The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1898-03-05
PRECEDENT Is CITED.
United States Had TO Pay When it
Failed to Punish
Offenders,

Philadelphia, Pa. March 1.-Formcr
United States Senator George +. Ed
munds. in discussing the status Of the
Maine disaster as affected by iutcrnation-
al law. said:
Above all, it seems to me that American
chiyalry demands that we exercise our finest
ana incest sense of honor AMI dignity GA!
impute nothing evil to the government OF
Spain unless the most inC0HtrOyertible facts
demonstrate such a necessity.
Our own government il rot without prece-
dent of her own making iii the matter. At
the time of the Mafa riots III the state OF
Louisiana some years ago, you Will TemcDi-
hcr that the then secretary Of state. J:unes
G. Blaine, contended. and | think rightly.
that the death of number of Italian sub
jects was brought about by circumstances
so extraordinary that the government could
not be expected to have forcseen their dan
ger, and therefore, could not have prevented
il.
IT, in view Of these facts. the United
States sought out the real offenders and
brought them to the fullest justice. h"
further insisted that all had been done that
the Italian government could properly de
mand.
The offenders were found and an attempt
was made to bring them to justice, but the
conditions were such and the public opinion
was 50 prejudiced that it even affected tn"
state courts OF Louisiana, and 1t WAS lmpoS-
sihle to bring them to justice Then the
President was authorized 10y Congress to in
dennfy the widows and children Of the
Italians who WeTc killed. This ease and that
Of the Maine disaster are analogous in their
effect.
a great wrong has been done this nation
and many families have been sadly broken
The hattleship was on friendly visit to a
friendly port and all propriety demands that
fullest restitution shall be made. If some
wicked person or persons were instrumental
III bringing about an explosion which cost
so many lives. then the government of Spain
must hnd them and mete out to them the
II ISt severe punishment which 50 COwardiy
crime demands. If she does this she has
done her duty, in my opinion. If she fails
t" do So, then our national dignity will force
us to compel something else.
This. of course, is upon the assumption
that Spain. aS government. was neither
Instrumental nor had any knowledge OF the
impending catastrophe.
The dignity and chivalry of the United
States forbid dealing in suspicious An eft-
cicnt board of inquiry is investigating the
matter i'll an orderly and commendable man
ner. and when it has announced its finding
We must accept it as the truth
Asked as To what would be the proba-
BILE result if the report of the board of
inquiry would show the Spanish govern
nrnt officials We're implicated in Il plot to
destroy the Maine. Mr.. Edmunds replied
that such an assumption was too horrible
to think about. unless il was finally shown
to lac necessary. Continuing, he said:
Spain could not afford to do any such
thing. She would forever lose al honor
among the nations of the earth. Tie
strained relations which lave existed be
tween the United States and Spain made it
incumbent upon Spain to take the greatest
precautions against accident to our ships
| when they visited the port Of Havana. and
il is only fair to assume that Spain did her
! duty. Until more facts are obtainabie from
an unqueStonahlp source We must be CON
tent to hope for the best