The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-03-24
VIVID PICTURE.


Senator Gallinger Tells His Colleagues
What He Saw In Cuba.
washington. March PA vivid word
picture OF the horrors and barbarities
OF concentration on the island of Cuba
was drawn In the senate yesterday by
Mr.. Gallinger Of New Hampshire. The
senator recently visited Cuba personally
to STUDY the situation of the reconcen-
trados and TO ascertain the facts con-
corning the general question.
Almost as soon as the senate con-
vened Mr.. Bacon OF Georgia introduced
q joint resolution declaring that the
United States should do everything in
Its power to preserve peace with all the
nations OF the world and not be forced
into war except to preserve the honor
and dignity of the nation. He said that
he would not ask for immediate consid-
GRAFTON OF the resolution. but would per-
init 1t to lie on the table until today.
Then Mr.. Hale. chairman OF the naval
affairs committee, favorably reported
the bill providing for relief for the sur
vivors of the Maine catastrophe. Thepe
was a suppressed murmur of expectancy
in the galleries, but the measure was
read and passed without q word of de-
bate.
Mr.. Gallinger's speech followed. He
spoke In q low, clear tone OF voice, dis
tinctly audible throughout his speech.
His auditors listened intently to his de-
scription OF the horrors and cruelties
suffered by the reconcentrados, but gave
no outward manifestation Of their feel
ings. When he declared. however. that
a government that would starve 400, 900
of its people would do anything. and fol-
lowed this with the further declaration
that the lives of the brave men lost In
the Maine disaster could not be- atoned
for with gold or silver. spontaneous
wave of applause swept over the gal
leries. and the vice president had diff
Guilty in restoring order. When he had
concluded he was accorded a tremen-
dous burst of applause which the vice
president made little effort to restrain.
THE number of people who have
starved in Cuba will never be definitely
known. 1t is estimated that $780, 900 were
driven from their homes into the cities.
had 1t from Spanish authority that.
according TO their figures, 225,000 already
have perished, but Ii Is stated that the
Red Cross society is in possession of
died as result OF Spanish cruelty from
starvation and that zoe, 900 more must in
evitably die.
Il have been asked many times what
Of the Maine. i do not know. This,
however 1 do know: A government
that will deliberately starve l00.C COO of
its own people will do pretty much any
thing. IL the ship was blown up from
-
ment do? Perhaps should forbear to
discuss that question now. but this 1
will venture to say: Human life pur-
posely tssen cannot be paid for I'm gold
or silver. Mark my words, purposely
taken. and II 1t shall appear that such
was the fate OF ESQ brave American sail
ors. then heaven pity the guilty parties.
1t will not be a question for arbitration,
but question involving the dignity and
honor OF this great republic"
AS to what should be done Mr.. Gal
linger felt that sooner or later this gov
ernment would of necessity absorb Cuba,
but IL annexation cannot now be accom-
plished let independence speedily come.
American interests in Cuba" said he
I'm conclusion, have already suffered
enough. We have patrolled our coast in
the interest or spain as long as we
should, and we have spent quite too much
money in protecting our people from
epidemic diseases coming to our shores
because OF the unsanitary condition OF
the harbor and city OF Havana. Spain
has failed to meet the requirements of
an advanced civilization. Let the
United States or Cuba take UP the prob
lem and absolve It,"