Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-03-31
AS GALLINGER SAW IT.
| Tells the Senate of Awfu1 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 On. 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
ever, that a government that would
starve 100000 of it's 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 tho 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
consented to give plain recital of some
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, lis 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 Ia he
unmindful of the tremendous responsible
tiles and duties of his position"
Referring to his call upon the autonomist
cabinet, Senator Gallinger said IT was evil
dent that the president of the cabinet was
not encouraged in the work. THE truth
Isl" said Senator Gallinger, autonomy is
fiat failure"
Senator Gallinger recalled that he had
heard during debates in the senate denfals
made that state Of war existed in Cuba,
but it required only 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, lis a
war of starvation and determination a
war more cruel than the world has ever
/ known.
1.-THE scenes in the streets of Havana are
narrowing beyond description. People 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 a
terrible sight-one that sickens the heart
and quickens every impulse of human
sympathy and love-"
! A detailed story of 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
1 looked upon the scenes of suffering and
horrors that the Cuban reconcentrados
might well have adopted the words Of
/
hind when they were driven from the
fields and herded like cattle in the cities ant
towns of this fertile land. The truth i:
that Weyler devised scheme of human
suffering and sorrow that put Dante's In
ferno' to the shade and converted con
tented, prosperous people into herd o
suffering, starving unfortunates.
1.-THE number of people who have starved
in Cuba will never be definitely known.
is estimated that 100000 were driven from
their homes. into the cities and towns.
had it from Spanish authority that accord
ing to their figures, 225,000 already hav'
persisted, but it is said that the Red eros
society is in possession of figures showing
that 425,000 Cubans have died as result O
Spanish cruelty from starvation and tina
600 more must inevitably die.
II have been asked many times, what o
the Maine? / do not know. This, how
ever, 1 do know A government that will
deliberately starve 100000 of it's own peopl
will do pretty much anything. If the sh
was blown up from the outside, wha
should our government do? Perhaps
| should forbear to discuss that question
now; but this will venture to say: Huma
life purposely taken cannot be paid for Il
gold or silver. Mark my words purposel
TAKEN and If it shall appear that such wa
the fate of $50 brave American sailors, the
Heaven pity the guilty parties. 1t will no
be a question for arbitration, but a ques
great republic"
AS to what should be done, Senator Gal
linger felt that sooner or later this govern
ment would of necessity absorb Cuba, bu
If annexation cannot now be accomplished
let independence speedily come. Amer
can interests in Cuba" said he, in con
cusion, "have already suffered enough
We have patrolled our coast in the interes
of Spain as long as we should, and we hav
spent quite too much money in protectin
our people from epidemic diseases comm
to our shores because of the unsanitar
condition of the harbor and city OF Ha
vana. Spain has failed to meet the require
ments of an advanced civilization. Let tn
United States or Cuba take up the probleI
and solve it."
The Names Dead.
o Havana, March 23.-Chaplain Child
y wick has completed his mortuary re
: port, which shows that 257 men an
r two officers persisted in the Maine ca
t tSstrophe; six succumbed to their ir
:. juries while lying in the San Ambrosi
O hospital here; one died on the Spanis
transport Colon; III bodies have bee
raoovarad from the wreck of which g