The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-03-31

WASHINGTON, March 30.-Interest in
the Cuban situation-the interest might
almost be termed excitement, 50 intense
was it-has reached climax in the sen.
ate
Thousands of people flocked to the
capitol, only few of whom, compare.
lively, could gain admission to the gal.
leries.
Within five minutes after the senate
convened Mr.. Allen (Neb. introduced
a resolution recognizing the in0epend.
ence of the Cuban republic. This was
followed by a resolution proposed by
Mr.. Rawlins (Utah) declaring war
against the kingdom of Spain.
Mr.. Foraker CO.. then introduced a
resolution declaring for such interven.
ton in Cuba as would bring about the
independence of the Cubans. Follow
ing this came a resolution by Mr.. Frye
(Me.) demanding that Cuba be made
free.
The resolutions followed one another
so rapidly as almost to stun the auditors,
both senators and spectators, The gal.
leries were in "a commotion and the peo.
pie were prepared for anything.
This was the condition when the vice
president recognized Mr.. Mason (Ills)
for his announced speech on the presi.
dents message transmitting to congress
the finding of the Maine court of in.
quiry. Mr.. Mason read his speech from
manuscript, but it was delivered with
all the vigor and fire of which he is
capable. The intensity of the feeling
of those in the galleries was evidenced
by the storm of applause which was
elected by his declaration that he was
for war.
President Hobart had real difficulty
in suppressing the demonstration.
Mr.. Mason in the course of his speech
said:
For two years the process OF imprson-
ment of the recOnCentradOs and their
starvation has proceeded, yet anyone who
dared to call attention to the tact has had
to Withstand the assaults of those con-
trolling the press, who denied in their
editorial columns the news they printed
in their news columns. Thousand had
been starved, millions of dollars of our
legitimate 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 flag says, be silent, think uf
the horrors of war and the dangers to
business.
When the order of concentration came
they cooped at least 500 American citizens
with the reCOnCGntrados and refused to al
low them to go out and earn legitimate
| and honest living. 1t amounted to impris.
Onment, we claimed so at the time, yet SO
many professed not to believe it until the
honorable senator from Vermont de.
sCribed the dead line and the gun of the
| Spanish soldier that kept the ConCentra.
| dos together. Any other selt-rCspecting
nation in the world would haves ordered
| their release and better treatment, or they
! would have opened the gates of hell on
| Moro castle. 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
| permission of Spain the poor privilege OF
! feeding our citizens American bread on
| Spanish soil.
The battleship Maine, our gallant ship
went down, and 26S OF our gallant citizen
sailors with her. At the time every cit /.
zen of the United States, familiar with
Spanish character, felt confident it wa,
| Spanish treachcry. Our ship was there
by right of custom, rendered hospitality
and also by treaty contract she had an
absolute right to be there. The day closed
and she rode the harbor messenger OF
peace.
The night came on, a dark, gloomy
night, natural and proper time for Span
ish bravery. Our men were asleep in a
/ friendly harbOr, they were never Chal
lenged to try their courage. They were
| not whipped in honorable battle, but
choked, burned stranglcd and drowned
without u chance to die fighting for life
without a moment to say prayer.
In tine twinkling of an eye they stood
in the presence of their maker Suppose
90 of them had been United States sena
tors, suppose the balance had been mem
bers of congress or made up of Judges
and leading professional and business
mon, would 40 days have elapsed before
war began, or suppose. each senator had @
son or a father there Do we tell oul
life of every American citizen is of equa
value before the law
Mr.. President, l speak only for myself
and am for war. Applause in the gal
leries.l
tive wing He can neither declare war MOI
refuse it, Congress alone can declare war
for one am ready to vote now. You may
continue to cry peace, peace, but there car
be no peace while Europeans own and
butcher their slaves on the same cont
nent where our flag floats. But there are
the responsibility. 1t was not necessary
the peace at any price" men cannot es
cape so. The law fixes the responsibility
| We were in Spanish waters and oyel
Spanish soil, The harbor is owned by
Spain. The explosives in that harbol
| IL
If 1t was a torpedo, 1t was a Spanish
torpedo; If 1t was mine, 1t was Span
ish mine, no explosives have been on salC
In Havana for over year to private citi
zens; II 1t was guncotton 1t was Spanish
guncotton, and If 1t was dynamite, 1t was
Spanish dynamite. The power to explode
1T was controlled by Spain. A govern
ment acts only through its agents anG
officers as much as they controlled the
discharge of their cannon. 1t was owned
located and exploded by Spain and SpaiI
must answer.
l shall oppose any plan to assist Spair
10 place any kind OF autonomy on Cuba
Spain cannot be trusted to keep hel
promise, and we cannot undertake L
compel her to. Aside from that poOl
Cuba has paid larger price for liberty thar
we did and she must be free. | shal
oppose any plan that looks TO forcing
Cuba in the future to pay Spain in Casl
: for her liberty. Her land Is full of grave
and her future generations must not bC
mortgaged.
1t is claimed by some that Cuba ough
to be willing to pay Spain's Cuban wal
debt. Cuba to pay for the powder ant
lead that killed her people To pay fo
the torches that burned her homesy Il,
; pay the back wages Of the Spanish sol
Iliers who ravished thoir wives and daugh
ters Never, by any vote of mine
Some tell us we must wait for Spanisl
election, III her elections are as fOUUen a
her diplomacles we cannot wait liz i
claimed that II we will wait until the Span
Ssh elections, Sagasta will give all conces
sions. Are we to be fooled twice with tn
same trick : Is De LONE SO soon for
gottenY
M. l. Yocum, Cameron, Pa, says: g
, was a sufferer for ten years, trying mos
all kinds of pile remedies, but withol
success, DeWitt's Witch Hazel salve WI
recommended to me. / used one boz