The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-12

eral Survey Rather Ihan TrcntIse
on the Present War.
There was only medium sized audi
ence at the Penn Avenue Baptist
church last night on the occasion of
the third of the winter series of lec-
lures, but it is safe to say that but for
The lecturer, Colonel George NoX Nc
Cain and his subject Cuba" the at
tendance in such forbidding weather
would have been much smaller. 1t was
gratifying, however to the manage
ment and to the lecturer that 1T was
an audience made up in no small meas
urc of the city's most representative
people, people who could, and most as
suredly did, appreciate rare, instruct
i've and entertaining treat.
"Cuba-Its RomanCes and Revolu-
tions" was the full title of the lecture
and the lecture was true in every re-
spect to it's title, being general story
of the now all interesting island rather
than a description of the events that
are at present making it the spot upon
which the eyes of all nations are fixed.
1t was, in brief, a survey of the coun-
trys history and a presentation at
teresting manner of it's people, customs
and scenery.
The lecturer started with his audi
ence from Key West took them to
Havana, showed them the principal
points of interest about Cuba's metro
polls, told them scraps of history and
romance that this or that place sug-
gcsted and then started on tour Of, the
island, unfolding as he went the inter-
esting store of knowledge which he
has CLEANED from his historical re-
searches and personal observation.
THE PICTURES SHOWN.
Among the hundred or more scenes
pictured on the canvass and further
described in the choice, fluent language
of Col Mccain were the tomb of Col
umbus, Morro castle, Havana harbor,
Tacon theatre, the botanical gardens
most enhancing in their tropical lux
uriance--a modern bull ring, the Ceme-
terry of Havana, Tacon prison, Cuban
as fortress, Valley of the Yumuri, types
of Cuban peasantry, insurgents, pacih-
Goes and Spanish soldiers and portraits
of the Cuban leaders, which latter pic
lures evoked applause that is seldom
heard in a church.
Treating of the revolutions of Cuba
he divided them into six periods. The
first vas the uprising of 1928 which
was carried on by secret societies or
ganized all over the island. This was
stined before it was born, through
treachery. In 1929 and in 1916 there
We're similar uprisings which met a
similar sad ending. The third period
was in 1851 when the famous expedition
of Lopez and Crittenden met such a
disastrous fate. They were captured
with all their men before they had fair
ly landed and were sentenced to be
executed.
Owing to the inaction of our repre-
sentative in Cuba the sentence would
have been carried out in it's entirety.
The English representative Mr.. Craw-
ford, however stepped in and put a
stop to the butchcry by threatening to
place the victims under the protection
Of the British flag, While they We're
| not Englishmen, h said, they We're
human beings and in the name Of hu-
nanity he could not stand idly by and
witness such an inhuman practice. The
next insurrectiOn was in 1853 wher
| General Whitman, of Mississippi led a
force upon Havana and like his predS-
| fifth period was'the famous ten years
war which was ended by treaty and the
sixth period is the present war result
ing from the failure of Spain to live VI
to the terms of peace.
SAVAGE SIDE OF THE WAR.
| The savage side of the present wan
| was vividly depicted by the eloquent
| lecturer and as may be believed Wey-
lor the hyena of Spain" gained moth
| ing from Col. McCain's treatment OF
this heading of his discourse. The only
eXtenuating word he uttered was to-
wards the Spanish soldiery. They are
| mostly young men of Spain, he eX-
planned, not naturally vicious or blood
thirsty and possibly serving unwilling
ly, but the example and precept of then
superiors, their aggraVation against
| the insurgents who caused them to be
| dragged from their happy homes III
Arragon and CASTLE to face the deadly
fever and machette and the desperation
which comes of their being continually
| harrassed by the enemy and neglected
| by their country, transforms them into
reckless and uncOnscionablc doers OF
their bloody leaders bidding.
The thlevcry of the grasping Spanish
government which primarily led to the
present war was presented in Colonc
McCain's best style. He paid a
glowing tribute to young Winchester
/ Osgood the University of Pennsylvania
athlete, who enlisted in the Cuban an
my, became a commander of artillery
and died across his gun after the last
| charge of ammunition had been fired.
| Cuba will win, Colonel Mccain
prophesied. The insurgents are deter
mined to have liberty living or liberty
in death, and this coupled with Spain's
| weakening condition, gives assurance
| of Cuba Libre" at an early date.
| At no point in his lecture did Colonel
Mccain crticise one way or the other
| the position which this country is
maintaining towards Cuba.