The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1898-12-08

-, informed by committees that the /
note and house awaited any com
nication he wished to make to
them r,..,
t,,r1ftbstaulina the added burdens rendered
,ossarv by the war. our people rejoice IN Il
~, eatIsfactory and steadily increasing de-
.-ae of prosperity evidenced by the largest
.aIrue of business ever recorded Every man
oo,,,re has been productive, agricultural pur-
- have Welded abundant returns. labor in
81 eeIds Of industry is better rewarded, rev.
20 LEGISLATION passed by the present congress
bas increased the treasury rs receipts to the
rnopnt estimated by its authorities, the
snances Of the government have been sue
sfnIIy admins trated and its credit advanced
.otbe first rank, while its currency has been
a{Dtained at the worlds highest stan ard
Military service under common tag and or a
tcbteous cause has strengthened taa national
srirt and served to cement more closely than
rar the fraterual bonds between eVs RS >sa-La n
N the country y review OF the relation
NJ the United States to other powers
always appropriate. is this year OF primary i'm
nnrtance In view OF the mOmentOuS issues
Fhirb have arisen. demanding in one instance
che ultimate determination by arms and in
voIying far-reachjng consequences which will
require the earnest attention of the congress
The Cuban Insurrection.
Tnmy last annual message very Full cOnsid-
sration was given to the question of the duty
of the government Of the United States toward
Cnain and the Cuban instruction as being by
far the most important problem with which we
were then called upon to deal The considera-
tons then advanced, and the exposition of the
views therein expressed, disclosed my sense OF
the extreme gravity of the situation Setting
aside as logically uHfouuded or practically ia
admissible the recognition OF the Cuban in
snrpents as bellgereuts the recognition of the
tndependence OF Cuba, neutral Intervention TO
end the war by imposing a rational
compromise between the contestants, in
teryention In favornof one or the other
marty and forcible annexation OF the
island concluded 1t honestly due to our
friendly relations with Spain that she should
be given reasonable chance to realize her ex-
pectations OF reform to which she had become
irrevOeably committed Within few weeks
preyiousIy she had announced comprehensive
Mans which it confidently asserted would
be ericacous to remedy the evil so deeply
affecting our own country so injurious to the
true interests of the mother country as well as
to those of Cuba, and so repugnant TO the uni
yersal sentiment of humanity. The ensuing
month brought little sign Of real progress
toward the pacihcation OF Cuba The auton-
omous administration set up in the capital and
some of the principal cities. appeared not
to gain the favor of the inhabitants
nor to be able to extend their influence TO large
extent Of territory held by the insurgents while
the military arm, obviously unable to cope
with the still active rebellion. continued many
of the most Objectionable and offensive policies
of the government that had preceded it. No
tangible relief afforded the vast numbers
OF unhappy recCncentrados despite the retter-
ated professions made in that regard and the
amount appropriated by Spain to that end
The profferad oxpedient OF zones of cultivation
proved ilusory; indeed, no less practical nor
more delusiye promises OF succor could
well have been rendered to the ex-
hauSted and destitute people, stripped
of all that made life and home dear and herded
in n stran-e region among unSympathet1c
strangers hardly less neceSStouS than them
selves. BY the end OF December the mortality
among III m had frightfullY increased Con-
sentative est.ln ties from Spanish sources
placed the deatas among these distress d peo-
pie at over A. per cent from the time Gen
Weyler'S decree # reconcentration was en-
forced With the Gcquiescence of the Spanish
authorities a scheme was adopted for relief by
charitable contributions raised in this coun-
try and distributed under the direction of the
consul general and the several con-
suls by noble and earnest individual
effort through the Or-anizeu agencies Of the
American Red Cross. Thousands o, lives were
thus saved but MANY thou~an IS more were IN
accessible to such tucnS of aid. The war con-
tinued on the Old oO4iug without comprehen-
sive plan. dcveiopin onlv the same SpaSmodic
encounters barr Of strategic result that had
marked the course OF the earlier ten years re-
belliou as we'll rs the present lnSurrectlon from
its start No alternative save physical eX-
haustion of either cOmbataat and thereWthal
the practical ruin OF the island, lay in sight,
but how far distant no one could venture to
conjecture.
The D-.truct,on Of the BattIeshtp blaine.
AT this juuCtuCe. the 18th Of February
last. occurrld the destruction Of the battlgsaip
Maine. while rishuully " ing in the harbor Of
Havana on a mission Of international courtesy
and good villa catastrophe the suspicious
nature ana horror of which stirred the nation )
heart profoundly, It is 4 striking evidence Of
poiSe and sturdy good sense DISTINGUISHING
our national character that this shocking blow,
falling upon generous people, already deeply
touched by preceding events in cuba, did not
move them to an instant, desperate resolve to
tolerate no longer the existence OF n condition
of danger and disorder ut our doors that maze
possible such deed by whomsoever wrought.
Yet. the instinct of Justice prevailed ara
the nation auXiOuSly awaited the re-
suit OF the searching investigation at once set
on foot. The finding OF the naval board OF m
quiry established that the origin Of the eXpIo-
sion external by submarine mine ana
only halted through lack OF positive testimony
to fix the resDon>iO ility of its authorship. All
those things carried conviction to the most
thoughtful. even before the finding OF the naVal
court. that a crisis in our relations with SPAN
and toward Cuba were at hand SO strong was
this belief that il ccdei but brief executive
suggestion to the congress TO receive Immediate
answer to the duty of making instant provision
for the possible aud perhaps specially prooa-
bic emergency of war, and the remarkable, al
most unique spectacle was presented OF unan-
imous vote of both houses on the 9th OF March
appropriatug 55lo)l 00J for the national de-
tense and for each and every purpose connected
Herewith. TO BE- expended At the discretion ol
the president
That this act OF provision came none too soon
was disclosed when the application OF TIT
funds was undertaken. Our forts were prAc
ttcaIly undefended. Our navy needed large FTP
vision tor increased ammunition supplies ant
even numbers, to cope with any sudden attacR
from the navy OF Spain. which comprised MOD
ern vessels OF the highest type Of continental
perfection, Our army also required enlarge
Traor ~ men and munitions Tho details O.
the hurried preparation for the dreaded con
tinrcncv is told in the reports OF the secre'
taries of war aud 81 the navy and need not ID
repeated here, Il is sufficient 10 say tA3s Ih'
o,rr~a.,,z Of var whom il did come, found OIL
nation not uuprep2red to meet the conflict
Grievad ana disappointed at this barren out