The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1898-04-21
THE MESSAGE
ON CUBA.
President Mckinley Communi,.
Gates His Recommends.
tionS to Congress.
asks AUTHORITY TO USE FORCE.

Intervention Without Recognition Of the
Republic or Of BelIigerency Urged.
The President Declares That, in the
Interest Of Humanity and For the
Protection of Our Peculiar Interests
Spain Must End Her UnsvailinE
Efforts ut Government OF the
Island - The Precedents in This
Governments History For Such .
Course-The Maine Disaster. How
ever Explained, Shows That Spain Can
not Anord Proper Protection to
Foreigners in Cubs-Favors the Grant.
ting OF Authority For Such Use Of the
Armed Forces ~ He May Deem Nee.
esssry to Put an End to Hostilities
and to Secure . Stable Governments
He Also Asks For An Appropriation to
Be Used For tho Relief OF Such Of the
People a. Are Still in Need - The
Whole Matter Now Left With Congress
WASHINGTON, D. G. (SpeciaD aD.-President
Mckinley at noon Monday sent to Con.
gress his message on the Cuban question.
The President asks Congress to authorize
and empower him to take measures to Sc.
cure a full and final termination Of hostil.
tiles between the Government Of Spain and
tho people Of Cuba, and to secure the es-
tabiishment OF stable Government cap
able OF maintaining order and observing
its International obligations, insurlnS
peace and tranquility and tho security of
its citizens as we'll as our own, and to use
the military and naval forces Of the United
States as may be necessary for these pur-
poses:
Obedient to that precept OF the Constitu-
ton which commands the President to give
from time to time to the Congress iniorma-
tion Of the state Of the Union, and to re-
commend to their consideration such meas
ures as he shall judge necessary and expe-
dent, II becomes my duty now to address
your body with regard to the grave crisis
that has arisen in the relations Of the,
United States to Spain by reason Of the,
warfare that for more than three years has
ragged In the neighboring island Of Cuba
do 50 because Of the intimate connection
Of the Cuban question with the state Of our
own Union. and the grave relation the,
course which It Il now incumbent upon.
the nation to adopt must needs hear to the.
traditional policy Of our Government, II 1t
Is to accord with the precepts laid down by
the founders Of the Republic and religiously
observed by succeeding administrations to
the present day.
Tho Conflicts In Cuba.
The present revolution Is but the success
sor Of other similar Instructions which.
have occurred In Cuba against the domin-,
nearly half q century. each Of which, dur
ing its progress has subjected the United
States to great effort and expense In en-
forcing its neutrality laws, caused enor-
nous losses to American trsde and CON-
merce, caused irritation, annoyance, and
disturbance among our citizens, and by the
exercise OF cruel. barbarous and uncivilized
practices OF warfare shocked the sensibili-
ties and offended the humane sympathies
Of our people.
The Present Conflict.
Since the present revolution began in
February, 1885, this country has seen the
fertile domain at our threshold ravaged by
fire and sword in the course OF a struggle
unequailed in the history OF the island, and
rarely paralleled as to the number OF the
combatants aud the bitterness OF the con-
test by any revolution Of modern times
where a dependent people, striving to be
free, have been opposed by the power OF
the sovereign state.
n,,~ fah hoy hoh ha11 YNr7c
community reduced to comparative want;
It's lucrative commerce virtually paralyzec;
its exceptional productiveness diminished;
Its fields laid waste; its mills in ruins, and
its people perishing by tens Of thousands
from hunger and destitution.
Preventing Finbustering.
The President then refers to the efforts
made by this government to proven. un-
lawful acts In aid OF the Cubans and the
action taken by President Cleveland to
bring about peace-still, he continues, the
war continues unabated.
The Recommendation Policy.
The policy of devastation and concentra-
tion inaugurated by the Captain Generals
bands Of October 81, 1896. In the province
Of Pinar del Bio was thence extended to
embrace all OF the island to which the power
OF the Spanish arms was able to reach by
occupation or by military operations. The
peasantry, including all dwelling in the
open agricultural interior, were driven into
the garrison towns or isolated places held,
by the troops. The raising and movement.
Of provisions Of all kinds were interdicted.
The fields were laid waste, Dwellings un-
rooted and fired, mills destroyed, and, in
short, everything that could desolate the
land and render 1t unfit for human hSbita-
ton or support was commanded by one or
the other Of the contesting parties, and
executed by all the powers at their disposal.
BY the time the present administration
took office year ago, RECOMMENDATION, so
called, had been made effective over the
better part Of the four central and western
provinces, Santa Clara, Matanzas. Havana
and Pinar del Rio. The agricultural popu-
lation, to the estimated number Of SOC, 900
or more, was herded within the towns and
their immediate vicinage, deprived Of the
means Of support, rendered destitute Of
shelter, left poorly clad and exposed to the
most unsanitary conditions. As the scar
city Of food increased with the devastation
Of the depopulated areas Of production.
iestitution and want became misery and
starvation. Month by month the death
rate increased in an alarming ratio. by
March, 1897. according to conservative rs-
:inates from official Spanish sources. the