The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1897-02-19
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Richard Harding Davis in philp. Pres

country was clamonng for q war
with the greatest power it could
have selected for that purpose,
aud yet Great Britain would been
the first to have protected her
/ citizens aud their property and
freedom. Americans have been
abused by a fourth-rate power
and are being abused to-day.
Before l went to Cuba / was as
much opposed to our interfering
there as was any other person
equally ignorant concerning the
situation, but since have seen.
for myself / feel ashamed that
we should have stood so long
idle. We have been too consld-
crate, too fearful that as a young.
er nation we should appear to
disregard the laws laid down by
older nations.
We have tolerated what no
European power would have toll
Grated; we have been patient
with men who have put back the
haod of time for centuries. who
lie to our representative dailies,
who butcher innocent people,
who gamble with the lives Of
their own soldiers in order to
gain a few more stars and an ex-
ira stripe, who murder prisoners
of war, and who send American
property to the cir in flames.
AN Ex AMPLE FROM ENGLAND.
The British have just sent an
expedition of 800 men to the
west coast of Africa to punish a
savage who butchers people be-
cause it does not rain. Why
should we tolerate Spanish saw.
ages merely because they call
themselves "the most Catholic"
if they are in reality no better
than this naked negro
What difference is there be-
tween the King of Benin cruelty.
ing a woman because he wants
rain. and General Weyler out.
raging woman for his own
pleasure and throwing her to his
body guard of blacks, even if the
woman has the misfortune to live
after it, and still lives in Sagua
La Grande today
II the English are right-and
they are right-in furnishing the
King OF Benin for numbering his
subjects to propitiate his idols,
we are right to punish these re
vivers of the inqulsition for starry.
ing women and children to pro-
pitiate an Austrian archduchess.
1t is difficult to know what the
Americon people do want. They
don't want peace, apparently. for
their Senators, some through an
ignorant hatred Of England and
others through a personal dislike
of the President have emasculat-
ed the arbitration treaty, and
they don't wantwar. for, as some
one has written, if we did not go
to war with Spain when she muir
dered the crew of the Virginlus,
we never will.
But il the executive and the
legislators wish to assure them
selves. like fighting Bob Acres,
that they have some right on
their side. they need not turn
back to the Virginius incident.
There are reasons enough to
justify their action, if it is to be
their intellects and not their
feelings that must move them to
dose.
American property has been
destroyed by Spanish troops TO
the amount of many millions, and
no answer made to the State De.
partment's demands for an ex.
PLANTATION. American citizens
have been imprisoned and shot,
some after a trial, and American
vessels are turned over to the
uses ofthe Spanish secret police.
These would seem to be sufficient
reasons for interfering.
Why not go a step farther and
a step higher. and interfere in
the name of humanity, not be-,
cause we are Americans, but be.
cause we are human beings, and
hacousa within el0htv miles of