The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-16
"The Mote and the Beam"

The attack upon General Lee in
Havana paper in which Spain's treat
ment of DIR. Ruiz is contrasted with
the lynchings that occur in the United
States is significant chiefly as show
ing a purpose on the part of Spain to
evade the real issue. Nowhere are
lynchngs more strongly condemned
than in the United States and by no
persons more emphatically than by
those who occupy positions of author
ity in the United States. but we have
heard of no public outcry or official
regret in Spain at the murder of Ruiz.
The only official action with which we
are acquainted is that of the Spanish
commissioner who investigated the
case in company with Mr.. Calhoun,
and he simply tries to ignore the es-
tablished facts. When a foreigner is
murdered in the United States under
circumstances pointing to the neglect
of state or federal authorities to pre-
serve order, we promptly offer indem-
nification; Spain by her own admis-
sions broke treaty stipulations with us
in the Ruiz case aad now is doing her
best to avoid being brought to book
therefor.
Somewhat interesting in this connec-
tion is a pamphlet just received at this
Office from an unknown but evidently
Spanish source, entitled 1.-The Mote
and the Beam" it's endeavor being to
prove that the American people are not
so securely domiciled in righteousness
that they can afford to throw stones at
Spain. The argument takes the form
of an interchange of correspondence
between a representative Of American
journalism and a Spanish hidalgo who
did not propose to sit quiet while his
country was being DETAINED. The cor
respondence, all of it most interesting
would more than fill this page, but
from the concluding letter of the Span
lard, in which he evidently touched
the top Of his powers as defendant,
we quote one passage as showing the
Spanish point of view:
In 1895 nearly eleven thousand murders
were committed in the United States, by
far more than in any other nation, more
than twice as many as in Spain per each
million inhabitants. The murders here
are mostly done in cold blood and for
money; in Spain they are the result of
sudden impulse, from revenge and jeal-
ousy and strong provocation. Burglary
in the cities brigandage on the high road,
peculations, plunder and robbery of all
sorts, high and low, is nowadays worse
in these United States than in any other
country, barbarous, semi-barbarous or
T..ga
one and a half million drunkards. of
which one hundred and fifty thousand die
yearly from excess; in Spain the vice is
virtually unknown. Trampism, the plague
and terror of country towns here, un-
known in Spain. Pauperism, in its alb
ject form in England and the United
States, does not exist in Spain; there are
beggars, yes, but all we'll taken care of
by individual charity. Divorces, lob
tained cheaply and without publication"
in some places as abundant as mar
riages; in other places, more abundant;
in all places, superabundant: not known
in Spain. We will not mention the fright
full numbers of nameless crimes, public
and private, so prevalent In the most en-
lightened sections of this country far
more than in any other country, England,
perhaps, excepted. Suicides In the United
| States, the second largest quota after
Protestant Saxony; In Spain, the smallest
| IN the world, very rare. Arson and train
wrecking, so awfully frequent now, es-
| pecially among youthful criminals in the
| United, States, is not even thought of out
| side of this country.
| In "semi- barbarous" Spain there are nc
| loathsome saturnalia of upper tendon
roues to amuse the cesspool-paper read.
ers, the club corners and gossip monger,
| ing circles. And one of these satyrs, the
chief actor in the most revolving of rev.
| elries of last winter, only a few months
later, when still under judicial indict.
ment, but enjoying the immunity of so
| cial position. maudln sentiment and sc
forth, is sin token thereof" received with
| an ovation, and 'lionized, by one of the
| principal business exchanges of the city
| oe New York, after certain ceremonies ;
| as the newspaper account has II, recall
| ing the most disgusting episode of thai
| famous carousal. And the muck-rak
| ing journals, ever ready to furnish sala
cious lies against the military in Cuba tC
| gullible, hate-breeding fanatics, have, oil
| no! not a word of reprobation for thes,
abettors of public indecency In this out
ragged community, but join in the "hom
age" by looking on the occurrence as
huge Joke, "slmply immense, don't yol
know" No night prowling ministers O
the gospel, so called, who give to thei
congregations and the newspapers thei
bestial experiences, for the edification o
all, especially of the young tyros of tn,
land. No such religious minstrels on tn,
staff of preachers OF fashionable ladies
magazines. No: poor Spain has not ye
reached this standard of civilization; ant
God grant that she never may
OF course thiE 10 interesting; but afte