The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-30
The Belligerents Compared.


The Belligerents Compared.
The attitude of Spain toward the
Cuban insurgents is a changing one;
but the attitude of the Cuban insur-
gents toward Spain has not from the
beginning changed in the slightest
degree.
Spain intally branded the insur~
gents as bandits and outlaws, to be
hunted down and shot whenever and
wherever possible. During this period,
although there were pitched battles
between Spain's forces and the Cuban
army of liberation, Spain took no pris-
oners of war All men captured by her
were macheted; all women first out
ragged and then killed. The wounded in
the hospitals We're murdered in cold
blood. Even babes We're not spared.
At a later period Spain conceived a
sufficient appreciation for the insur-
gents to impel her to fix up a cunning
scheme OF autonomy, coupled with
offers of amnesty and bribes. The
slaughter of non-combatants by con-
centration was kept up, but for the
leaders of the forces "in the woods"
there were cash and promises galore.
No longer bandits, the insurgents at
this period were spoken of in Spain 8
official communications as misguided
subjects" Doodle and taffy were
brought into requisition in the hope of
winning them over or causing formid-
able division in their ranks.
We are told today that Spain is will
ing to go yet further in the direction
of placating these brigands and free
hooters. She is ready now, it seems,
to give to these bandits" and "out-
laws" of former days, virtual control
of the island provided they will con-
sent to overlook her wholesale assasS-
ination of their aged parents, wives,
sisters and sweethearts, pay part of
her throat-cutting expenses, yield an
annual cash tribute and continue al
legiance to the dirty Spanish flag Her
honor" her priceless and untarn-
| ished honor" will not permit her to
| consider any additional terms of peace.
AS for the Maine, that blew up of it's
ness Of its pig officers.
Throughout these shifting attitudes
| of Spain the motto of the Cuban patri-
OTIS, fixed and unalterable, has been:
| Independence or Death" To this
| principle the gallant Maceo yielded up
| his life, the last of seven brothers who
were sacrificed in Cubas long and
| stormy battle for freedom. While
| fighting for this principle the dare
| devil Aranguren was trapped and shot.
AS martyrs to it $4,000 Cubans died in
the Ten Years war and 100000 to 5000
| other Cubans have been assassinated
within the past three years. In sup
port of it Maxine Gomez, undaunted
at the age of "A years, and command
ing altogether nearly $4,000 armed men
defies the Spaniard and controls abso-
lutely three-fourths of Cuba. Well may
| Senior Quesada, the Cuban charge
d'affairs al Washington, say:
with all due respect to the president
Of the United States, any proposition
that he may present to the insurgents
short of recognizing the independence
of Cuba, will be rejected, Cuba will
never accept anything short of Cuban
independence from Spain. 1t is not the
husk of liberty that we desire. Auton,
omy in any form is hateful to Cuba
She has suffered too much from Spain
to maintain any relations with hei
whatsoever that would indicate or ap,
proach anything looking toward vas,
salage on our part. If the United States
government does not wish to aid us il
gaining our liberties, let her frankly
say so at once. We will then know
what to expect. Cuba will never sur.
render to Spain until the last man thai
can handle a musket is killed or cap
tured."
This is an attitude which decen
Americans can respect. 1t is what w
would say and do under similar cir
cumstances.