The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1898-03-30
AS GALLINGER SAW 1T.
Tells the Senate of Awful Sights Wit.
messed in Cuba-SynOpsis of
His Speech.


Washington, March PA vivid word
picture of the horrors and barbarities
of concentration on the island of Cuba
was drawn in the senate Wednesday by
Senator Gallinger IN. H.. The sena-
tor recently visited Cuba to study the
situation there. Long before the sem
ate convened the galleries were packed.
Senator Gallinger spoke in low,
clear tone of voice, distinctly audible
throughout the chamber. There was
not an interruption by word through
out his speech. His auditors listened
intently to his description of the hor-
rors and cruelties suffered by the re-
concentrates. When he declared. how
starve 100000 of its people would do
anything, and followed this with the
further declaration that the lives of the
brave men lost in the Maine disaster
could not be atoned for with gold or
silver, a spontaneous wave of applause
swept over the galleries, and the vice
president had difficulty in restoring or
der.
A synopsis of Senator Gallinger's
speech follows:
In opening his speech Senator Gallinger
said that after the calm, dispassionate and
touching statement concerning Cuba made
in the senate recently by Senator Proctor,
of Vermont, it might be well for him to re-
main silent. but. yielding to the desire ex-
pressed by many of his colleagues, he had
Z CjV q
of his observations on that unhappy
island"
Senator Gallinger then detailed some of
the events leading up to his arrival in Cuba
and of his reception by Consul General
Lee.
Gen. Lee" said he, sis deserving Of the
highest possible praise for the manner in
which he carries himself in Havana. Cool
and fearless in the midst of difficulties and
dangers, he never loses sight of the fact
that he is an American citizen, nor is he
unmindful Of the tremendous responsible
tiles and duties of his position"
Referring to his call upon the autonomist
cabinet, Senator Gallinger said il was evil
dent that the president of the cabinet was
not encouraged in the work. THE truth
isl said Senator Gallinger. autonomy is
a fat failure"
Senator Gallinger recalled that he had
heard during debates in the senate denials
made that a state of war existed in Cuba,
but 1t required only a brief personal OBJ
servation to convince one that war actual
ly did exist. A desolated country and its
stricken people told the story more elo-
Quently than it could be conveyed in words
THE war in Cuba, however" he said, sis
war of starvation and determination = a
war more cruel than the world has ever
known.
1.-The scenes in the streets of Havana are
- IN
want and suffering are everywhere seen.
and walking skeletons meet one on every
hand. Naked children, emaciated and
ragged women and diseased and starving
men throng the streets, the hotel Hobbies
and every place of public resort. 1t is
terrible sight-one that sickens the heart
and Quickens every impulse of human
sympathy and love-"
A detailed story of a visit to Los Focas,
the place where the reconcentrados daily
assemble to get food, was also given. A
few weeks ago when Miss Barton discov-
cred the place there were Gas people lying
on the floors, many Of them entirely nude
and all suffering the pangs of starvation.
A vivid picture was then drawn by Sen
ator Gallinger of trip to the city Of
MatanZas. All along the route were
wretched people in rags, but not until the
city was reached was the full extent of the
suffering realized. 1T occurred to me as
I looked upon the scenes of suffering and
horrors that the Cuban reconcentrados
might well have adopted the words of
Dante: Who enters here leaves hope be-
hind when they were driven from the
fields and herded like cattle in the cities and
towns of this fertile land. The truth is
that Weyler devised a scheme of human
suffering and sorrow that put Dante's In
ferno' to the shade and converted a con-
tented, prosperous people into a herd Of
suffering starving l1pfort1lOatHS
The number of people who have starved
in Cuba will never be definitely known. 1t
is estimated that 100000 were driven from
their homes into the cities and towns. 1
had 1t from Spanish authority that accord
Ing to their figures, 225, 900 already have
persisted, but it is said that the Red Cross
society is in possession of figures showing
that $4,000 Cubans have died as a result of
Spanish cruelty from starvation and that
100000 more must inevitably die.
II have been asked many times, what of
the Maine? l do not know. This, how
ever, do know: A government that will
deliberately starve 400. 900 of its own people
was blown up from the outside, what
should our government do? Perhaps
should forbear to discuss that question
now; but this / will venture to say: Human
life purposely taken cannot be paid for in
gold or silver. Mark my words 'purposely
ldhtH, dLu IL IL SDdll appear lDdl SucN was
the fate of $50 brave American sailors, then
Heaven pity the guilty parties. 1t will not
be question for arbitration, but a Ques-
ton involving the dignity and honor of this
great republic"
As to what should be done, Senator Cal
linger felt that sooner or later this govern
ment would of necessity absorb Cuba, but
If annexation cannot now be accomplished,
let independence speedily come. 'Ameri-
can interests in Cuba" said he, in con-
clusion. have already suffered enough.
We have patrolled our coast in the interest
of Spain as long we should, and we have
spent quite too much money in protecting
our people from epidemic diseases coming
to our shores because of the unsanitary
condition of the harbor and city of Ha-
vana- Spain has failed to meet the require
ments of an advanced civilization. Let the
United States or Cuba take UP the problem
and solve it,
The Names Dead.
Havana, March 23.-Chaplain Child
wick has completed his mortuary re-
port, which shows that PSF men and
two officers persisted in the Maine ca