Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-03-31
ANOTHER SAD STORY.
Misery In Cuba ms Seen. by Senator
Thurston, of Nebrnslka-Demands
Immediate Action.

washington, March pa scene dramatic
In the intensity OF its interest was pre-
scented in the senate Thursday during the
delivery by Senator Thurston (Neb) Of q
| speech on the Cuban situation Not since
| the Inauguration of President Mckinley
have so many people been on the senate
side OF the capitol as were there Thursday
Within few minutes after the senate
convened every member who could be pres
ent was in his seat, and by the time Sen
ator Thurston had begun his speech dozens
of members of the house were either stand
| Ing or occupying chairs in the area without
the semicircle Of seats. His first sentence
In which he said he spoke by command Of
silent lips-a delicate and touching refer
ence to the loss of his wife on his memoir
| able trip to Cuba-commanded instant at
| tention. hush fell over the great audi
ence which hung with almost breathless
attention and interest upon every word.
Senator Thurston said that he had gone
TO Cuba firmly believing that the condi-
1 ton OF affairs on the island had been great
~ exaggerated, and that he had directed
| his efforts III the first instance to the ex-
| posture of the supposed exaggerations He
| had concluded, however, that an over
statement Of the horrors Of the situation
| stated, not only to adopt every word of the
careful, concise and specific statement of
the senator from Vermont (Senator Proc
| tori, but he was even convinced that he
had understated the facts.
! Senator Thurston then tersely summar-
follows: ~ '
After three years of warfare and the
use of 5000 Spanish troops, Spain has lost
control of every foot of Cuba not surround
ed by an actual intrenchment and protect
ed by fortified picket line.
| "She holds possession with her armies Of
the fortified seaboard towns, because they
| are under the virtual protection of Spanish
warships. with which the revolutionsts
1.-THE revolutionists are in absolute and
almost peaceful possession of nearly one
half of the island, including the eastern
| provinces of Santiago De Cuba and Puerto
| Principe.
Under the inhuman policy of weyler not
less than 100000 self-supporting, simple,
peaceful. defenseless country people were
driven from their homes in tho agricultural
portions of the Spanish provinces to the
waste outside the residence portions of
these cities and within the lines Of in
trenchment established little way beyond.
| Their humble homes were burned, their
fields laid wastef their implements of hus-
bandry destroyed, their live stock and food
supplies for the most part confiscated.
Most of these people were old men, women
and children. Slow starvation was their
inevitable fate. A conservative estimate
indicates that 210,000 of these people have
already persisted from starvation.
THE pictures in the American newspa-
Of eS ean be- By
thousands. / never saw, and please God
may never again see, so deplorable a sight
Matanzas. 1 can never forget to my dying
day the hopeless anguish in their despair
ing eyes. Huddled about their little bark
huts, they raised no voice of appeal to us
for aims as we went among them.
Men, women and children stand silent.
their sad eyes, through which one looks as
through an open window into their agoniz-
ing souls.
further. They are there. God pity me; I
have seen them: they will remain in
mind for ever-and this is almost the TWEEN
of Christ
and Spain is Christian nation; she has
set up more crosses in more lands. beneath
more skies, and under them has butchered
more people than all the nations of the
earth combined.
Europe may tolerate her, existence as
long the people of the Old World wish.
God grant that before another Christmas
morning the last visage of Spanish tyran-
ny and oppression will have vanished from
the western hemisphere"
Discussing the remedy which should be
applied to the evils he found, Senator
II counseled silence and moderation from
this floor when the passion OF this nation
seemed at white heat over the destruction L ti,n
for action has now come Not action in
the Maine case. 1 hope and trust that this
; government will take action on the Cuban
Siaution entirely outside Of the Maine case.
When the Maine report is received, II 1t
: be found that our ship and sailors were
, blown up by some outside explosion, we
will have ample reparation without bubble
5 or delay, and if the explosion can be traced
!,
such swift and terrible punishment admin
istered as will remain warning to the
( what shall the United States do. Mr..
! For answer Senator Thurston, as re-
t publican, turned to the last nailona 1 Piat,
+ 1.-The United States should actively use its
influence and good offices to restore peace
: and give independence to the island
e In accepting the nomination rendered
s him by the convention, which had adopted
tRe 6a6a MCKINLEY Pqne w had sad he plat
: form adopted by the republican convention
has received my careful consideration and
( Senator Thurston even recounted the
= steps which the president has taken upon
Il the Cuban question during the past year
q and pronounced his course wise, states
n manlike and in accordance with the diplo-
: matte uses of the world.
= 1T was the plain duty of the president OF
the United States to give to the liberal MIN
istry of Spain reasonable time in which i,
n to test it's proposed autonomy. Ihat ti me
n has been given. Autonomy is conceded the
" wide world over to be a conspicuous fail-
9 ure. The situation in Cuba mas only
n changed for the worse. Sagasta Is power r
u the conflict, to rehabilitate the island or to
i relieve the suffering, starvation ana as
'The time for action has then come, Nc
i greater reason for it can be expected TO-
: morrow than to-day, Every hours delay
= story of misery and death. Only one power
|, can intervene--the United States of Amer
l. lea.
l. "What shall our action be?
, Senator Thurston briefly referred to the
- propositions of recognizing the belligeren.
- cy or the independence of the Cubans only
:. to say that 1t was too late for either AS to
annexation he said:
g God forbid / would oppose annexation
y with my latest breath
y ''Mr. President, there is only one action
= possible, If any is taken; that Is. interven
"a ton for the independence of the island
;, intervention that means the landing OF ar
~ American army on Cuban soil, the deploy,
ing of an American fleet off the harbor OF
Havana; intervention which says to Spain
Leave the island, withdraw your soldiers
/ ,eave the Cubans, these brothers of our:
y, in the New World, to form and carry or
= government for themselves Such inter
yention on our part would not of itself bt
l. war 1t would undoubtedly lead to war
But IL war came It would come by act OF
Spain in resistance of the liberty and the
a independence of the Cuban people.
h "Mr President, in the cable that m ooreC
= me to life and hope the strongest strand.
n are broken have but little left to onel
4 at the altar of freedoms sacrifice, but al
- I have am glad to give / am ready 4
7 int bkG IA