Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1898-03-24
SIMPLY NtSCR|BAHE.
Senator Gallinger Talks Of Things
as He Found Them on His
Visit to Cuba.
the PICTURE CAN'T De sxlGssalrED.
tssati'a snd ueil,-hss-- rsa ness~f sy
Anyone Who Has Net wtas~-ea a. The
>.astsr >cs Much Impressed With the
spssahsr,l- o. >asaier-.

NA-utNsrus, March ~. SENATOR Gal.
hnzer was at the capitol for the arst
time sinec his rcturn from Cuba When
requested Is make a statement a. to hi.
observations ON the condition OF affairs
on that island, he responded.
You can Sign NV name toanvric.a. e
you may draw Of utter wretch.slns.s. !.
deStiiution and heliiShacSS in that
country. The condition If affairs. ~
far as had opportunity 10 observe
II. and was only in Havana
and Matanzas. il siiuply indsscrib
able. hal NOT expected u
hnd il half as bad a. il i. and | ID not
believe that anyone who simply rrads
the accounts aud docs not s,.e for him
self can form an adequate idea III the
situation
The reconccntradoes are wc,igcd into
ALI available places in thosc CITIES. and
are Pcrishing BY the thousand for
want of the eommonc,t ncccSsarics If
life. The best information obtainahls
leads to the conclusion that there have
been. beyond doubt. t0l.0pp deaths a.
n result of spain's brutal policy.
and the tragedy goes on FROM
day 10 day. The society of the
Red Cross il furnis,siag some
relief by its efforts. but the most oi
those people are beyond the reach of
aid, either through medicine or fooi
The mortality in Matanxas for the last
four months. previous t. our visit. has
been equal to ten times the ordinary
death rate.
With reference to the.nilitary aspect
Of affairs in Cuba ! saw nothing which
impressed me with the idea that spain
knows much about modern warfare.
The soldiers | saw are not drilled
as our soldiers are. Indeei they
lack every element Of soldierly
bearing. whatever may b. said
of their merits as lighters The drills
that | witnessed were travcsty on
modern ideas. While they werr under
going their eVolutions the soldiers wcrs.
talking te each other and smoking a.
freely and uncuneernsdly as they would
do in their mess ro-lms Prom my olss,,r-
vaiion of them should not consider
them very formidable antagonists On
the field Of battle
Naturally thsre was much talk
about the Maine disaster. aud -, far a.
| could ascertain from my epnvcrsa-
tion with Americans. and with those
not entirely under the influence of the
>paniarsls. the opinion waS universal
that the Maine had been destroyed bay
an external agency. aud almost every
person with whom discussed the sub
ieet ia Cuba expects that the findings
OF the American court Of inquiry will
suh>tantiate this view.
There is a divergence of opinion ON
the island a. to the probabilities Of war
between Spain and the United States.
and | am sure that | am within the
bounds of the truth when say that al
most the entire native population would
welcome any turn of events. however
tragic. tina; would wrest Cuba from
Spanish dominion. This is true not on
Is of those who are avowedly favorable
to war for Independence. bat OF
many of those who are ranked as
spanish synpt ttliksrs. but who arr
at heart advocates of Cuban indie
pendcnce. The fact is that even in
Havana the allegiance Ia spain is of q
very weak and doubtful character. and
il war should con, it would be found
that there would be an uprising in tina,
city against the mother country. which
would be most important factor in
shortening the contest aud deciding il
against spain.