The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-04-09
OUR FLAG A DISGRACED RAG
IT 1T REFUSES no SHELTER IN
AMERICAN PRISONER IN CUBA.

/ aIhGhLCdN LIGISON Lll In COBA.
Senator Morgan's Vehement Attack ON
Spain's Treatment of Prisoners-If We
Are Guardians of aba, He Says, We Arc
Like Guardians of Condemned Soul
Minister de Lome's Admission of War.
| Washington, April Sin his speech
on the Cuban resolution in the senate.
to-day, Senator Morgan reverted to the
statement of Mr.. Haley that the num-
Der of Americans in Spanish prisons
was reduced to twelve. In sarcastic
tones Mr.. Morgan said such releases as
had occurred were the result of suppli-
cation by our government, and perhaps
1t would be appropriate to adopt vote
of thanks to Spain for not Staying these
prisoners outright. Aside from the Off
cial testimony as to the condition in
Cuba, the newspaper press had piled up
a mass Of testimony which established
beyond question that the war was be-
ing prosecuted by Spain contrary to all
rules of civilized warfare
Mr.. Morgan commented on letter
written by Dupuy de LONE, the Span
ish minister, to Miss Clara Barton, rel
ative to Red Cross work in Cuba. In
the course of the letter use Is made Of
| the expression during the present
war" This, declared Mr.. Morgan, was
an inadvertent admission by the Span
| ish minister, despite all his diplomatic
cunning, that war was going on. Yet
congress and the president would not
recognize that state Of war which
would assure the treatment Of prison
ers Of war and not Of insurrecti tionists.
Mr.. Morgan said the question Of Amer
leans in Spanish prisons could not turn
on numbers, whether seventy-four or
| twelve were in prison. Suppose i'm
stead Of seventy-four 1t had been only
one.
Who could say the United States
would maintain it's dignity by standing
| by while this one American was held
| by Spain in violation Of treaty provi-
sions and contrary to every principle
of civilization and justice. The United
| States had warned off European na-
| tions from all control Of Cuba, We
seemed to exercise a sort of guardian
ship over that island as against all
other nations.
| But" exclaimed the senator, "that
guardianship, if we have 1t, is like the
| guardianship of the devil over a con-
demned soul We are warning nations
that they must hold aloof and we stand
by and see the inquisitoria1 methods OF
Spanish warfare. Spanish dungeons
and Spanish tyranny are executed
l t<,rr oj,,e,k 1hoy ocr iyoet
people without one word of protest.
Mr.. Morgan spoke Of the Competitor
expedition. He reviewed the circum-
stances; the departure of the little
schooner, probably to carry aid to the
insurgents. In particular the senator
took up the case Of young Melton, one
Of the Competitor prisoners, and fol-
lowed the progress Of his trial and Inn
| prisonment in communicate in the
Spanish dungeons. He declared It a
long course Of violation Of treaty rights
| and the ordinary methods of judicial
| procedure.
! Melton, he said, was held to-day In Al
| loathsome dungeon, not because guilt
had been established against him, but
because he was a young American boy.
He was held in a miserable place in
| which at times forty other prisoners
were crowded. Three pals Of water
were brought to them daily to quench
the thirst from the rations Of dry cod
| fish. These facts had been stated to the
senate committee on foreign relations
by two creditable witnesses, including
Rev. DR.. Diaz. Mr.. Morgan then res
viewed the case Of Rev. Dr. Diaz. When
preaching at Havana bombs had been
thrown into his church. He and his
brother were arrested and held for sew
en- days in communicate. The evidence
of such Spanish cruelty came to the
senate from unimpeachable sources
1t was, declared the senator, a record
of horror unmentionable to decent and
civilized ears 1t could not ever be de-
scribed on the floor without shocking
all present and driving the people from
the galleries. Mr.. Morgan read portions
of the evidence given by Messrs. Law
renee and Diaz and heretofore PUBLISH
| ed as a senate document. Mr.. Morgan
said that he had tried for a year to get
| from the state department the facts
in the cast Of Melton and not until the
closing days of the last Administrations
was he able to get even a partial state
ment.
The senate would be in the dark to-
day as to the Melton case If the com-.
mittee had not secured evidence. There
was not more inoncent man on the
| face of the earth than Melton. Mr..
| Morgan read from the laws and treaties
| to show the unjustifiable characters OF
| Melton's Imprisonment. Then the SEN
ator exclaimed with great vehemence:
| Whether there are seventy-four pris-
oners in Cuba, or $4,000, or whether it
| is one in the person Of Owen Melton,
this Arkansas youth, the flag 6f the,
United States, if it refuses to shelter
| him, is a disgraced rag" 4
| Mr.. Morgan gave way at o'clock to
the bankruptcy bill, stating he would
conclude his speech at the next meeting
of the senate.