Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-06-09

! Ruiz will serve to increase the Tagging
! interest in the Cuban question. AZ
time ofwriting he has said nothing which
affords a reliable inference as to VIVA;
his opinions will be, he says he shall
make no report. unless we are to sup
pose from his allusion to the lack OF
evidence. that it is impossible to arrive
at a definite conclusion. He says he
found it impossible to get at the naked
truth and the principal witness disap-
lipeared. There is nothing in what he
has said or in any of the reports from
sources supposed to be well informed
| of his work there and of what he dis
his views will tend to eXonerate the
Spanish government in the mind of the
people 1t would require the best of
unimpeachable and disinterested testi-
mony after the most careful investiga-
| ton to remove the widespread and
deeply impressed conviction that DIR.
Ruiz, an American citizen and non
combatant was thrown into prison on
| a trumped up charge kept in secret
confinement contrary to all the require
ments Of our treaty stipulations and IN
the end was foully murdered in his cell.
| It is doubtful if Mr.. Calhoun has been
! able to collect much more or better
! knowledge of the situation than had
| General Lee Indeed, he says: I'VE
! had no positive or direct proof of any
assault whatever. and the conclusion
! arrived at must be based on the de-
| tailed evidence in the report of Consul
! General Lee. which is now on its way
to Washington" But our Consul Cen
eral. though a protege of the last Pres
latter as too ardent in his sympathies
F, for Cuba and too indiscraet in his re-
marks. We believe that though he
may be too outspoken for a diplomat,
he nevertheless has been right in his
views of the situation. But the Ruiz
case is not trivial matter If it can be
proved that he met his death by assas-
sination and it is one which confessedly
is a violation of his treaty rights in
cordingly it is generally conceded that
President Mckinley acted judiciousiy
in making special efforts to have the
case investigated as thoroughly and
impartially as it was possible, and by
cne with whose judgment he is ac-
quainted. There was possibility that
Icing sent on that special mission Mr.
Calhoun might be able to collect more
reliable evidence than had been pos
are led to believe has not been accom-
plished The effort has been made,
however and the Spanish authorities
have been given an opportunity to clear
themselves of any unjust suspicion.
Much was said about what was as
. sumed to be other features of Mr.. Cal
, houn's Investigations. for which ac.
, cording to official information he was
rot specially delegated. He has not
though, as has been aptly said, all the
, insurgents are not within the insurgert
lines. Evidently he is a man in whose
Judgment the President has great con-
fidence and he has been where he could
. receive impressions and form more ac-
/, curate conclusions respecting the sit
uation than it is possible for the Pres
ident to do. President Mckinley viii
to quite degree now see the Cuban
war with the eyes of Mr.. Calhoun sc
far as Judgment may be influenced by
observation Of actual conditions in loca
environments. The special commits
sioner has seen, we are told, the des-
titution among the pacificos suffering
from the unnecessarily brutal methods
of Weyler He has been able to form
| trustworthy opinions respecting the
. actual suffering of Americas citizens
to relieve whom Congress recently
made appropriation. He has come
away impressed with the idea, if he i.
: correctly reported, that the war is fai
from concluded. He evidently differs
widely from General We,yler's views
though, perhaps. if Weyler had permit
/, ted himself to meet with the commits
sioner he might have impressed hin
with the assertion that practical
!, ly all the territory has beel
pacified. Weyler apparently di,
not wish to see him and undertak.
the task. 1t IS also apparent from
/ what we hear that the few American
e prisoners, who have not been released
+ sare being treated better than hereto
= fore. The change was made NANTES
i as soon as the new administration cam
y into power
In View Of all this perhaps We may b