The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-04-06
Cuba's Cause..-SenatOr MasOns ElO-
quent Plea.

Mr.. President do not intend in the brief
statement make to-day to forestall or in
any way affect the RI port Of the Committee
on Foreign Relations, to which has been
referred the Presidents message and the
accompanying report and evidence. We
are invited by the President at the close of
his message to deliberately consider the
situation, and it is only fair to the commit
tee, my colleagues, and my constituents
that they should know, and as soon as pos
sible, the general expression and intention
of this body. 1 wish to be understood, L
am not apologizing for taking the floor at
this time, but intend no disrespect either
to the Adminisi ration or 10 the committee
when / say that l am tired of the dilatory
tactics that have been employed for three
years to prevent any. assistance from the
United States to the starving and struggling
Cubans.
More than two years ago the plan Of the
Spanish Government to starve the women
and children and non-combatants was be-
gun. Every intelligent man, woman and
child was informed of it through the ordi-
nary channels of informatiOn-the news
papers-and by the statements Of disinter-
ested witnessessday after day, week after
week, month after month, and year after
year at our very door, and received prac-
tically no attention from this Government
until some of the members OF this body Wis
tied the scene of death and distress and
brought back to Ls their words of honor
that no picture had been drawn by the
press that fully stated the horrors of the
situation. Then the gentlemen and news
papers who had pretended at least, to dis
credit those statements in this body, began
to talk about it as though it was new dis
covery, when within ninety miles of our
shore for tive years they had continued TO
murder women and children.
When nearly a year ago L called atten-
ton to the situation, az given at that time,
al. tod hrrf rs.r <.tA Il
leagues upon this floor from personal OBJ
servation, the statement was received with
sneers by many OF my colleagues, and had
the pleasure of being insulted over the
wire by stock brokers and scalpers in the
markets. For two years the process of i'm
prisonment Of the reconcentrados and their
starvation has proceeded, yet anyone who
dared to call attention to the fact has had
to Withstand the assaults Of those control
| ling the press, who denied In their editorial
columns the news they printed in their
| news columns. Thousands had been
starved, millions Of dollars Of our legitimate
| commerce has been swept from the high
| seas, and the man who worships the eagle
| on the dollar and does not see the one on
his flag. says, "Be silent; think OF the hor-
rors Of war and the dangers to business"
When the order Of concentration came
they cooped up at least 800 American citi.
zens with the reconcentrados and refused
| to allow them to 60 out and earn legiti'
mate and honest living. 1t amounted tc
| imprisonment. We claimed 80 at the time
yet many professed not to believe 1t, until
the honorable Senator from Vermont de-
scribed the dead line and the gun Of the
Spanish soldier that kept the rec0ncen
TRADES together.
Any other self-respecting nation in the
world would have ordered their release ant
| better treatment, or they would have opened
the gates of hell on Moro Castle. Thil
Government, however, upon the suggestion
| OF the President, took $50, 900 OF the peoples
money out of the Treasury of the United
States and begged Of Spain the poor priv
leae Of feeding our citizens American breat
on Spanish SOIL
1 am not complaining. 1 am not CRITICS
ing. There Ia no other such record In al
the history of the world. l only repeat thi
humiliating statement to call attention u
the fact that every effort that has been mad
by the President has been construed b,
Spain to be an act of cowardice and abso
lutte and conclusive evidence that we ar
afraid of that mighty power, and every sucl
act of careful consideration on our part ha
made Spain more cruel to her own peopl
and more insulting to US.
We should have had before our minds tn
message OF the first great President, VIII
left word in substance, that II we did no
wish a national insult we should resent II
beg to read from the fifth annual address
of President Washington. He said:
II can not recommend to your motto
measures for the fulfillment Of our duties I
the rest of the world without again pressin
upon you the necessity OF placing ourselve
in condition of complete defense and {
exacting from them the fulfillment of thei
duties toward US. There is a ran
due to the United States among nation
which will be withheld II not al solutely loi
, by the reputation Of weakness. II we d,
sire to avoid insult, we must be able to T,
, pei it; If we desire to secure peace. one {
The most powerful instruments of our risin