Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-29
DECLARING FOR WAR.

OIOANiHuQ IOlI WILL
Continued from First Page)
mitted hundreds Of thousands Of men. wo-
men and chaldern 10 die Of starvation: and
as result of this system OF inhuman war
fare tens OF thousands of the helpless peo-
pie are now dying for want Of food;
And whereas the war has paralyzed and
almost destroyed the large commercial re-
iafaoz1 which have heretofore existed be-
tween the United States and Cuba, and has
rendered useless, and brought TO ruin the
many millions OF dollars of property Of
american citizens invested in the island;
And whereas the existence and proIonxa-
ton OF the hostilfties Rave imposed heayy
financial expenditures and burdensome Of
nciai faDors upon the government of the
United States In the enforcement of its
neutrality laws;
And whereas the consuls OF the United
states and other Impartial and competent
observers nave reported that the Spanish
government has lost control Of much of he
greater portion of the island; that ii Is
poweriess to restore its authority and bring
ABOUT peaee, and that a continuance Of
Lne contest VIII have no other efrect than
TO increase the horrors, misery and starva-
ton which now exists, to utterly extin-
gufsh The commerce with and destroy the
property Of American citizens, and add
70 the expense and burdens Of the govern
i ment OF the United States:
i Therefore resolved by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress asss nbled,
Ihat the President of the United States
be and he-is hereby directed ana empower
ed to take such effective steps as, in his
ciscrtion. may be necessary to secure q
speedy termination of the hostilities be-
tween the government of Spain acd the
people of Cuba, the withdrawal of the mill
tary and naval forces of Spain from said
island and the complete Independence of
said people.
The resolutions were all. except Mr. Al
lens, referred to the committee on foreign
relations.
MIR. Mason Speaks.
At the conclusion Of the presentation OF
resolutions Mr.. Mason Ql.) was recognized
Tor q speech on the Presidents message of
yesterday. Mr.. Mason said he believed It
was due the country to know the general
expression and intention Of the members
| of the Senate. While he would not apol-
oetze for discussing the Cuban question at
| this time, hs did not intend by SO doing
any 'dtsrespect either to the administration
or the committee on foreign relations when
he said that he was tired of the liiatory
tactacs that had been employed for three
years to prevent any assistance from the
United States to the starving Cubans He
continued:
More than two years ago the plan of the
Spanish government to starve the women
and children and non-combatants was be-
gun. Every intelligent man, woman and
child was informed of it through the or
binary channels of Information the news
papers, and by the statements of disinter-
ested witnesses day after day, week after
week, month after month and year after
year, and received practically no attention
from THIS government, until some of the
members OF this body visited the scene OF
death ard distress, and brought back to
US their words of honor that no picture
hed beel drawn by the press that fully
stated the horrors of the situation. Then
the gentlemen and newspapers VINO had
pretended at least to discredit those state
mentS In this body began to talk about IL
as though 1t was new discovery, when
| within ninety miles of our shore for two
years they had continued to murder Wo-
men and children.
Sneered at a Year Ago.
when nearly a year ago 1 called atten-
ticn to the situation, as given at that time,
and since corroborated by four of our col
| leagues upon this floor. from personal OBJ
scrvation. the statement was received with
| sneers by many of my colleagues. and I
had the pleasure Of being insulted over the
| Wire by stock brokers and scalpers in the
markets.. For two years the process of
imprisonment OF the reconcentracoS and
their starvation has proceeded, yet Eny one
WHO dared to call attention to the fact has
had to Withstand the assaults of those con-
trolling the press who denied in their edi-
torial columns the news they printed in
their news columns. Thousands have been
starved. millions Of dollars of our lesiti-
Nate commerce has been swept from the
high seas, and the man who worships the
eagle on the dollar and does not see the
one on his nag says, be silent: think of the
horrors OF war and the dangers to bust
ness.
When the order of concentration came
they cooped at least 800 American citizens
with the reconcentrados and refused to
allow them to go out and earn a legitimate
and honest living. II amounted to i'm
prisonment; we claimed SO at the time, YET
n any professed no. to believe 1t until the
honorable senator from Vermont described
| the dead line and the gun of the Spanish
soldier that kept the corcentrados to-
gether. Any other self-respecting nation
| In the world would have ordered their re-
lease and better treatment. or they would
have opened the gates Of hell on Moro cas-
Tie. This government, however, upon the
| suggestion Of the President, took $4,000 of
the peoples money out of the treasury of
the United States and begged permi ssion
| OF Spin the poor privilege of feeding our
citizens American bread on Spanish soil.
Il am Lot complaining, am not CRITICS
ing there Is no other such record in all
the history o. the world. I only repeat this
.humiliating statement 10 call attention 10
\ the fact that every effort that has been
made by the President has been construed
| by Spain to be an Get of cowardice and
| are afraid of that mighty power, and every
| 81 CHI act Of careful consideration on our
! part has made Spain more cruel to her
own people and more insulting to u.s.
Destruction Of the Maine.
| Mr.. Mason then turned his attention to
| the destruction of the Maine.
''The battle ship Maine, our gallant ship
went down and 26S of our gallant citizen
| sailors with her. At the time every citizen
of the United States. familiar with the
| Spanish character, felt confident 1t was
| Spanish treachery. Our ship was there BY
right Of custom, Of rendered hospitality
| and also by treaty contract she had an alb
soaute right to be there. The day CLOSED
| and she rode the harbor a MESSENGER OF
peace. No message had been sent by oul
| executive inconsistent with the national
honor of Spain. Our only offer was to try
| TO restore peace alike honorable to ALL Our
| treasury had been opened to feed her peo-
pie Definite plans were not even suggested
| by the President. fearing to injure our re-
!attons with Spain. Spain could not coz
qlaer her own insurgents. Had we been q
graspfng nation we could any time within
! two years have made aggressive and forrd-
| bic annexation, taking advantage of the
crime OF Spain and the misfortune of Cuba
Swv4&