The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-03-29
PROCTOR'S STATEMENT ON CUBAN AFFAIRS
. GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF
WHAT HE SAW.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Have Died of
starvation and Others are Rapidly
FOLLOWING.
Senator Proctor, of Vermont, who
secretary of war under President
Harrison, on his return from an eX-
tended trip to the island Of Cuba,
made u statement Of his observations
TO the United States Senate which is
very remarkable and entirely free
from sensational bias. except so far as
the actual facts create q sensation.
ills statement was carefully prepared,
ana the facts were detailed with clear,
ness aud precision while his utteranccs
were CAIN and dlspasslOnatG to y
notable degree. Tue Senators lis
tened with breathless interest to their =
colleague, and the galleries were filled
with an eager and Interested audience.
He had visited the White House Just
before the delivery Of his speech, and
Ii IL presumed that he read the state
ment TO President Mckinley, with
whom he Is on intimate terms.
Senator Proctor WAS accorded the
closest attention throughout his speech.
He confined himself TO his manuscript,
and, at the conclusion, while there
was no demons ration, he was cordIa ly
commended g! many OF his colleagues.
MIR. Proctor stated, in bGginOiur,
that his trip was entirely uuuiliaia',
and WAS not suggested by any one. Mr..
Proctor sai6i parG:
CT General Lse, need saw little.
III 5 valuable services to his country In
his trying position are to- wei known
TO all his countrymen to require mem
ton. Beside his ability, high charac-
ter and courage, he possesses the lm-
portant requisites of unfolding tact and
courtesy, and, with all, lis military
education and training, and his soldier
~ qualities are invaluable adjuucts
in the equipment Of our representa-
tive In IL country so completely uudyr
military rule as Is Cuba"
1t has been stated thct | said there
was no doubt the Maine was b owu up
from the outside" Le continued.
This Is a mistake. | may have SAID
That Such was the general impression
among Americans in Havana. In fact,
| have no opinion about it myself, anu
carefully avoided forminr Que"
Sen: '&: i,OGtur described tue places
he had visited, and OF tho wHrlikc con
ditiun Of things on tie island, outside
Of Havana. The order Of cUnccntru-
ton has produced d~usUlatlOn. He told
OF Wcyler's orders for concentration
and Of the ctfucC IT had upon the re.
concentrates. Continuing he said
The execution Of this order was
NV u SSAl w ~ SutlllllS ~ uIkNe II
all that had not Obeyed, aud | was in
formed That, in many cases, Il torch
was applied 20 their homes with no
notice and the inmate He'd wItA such
clothing as they might have ON, their
stock aud Other belongings baing ap-
prOprjGjod by the gucrIIius. When
they reached the towns they were
allowed TO build LuIs Of palm leaves
IN the suburbs and vacant places with
IN the trCCha, aud left to live If they
could. Their huls are about lOXl5 feet
III s!Hn. and FOR want OF space are
usually crowded together. They have
no floor, but the ground and no furni.
tore, and after q years wear, but little
clothing except such stray substitutes
as tncy CN tCmDJr.XG. WIFE large
families or with more thar one in TINS
lttlc space, the COInmOnpsU sanitary
provisions are Impossible. Cund lions
are unmcntlOnabiC 10 this respect.
Torn from their homes, with iOll
earth, fOll air, foul water uuu iuu!
food, or none. what wonder tAat one
nall have died, and that on,-unartcr
OF the living are SO diseased Lh4J they
cannot be saved. y form OF dyupsy i.
Il common disorder resulting from
these conditions. Little children are
st!ll Walking about with ar.us and
chest terribly cIuaCiatCd, eyes swollen
and abdomen blUa'uu to three times
the natural eiZc. The phy,icians say
these cases are hopeless.
Deaths in the street have not been
uncommon. was tO.I by one OF our
cOnsuIs mat they have been found
dead about the markets in the morn.
ing where they had crawjeu, hoping
to get some stray bits OF food from the
early huckstCrs and mat there had
been cases whore they had dropped
ueAd inside the market, surrounded by
IOoa. These people were lndupcn.
aent and scll-sdpUurLing before Woy-
ler's orders. They are not paggai :
even now.
OF the hospitals / nced not speak
DINERS have described their condition
for better than can II is not within
the narrow lluhta Of my v~oyu5ulary TO
portray II. ] vent 70 CubH with q
strong conviction that the picture mad
been OV~crdrawn, that u few cases OF
starvation and suffering bad inspired
ana stimulated the press cOrr,spOu-
cents, nud they had gwen Tree play
10 strong, natural and highly cult
Vatea imagination. Before STARTING. i
received through the mail IL ig.ll L
pubilsn'd by the ChrisJiun Herald.
with cuts OF SOuIe Of the sick ana
starving rC~cDncentradOS and took il
WIN me- CtIhh !uS bllCSS were IittC
specimens got up 10 make the wors t
possible showing. saw y cuty a. bad
and worse many that shOulI not ~
photograph, and SHOWN. | cOulC nOJ
believe tuaJ out OF IL population o!
! 900. GOO 200 900 had died within these,
spanish lorts, practically prison walls,
"IIhln Is few months past from actual
Starvation and diseases caused by 10
~SnlhIiCDt ana improper lOou. Inquiries
were entirely outside OF sensational
sources. They were made Of our
medical officers, OF our cOnsuls, Of
cities atcadcs. (nayors), Of relief com.
mItJccs, leading merchants and bank.
ers, physicians and lawyers. Scvcra,
OF my lnfurmunts were Spanish born.
but every time the answer was IL at
the case had not beer ovcrstatod.
General BiaucO's order Of NOvom-
Der 18th, last, somewhat tuol ii > the
Wcylcr order, but is OF lILtic or no
practicable bcnClit. It's application is
limited to farms properly defended
ana the owners u" obliged To builI
centres ofdefcnsC.' It's execution is
completely IN the disCrCt on Of the local
military authorities, ard they know the
terrible military Efficiency Of VIEWERS
order in stripping the country Of all
possible shelter, for order or source of
Information for an i~nsuiLoat and will
be SOW to surrender this ADVANTAGE.
In TACT, though the order was issued
Tour months ago, | saw no bencGcicnt
results worth III informing"
NO Of lI1 {NDhunl tho Gn,n4,u