The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-03-23
MISCELLANY.
Spain's Cruelty in Cuba.

While the American Government
and people increase their efforts to re-
relieve the awful famine among the
Cuban reconcentrados the Spanish Gov
eminent and people increase their
cruelty.
The Spanish authorities here, as we'll
as the incorporating newspapers OF
the Conservative party, do not conceal
their belief that President Mckinley
has political motives to subserve in the
interest he is showing in the humane
efforts to check the ravages of starva-
ton in Cuba.
"Why do you not call attention."
said the Press Censor the other day to
the Sun correspondent, "to the fact
that every particle of food given to the
reconcentrados is labelled, special gift
from the United States?'o
The correspondent answered that the
food was, in fact, the gift of Americans
Then the Spanish official said:
"Certainly it is, but Mr.. Mckinley
wishes the Cubans to know it in order
to win sympathy here for his dreams of
annexation"
According to the Weylerist news
paper El Correo, the reconceDtrados
are enemies of Spain who deserved their
fate. "The men," El Correo says,
"are loafers, the women prostitutes,
and the children worthy offspring of
such people,"
Nothing can be more unjust than
these cruel words. All the unfortu.
mates who are now dying in the streets
of Havana and of every other Spanish
al nd IN, ha ialon1
try laborers and farmers, whose homes
were burned by the Spanish columns
and whom the Spaniards herded in the
towns at the point of the bayonet.
They were able to live by their toll be-
fore Weyler came to Cuba. Now they
have nothing on earth but what Ameri
can charity gives them. In the major
ity of cases even this charity comes too
late. Poor women and children de-
prived of food for several days are in
such a state of weakness that their
stomachs cannot digest food if it is not
given to them in very small quantities
at time. But at the sight of the
loaves of bread, the portions of meat,
and the canned food offered to them by
the American agents they madly rush
forward to clutch them, and many die
very soon after eating the food that
was meant to save them.
The correspondent has witnessed one
of the most pathetic of sights. 1t was
on one of the sidewalks in the broad
Galiano street, Havana, and just in
front of the mansion of one of the
wealthiest Spanish residents, man
who has paid 81 900 for his seat at the
gala performance that will be held at
the Tacon theatre to raise funds to buy
new cruiser for the Spanish Navy.
The porter, rough Spaniard from AS
turias, wearing the blue trousers of the
Spanish volunteers, gazed from the
door laughing and joking. He was
looking at hapless woman, emaciat-
ed by famine, with a baby at her ex-
hausted breast and child of about five
years dying on her lap. A melancholy
group of male and female reconcen-
trados stood around her looking in des-
pair at the dying child. A Spanish
by, came across the street and offered
the poor mother piece of bread The
mother gazed at her and said in a
whisper: cit is too late" Just at that
moment the child expired.
Scenes like this happen every day,
and in almost every street of this city.
Senator Proctor can tell of the horrible
spectacle he witnessed at Matanzas. Be-
fore his eyes three persons died of star.
vation-a man sixty years old, woman
and child. They had reached the
point where neither science nor charity
could save them. Senator Proctor was
horror stricken. His first act after re-
turning to Havana, as already cablsd
to the Sun,was to give check for
$1,000 to Miss Clara Barton. When
ever he was asked about his experience
in Matanzas the senator's face showed
the profound impression made on him
by what he witnessed there.
Two days ago young Cuban lady
entered the fashionable Cafe Europa in
Aguiar street to take some luncheon.
A child of eight years. living skele-
ton, approached her to ask for aims.
She did not see the child till she heard
the swish of whip and heard the lit