Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-12-16
GARCIA IS DEAD.

GARCIA Is DEAD.
General Calixto Garcia, the great Cuban war
rion and patriot, died in Washington, Sunday
morning, shortly after 10 o'clock, of pneumo-
MIA.
General Garcia came to the United States at
the head of commission sent to confer with
President Mckinley with regard to the indie
pendence of Cuba. Owing to the sudden
change from the warm climate of Cuba to the
colder climate of this country, he contracted
cold, which developed into pneumonia.
General Garcia was noble man and a true
patriot. He loved his island and his people,
and bemoaned their condition. During the
past thirty years, his time has been devoted to
efforts to break the bonds which bound his peo-
pie to servitude and practical slavery. The
people loved him for his noble, self-sacri6cing
life, and followed his lead with devotion that
was truly touching. Since 1868 he has headed
every uprising of the people of Cuba, and has
won many battles During the late war be-
tween Cuba and Spain, General Garcia was, in
fact, though not in name, the leading COM
nander Of the Cuban forces, over whom he had
more influence than any other person.
President Mckinley refused to recognize Gar
cia in an official capacity, receiving him only
as private citizen. In this connection, we
reproduce an editorial from the Kansas City
Times, which, we think, does the subject just
ice as nearly as anything we have seen.
1t is amusing, as we'll as disgusting, to read
A. Ii,
cia by the inperialistic press of this country,
now that he is dead, A few days ago, these
same sheets were abusing him and trying to
make their readers believe he was an ignorant,
degraded, anarchstic fellow, whose life was de-
voted to murder, robbery and rapine. Now,
they cannot say enough in his favor.
Here is the Times editorial:
GARCIA GREAT IN DEATH.
General Garcia is dead Several weeks ago,
the assembly of the Cuban republic commits
stoned General Garcia and four others to 60 to
Washington and cooperate with the authorities
Of the United States i'll removing such obstruc-
tons to the smooth working of the republic as
Spanish rule may have left. The commission
arrived in Washington in due time but up to
the hour of his DEATH General Garcia failed
utterly to receive recognition by President Nc
Xinley. The President refused to receive the
commissioners or have official intercourse with
them. The United States declared war against
Spain to assist these very men in their struggle
for national independence, but the moment the
Spanish government yielded and withdrew her
sovereignty over Cuba, President Mckinley
turned the back of the United States upon
the Cuban patriots and refused to admit that
they had the right to have a voice in the shap-
Ing of the destiny Of their country. Perhaps
General Gaicia's death was needed to awaken
the people of America to the injustice that was
being done to the Cubans by the Washington
schemers for colonial empire. If so, the
great Cuban patriot is greater in death than lie
was when fighting battles for the freedom OF
his people.
Now that General Garcia is dead, the several
departments of the government express Gre
gret'' and send flowers. What monstrous hypoc-
risy! But perhaps his death was needed to call
the attention of the people to incidents in and
about Santiago, and subsequent to the surren-
der of the Spanish army, that they may weave
all the facts into a fabric of truth, which shall
ont the administration to shame and stop it,
too. in its wild and reckless ride to imperialism.
Events since the landing OF the army of invas-
ion 90 to show that General Shafter was con-
forming to all administration program when he
uuarreled with Garcia and belitted him and his
army in every possible way. So adrotly were
Skaters reports worded that nearly the entire
American and foreign press assumed that the
insurgents had been greatly over-rated as to
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