The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-10

| tervene ia that war Now our position is
different and back Of it all was the de-
mand of cur own people that we take Off
| c1al and definite cogniZance of the war in
! Cuba. This he discussed from the view
| point of an international lawyer. Referring
To the duty of the United States, Senator
Mason said: This government ought TO
maintain that the horrible massacres which
are now too common in the Island of Cuba
and conducted under the guise of warfare
must be stopped. We have no right as a
neutral nation, fully regardful of the rights
of all. to look upon such a warfare as with
in any reasonable construction of interna-
tional law. The flag of truce has been ADAM
doned, prisoners Of war are being shot and
II is evident that no rule OF civilized war
fare is being observed The conflict has de-
veloped into a mere matter of murder on
both sides-prisoners of war being shot or
macheted without trial.
Mr.. Mason described the recent killing of
the Cuban General .Arangueren. depicting
primarily ana with much erect all the
shocking details of that act. He declared
that this was not civilized warfare and he
held that the government of the United
States had ample authority to interfere and
to demand that the rules of warfare recog-
niZed by civilized nations be respected. He
referred briefly to the trip made by Captain
General Blanco through the island, riding
as he did ride, in an armored car under a
heavy escort of Spanish troops. THUS he
went" declared Mr.. Mason leaving men,
women and children to starve while the
funds which We're placed in his hands to re-
lieve the distress of the recOncentrados ana
pacificos were being used TO appeal as
palms.
Mr.. Mason then read letter purporting
to be the answer of General Gomez to Gen.
Blanco's offer of a vessel to enable him
Gomez to leave the Island of Cuba In
safety. Think of this grand old soldier,
brave as he is shouted Mr.. Mason, fight
ing for a country he loves. fighting in storm
and sunshine, fighting, too, with the knOwl-
edge that his own son had been sacrificed
to the cause Think of him being APP
preached by that bribegiver. that military
prostitute, Blanco, with a pitfful bride for
his honor
UNCLE SAM A POLICEMAN.
Now that the Spanish forces have refused
open battle, said Mr.. Mason, the only hope
of Spain is to overcome the Cuban leaders
by brides. Reverting again to discussion of
the bearing of international law upon the
conflict, Mr.. Mason contended that Uncle
Sam was in effect a policeman, whose duty
it was to exercise his power to prevent fur
Their bloodshed upon the fair island.
Should the President take such action"
declared Mr.. Mason, ''he would, as has been
the case in every other crisis in our coun-
try, have behind him the army and the
navy, and, above all, the people"
Mr., Mason read a letter from an Amer
lean woman. who is mother superior in
a convent I'm Havana, to a friend in this
country picturing the condition of affairs
there" The war" she said. has destroyed
the country but while it has made many
poor i has made others rich.
C@<tinuing, Mr.. Mason said Weyler had
succeeded in killing hundreds of thousands
by his policy of concentration. There could,
he said, be no vicariouS atonement for a
nations crime, and the law of compensa-
ton would demand punishment for the
crimes here inflicted. While these men and
women were starving, the senator said the
bucketshops send us price lists. las for
me, he exclaimed, II cannot give attention
TO pork prices in Illinois as long as this con-
dition of affairs continues in Cuba. These
stock Jobbers tell US that war is hell. All
1C han hall
Dante, he said. pictured with unrivaled pen
the horrors of hell, but was incapable of
depicting the terrors of life in one of the
concentrates. Continuing, Mr.. Mason said
that when the bucketShops write the leg
iSlation for the country the evil day is upon
US. The Republican party had promised to
put stop to this condition of affairs and
no one man had right to interdict this
resolution let him sit in the White House
OF elsewhere. At this point the applause
vas vociferous and it required vigorous eff
forts to secure order.
Mr.. Mason declared that notwithstanding
the declaration of the st. Louis platform
nothing had been done-''nothing. he said.
except to pass a belligerency resolution in
the Senate, and" he added, amid general
laughter, referring evidently TO Speaker
Reed. lit is not certain whether He will
pass it on the other side.''
Mr.. Mason declared Spain was jealous of
our nearness to Cuba and expressed the
opinion that there was an effort in Spain to
force this country to buy Cuba He said
the Sganiards had always been hostile to
republican institutions of this country. In
deed, from the beginning of our history
there had scarcely been an administration
Wnich had rot been compelled to deal with
the bad faith of Spain. Spain was without
nonor, without cash and without credit
Her soldiers were conscripts and her cap
tain generals either thieves like Weyler.
or bride giverS like Bianco. We do not
want the island, but if necessary to save
the women and children of the islands let
us for Gods sake buy them. said Mr.. Ma
son.
SAYS MKINLEY WAS BUNCOED.
Mr.. Mason declared that the autonomy
which Spain had offered to Cuba was a
gold brick which Spain was trying to work
on on the President. He said the President
mad seen only the telegraphic summary fur
hshed by the Spanish Ministry when he
wrote his message. and that this summary
was the result of a mere confidence game
on the part of the Spanish Ministry IT
was evident, he said, that the President had
been deceived, as the real scheme was with
held until after the message was written
Mr. Mason ridiculed the scheme of auton-
omy proposed He pointed out that the
captain general could dissolve the proposed
cuban parliament and pass the appropria-
tion 6llls and :, declare martial law lat his
own sweet Will. without any reference to
the desires of the Cuban people And vet
said Mr.. Mason. this is the glorious
scheme OF autonomy which is to do much
lor cuba. Is that the independence the Re-
publican party proposed to assist the Gu
bans in obtaining?'
Mr.. Mason declared that President Nc
klnley was being imposed upon until the
Spanish authorities had time to murder
ana bribe yet few more of those to whom
local sSelf-government had been promised
Further along Mr.. Mason called attention
to the provisions of the articles of auton-
omy regulating the levying of taxes show
ing that under them whenever the Spanish
offcialS desired more money for their lux
uries and excuses they had only to levy
under the autonomous scheme to demand
ana wiring more money from the suffering
people. The whole plan he denounced as a
piece of Spanish fraud and chicanerV IT
was autonomy in name only. Sagasta was
right when he said to the Queen that not
one bit of the sovereign central power of
SPANS government had been yielded by
the proposed autonomic government
And yet said Mr.. Mason I'VE are told
to be patient Oh, Lord; how long? How
long are we to await the termination of the
dreadful struggle? Are there not now
enough graves in Cuba?" Mr. Mason said he
believed that certainly not less than 200 600
persons had fallen victims To Spanish bru-
tality and he felt that the number was not
less than 100000. Shall we wait" he in
quired, until the rest of them have been
annhilated?'
By the resolution which he had offered.
Mr.. Mason said that this country. i'm effect.
declared to Spain that she must go from
the island of Cuba and any differences be-
tween the United States and the Madrid
government arising out of the declaration
world. when we have fed the starving
women and children" said he I'VE will
settle with Spain on land or sea- In the clos
ing hours of this nineteenth century we
shall demonstrate that there is one great
natlon-the greatest in the wOrld-that is
rot seeking additional land or more terri
tory by conquest. | have no disposition to
put the slightest dispersion upon the admin