The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-03-31
MOTHER SAD STORY.
Misery ~ n Cuba as Seen by senatos
Thnrston. Of Nebra~lka-Demands
lmmediafe Acti0n

Thurston. Of Nebraska-Dem
Immediate Action.
i Washington, March 25.-A scene dramatic
N the intensity Of its interest was pre-
scented In the senate Thursday during the
delivery by Senator Thurston (Neb.) Of ~
speech on the Cuban situation. Not since
the inauguration Of President McKinIey
| have 80 many people been on the senate
side Of the ca pitol as were there Thursday.
Within few minutes after the senato
convened every member who could be pres
ent was in his seat. and by the time Sem
ator Thurston had begun his speech dozens
OF members of the house were either stand
Ing or occupying chairs in the area without
the semicircle OF seats. His first sentence.
In which he said he spoke by command OF
silent lips-a delicate and touching refer
ence to the loss Of his wife on his memoir
able trip to Cuba-commanded instant at
| tention. "A hush fell over the great audi
ence which hung with almost breathless
attention and interest upon every word.
| Senator Thurston said that he had gone
to Cuba firmly believing that the condi-
ton OF anairs on the island had been great-
his efforts in the first Instance to the ex-
Posure Of the supposed exaggerations. He
had &C. concluded. however. that an over
was Impossible. He was prepared, he
| stated not only to adopt every word Of the
the senator from Vermont 1senator Proc c-
| tor). but he was even convinced that he
had understated the facts. =
| senator. ThurstOn then tersely summar-
follows: '''0''' -
"Af IT. e. three d55 years Of warfare and the
control OF every foot Of Cuba not surround
ed by an actual INFRINGEMENT and protect
ed by fortified picket line.
| she holds possession with her armies Of
the fortified seaboard towns, because they
are under the virtual protection Of Spanish
Warshlps, with which the revolutionists
The revoluttonists are in absolute and
almost peaceful possession of nearly one
grovtnees Of Santiago Be Cuba and Puerto
'Under the inhuman policy of weyler not
less than 100000 self-supporting. simple.
peaceful, defenseless country people were
driven from their homes in the agricultural
cities and imprisoned upon the barren
| waste outside the residence portions: Of
these cities and within the lines Of IN
| Their humble homes were burned, their
fields he laid l.. waste. their indictments Of hus
supplies for the most part confiscated.
Most MOS oS Of these people were old men, women
and Gh1ldre 1a, Slow starvation was their
indicates that 100000 Of these people have
already persisted from starvation. -"
The pictures IN the American newspa-
| true. They can all be duplicated by the
thousands, I never saw, and please God
as the reconcentrados in the suburbs OF
| Matanzas. can never forget to my dying
ns dSed IN the1f desPag
huts. they raised no voice of appeal to US
TOR Or, aims as we went among them.
20 Meh' women S, and children stand silent.
their sad eyes. through which one looks as
through hr ugh. an open window into their agoniz-
II shall refer to these horrible things no
further. They are there. God pity me; I
have seen them: they will remain in
tieth century. Christ died 1900 years ago
and Spain is Christian nation; she has
a5 up sRes enS Snd
earth combined.
long as the people Of the Old World, wish
God grant that before another Christmas
min the last h; Of Spanish
the western hemisphere"
Discussing the remedy which should be
arP p11ed to the evils he found Senator
~ counseled silence and modera ton from
this floor when the passion Of this nation :
Of the Maine, but 1t seems to me the time
for action has now come, Not action in
the Mains @ The hope and trust this
siaution entirely outside Of the Maine case
When the Maine report is received. If it
blown up by some outside explosion, we
will have ample PREPARATION without bubble
delay aa y;s and i the explosion be traced
such swift and terrible punishment admin
istered as will remain warning to the
What shall the United States do. Mr..
For answer Senator Thurston. as re-
:'the United States should actively use it's
g4e to 5e
In accepting the nomination rendered
him by. the convention, which had adopted
William Mckinley had said: "The plat
form adopted by the republican convention
has received my careful consideration and
Senator Thurston even ,recounted the
steps which the president has taken upon
and pronounced his course wise, states
manlike and in accordance with the diplo-
| matte uses of the world
the United States to give to the liberal min
istry Of Spain reasonable time in which
has be Been ne eyen Autonomy is Conceded the
| wide world over to be conspicuous fail
ure. The situation in Cuba has only
less, Blance is powerless, to put an end to
the conflict, to rehabilitate the island or to
relieve the suffering, starvation and dis
tress:
1.-The time for action has then come. No
greater reason for it can be expected to-
morrow than to-day. Every hours delay
| only adds another chapter to the awful
story Of misery and death. Only one power
can intervene-the United States of Amer
lea:
What shall our action be?''
Senator Thurston briefly referred to the
propositions of recognizing the belligeren-
cy or the independence of the Cubans only
| to say that it was too late for either AS to
annexation he said:
God forbid. I would oppose annexation
with my latest breath.
"Mr. President there Is only one action
possible If any is taken: that Is. interven-
ton for the independence of the island;
Intervention that means the landing of an
American army on Cuban soil, the deploy-
ing of an American fleet off the harbor OF
Leave the island, withdraw your soldiers,
leave the Cubars, these brothers of ours
in the New World, to form and carry on
government for themselves Such inter-
Vention on our part would not of itself be
war. It would undoubtedly lead to war:
But If war came it would come by act Of
Spain In resistance Of the liberty and the
"Mr. President, in the cable that moored
me to life and hope the strongest strands
are broken. I have but little left to offer
at the altar Of freedoms sacrifice, but all
I have I am glad to give. I am ready to
serve my country as best can in the senate
earnest prayer to God is this: That when
death comes to end all I may meet It
calmly and fearlessly as did my beloved, In
the cause of humanity. under the Amer
lean flag" E&3: ~ 81
= The Flying Squadron.
Washington. March 25.-The orders