The Red Cloud chief., 1898-04-01
THURSTON'S SPEECH.
NEBRASKA'S SENATO ON
CUBAN HORRORS.
Spain Has Not Given q Dollar Towards
Saving tho starvIng-Depcndcnt on
American Charity--Too Late for BeiIig-
ercncy or Independence.

chamber was crowded this morning to
hear the speech by Senator Thurston
on the situation in Cuba.
NJ President" said Mr.. Thurs.on, III am
here by c,rn mand of silent lips to speak
once and for all time upon the Cuban situa-
ton. Trust thai no one has expected any
thing sensational from me. God forbii
that the bitterness OF a personal loss should
.nducS we to color in the slightest degree
the s .temcnt III It I feel 1t my duty to
make shall en- ieavor to be hon st, con-
servativc ind Just l have no purpose to
stir UP public passion In action not neccs-
sary and imperative to meet the duties and
necessi y of American responsibility.
Christian humanity and national honor. /
would shirk this task If 1 could, bat / dare
not I canno satisfy my consct cnce except
by speaking. and speaking now"
Mt. Thurston said that he had gone to Gu
ba firmly belicvi & that the condition of
Affairs on the Island had been CIR atty ex-
lggcratcd and that he had directed his CT
forts in the first instance to the exposure
IF the supposed exaggerations lie had
concluded, however. that an ovcrstat, mcnt
Of the horr RS of the situatioi was impos-
iIble. He was pre- Jared. ne stated. not only
10 adopt every word OF the careful, concise
and specific state of the senator from
Vermont (Mr. PROCTOR, but he was even
convinced that he had understatcd the
facts.
uMr. Thurston then t>rsely summarized
his obs rvations and conclusions as fol ows;
SPANS Loss IN THREE YEARS.
After three years of warfare AM the use
~ Dos 600 Spanish troop. Spain has lost
control of every foot of Cuba not sur
roundcd by an actual cntrcnchmcnt ana
protected by a fortified picket line. She
holds nos,esslon with her armies of the
fortified seaboard towns, because they are
under the ylrtua protection OF Spanish
wars,ins. with which the r~cyolut onists
cannot cone.
The reyolutIonists are in absolute and
almost peaceful possession of nearly one
nall OF the island, Including the Eastern
provinces of Ga itiago de Cuba and Puerto
princine, Tn those proyinces ON SANTIAGO
thew have establIs ned form of government
levy and collie I take, maintain armies
and generally lew a tax of tribute upon the
nrlneinal plantatious I'm other provinces.
and. as is commonly believed. upon the en-
tire railway az tenn of the island.
Tn the fopr so- allied Sna,ish provinc..
,hsre Ga neither cultivation nor railway
oneration. excep. und.r strong Spanish
military protection or by consent OF the
hid
Under the inhrma an poltcy of wcyler. not
,.sa than 400 OoO ~. z. sunnor,ing slmnle.
n.,ccahi. dcfens.icss country neople were
6r,ven from their home, in the agri rultural
nor,,ous Of the Snanish provinces 10 the
ritie. ana imnrisoned up,n the barren
w.s,. on,side IN. residence rortione ~
,h..s ci,,.. and within the tines NJ IN.
,~rsnchmsnt n Uttle wav bevond. Thrir
humhIs homcs vcrc burned their aeIds
,,id y,s,c their i'm ME ments NJ husbandrv
d.s,roxeS their live ,t,ck ana food snnniies
for the mot mart cona,catcd Most of
,h..e neonie were old men women ana
chiidr.n. slow starvation was their i'm.
evitahie fate. A conservative estimate
mai ate.t hat oIO QUO of these people have
a,readv nershcd from starvation.
r The Government of Spain has never ron
~ nrovIde medical atteution for these. its
oup ci,i,sns
T'ners h,a heen M ameiior tion NJ the eff
nation exccpt through the CHI Irity OF the
ncon,e ~ the Hated states There has
beep mo diminution I'm the death rate
Scath .nnniv is CONSTANTLY dIminished
There IA no relief and no hope cxccp,
,hrouuh ,h. corti,rcd cb,ri,v ~ IN. Ave-.
,n,u nsnni. mil neace has becn f,iiv re.
Stored in the island,
NOT WAR, U DEVASTATION
cn,tr .,nno, nrt , c,d m tho extsup,
,onTition She ca,not conor.r the insnr,
yen,s SIC cannot re-est ibllsh her soy.
ereign,v over anv confederate norton of
the i%ntc-ior ~ the is,and The r. yolution.
is,. while ab,c In maint,in themselyes
80, 49, ar,ve the enanish army from ,ns
S.r,ieeS .cacoast towns Tbe situation
,ha' ,s M, VIZ ,s we u,dcrxt,nd ~ I'M,
chaos ana Accommodation o,
unaeanea duration whose end no nan car
a..
..u,, ~. ,r.,a.r,, and re.,,,rr N.
,nts ,h,t nnaer his ohssry.tion M
nShrrna ia IA. h,a nc d.s -. 10 de,i i,
horrors ..If NV way,, saId he, =.
would shield the American ubli; even from
the pilot graphic reproductions OF the aw'