The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-30
MASON SCORES SPAIN.
Fiery Speech Delivered by the Sen
ator From Illinois,

WASoN SSOhES SPAIN.
Fiery Speech Delivered by the Sen.
ator From Illinois.
Mr.. Mason said he believed it was du,
the country to know the general ex
preston and intention of the member,
of the senate.
While he would not apologize for dis
cusslng the Cuban question at thi:
time, he did not intend, by so doing, any
disrespect either to the administrator
or the committee on foreign relation.
when he said that he was tired of the
dilatory tactics that had been employed
for three years to prevent any assis
lance from the United States to the
starving Cubans. He continued:
More than two years ago the plan of the
Spanish government to starve the women
and children and non-combatants was be-
gun. Every Intelligent man, woman and
child was informed of it through the or
binary channels of information, the news
papers, and by statements of disinterested
witnesses, day after day, week after week.
month after month, and year after year
and received practically no attention. from
this government, until some of the mem
beTs of this body visited the scene of death
and distress and brought back to us their
words OF honor that no picture had been
drawn by the press that fully stated the
horrors of the case.
Then the gentlemen and newspapers who
had pretended, at least, to discredit those
statements in this body began to talk about
1t as though 1t was a new discovery when
within ninety miles of our shores for two
years they had continued to murder women
and children.
When nearly year ago called atten-
ton to the situation as given at that time.
and since corroborated by four of our col
leagues, upon this floor, from personal
observation, the statement was received
with sneers by many Of my colleagues, and
l had the pleasure of being insulted over
the wire by stock brokers and scalpers in
the markets. " -
Years of Starvation.
For two years the process of imprison-
ment of the reconcentradoes and their
starvation has proceeded, yet any one who
dared to call attention sto the fact has had
to Withstand the assaults of those con-
trolling the press, who denied in their ed
1torial columns the news they printed In
their news columns. Thousands had been
starved, millions of dollars of our legi.i-
mate commerce has been swept from the
high seas, and the man who worships 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 500 American citizens
with the concentrates, and refused to al
low them to go out and earn a legitimate
and honest living 1t amounted to impris-
onment, we claimed so at the time yet
many professed not to believe it until the
honorable senator from Vermont described
the dead-line and the gun of the Spanish
soldier that kept the concentrates to-
gether.
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 castle.
fhn
gestion of the president, took $4,000 of
the peoples money cut of the treasury of
the United States and begged permission
of Spain the poor privilege of feeding our
citizens bread on Spanish SOIL p
l am not complaining, l am not critics.
ing; there it no other such record in all
the history of the world. 1 only repeat
this humliating statement to call atten-
ton to the, fact that every effort that has
been made by the press has been con-
strued by Spain to be an act of cowardice
and absolute and conclusive evidence that
are afraid of that mighty power, and
every such act of careful consideration on
our part has made Spain more cruel to
her own people, and more insulting to us.
Mr.. Mason then turned his attention
to the destruction Of the Maine.
The battleship Maine, our gallant ship,
went down and 26S of our gallant citizen
sailors with her. At the time, every citizen
of the United States familiar with the Span
1sh character, felt confident it was Spanish
treachery Our ship was there by right OF
custom, of rendered hospitality, and also by
treaty contract. she had an absolute right
to be there. The day closed and she rode
the harbor messenger Of peace No mes
sistent 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
dent, fearing to 1njure our relations with
Spain. Spain could not conquer her own in
surgents:, Had We been crashing nation,
We could, at any time within two years,
have made aggressive and forcible annex.
alton. taking advantage of the crimes Of
Spain and the misfortune of Cuba.
No Chance for Life.
The night came on, dark, 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 say prayer. In. the twinkling of an
eye they stood in the presence Of their
maker.
Suppose ninety of them had been United
States senator's; suppose the balance had
been members of congress, or made up of
judges and leading professional and bust
ness men, would forty days have elapsed be-
fore war began? Or suppose each senator
had a son or a 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
senator's, they were sailors. Their widows
and orphans cry aloud to US; the soft
appeal of 26S seamen comes to us again and
again. saying that 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, 1 speak only for myself,
and | for war. Applause in the CALLER
ies.)
But gentlemen may say: Don't say you
are for war-say that you are for armed
intervention, whichmeans war" 1 believe
in calling things by their right name If
We believe that numbering our men, sink
ing our ships and lowering our flag is not
cause for war, say so, and refer it, as they
did the Virginius affair, and allow our
1t is cause for war, let US assume the
responsibility put upon us by the constitu-
ton, and say 50, not only to Spain, but to
the whole world. Let US not say one
let US not Spanishize our diplomacies,
but rather speak the truth, and prove our
selves true disciples of James G. Blaine.
We can hide no longer under the execu-
tive wing. He can neither declare nor re-
fuse. Congress alones can declare war. I,
for one, am ready teuvotes now. You may
continue to cry peace, peace, but there can
be no peace while Europeans own and
where our flag floats. =
But there those who say that the
court does not fix the responsibility.
Responsibility Fixed.
1t was not necessary. The peace at any
price men cannot escape so. The law fixes
the responsibility. We were In Spanish
0nRn ~ - URaR