The Portland daily press., 1898-03-30


ment, or they would have opened the gates
of hell on Moro castle.
The government, however, upon the
suggestion of the President, took 500, oOU
of the peoples money out OF the treasury
of the United States and begged permits
sion of Spain, the poor privilege of feed
ing our citizens American bread on Span
ish soil. am not complaining, am
not criticizing, there is no such record
in all the history of the world. only
repeat this humiliating statement to
call attention to the fact that every effort
that had been made by theaPresident
has been construed by Spain to be an
elusive evidence that we 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 destruotionsof the Maine.
| The battleship, our. gallant ship, went
down with 266 of our gallant citizen
sailors with her. At the time every citi-
zen of the United States familiar with
| the Spanish character felt confident 1t
was Spanish treaohery. Our ship was
there by right of custom, of rendered hos
pitality and also by treaty contract she
had an absolute right to be there. The
day closed and she rode the harbor a
messenger of peace.
| No message has been sent by our exc
cutiye inconsistent with the national
honor of Spain. Our only offer was to
| try and restore peace alike honorable to
all. Our treasury has been opened to
feed her people, definite plans were not
even suggested by the President fearing
| to inJure our relations with Spain.
Spain could not conquer her own in
surgents. Had we been grasping nation
we could at any time within two years
have made aggressive annexation taking
advantage of the crimes OF Spain and
the misfortune of Cuba.
1.-The night came on, a.dark, gloomy
night. natural and proper time for
Spanish bravery. Our men asleep in
friendly harbor. They were never
challenged to try their courage. They
were not whipped in honorable battle,
drowned without chance to die fight
ing for life without moment to say
prayer. In the twinkling of an eye they
stood in the presence of their Maker.
Suppose 80 of them had been United
States senators, suppose tho balance had
been members Of Congress or made up
of judges and leading profession and
fore war began? Or suppose each sena-
tor had son or 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 silent appeal of 266 seamen comes
to us again and again, saying 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, speak only for my
self. and / am for war.
"But gentlemen may say: Don't say
your are for war-say that you are for
armed intervention, which means war.
I believe in calling things by their right
name. If we believe that numbering our
men, sinking our ship and lowering
and refer it as they did the Virginius
affair and allow our brothers to be sold
like stock for gold. If it is a cause for
war, let us assume the responsibility
put upon us by the constitution and
say so, not only to Spain, but to the
whole world. Let us moi say one thing
and mean another. For Gods sake let
rather speak the truth and prove our
selves true disciples of James 6. Blaine.
"We can hide no longer under the exc.
cutive wing. He can neither declare war
nor refuse it. Congress along can de-
clare war. I for one am ready to vote
now. lou may COutluu6 u cry ptdCo,
peace. but there can be no peace while
Europeans own and butcher their slaves
on the same continent where our flag
floats. But there are those who say that
the court does not fig the responsibility.
1t is not necessary. The peace at any
price, man cannot escape SO, the law
fixes the responsibility. We were in Span
harbor is owned and controlled by Spain.
The explosives in that harbor were ownsd
and controlled by Spain. If it was
torpedo, it was Spanish torpedo. If
1t wac mine it was Spanish mine.
No explosives have been on sale in Ha-
yana for over year to private citizens.
If 1t was gun-cotton, it was Spanish
gun cotton, and if it was dynamite, it
was Spanish dynamite The power to
explode it was controlled by Spain. A
government acts only through its agents
and officers. 1t was owned, located and
exploded by Spain, and Spain must an
swer.
II shall oppose any plan to assist Spain
to place autonomy on Cuba. Spain can
not be trusted to keep her promise, and
we cannot undertake to compel her to.
Aside from that, poor Cuba has paid a
larger price for liberty than we did and
she must be free.
81 shall oppose any plan that looks to
force Cuba in the future to pay Spain any
cash for her liberty. 1t is claimed by
some that Cuba ought to be willing to
pay Spain's Cuban war debt. Cuba to
nay for the powder and lead that killed
her people, To pay for the torches that
burned her homes or pay the back wages
of the Spanish soldiers who ravished
their wives and daughters?
'"Never, by any vote of m.ne Some
tell us we must wait for Spanish cleo
lions. If her elections are as rotten as
her diplomacies we cannot wait
"Is DeLome SO soon forgottenp Some
tell us we are not prepared. When shall
we be prepared2 Will it pc when the
Spanish torpedo fotilla has crossed the
water and rests complacently upon her
base of supplies within five or six hours
distance of our fleetp We know now otfic-
tally what we have believed 40 days Shall
we wait until she can destroy more of
our ships and men. God forbid that
such a crime should be charged to US.
Lot us awake. Shake off the Chinese
narcotic that locks us in drowsy indo-
Ience, murmuring peace at any price
Awake as our forefathers did at Concord
and Bunker Hill; awake to glorious war
againsta nation that burns homes and
murders women and children; awake to
glorious war that seeks no gain for US
in treasure or territory but war to drive