The Columbus journal., 1898-03-30
1HURSTON'6 CUBAN SPEECH.
A lmudssioned Apped 10 Stop Desddion 10
Cu1a~--(6 For force Of Arms to
Sweep 6oansh Turannu Aval


Turannu Ava.
also seemed desirous OF selling me his
only Eemaining arm. revolver.
The pictures In the American news-
papers Of the starving recoucentrados
are true. They can all be duplicated by
tho thousands. Inever saw, and please
God I may never again see, 80 deplors.
BILE sight a. the reccncentrados in the
suburbs of Natanzas. lean never forget
20 my dying day the hopeless anguish
in their despairing eyes. Huddled about
their little bark huts, they raised no
voice OF appeal to us for aims a. we
went among them.
Fer tho Unitod States to Answer.
The government Of Spain has not and
will not appropriate one dollar to save
these people. They are now being at
BY the charity of the United States.
Think Of tho spectaolsi We are feeding
these citizens Of Spain; We are nursing
their sick: We are saving such as can
be saved. and yet there are those who
sill my IL is right for Us to send food.
but We must keep our hands off. say
that the time has come when muskets
ought 60 60 with the food.
We asked the governor IL he knew Of
any relief for these people except
through the charity Of the United
States. He did not. We then asked
him, "Can You sec any end to this con-
dition of anairs?'' He could not. We
asked him, "When do you think the
time will come that these people can be
placed in . position of self supportg'
He replied to ua with deep feeling.
"Only the good God or the great gov
eminent Of tho United States can an
swer that question. hope and believe
that tho good God by the great govern
ment Of the United States will answer
that question.
will cite but few facts that came
under my personal observation. all tend
ing to fully substantiate the absolute
truth Of the foregoing propositions. I
could detail incidents by the hour and
BY the day, but the senator from Yer
mont has absolutely covered the case. I
have no desire to deal in horrors. II I
had my way. would shield the Ameri-
can public even from the Photographic
reproductions Of the awful scenes that /
viewed in all their original ghastliness.
Spain's Deoimatod Army.
Spain has sent to Cuba more than
$50, 600 soldiers to subdue the island,
whose entire male population capable Of
bearing arms did not exceed at the be-
ginning that number. These soldiers
were mostly boys, conscripts from the
Spanish hills. They are we'll armed. but
Otherwise seem to be absolutely unpro-
vided for. They have been without tents
and practically without any of the nec-
essary supplies and equipment for serv-
ice In the field. They have been put In
barracks, in warehouses and old build
inRs In the cities where all sanitary
surroundings have been of the worst
possible character. They have seen but
little discipline. and I could not ascer.
tain that such q thing as q drill had
taken place in the island.
There are less than 60, 600 now avail
able for duty. The balance are dead or
sick in hospitals, or have been sent back
to Spain rs incapacitated for further
service. It 10 currently stated that there
are now 81, 600 sick in hospitals do
not believe that the entire Spanish army
in Cuba could stand an engagement in
the open field against 10000 well dis
ciplined American soldiers.
I ehall refer to these horrible things
no further. They are there. God pity
me; have seen them; they will re-
main In my mind forever-and this is
almost tho twentieth century. Christ
died l, 900 years ago. and Spain is q
Christian nation. She has set up more
crosses in more lands, beneath more
skies and under them has butchered
moge people than all the other nations
Of the earth combined.
Europe may tolerate her existence as
long as the people OF the old world
wish. God grant that before another
Christmas morning the last vestige of
Spanish tyranny and oppression will
have vanished from the western hemi-
sphere!
Starvation's Awful Work.
There was almo1t no begging by the
themselves. The streets
Of the cities are full of beggars Of all
ages and all conditions, but they are al
most wholly of tho residents of the cit |
lee and largely Of the professional beg
gar class. The recoucentraGos-,nen,
women and children-stands silent, fam.
ishing with hunger. Their only appeal
comes from their sad eyes. through
which one looks as through an open |
window into their agonizing souls.
The present Autoncmist governor of |
4atanzas, who speaks excellent Eng
lish, was inaugrrated in November last.
His records disclose that at the city of |
Matanzas there were l, 600 deaths in
1900 in December, zoo in
January and 500 in February, 5, 900 In
IOss3 AAhO0ASSASS 0xsl SoO80 xOu4 x1OuSO8 OO~
der the administration Of . governor
whom I believe to be . truly humane
nan. He stated to me that ON the day
Il his Inauguration, which I think was
he 18th Of last November, to his per-
ooal knowledge Is persons died in the
,ublio square in front of the executive
Think Of It, o ny country.
neni Fifteen human beings dying from
earvation in the pablo square. in the
hade Of the palm trees and amid the
flowers, in sight Of the open
windows Of the executive mansion!
The governor Of Matan1as told rs
hat for the most part the people Of the
dty Of Aatanxas had done all they could
OF the reconcentrados, and after study
ng the situation over believe his state