Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-30

Hdu the pleasure or being insult G
over the wire by stock brokers .
scaipers in the markets. For, two ~
the process of Imprisonment
concentrates and their star - as
proceeded. yet any one v Il to
call attention to the fs lad to
Withstand the assaults Ose con-
trolling the press, who de. ed in their
editorial columns the news they print
ed in their news columns.
THOUSANDS HAD BEEN STARVED,
millions of dollars of our legitimate
commerce has been swept from the
nigh seas and the man who worshipped
the eagle on the dollar and does not see
the one on his flag says, be silent,
think of the horrors OF war and the
dangers to business.
When the order of concentration
came they cooped at least eight hun
dred American citizens with the recon
centrados and refused to allow them
to go out and earn legitimate and
honest living. 1t amounted to impris-
onment, we claimed so at the time, yet
so many prOfessed not to believe it I'M
til the honorable Senator from Yer
mont described the dead line and the
gun of the Spanish soldier that kept
the concentrates together. Any other
self-respecting nation in the world
would have ordered their release and
better treatment or they would have
opened the gates of hell on Moro Cas-
tie. This government, however, upon
the suggestion of the President, took
$50, 600 of the peoples money out of
the treasury of the United States and
begged permission of Spain the poor
privilege of feeding our citizens Amer
lean bread on Spanish soil. | am not
complaining. | am not criticising;
there is no other such record in the his
tory of the world | only repeat this
humiliating statement to call atten-
ton to the fact that every effort that
has been made by the President has
been construed by Spain to be an act
of cOwardice and absolute and conclu-
sive evidence that We are afraid of that
mighty power and every such act of
careful consideration on our part has
made Spain more cruel to her own peo-
pie and more insulting to us.
Mr.. Mason then turned his attention
to the destruction of the Maine, 'the
battleship Maine, our gallant ship
which went down and 26S of our gal
liant citizen sailors with her"
At the time every citizen of the
United States familiar with
THE SPANISH CHARACTER
felt confident it was Spanish treachery.
Our ship was there by right of custom,
rendered hospitality and also by treaty
contract she had an absolute right to
be there. The day closed and she rode
the harbor a messenger of peace No
message had been sent by our exeeu-
tive inconsistent with the national
honor of Spain. Our only offer was to
try and restore peace, alike honorable
TO all. Our treasury had been opened
to feed our people. Definite plans
were not even suggested by the Presi-
dent. fearing to injure our relations
with Spain Spain could not conquer
her own insurgents. Had we been a
grasping nation we could anytime
within two years have made aggressive
and forcible annexation, taking adj
vantage of the crimes of Spain and the
misfortune of Cuba.
The night came on, dark, a gloomy
night. natural and proper time for
Spanish bravery. Our men were asleep
in friendly harbor; they were never
challenged to try their courage. They
were not whipped in honorable battle.
but choked, burned, strangled and
drowned without a chance to die fight
ing for life, without a moment to say
prayer In the twinkling of an eye
they stood in the presence of their
maker. Suppose ninety of them had
been United States Senators. suppose
the balance had been members of Con-
gress or made up of judges and lead
ing professional and business rlen,
would forty days have elapsed before
war began, or suppose each. Senator
Fad son or father there. Do we
tell our children the truth when we
say that the life of every American
citizen is of equal value before the
law? They were not Senators. they
were sailors Their widows and or
phans cry aloud to us, the silent APP
peal of 26S seamen comes to us again
and again, saying we are flesh of your
flesh, bone of your bone and blood of
your blood: we loved
AND DIED FOR THE FLAG
that shields YOU What is TO be our
answer, shall we answer with money?
Mr.. President | speak only for my
self and | am for war" (Applause IN
the galleries..
But gentlemen may say: Don't say
you are for war-say that you are for
armed intervention, which means war
Il believe in calling things by their
right names If we believe that muir
dering our men, sinking our ship and
lowering our flag is not cause for war,
saw so. and refer it, as they did the
Virginius affair, and allow our broth
ers TO be sold like stock for gold. If
il is A cause for war, let's assume the
responsibility put upon us by the con-
stitution and say so, not only to Spain,
hut To the whole world. Let us not
saw ore thing and mean another. For
Gods sake let us not Spanishize our
diplomacy, but rather speak the truth
and nroye ourselves true disciples of
James G.. Blaine.
I'VE can hide no longer under the
Executive wing He can neither de-
clare war nor refuse it. Congress
alone can declare war. for one am
raodv 10 vote now. You may continue
IL crv peace. peace. but there can be
N neace while Europeans own and
butcher their slaves on the same con-
tinent where our flag floats. But there
arc those who say that the court does
not fix the responsibility. 1t was not
necessary The peace at any price
,,,on cannot escape so. The law fixes
n