Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-12-24

ROAD district III Marion County. III all
of the state Committee were like him.
Id pity the Democracy of the state.
| Just to think. when Governor Tanner
removed him as one of the Trustees of
Anna Insane Asylum, he said. Re
moved for incompetency.'
The best business men of the North
Side are strongly in favor of the ap-
| pointment of Hon. n. NJ. Plotkc for
] Justice of the Peace. We trust Mr..
| Plotke will he appointed. as no better
lawyer could be selected.
~S
Robert l.. Campbell. of 1859 West
North avenue. Is sure to he reappoint-
cd Justice of the Peace. He has made
a fine record In Office.
~~
An Instructive commentary upon the
history of the late war, from a Spanish
standpoint, has been furnished by n
series of letters from Admiral Cervera
recently published In a Madrid paper.
One of the most important of these
bears date few days after Dewey's
victory at Manila, and Its appearance
in a Spanish paper leaves no doubt Of
Its authenticity, In 1t the Spanish Al.
miral. while announcing his readiness
to obey the orders of his superiors, calls
attention In almost pathetic language
to the lack Of preparation of the Span.
ish navy for carrying on war In an
effective manner. Believing 1t his duty
to express his opinions plainly. he pre-
dicted that the war would result In de.
feat for Spain unless 1t could find some
powerful nlly-and all on account of
an island which had cost immensely
in blood and treasure. but was already
lest to Spain. Weeks before the first
gun was fired he pointed out with re-
inarkablc clcarness the obstacles con-
fronting Spain In carrying on a naval
war so far from home in consequence
of the absence of repair stations, even
If it should win a great victory. An
other document of scarcely less sig.
niiicance Is report by the second
naval officer in command n. Santiago
describing the helpless condition Of
Cervcra's fleet on It's arrival In San
tiago harbOr, both as regards fuel and
provisions. According to this report,
the fate of Santiago was sealed on the
capture of FL Cancy ana San Juan
cutting the garrison or from communl.
cation with the Interior. and Its fall
from starvation became only matter
Of time. The sending Of Cervera's fee
to the Cuban port was evidently mer,
"bluff." designed TO gain time fol
. "somethlng to turn up In Europe. ant
its fate. when sent out Of the harbOr b!
the express orders of Captain Genera
BlancO. apparently caused no surprise
to those acquainted with the situation
. The right to capture private property
OF the enemy on the sea In time Of wal
and divide 1t up among the captors Is ,
subject Of exceedingly great Interest t.
the commercial world, says tue Chicago
? Times. Herald. At the breaking out o
> our recent war 1t attracted immedlat,
' attention from the numerous capture
Of Sapnish trading vessels plying be
tween the ports of Porto Rico ana Cub:
AMI other countries. The prize none,
. | that thus fell to our naval forces wa
;. | Justified by past precedents, but to til
. general observer this making a prey o
j. lnOffensive and defenseless merchan,
men seemed more like piracy than civil
lied war. by reason VI this experienc
there has been general desire expires,
! cd that this remnant Of barbaric wal
fare should now be abolished. Captai
Mahan comes to the defense Of the Gus
tOni.and urges rs his strongest argumen
that commerce Is the life Of u nation
y on which 1t thrIves, aud that therefor
;. anything that will cripple his commerce
will cripple Its lighting power. II
further says that the great CONNER
, | cial Interests throw their influence o
. the side Of peace, for the very reasO
>, that they will be the greatest sufferer
" by war. assure nations" he add,
that their financial Interests Will sui
fer no more than the additional tax 10
- maintaining active hOst!llties. that tn
y operations OF maritime commerce, fol
II eign AMI coastwise. will undergo n
Il hindrance. and you will have remove
| ouc Va tuC uboSt ShVStiN' u
war;" We think this argument prov,
too much. II II nation may be cripple
!, on the sea In this way, why may 1t u,
=. be crippled on land by like means
Why should not towns ana cities 1
sacked and plundered by u vlctOriou
army and the booty divided among I'll
II officers ana men! Why should not MOI
II cOmbatan,s be put to the sword so III;
y they may not be forced into the en-
my's army? Why should not the grow
ing crops be destroyed SO that thel
i. would not be food for the enemy! y
L. The capture of private property on II
~ high seas Is no more dcfensib!e tina
the capture OF the same kind Of pro-
erty on land. ana 1t Is to be hoped til;
early steps will be taken among the NJ
!" tiOns to abolish this form OF warfar
" 1t would indeed be good subject {,
:" discussion at the Cars peace COME
}" cnce.
i ~6A
For years the dream of sanitariaI
~, In this country has been to secure co
~. troll of Havana ana the other Goa