Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-04-04

Not Make Reparation-Rev. Mr..
Evans Preached to the Local
Councils of Jr. O. u. A. M. Yes
terday.
Yesterday morning Rev. B. B. Evans.
,4stor Of Zane Street Nj. e. church.
reached a strong, patriotic sermon to
The members OF the Junior Order
1njted American Mechanics All the
local councils attended the services in a
Indy. The words of the minister in
relation to the trouble with Spain
made a deep impression. The subject
If the discourse was, My Duty as
citizen" The text was taken from
Deut. Sl-6. Rev. Mr.. Evans's sermon
was as follows:
BE strong and of good courage;
fear net nor be afraid of them, for the
Lord thy Cod He it is that goeth with
thee. He will not fail thee nor for
sake thee.
Possibly no greater statesman ever
lived than the author of my text. His
life is divided into three great periods
nj forty years each. The first was spent,
in Pharoahs court, where he acquired
All the learning and wisdom Of the
Fgvptians. The second was in the
land Of Medians, in the state of prep
arstion for his great and important
mission. The third he led and govern
ed the Israelites under the direction
and authority of God. This statesman
lived 10 a great age. The ages rolled
together at his feet as he brushed the
dust on Jordan's bank. His manner
reminds one of what tradition says
about the swan which lives to a great
age which as its end approaches sings
p wonderful song and dies. AS
Moses drew near to the end of his life,
being inspired OF God, he sang the
song of our text. Gcd led him away
into Nebos fastness where he died,
but his great words and greater deeds
will never die. What Moses said to
Joshua on that memorable day he
would say to the people of the United
States to-day concerning the island
living off the coast of Florida.
War is right when other nations prey
upon a people, insult their flag, destroy
their property, and even not make
reparation. This Spain has done for
the United States for the reason that
we have only tried to help a suffering
brother Let us examine SPANS treat
ment of Cuba and then determine our
duty as citizens. There are many 9TH
err chapters in Spain's history which
are as dark as this one. Cuba's long
IonracSinn duo n
the fact that it is an agricultural ISL
and. The discovery and conquest OF
Mexico and Peru, with their vast de-
posts of gold and silver. caused official
greed for gain to despise the beauti-
full island that laid in the wake of west
bound vessels. Havana was the only
harbor used by Spaniards out Of thirty
that indent the coast, and they grudg-
ed the time spent there to deliver mail
and in taking on passengers and
freight, Official dispatches were fire.
Quently sent to Havana. AS late as
1886 rewards were offered from Madrid
Tor the determination of foxes, ferrets,
wolves and other beasts of prey in
Cuba; animals that have never been
discovered in the island, so little did
Spain know about it's last American
possession. With the loss of South
and Central America, the Importance
Of Cuba as a source of revenue began
10 be understood, and it was soon dis
covered that the despised sugar and
tobacco fields could pour more revenue
INTO the treasury OF Spain than the
mines of Eldorado.
Under official structures. the natural
wealth of the island was developed
rapidly, but never SO fast as to keep
pace with the greed of Spain. In 1918,
when the harbors of Cuba were opened
10 foreign commerce. until the present
day, Spanish rule on the island has
meant political slavery and economic
Spoilition. The opinion freely ex-
pressed in English and Continental pa
perS that the loss of Cuba would mean
bankruptcy for Spain and the reduction
OF that county to insignifieance, is elo-
Quent proof of the drain on the ISL
and's resources.
The production of Cuba has been re-
uuced ten-fold in a half century. but
primitive conditions Of living remain,
and the net revenue of any year has
been inadequate to satisfy Spanish ra-
attract foreign capital have been care
fully suppressed AS all the land from
the straits of Magellan to Texas was
once considered mine, so all Cuba is
farm. The sole business is to pro-
ouee sugar and tobacco to be taxed by
Spain The story of the millions of
money annually raised for Spain in
tuba is interesting. Every year this
island, $50 miles long aud so miles
wide, contributes to Spain $3S, l09. 900
1or various purposes. of which sum less
IMAM $3.50, 600 remains on the island.
vi the fund for education, not cent
goes TO the fund for primary schools,
ana the amount set apart for internal
improvements is largely absorbed by
unlclals who are supposed to be learn
ing OF Improvements to be made. Be
sizes the sums that go direct to the
spanish treasury, custom duties yield
sI-,e00.000 more to Spanish merchants,
Vet this is said not to be all, for as the
result of creating the division between
the spanish and the native Cuban. the
IVrmer comes TO the island TO make a
fortune and then returns to his native
i2hd. carrying with him every cent
earned not leaving a memento of his
STAY on the island.
from $4,000 900 to $10000,000 are
ldheh from Cuba in this way every
year. The total population is 2,000,-
w. counting Spanish, Cubans and
-, nesFoes, both women and children.