The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-03-30
POLITICAL.
Again the Tale OF Cuban Horrors.
TESTIMONY OF SENATORS eALLINaER
AND THURsTON.

| VINO mas recently returned from visit
Of observation in Cuba, told in the Sem
ate on Wednesday some of the things
he bad seen on the death stricken
island. After Senator Proctor's graphic
narrative Mr.. Gallinger was to some
extent using burnt powder, still, so in
tense is the interest in the subject the
galleries were packed and every spirit
ed and patriotic expression of the
Granite State senator was received
with the applause that shows how deep
ly the popular heart has been stirred
by the knowledge of the real condition
of things in Cuba. Omitting the de-
tails of starvation suffering and death,
the recital of which has become ga
thrice told tale," some of the facts or
statements presented by Senator Gal
lipger are these:
"The number of people who have
starved in Cuba will never be definite
ly known. 1t is estimated that 800, 200
were driven from their homes into the
cities and towns. had it from Span
ish authority that, according to their
figures, 225 900 have already persisted,
but it is said that the Red Cross So
ciety is in possession of figures show
ing that 425 900 Cubans have died as a
result of Spanish cruelty from starva-
ton, and that 200, 1000 more must in
evitably die, making an aggregate of
625,000, or almost twice the population
of the District of Columbia or of the
State of New Hampshire. DIR. Lesser,
an authority on the results Of famine,
who is on the ground, says that, Of the
| 175,000 not taken into account above,
at least 5 per cent of them will die,
making grand total of 634 900 deaths
of men, women, and children as q re-
suit of Weyler's inhuman and barbsr-
GUS decree. 1t may be that the Gov
yana and Matanzas are doing some.
thing to relieve this terrible suffering,
but if 80 1 did not see any evidence of
it. The hope of the poor remaining
sufferers is in.this great government,
and, Heaven be thanked, our people
are reaching out the hand of sympathy
and affectionate interest in the shape
of food, medicine, and clothing"
Mr.. Gallinger said he had been asked
many times, "What Of the Maine?"
He did not know. This, however, he
did know: "a Government that would
deliberately starve 100000 of its own
people would do pretty much any
thing" [Great applause. eff the
ship was blown up from the outside,
what should our Government do?" he
asked. "Perhaps 1 should forbear to
discuss that question now," he con-
tinued, "but this will venture to say:
Human life purposely taken cannot be
paid for in gold or silver Applause.
Mark my words, 'purposely taken'-
and if it shall appear that such was the
fate of $50 brave American sailors, then
Herven pity the guilty parties. 1t will
not be question of arbitration, but a
question involving the dignity and
honor of the great republic. APP
plause.
"Of course, for these words l will be
called lingo, whatever that may mean,
but would infinitely rather be lingo
than tory. A vigorous foreign policy
is necessary to the strength and dig
nifty of any nation, and it is the best
possible assurance of peace that can be
given"
Mr.. Gallinger believed there was lit
tie real loyalty to Spain in Cuba, as
would be demonstrated when the hour
of trial came. Cuban sympathizers
were found everywhere. Neither did
he believe that Spain could subdue the
insurgents. Already the war had cost
Spain the lives of at least 100000 SOL
| diers and vast amount of treasure,
and the approaching rainy season would
decimate the Spanish ranks at fear
full rate. The Cubans had been op-
pressed so long that they prefer death
| to continued Spanish rule, and why
should they not? he asked. He won
dered if the Senate had any idea what
Spanish rule in Cuba really meant.
| "Let us look at the matter of taxa
tion," he continued. "In addition to
all direct and indirect taxes on real es-
tate, there is tax on every door, every
window, and every chimney in every
house. There is a tax on every letter
in every business sign. There is tax
on every name On every hotel register.
Licenses are required to build houses
and to paint houses. There is tax on
food animals as whole and also a spe-
cial tax on the horns, the hoof and the
hides. In addition to all this, the in
terest on the debt is tremendous bur-
den, the salary of Spanish officials is
beyond all reason, and the amount of
money wrung from the Cubans to keep
the Madrid Government from complete
insolvency is simply enormous. What
would we think of such a government
as that? No people on the face of the
earth have been so oppressed, the
Treasury of Spain being supplied from
the revenue extorted from Cuba and
the Philippine Islands.
"Mr. President, as lar as know no
one in this country desires war with
Spain, but the people of this country
have come to the conclusion that the
time has come for Spain to retire from
the Western Hemisphere. She has by
misgovernment and cruelty forfeited
every claim upon the Gem of the An
titles, and in the interest of a common
humanity this country should intervene
and stop the war"
at is argued" he said, shat we do
not want territory peopled by race
different in nationality and habits of