The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-04-06

fair to you and my constituents that make
my views known now. 1 shall oppose any
proposition looking to indemnify. We
must provide for the widows and orphans
our seameD, and their hands should never
be soiled with Spanish coin. As ] refuse to
make a cash settlement for the lives OF our
men, l shall, with all the strength God gives
me, bitterly and TO the end oppose making
mere diplomatic incident out Of the muir
der OF our citizens.
shall oppose the annexation Of Cuba.
have given my reasons for that before
l think it would add TO the glory OF ali
Cbristendom II we, the mother OF republics,
make this fitting close Of the century. We
have been outraged and insulted. We de-
mand neither money nor territory for the
healing Of our wounds. We only demand
that tie yellow Spanish flag shall retire for.
ever from the Island OF Cuba.
shall oppose any plan to assist Spain to
place any kind of autonomy on Cuba. Spain
lot be trusted to keep her PROMISE and
we cannot undertake to compel her to do so.
Aside from that, poor Cuba has paid larger
price for liberty than we did, and she must
be free.
L shall oppose any plan that looks to fore
ing Cuba In the future to pay Spain one
cent for her liberty. Her land is full OF
graves, and her future generations must not
be mortgaged. 1t is claimed by some that
Cuba ought to be willing to pay the Spanish
Cuban war debt; that is, that Cuba should
at least contribute to Spain the money
Spain has spent in trying to destroy Cuba.
Shall Cuba pay for the powder and lead
that killed her peoplt2 Shall Cuba pay for
the torches that burned her homes2 Shall
she pay back wages Of the Spanish soldiers
who ravished their wives and daughters?
Never by any vote of mine, Mr. President
Some tell US we must wait for Spanish
elections. II her elections are as rotten as
her diplomacies, we had better not wait. II
is claimed that II we will wait until the
Spanish elections Sagasta will give all con.
cessions. Mr.. President, are we to be fooled
twice with the same trick? Is De LONE SO
soon forgotten2 Some tell us we are not
prepared. When, then, shall we be better
prepared Will it be when the Spanish tor
pedo floilla has crossed the water and rests
complacently on her bsse OF supplies, within
striking distance of our 1eel2 We know
now officially what we have believed for
forty days Shall we wait until she can de-
stroy more OF our ships and men? God for.
bid that such crime should be charged
to us.
Let US awake, Mr.. President; shake of
the Chinese narcotic that locks us in drowsy
| Incidence, as we hug our money bags and
murmur, peace at any price," awake as
our fathers did at Concord and Bunker Hill
awake to glorious war against nation that
burns homes and murders women and chill
dreD; awake to glorious war that seeks no
gain for us in treasure or territory, but a
war to drive the oppressor from the cont
nent TO set the Cuban flag in the sky for.
ever, and, following the instructions, almost
divine, left by Washington, war that will
give notice everywhere that the flag of ouI
country and the lives OF American citizens
shall be honored and respected all over the
world. Applause in the galleries.