davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28

literally exemplified on the cringing
flesh-Spain emerged with just one
commendable quality. The Spaniard
had become a fierce fighter, whether in
private broil or open battle,-and this
zest for fighting, even at desperate
odds, he has retained. 1t is fact not
to be forgotten nor ignored.
For season this. prowess and feroc-
ity in war made Spain one of the fore
most nations of Europe, though in al
most everything else one of the most
backward--a few brilliant instances to
the contrary Notwithstanding. Her
boasted art was forid foreign impor-
tation. Her literature is bombastic in
style, and full of the mendacity and
ize Spanish thought. For the discovery
of America she is entitled to small
credit; but the ingratitude with which
she requited those who had served her
and the greedy savagery with which
she seized and ruled and robbed the
territory thus acquired, are quite her
own.
To this period, likewise, belongs the
Inquisition. This, in the opinion of the
present writer, is often seriously mis-
uuueTSlOOu. II WAS uOl the outcome OL
her creed but of her character; it was
essentially Spanish. True, persecution
was no new thing; in barbarous age
men are sure to give a barbarous in
| depreciation to their religion-even
| though it be the Gospel of Peace. But
the denominations of injustice and
cruelty practised in Spain-whether di-
rected against infidels or Jews or here
tics-reach an extreme hardly to be
paralleled elsewhere, and they persist
ed and intensified in an age of increas-
ing enlightenment until the whole civil
lied world stood aghast at them. And
while the horrors of the Inquisition
were the inevitable outcome of Spanish
history and Spanish character, the sys-
TEN continually reacted to foster the
traits that had given it birth. So,
while the world advanced, Spain Jagged
behind in Medieval darkness,-and she
is still far to the rear.
That is the trouble today. With
Phoenician cruelty. and Carthaginian
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28

people rising, they were hunted with
dogs, they were tortured, they were
murdered, and finally exterminated.
This was the commencement of Spanish
rule on the island of Cuba. The same
spirit is in Spain to-day that was in
Spain then. The idea is not to con-
ciliate but to coerce, not to treat justly
but to rob and enslave. No Spaniard
regards Cuban as having equal rights
with himself. He looks upon the island
as property, and upon the people as a
part of that property, both equally be-
longing to Spain.
Spain has kept no promise made to
the Cubans, and never will At last
the Cubans know exactly what Spain
is, and they have made up their minds
to be free or to be exterminated. There
is nothing in history to equal the afro
cities and outrages that have been per-
petrated by Spain upon Cuba. What
Spain is all know as only repetition
of what Spain has done, only proph-
ecy of what Spain will do if it has the
power.
''As far as I am concerned, l have
no idea that there is to be any war be-
tween Spain and the United States. A
country that can't conquer Cuba GER
tainly has no very flattering chance Of
overwhelming the United States. Of
course, there is some wisdom even in
Spain, and the Spaniards who know
anything of this country know that it
would be absolute madness and the ut
most extreme of folly to attack us. I
believe in treating even Spain with per-
feet fairness. l feel about that coun-
try as Burns did about the devil: %,
wad ye TAX a thought an mendp 1
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28
Feeding Elephants in the Indian
Army.
Copyright, 1898.

The manner in which the elephants
of the Indian army are fed is most
peculiar. 1t is also economical, for by
the method employed not a single grain
Of rice is wasted. An elephants break
fast includes ten pounds of raw rice.
done up in leaves and then tied with
grass. At meal time, the elephants are
drawn up in line before row of piles
of this food. At the word attention.
each elephant raises its trunk and a
package is thrown into it's capacious
mouth. The promptness and precision
of this movement make the sight not
only interesting but amusing.
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28

which, set in revolution, frees a plung-
er which, in turn, on the impact of the
torpedo, is forced down upon a full
inmate cap surrounded by a tube of
dry gun-cotton. Wet gun-cotton eX-
plodes when ignited in contact with
dry gun-cotton.. The freeing of the
plunger by the propeller insures that
the torpedo must run a certain distance
from the vessel discharging it ere it
can explode.
The deviation from any set depth in
the passage of the torpedo must not
exceed fifteen inches at a range Of
eight hundred yards. Thus, as the tor
pedo can be set to run at depth of
from five to twenty feet, it is evident
that it may be depended upon to smite
a vessel at almost any point below the
armor line where the explosion will do
the most damage. 1t is said our Amer
lean torpedoes are better adjusted for
actual service than those in any other
navy in the world However that may
be, we have come to realize that the
torpedo is about the most important
feature of naval warfare. There are
those, indeed, among the best author
tiles, who assert that in decade hence
all naval conflicts will be fought with
the torpedo. OLIVER HENSHAW.
Copyright, 1898.
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28

mines the detonator is inserted In q
printing charge of dry gun-cotton with-
in metal case surrounded by wet gum
cotton. The least distance between
mines for safety is one hundred feet,
so that two or more lines of mines are
necessary to insure vessels hitting a
mine. A torpedo electrically connect
ed with the shore, if struck by an OUT
rigging or netting Of the enemys ship,
signals the fact to the operator in the
casemate, who delays sending the fir
ing battery current through the fuse
until the torpedo is directly under the
hull of the vessel.
Small vessels of great speed, known
as torpedo boats, carry and discharge
these ponderous missiles. This torpedo
resembles in shape a porpoise. It's orig
inal design, in fact, was said to be
fashioned after this fish. 1t is made
chiefly of steel, weighs eight hundred
and fifty pounds and is about twelve
feet in length. II consists of four prin-
cipal sections, the head, which carries
the explosives the flash, or air-receiver,
which is filled with compressed air at
a pressure of 1850 pounds to the square
lnch,-the escape of this air runs the
engine and propels the torpedo; the inn
mersion chamber, which contains the
mechanism for regulating the depth
and position of the torpedo; the en-
gine, fed by compressed air which
passes through the valves of a pipe so
adjusted as to fix the speed and dura-
tion of the run. The apparatus in the
third section consists of a pendulum
and hydrostatic piston that control a
horizontal rudder through an air steer
ing-engine. This rudder is movable; if
the torpedo goes too deep or inclines
downward this rudder moves up, bring
ing the torpedo to the set depth. If the
reverse takes place the rudder moves
down. The engine of the fourth section
turns a shaft on which there are two
propellors moving in opposite directions
at the tail of the torpedo. Finally on
each side of the tail are vertical rud-
ders which keep the torpedo in
straight path.
The head of the torpedo is made of
bronze and is charged with one hundred
and twenty pounds of wet gun-cotton.
The point of the head contains the
pistol" consisting of a propeller
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28

by the Spaniards is still a question. 1
suppose it will soon be decided. In my
own opinion, the disaster came from
the outside, but do not know, and not
knowing, am willing to wait for the
sake of human nature. 1 sincerely hope
that 1t was an accident. 1 hate to think
that there are people base and cruel
enough to commit such an act. Still
think that all these matters will be
settled without war.
Il am in favor of an international
court, the members to be selected by
the ruling nations of the world; and
before this court 1 think all questions
between nations should be decided, and
the only army and the only navy should
be under its direction, and used only
for the purpose of enforcing its de-
crees. Were there such court now,
before which Cuba could appear and
tell the story of her wrongs, of the
murders, the assassinations, the treach-
ery' the starvings, the cruelty, 1 think
that the decision would instantly be in
her favor and that Spain would be
driven from the island Until there is
such court there is no need of talking
about the world being civilized.
L am not Christian, but 1 do be-
lieve in the religion of justice, of kind
ness. l believe in humanity. do be-
lieve that usefulness is the highest pos
sible form of worship The useful man
is the good man, the useful man is the
real saint. 1 care nothing about super
natural myths and mysteries but 1 do
care for human beings. I have little
snort creed of my own, not very hard
to understand, that has in it no con-
tradictions, and it is this: Happiness
is the only good. The time to be happy
is now. The, place to be happy is here.
The way to be happy is to make others
So 1 think this creed, if adopted,
would do away with war. I think it
would destroy superstition, and 1 think
it would civilize even Spain.
while my sympathies are all with
Cuba, and while 1 have been anxious
that the United States should acknowl-
edge the independence of Cuba, still I
am willing to admit that President Nc
Kinley knows more about this matter
than I do; and I think that probably
he has many facts in his possession of
which know nothing Now I am sat
isfied that he is brave and patriotic
man. 1 am satisfied that he sympa-
thizes with all people struggling to be
free, and consequently 1 am willing to
wait, believing that the end will JUS
tify his course. At the same time re-
member, and 1 hope the administration
will not forget, that the people of
America are with Cuba
Copyright, 1898.
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28

tions, as pictured by poets, it is one of
the toughest and most savage. The
real shepherd goes about armed to the
teeth, often followed by pack of fierce
dogs, ever ready and often forced to
fight for life and property. What he
becomes under the most favorable con-
ditions may be seen in the modern cow
boy. In earlier times we simply find
the knife and spear in place of the re-
volver and rifle, while the shepherd him
self is rather more like wild animal
Much the same may be said of the
miners. In such a state of society laws
are ineffective, brigandage runs ram
pant, and lynching, as the only means
of restraining crime, becomes a sys-
tenn. All this is familiar to us in the
history of the wilder parts of our own
West; and all this. and worse. was the
condition of Spain for centuries-an-
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28

were an offshoot Of the same evil stock
They were about as merciful as our
American Indians-every one is famil-
lar with the horrible story of Regulus-
and "Punic faith" was a by-word
These Carthaginians overran most of
the country, and we know that their
generals encouraged intermarriages
between soldiers and natives. Very
popular for a time were the Carthage
mans in Spain-the accepted type Of
cleverness and manhood. Few traces
of their blood probably remain; but it
was a bad start. The clay was still
soft, and their example was potent
Like master, like man."
Then came the Romans, with a yet
more masterful dominion that lasted
for centuries. Here there was no poison
in the blood, but again the example
was baneful. Romes method of deal
ing with subject provinces, which
Spain learned by bitter experience, she
seems to have adopted a model for all
time Every school-boy has read of the
rapacity and arrogance and inhumanity
of the Roman governors, who regard
ed provincials merely as a source of
revenue, with no rights that a lordly
Roman need respect These notions
seem to have fallen on singularly fer
tile soil, and unlucky Cuba is today
reaping the fruits of Spains Roman
| training. No masters are so intoler-
able as those who have learned the
trick of tyranny in the school of servi-
tude.
And still the corruption Of blood
went on; if Spain had been made the
worlds penal colony she could scarcely
have Jared worse. After the Romans
came the Vandals, whose name has be-
come a synonyme for brutal destruc-
tiveness; and close on their heels, the
! Visigoths, of whom a celebrated au-
thority has declared that to them ''may
be traced all the maxims of the mod
ern Inquisition."
Even this was not enough. The dis
tracted country-as yet it could hardly
be called a nation-was next overrun
by horde of Moors from Africa,
bringing an alien and fanatic creed "a
be enforced by the edge of the sword
Under this regime the Spanish Chris
| tians soon became even more intolerant
than their Moslem conQuerors. The
ferocious racial and religious strife
which ensued lasted for the major part
of millennium before it received its
final quietus by the expulsion of the
Moors, and probably had more to dc
with making Spanish character what
it now is than all that had gone before.
In such conflict, almost Of necessity
piety became bigotry, patriotism but
another name for cruelty, and loyalty
to friends synonymous with treachery
to foes Such conditions, of course,
have from time to time arisen else
where, but rarely have they been so
prolonged or so acute.
J Out of this fiery ordeal-too often
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28

know that nations, like people, do as
they must, and I regard Spain as the
victim and result of conditions, the
fruit of tree that was planted by ig-
norance and watered by superstition.
II believe that Cuba is to be free, and
I want that island to give new flag
to the air, whether it ever becomes a
part of the United States or not. My
sympathies are all with those who are
struggling for their rights, trying to get
the clutch of tyranny from their
throats; for those who are defending
their homes, their firesides, against ty-
rants and robbers. O..
Whether the Maine was blown up
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28
WHY SPANIARDS ARE CRUEL.
Starting With Bad Blood From Several
Sources They Are Not to Be Pite
Because They Are Pitiless.

though it gives ali uncommonly keen
edge TO such traits when they appear.
And they appeared soon; the importa-
tion of the virus of cruelty began early.
That the perhaps the
most atrociously cruel of the races Of
antiquity-gained foothold in Spain in
almost prehistoric times may be passed
by with mere mention. These are the
people who gave it's name to Cadiz, and
who in the height of their alleged
civilization fed Moloch with human
sacrifices. We know too little of the
extent of their infuence-probably
quite limited-to attempt to measure
it; but whatever it amounted to, it was
morally pernicious.
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28

That the Spaniards are, as a race, ex-
ceptionally and notoriously cruel 1 shall
take for granted. 1t is an opinion al
most universally received, and with
most people argument would be super
f1uous. The question Of real interest is,
What has made them so? For nature
is never arbitrary; not even the SEEM
ingly wilful perversitles of men are
without cause.
In the case of Spain some of the
causes date very far back; they began
their work almost before the dawn of
history-as we might expect from the
dogged persistency of the traits devei-
oped. 1t is a case of bad blood almost
from the beginning.
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28

other reason why the Spanish are not
a gentle race. In this connection it is
rather interesting to note that Just as
our cowboys sometimes string up
horse-thief on the nearest tree and
make him target for their revolvers,
so the Spanish lynching parties used to
hoist their victim upon pole and shoot
him full of arrows-so closely does his
tory repeat itself under similar condi-
tions. We, however, do not boast of the
grandeur" of '49, nor Of the cattle
ranch.
That the Spaniard was also much ad-
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28

dicted to a seafaring life did not tend
to soften his temper in days when COM
merce was largely a compound of
smuggling and piracy. Here again he
worked up a great reputation for fero-
cious cruelty-though it must be ad-
mitted that the English We're for a time
close rivals in this line. 1t is simply
one more factor. The horrible traffic
in slaves is another, and was at its
worst under Spanish (and Portuguese
auspices. Like the Inquisltion, all these
things are at once manifestation and
a reacting cause of Spanish cruelty.
Much more might be adduced; but
quite enough has been cited to make it
evident why the Spaniard is what he
is. The character of a nation, as of its
individual members, is largely the
product of heredity and environment:
and in both these particulars the Span
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28
Beau Brummell's Crave.

In the Protestant cemetery at Caen,
surrounded with yew and cypress trees,
there is tomb which has just been re-
stored. The stone bears these words:
I'm memory of George Brummell, Esq,
who departed this life on the 29th of
March, 1910; aged sixty-two years. "
The tomb contains the remains of the
noted favorite of George ".
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28
Torpedo Partially in Tube.

from the battery ashore, and (3) me-
chanical mines, which, on collision, ex-
plode through the action of a contriv-
ance within them and which are in nc
way connected with the shore. The
question as to whether a channel or
harbor shall be used for navigation de-
termines the choice Of the system But
no system at present is alone sufficient
for coast defense.
The charge of a mine is exploded by
means of detonator containing full
inmate of mercury. In gun-cotton
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28

ROBERT G. INCERSoLL.


industry of Spain. Nothing was left
| but Spaniards; that is to say, Incidence,
pride, cruelty and infinite superstition.
| So Spain destroyed all freedom of
thought through the Inquisition, and
for many years the sky was livid with
the flames of the Auto -da-fe; Spain
was busy carrying fagots to the feet
of philosophy, busy in burning people
for thinking, for investigation, for ex-
pressing honest opinions. The result
was that a great darkness settled over
Spain, pierced by no star and shone up
on by no rising sun.
"At one time Spain was the greatest
of powers, owner of half the world, and
now she has only few islands, the
small change of her great fortune, the
few pennies in the almost empty purse
souvenirs of departed wealth, of van
ished greatness. Nov Spain is bank
rupt, bankrupt not only in purse, but in
the higher facultiessof the mind, a ma
tion without progress, without thought;
still devoted to bull-fghts and super
stition, still trying to alright conta-
gious diseases by religious professions
Spain is part of the medieval ages
belongs to an ancient generation. 1t
really has no place in the nineteenth
century.
Spain has always been cruel. S. S.
Prentice, many years ago, speaking of
Spain said ON the shore of discovery
it leaped an armed robber, and sought
for gold even in the throats Of its vic
Tins The bloodiest pages in the his
tory of this world have been written
by Spain. Spain in Peru, in Mexico,
Spain in the Low Countries-all pos
sible cruelties come back to the mind
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28
Damien Being Torn to Pieces.

when we say Philip IL, when we say
the Duke of Alva, when we pronounce
the names of Ferdinand and Isabella.
Spain has inflicted every torture, has
practised every cruelty, has been
guilty of every possible outrage. There
has been no break between Torque-
mada and Weyler, between the Inquisi-
ton and the infamies committed in
Cuba.
when Columbus found Cuba, the
original inhabitants were the kindest
and gentlest of people. They practised
no inhuman rites, they were good, con-
tented people. The Spaniards enslaved
them or sought to enslave them. The
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28

That intercourse with the Phoeni-
clans did, after ALL have considerable
effect on the impressionable Iberian
character, is strongly suggested by the
ease with which the Carthaginians sub
sequently attained a dominant influ-
ence in Spain. This was practically the
same thing, for these new invaders
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28
spaniards Roasting a Man to Death.

Yet not wholly bad, at first. The old
lberians were a passionate, tickle race,
AS is the Spaniard of today From
them he has inherited his hot and reck-
less temper, as well as his swarthy
complexion; but an infusion of this
blood does not necessarily result in a
cruel and treacherous disposition
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28

the Jews WAo AT that time represented
4 coed deal Of wealth and considerable
intelligence. This expulsion was char
acterized by infinite brutality and by
cruelties that words cannot express.
They drove out the Moors at last. Not
satisfied with this, they drove out the
Moriscoes. These were Moors who had
been converted to Catholicism.
1.-The Spaniards, however, had no con-
fldence in the honesty of the CONVEX
sion, and for the purpose of gaining
the good will of their God, they drove
them out. They had succeeded in get
ting rid of Jews, Moors and Moriscoes;
that is to say, of the intelligence and
Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28
Torture inflicted on Geeyn Cornelius Who Was Afterwards Burnt

lard has been phenomenally unlucky.
He is just what his history has made
him, and presumably can be nothing
else. We could pity him were he not
himself so pitiless.
That he should excessively pride him-
self upon his lineage seems rather ex-
traordinary in view of the facts; but
it is really nothing to wonder at. The
worse the stock the more insufferable
the pride of .blood-as the pedigree If
many royal house bears witness.
CHARLES KELSEY GAINES.
Copyright, 1898. J
The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-06
Three Days Turn Fest.

The New Jersey Turn verein festival at
the Union Hill Schuetzen Park was at
tended by 5000 persons yesterday. The
competitions were confined to teams. The
represented were Newark. Pat
erson, Elizabeth, Union Hill, Newark
Vorwaerts, Greenville, Hudson City, New
Brunswick and Hoboken. Calisthenic ex-
ercises by 1856 men and $50 women started
the sport. The men afterward competed
on the horizontal and parallel bars, and
also climbed the rope and INDUCED in field
sports. The judges figure out the super
iority of the teams on a percentage basis,
and the winners will not be known before
tonight. The work of the women turner's
much admired yesterday, and they
came in for round of applause. The men
also showed up wonderfully well. The in
dividual contests for both men and
women will take place today. The men
will proceed down to the Gutenberg
shore of the Hudson River this morning
and ho1d a series of swimming races.
Turning and bicycle races will take place
in the afternoon.