Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-02

] Never to any nation came an oppor'
tunity 50 big with blessings. so full 4
every imaginable possibility of great.
ness easily achieved. OF good to be
wrought for others and good to be wor
by the same means for self. MS the op.
portunity America brought to Spain
The Argonauts, In olden story, toilec
over enchanted seas. encountered and
bahled supcrnal powers, and invoked
the aid OF magic forces to win one COL
den fleece. The white sails of tho
wind waited ships that bore Columbus
westward waved greeting back 10
/ Hispania from lands where many gol-
den heeces waited for gathering. To
Spain belonged the fair Islands of the
middle seas, rising from their silken
waters in the bloom OF everlasting yer.
dure. hers We're the lands where the
wealth of the hospitable Incas was
stored in treasure houses of gems ana
gold. hers were the silver temples of
| Mexico; her loyal Adventures claimed
for her all the broad lands laved by the
placid Pacific.
| How did Spain meet her unprecedent-
=
ton, did she educate, uplift and refine
the simple aboriglncs, who thought the
streaming pennons of her vessels tn,
protecting pinions OF angels? Did she
show them the pre- eminent excellence
OF that religion whose basal creed is
love. whose works are justice, mercy
and truth? Hardly. Acting. as she
-.
OF the Cross. she stole. she burned. she
tortured, she roasted innocent victims
alive, she carried galleons of plundered
treasure back to Spanish grandees.
and 1t never occurred to her that JUS
tice. civilization or humanity ought
to enter as a component part of her
policy toward the natives OF the great
new world. whose resources she APP
propriated to her insatiate greed. Park
nun gives us an authentic copy of a
Spanish letter, written in the early
days Of the sixteenth century, which
illustrates wildly Spain'ss ideal of
Christian righteousness in her treat,
ment of the people over whom she as
sumed absolute sovereignty. One In
cident the letter-writer naively relates
Is fair sample OF the whole. 1t reads
as follows: II found II native asleep
under tree; in his hand was bag
containing precious stones of great
beauty and value. | Immediately slew
the native and took his gems for my
self all for the glory OF God" For
the glory of God and the exaltation OF
the monarch OF Spain. for the gratin-
cation of Spanish lust, treachery, COW
etousness and tyranny, Spain deemed
II holy thing to sacrifice the people
and the stores of her American pro-
vinces. TIL the pages OF history are
black with the record OF her crimes.
From pizarfo and Cortez of Infamous
tradition, down to butcher weyler.
devastating and numbering In Cuba,
the annals of Spanish dominion are
uniform. consistent, monotonous in
slckening details of perfidy and out
rage. carnage and rapine.
Other nations change with time and
develop into maturity very different
from the characteristics Of their bar
barous beginnings. Catholic Spain re-
mains always the same; ferocity, re-
venge and cruelty the inspiration of her
genius now, Just as when Montezuma
was stretched upon his bed OF
Goals, In the slow lapse of
herself; one by one the indignant
American nations have slipped out
from under the pitiless heel of Spanish
despotisin and, striking valiant blows
for freedom, have emancipated them
selves, till, OF all her immense terri
tory on the Western Hemisphere
that might have made Spain queen
regent Of Europe. Cuba alone
remains under her bloody
shadow. Again and again Cuba has
determined to submit to her oppressor
no longer, but to rise in rebellion and
throttle her torturer or perish In the
attempt But Spanish extortion in the
shape OF duties and taxes and revenue
collections, has left each insurgent
army too poor to provide the NUM-
tons OF war and after exhaustive
years OF guerilla warfare, II has
yielded again and again to the per-
suaslon OF Spanish promise of reforma-
ZION, home government and protection. |
with powerful numbers in arms
spain Is very generous In promising
wise and liberal councils. The trouble
Vs. when the arms are stacked and
cunllscated, the promises are stacked
away with them.
For three awful years the situation
IN CuDa mas been SO terrible as to beg
gar the power of words to describe.
There are now 1900 people In the |
province OF Mntanzas alone, absolute
~ without shelter, food or clothing:
SICK. emaclated, starving. we ought !
perhaps to be glad to know that kind |
ueath comes TO their relief at the rate |
or 10 per day II has been so difficult |
70 get reports not garbled by Spanish ]
interference. that there is no post |
plIlty or learning the worst facts but !
statistics gathered from the best off, |
clul sources prove that the distress In |
uther provinces Is not less than that |
elteu IN MatauZas. The Spaniards |
nave tesolute!y maintained TINT there |
Is ma mas been no war in Cuba and |
such civilized warfare as nations |
recognize, certainly we fail To find: |
nut there have been numbering OF |
women and children. burning of hos
pltals, ouUagcg that would disgrace |
the bloody scenes OF Turkish mnssa- |!
cres ana slaughter. Three years Cuba |
mas been wantonly. brutally stretched |
hleedlng on the rack. For three years |
inc United states, almost within |
reach of her pleading hand. has looked
calmly on and said: No. there is no |
war IN cuba and nothing must inter-
iere with the cordial relations existing
nytWeen the United states and the !
lIienuly government Of Spain. Though
,Nery hhre OF sympathetic human
ity culver with main nj the
spectacle Of Cuba's suffering. the
United States, the banner bearer of
freedom. the worlds great Republic.
must conserve the interests of the
money power aud stocks must 20 up.
no matter how many lives go down.
~ the red-wlnged thundarbolt leaps /
from the overhanging cloud and puri- |
iies the stagnant air so God permitted (
ne M, explosive thunder-bolt to burst in