The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-30
HEART. TOUCHING SCENE


fu,i, significant and was lesson In patriot.
Ism never to be forgotten by those who wit
messed 1t. Tho occasion OF IL was the truly
great speech delivered today by Senator
i Thurston OF Nebraska on the awful horrors
OF The situation Ia Cuba Everybody here WI.
on the tlptUc OF expectation ancnt this speech
from Senator Thurston. His position MS q
very rear and dear friend OF President Nc
1 Kinlcy; his trip to Cuba as one OF the New
i YoiE Journals commissioners: the death oil
hs wife there In Cuba under such peculiarly
distressing circumstances, and his fame MS an
orator, all added to the intense interest n
and the desire to hear him. Long before ~
] o. clock the senate galleries were tbronged, aud
| by II O'Clock not another inch OF sitting room
WAS To be hnd therein The lobbies outside the
galleries were n mass of humanity. clamorins
/ even for standing room, which was not 10 be
had. The galleries presented the appearance
OF huge. banquet, from the many colored
dresses and hats OF the ladies'. relieved by the
sontti -hued garments OF the mem. The floor
or the senate was crowded. Every senator In
the city was in his seat and the space In the
/ rpnr Of the seats was entirely occupied by
ltimttrs OF the house who lad come OYER to
/ listen to this remarkable speech. Tho press
| gallery usually occupied by not NOR than a
/ There has not been such an audience In ,he
senate since Mckinley inauguraton, and
never was y crowd better paid for the Time
dilhiatice in the intensity of the interest man
| ifcsted. A jar OF roses had been placed on Mr..
| Thuiston's desk, but he spoke from that OF
! senator Enwey, IN the central part OF the
| uhtmber.
Sumt surprise and much criticism had been
INDUCED In that Senator Tlurhton should APP
pear and speak SO soon after the death Of his
witc, but the first sentence he uttered lur-
nlsbcd the explanation Of his action, and not
one--cHcept the coldly rynical-bu, felt he was
! justified by the conditions attending 1t. When
he said that he spoke ''at the command of 81
| lent l!rs," hush fell over the great audi
ence, which, from that moment, hung with
| almost brcathless attention upon every word
| he uttered. Mrs, rhurston's dying request to
her husband was that he should lose no time
I'on account of her death to do his utmost 10
save the starving thousands and to free Cuhd
| Anc II was In obedience to this request Of that
dear companion Of his life that he sacrhced
any personal feeling and made this speech--a
| speech that was his tribute to her memory.
Everybody who knew the motive that ami
mated and inspired him was at once in syin-
pathy with him, and those who did not know
| with his evident emotion The mere fact that
he could draw such crowd after Senators
Proctor and Gallinger had exhausted the sub
ject OF the horrible conditions existing In Cuba
| was tribute to the oratorical powers ct the
man, and he came UP fully equal to every ex-
pectation.
| II b,eathed sincerity aud manliness. lie rose
erandy above partisnnshp and scared In the
realms OF patriotism and humanity. Every
utier0rce brcathed truth. II was the message
of American manhood to Americans II was
graphic picture of tho most horrible condi-
| ton of any people who ever lived upon the
shaaow of our tagmore shame to us 1t was
speech that bllstered Wall street and the
money changers, and his hammering of Mark
| Hama was delightful to listen to. He placed
him and the money sharks who would delay
action In behalf of Cuba aud prevent interven-
tioa IN behalf OF humanity on spit and
r0Dsted them to a turn that caused them TO
squirm in their callous and cowardly en-
velopes.
II was buGle call. a war note, that viii
ROY erberate from the banks OF the Potomac
ana beat upon the crags OF the Rocky noun
tana, even to the golden sands upon the
shores OF the dovelike Pacific, and from the
great lakes to the Rio Granda. until the man
hood OF this Nation Is aroused and Spain for
ever banshed from the Western world. 1t
was filled with eloquence and truth, 1ustice
and humanity, manliness and patriotism. war
| and vengeance, But through 1t all ran thp
soft chord Of sorrow filling the soul that
mourned the irreparable loss of his other and
better self
Even those who could not agree with his
conclusions conceded the power of his ora
ton. As he nearcd the end of his speech,
Senator Thurston's voice. whirh had been as
clear as silver hell notioeably broke. He
was almost overcome by emotion, but with
an effort he rallied and closed In a mariner
that sent a thrill through his audience. Dig
nited senators, members of the house men
all through the galleries and every woman
in tho audience turned away and wept. some
OF them aloud. II was wonderful, a remark
able, scene. 1t was almost tragic and the
Stiffness unt the last word was said was
actually oppressive. AS senator Thurstou
SAM, into his seat and buried his face In his
hands, his whole frame shaking with emotion
tho galleries and tho floor of the senate were
Sw.lt by tumultnous applause the like OF
which has not for long time been heard in
tha senate. The verdict OF the usually cold
oa'ini, critical and some times cynical press
gallery which was also In very humid con
dttion AZ to eyes--is that Il was the most re-
mathbble and dramatic scene that has ever
been witnessed in the congress of this coun-
Try; ana some OF the boys have been In the
gallery for thirty years
And why not Why should not the people
weep who heard this speech and Witnessed
this scene? Their hearts were beating in uni
son with his. They wcre shocked by the pie
ture or the poor starving Cubans, ana pity's
dcw came forth unhidden at his evident emo
uoh ana sorrow stricken condition over the
loss OF that dear wife who left him on a for
elen shore, whittier she had gone IN human
ny y cause. They We're all thinking his
thoughts of her. and all he knew Of INV sha
lonsec for that dear home where she az liz
low, large moon lifting a realm of rnnonco
on, OF inc prairies aud tho darkness and Inc
omti IN us Iwlm Ghosts creeping In from the
~, ~, 'hos. gloamine and ohscurlng all the
ihnh together, How hard II was TO know tnat
,nn GEAR face was never again to feel the
hlcHes ot her own native Land nor IN. rrdins
NislNn ever again to see the green OF the nrai
nc aru III, blue OF TIM sky grow glad To-
EelhSr But she was at home now Not ~
TIC home where she hail leit her idols, ard
Mhe,f, through its open windows. she could
see me monuments above hcr head II Was
nnn,ter home-one not made with hands per
hnnF y Is beautiful; perhaps it Is satisfying
ana eonlfortlng perhaps The new mo aroi,ebi
u ne, delight in the shifting OF the Mains
a na, me No. PLAYING Of the harp players, bu; il
to see II is not whore the mocking bird
s snNn ~ Is not where tho lazy cattle Craze
/ slnsse,i II is not whore that familiarity. even
lm ' H., nl9shnsss Of darkness, could lay hand
lu'e nnswept and the pieces OF rings il is
h ,,os "nsfe The fragments OF songs that no.
great audience thought with the orator me
s ssa,i snan, me man who hnd talked MS She
( e ua to.eh OF nature amid the turbulence and
n,s s. or political life Her monument is
sies,ei IN The great heart OF tho Cuban ma
/ ton his tribute to her is song NJ his SOM
nv VII be 10 him forever and foreye, a 49,
Chas, a. Edwards.
| ~