The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-05-17
II Is Raised in Defense Of the Strug-
Cling, Neglected Cubans.
FRIENDS OF INSURGENTS
Monster Mass Meeting Held In
Washington. In Which Promi-
nent Men Particlpate-Sena-
tor Chambers Letter.

noon at a monster mass meeting held In
behalf Of the Cuban insurgents The
theater was appropriately decorated.
Seated on the platform and partici-
pating in the exercises were Senators
Gallinger and Allen, ex-senator Butler
of South Carolina. Rev. Hugh Johnson.
pastor Of the Metropolitan Methodist
church; Rev. WILDER Ennis and a num-
Der OF others identified with the inter-
ests OF the insurgents. Gen. William
Henry Browne. president of the Cuban
league. called the meeting to order and
introduced Senator Gallinger as the pre-
siding officer. The latter made a brief
address and read a number OF letters
and kilograms of regret, among them
being those from Senators Frye and
Burrows and Commander Clarkson of
the q. A. X.
Senator Chandler sent the following
letter of regrets;
Washington. ID. c., May l6.-Senor
A. A. Guirre. Washington. ID. C.-Dear
Sir: Although unable to attend the
meeting tonight | send sympathy and
hope for the relief and independence OF
Cuba, as wish to see the United States
declare and maintain the independence
of the island as France did that of the
American colonies and made the United
States nation. OF course | shall. as a
practical friend. vote for every minor
method tending to the same benefcent
end. l hope and believe that congress
and the president will soon formally
recognize a state of war and Cuban
belligerency. This step. followed as IL
will be by all other independent nations
of the western hemisphere. cannot fail
to insure Cuban Independence. which is
sought for. Moreover. without delay.
We ought To send fleet to enter the
harbor and an army to land upon the
soil of Cuba. first to protect the
lives and property Of American citizens
and secondly TO stop the atrocious and
uncivilized methods OF warfare adopted
by the Spanish agents.
In advocating all these measures
am conscious of no passionate HOSTILE
ty to Spain. In 1861 she recognized the
southern cOnfederacy within less than
three months after It's military strug-
gle began. and surely IL she cannot hold
Cuba without making one vast desert
and graveyard by driving the inhabi-
tants into the cities to starve, and by
hanging. shooting or garroting Cuban
officers and soldiers for rebellion and
incendiarism. she ought to lose the ISL
and. II between 1861 and 1865 one con-
federate agent had been thus put TO
death the powers of Europe, with one
accord, would have sent their fleets and
armies 5000 miles across the ocean 10
end such barbarous warfare and to es-
tablish and maintain the southern con-
federacy. Yet Gen. Robert T.. Lee and
all his generals were as truly guilty OF
rebellion and incendiarism as was Con-
zales. who was shot for that offense at
Cabanas fortress In Havana on Monday
last.
I'VE blame England for abandoning
the harmless and peaceful Armenian
Christians to massacre by the Moslems
and for submitting the liberty loving
Greeks to slaughter by Turkish despots
England retorts that we dare not stop
the methods of uncivilized warfare piled
at our very doors in the American Crete
the fair island OF Cuba-and both
charge and counter charge are justly
made. In this faith In a great party
and its president, let US rest patiently
and most hopefully. Very respectfully
WILLIAM f. CHANDLER"
Carl Decker of Washington, who, as
correspondent Of the New York Journal
spent much time in Cuba with branch
of the Cuban army In Santa Clara
province. gave description Of the con-
dition of affairs existing and of the pit
liable plight Of many of the people suf-
fering for the necessities of life. He
ridiculed the claims set out by General
Weyler that the island had been paci-
fed. and said that II the Cubans were
granted belligerent rights by the United
States they would certainly win. Mr.
Decker has just returned from Cuba.
L.. k... l.
Allen humorously declared that there
was no division in the populist ranks or
the question of Cuban liberty. In this
whole matter he thought there had
been too much sacrifice to a spirit oil
commerciallsm and II was time this
government had little more humanity
and little more Americanism. He de.
clared that the United States could not
afford to have a decaying monarch,
with a foothold in this continent, and
he would be delighted to see Spain ant
the Ottoman empire wiped from tn,
map of Europe. II the president wer,
to send fleet TO Havana, war in tn,
island would cease in 30 days and Il
would not be necessary to fire a gun. Il
the United States should say TO Spain
You shall not war upon the hospitals
upon women and upon children" Wey
ler's occupation would he gone.
Mrs. Clara Belle Brown of the wo
mans National Cuban league said tn,
league had but one platform. one ain
and one end. and that end was the es
tablishment Of the republic of Cuba.
Ex-senator Butler OF South Carolins
read series of resolutions which hat
been prepared and these were unani
mously adopted. They earnestly pro
tested against the "barbarous and in
human methods" Of Spain in conduct
Ing war In Cuba. declared that thil
government should recognize the insur
gents as belligerents. and that Cubs
had demonstrated that II was her man
ifest destiny that. like Mexico, sh'
should be free and independent withou
the payment To Spain of any indemnity
A private letter. received in this citl
this morning from an American resi-
dent In Sancti Spiritus. was read. whicl
gives the following details OF the dealt
OF Col. Carlos Aquire, Cuban officer
resident OF New York for 20 years
whose family Is we'll known i'm thi
city. IL Is dated at Sancti Spiritus. Ma
:. and the portion referred TO reads a
follows: II send a letter To you witt
the request that you will be 50 kin
as to send IL to Colonel Aquires VIII
and children in New York. He wa
killed last week by the Spanish. an
half alive. was dragged by the guerril
las with n rope around his neck and in
H.