agent when asked why the Spanish soldiers who were in every train did not fire on the small body of insurgents that held up certain trains, was that whole railroad beat a few dead Spaniards.
 
 the late administration for it's Cuban policy and praised it for its Venezuelan attitude. He endorsed the ratification treaty.
 At the close of the lecture some one asked how long the present condition of affairs would last in Cuba. He thought in six months 1t would be set tied and certainly if the president stood by what he had proclaimed.
 The answer to this question brought Walter Allen to his feet and he asked if that was not better solution of the question than to rush to war.
 Mir Conwell said better war with honor than peace with dishonor. He believed in peace and would say let us have it if we had to fight for it. He hoped that General Alger was not quot ed correctly when he was made to say that this country did not want war, but attention to business. He had seen General Alger in Tennessee when he was interfering with business. If busi- ness had not been interfered with we would have slavery this day.
 The American colonies would belong to Great Britain to-day if business had not been interfered with.
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