Omaha daily bee., 1897-05-20
THE PRESIDENT AND CunA.

Denver Republicans: let us hope that con-
grees will deal with this important subject
In broader aud better spirit than President
Mckinley has shown. II Is serious renec-
tion upon the moral standing of our govern
meat that IL Is permitting tue people Of a
nelghbcring ISLAND to be shot down lkd
wild beasts, and to be starved and penued
up In pestilential corrals In defiance ot the
recognized usages OF civilized warfare, with
out protest.
cred a prudent policy for the president to
avoid any allusion In his message to the
state Of war existing In Cuba by Ignoring the
fact that these starving Americans are the
victims Vt barbarous war policy, but 1t lis
certainly ignoring duty whose actualizatiou
is loudly called for by the waste of human
life and capital, the monstrous injustice and
cold-blooded cruelty OF that hoary prosecutor
and bigot, old Spain.
Kansas City Star; The presidents call for
aid in behalf OF the destitute Americans in
Cuba demands the Immediate acquiescence
Of congress, In this matter the senate re
versed the usual order and has set a worthy
example to the house. There seema to he
no room for discussion where the course OF
duty Is go obvious. The amount demanded
$50, 0O0-is a mere bagatelle for so rich a
country as the United States, and the need Of
the money Is most urgent.
Philadelphia Times: Our government
the starving Americans with food, aud with
the bread sent to them they should be given
also the right to defend themselves, and to
obtain the necessary munitions of war for
their defense, without being chased upon the
seas as pirates. Either belligerent rights
should be given to Cuba at once, or the
higher duty of enforcing the humanites OF
civilized warfare should be performed by the
United States.
Philadelphia Record: The condition Of the
starving people in Cuba appeals strongly for
sympathy and relief, whether the victims be
naturaized American citizens, Cuban in
surgentS or Spaniards There Is no doubt
that the Spanish authorities will render every
| facility to those people in this country who
desire to contribute to the relief of the
sufferers from civil war But 1t would be
n hideous thing to make pretended sympathy
a pretext for the Interference of this govern
ment in the political relations between Spain
and her revoled colony.
Baltimore Sun: Probably It is not gciug
beyond the bounds of truth to assert that
100000 Cubans are suffering the pangs OF
hunger, for war is dreadful business. Dur
ing the late war between the states there
were hundreds of thousands of women and
children i'm the south who did not know what
it was to get one square meal day and who
were driven to the most terrible straits.
Spain has nearly exhausted her resources in
attempting to crush out the revolution and
lOudy SUpr HOluS no HlOTe IMAM nan VI tlS
island. The war has already cost the Span
sh government sl5OO00 600 and the lives Of
49, 900 soldiers lost in ba,de and by disease,
while the cost of maintaining the army rs
10000 600 monthly If the Cubans are suf-
iering the Spanards almost in as bad a
plight.
Globe-Democrat: Spain is prosecuting the
innocent and the helpless in Cuba in order
to overawe the fnsurgenr fighting material
Tho expulsion of the wives and children Of
| insurgents from their homes is not civilized
war. The concentration of the farming
class in camps to starve out the rebellious
Is a measure of extreme cruelty without de-
fense. The appropriation asked for by the
! message will be placed in the hands of the
State department for distribution and the at
titude Of Spain in regard to the measure of
relief remains to be seen. Its own policy Is
| to create suffering in Cuba. not to relieve It,
Chicago Chronicle: There are more des-
titute and suffering Americans in each
county of each state in America than there
are In all Cuba. The sufferers and destitute
at home are genuine Americans, occupants of
tho soil and obedient to the laws If the
government has bounty to bestow it should go
to genuine Americans in America, not to al
| legged Americans in Cuba or in any other for
| eign country, except as President Mckinley
| suggests, for the purpose of enabling them
| to get home, If they have American homes.