The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-08


almost 10 a man. Even 70 term them men
taxes the Imagination. for neither in deeds
nor age are they men. Hardly 10 they
average % years Of age. and their deeds are
such as an American schooihoy Of ie would
blush for.
Most OF them are favored sons u pollti-
clans prominent citizens. officials and
merchants. whose excheGusr has been
opened to assist ihe treacheTous Spaniard
10 crush out the lives Of many innocent
women and men. whose husbands and
brothers are today enduring the pangs OF
hunger and fortitude of an almost isolated
warfare endeavoring TO free from the
hand OF the reproaehful Span,ard THAI
much-coveted island. Cuba.
Out Of respect 20 the real Spanish SOL
der and 10 the word soldier Itself let Us
make a short comparison Of the volunteer
and the regular.
The Spanish regular Is, IN himself. fair
specimen of soldiery, while the volunteer
Is an excellent specimen AZ soldering"
using the word in the pessimiStlc sense.
He does as little as possible and claims as
much as possible: especially. he claims the
distinct honor OF being the defender OF
the city" Such is the duty OF thu v0lun-
teer and he is seldom, II ever, sent into
the field.
II IS also his duty 70 preserve order
among the barracks and guard houses.
He is favored ard humored. and IS allowed
70 select what duty he most cares for, and
10 serve when and where he likes. lie
has absolutely no army discipline
This accounts mostly for the recent out
breaks and riots in Havana. Most Of the
volunteers hours ION duty are spent IN
cafes, where he Jaunts about with the air
OF general. debonair 10 say the least.
hardly ever c0ndescending to notice reg
ular. whom he considers a mere slave as
fr0z nd zelgh "a *
Thus the direst Of rivalry and Jealous ami
mostly has Of late heen shown between
the regulars and the Carlos, as the reg
ulars term them. a word meaning naughty.
or. 10 use American slang. stuck up
The same rivalry Is noticeable 70 a moro
or less extent in our own navy between
the midshipmen and the marines.
The writer. during last winters service
in Cuba, saw perhaps more Of the v0lun-
teers than would be seen by a visitor there
today for this reason: Havana. the capital
and metropolis Of Cuba, WAS, at the time
l speak of. literally swarming with vol
unteers, and a matter Of fact is today.
but not TO the same extent as last winter.
When the gallant general. Antonio Maceo,
was lured TO his destruction by treachery.
the cry went through Cuba that the back
bone OF the insurrection had been broken.
and thousands OF men and boys who there
tofore had been afraid TO enlist fairly
trampled over each other. so anxious were
they TO have their names enrolled in the
army register as volunteers. since the in
surrection seemed to be drawing TO close
and all danger seemed eliminated from SO
doing.
At s o'clock every morning the governors
band would play in the Prado, the central
park and drive of the city, opposite the
now famous Hotel Ingeterre. the army
rendezvous in Havana, also of interest 10
he E.aa sI14r1 tore If A e4YfT ms IN
Havana. Those who wished to volunteer
their services would assemble here and,
kneeling, take oath of allegiance TO the
Spanish flag. and wish long life to the
crown OF Spain. At s O'Clock. though
sometimes Il was much later because OF
the great numbers. the band would march.
followed by the volunteers. to the COVER
nor's palace. where a short address would
be given by the governor or some high
official and with shouts of "Vive Espano-
La" they would dispense. each 10 an ap-
pointed barracks. when he would receive ~
order for gun or a machete. usually the
latter. and suit Of clothes. In niuety-nine
cases out of a hundred the order would be
filed from the Golfers Of the volunteer
himself the government exchequer being
almost depleted by the constant drawing
OF army officials, who are taking the dis
reputable advantage of the opportunities
10 steal by entering numerous names Of
volunteers as regulars on the army regis
ter and drawing their pay. while in reality
most OF them do not receive one cent. thus
such privileges and concessions are made
TO them that the thieving may go on I'M
hlndered It is said that Weyler himself
is several millions richer since the insur-
rection broke out.
During a bull fight one Sunday afternoon
at which l attended In company with two
Spanish officers no less than 500 OF the
l..
most barbarous of sports. Several bulls
had been killed on the afternoon of which
I speak. also several horses but the las.
bull, the sixth 10 enter the ring. would
rot fight, and after repeated attempts
sticking handerllos and exploding
into his back TO arouse him to anger Y.
out success, the bull fighter retired and
the bull was about 10 be led from the ring
But such a clamor went up from the blood
thirsty mob, mostly soldiers, that the bun
was left TO the mercy OF the audience. who.
taking advantage OF the tlnidness OF the
bull, jumped the fence that divided the
ring from the seats and with their ma
chetes cut and slashed The poor animal
until II dropped from loss OF blood Some
not being satisfied drove their machetes
between the ribs OF the nearly dead bull
and cried "Nive Espanoia." which seems
10 be the universal cry. be Il war or pleas
ure. ! noticed Joining IN the melee two
NeutenanIs and a captain. ard II brought
a blush 70 my face for the rank. The
sisht I will never forget. being the most
sanguinary thing imaginable. Every time
the animal would Jump is hack would
open clear down 20 the spine whore Il had
been siashed with 4 m8chete.
! mention this episode that we may
thoroughly see and compre tend the cruel
~ that IL linked with the worid-faned
Spanish tre8chery.
As class. the volunteer keeps himself
much nfafsr than the regular ana the
distinction from the regular IS SO marked
that one cannot fail % tell them anart.
both by the insolecce and forced hravado
% tho VOLUNTEER. aud the s}8veniiness =
the regular who moves only when ~. has
20, and then az ri ox's eait. Some of fha
selected ones - police duty ia the sub
urbs Of the larger cities.
or the volunteers who go To the interior
an3 they are very few there Is this 20 he
sai8 that they simply go about IN the
rear of large for>es = regulars. p~e7arn-
sblv With the iAea of making the appear
ance o. a large army ana thus avert. nv
defensive appearance. an attaek from, "A
smaller holy cf fighting Cutars. with
wau}a probably occur Il the army seemed