The times., 1898-03-06

tnTct Gays nave TAXED with several |
high officials in the State Department one |
Of them an Assistant Secretary. who is |
supposed to be i'm possession of every bit |
OF information that comes to that depart |
meut. From him absolutely nothing can
he obtained. He says that the State De
partncnt has received no official informa-
tioa concerning events in Cuba which The
Times and other newspapers of the coun-
try have been reporting. This official
declared that no official Information had
been received. and when ] called his at
tention TO the various newspaper reports
] was met with the response that the de-
partment knew nothing officially Of these
events. 1t seemed incredible to me that
the correspondents Of u dozen or more Of
the leading papers of the country row in
cuba could transmit To their papers re-
ports of events and incidents relative TO
the deplorahe situation in that island all
agreeing practically on the main question,
md the State Department be in entire
ignorance of such a lamentable condition.
and yet this is the information given me
when ] go to the State Department.
Il have heard a good deal lately about
an Indemnity that is to be demanded from
/ Spain. and II has been hinted to me that
Spain would willingly pay this indemnity
1 I'm order to escape further responsibility
] for the loss Of our battleship. So far as /
am concerned. / am free to say that | do
/ not think any amount Of money that
1 Spain can or would pay could compensate
/ for the loss Of that battleship and the
! lives OF our brave Seamen, / think that
there should be summary action taken
4 and that Spain should be called to an
! immediate accounting for the destruction
| of that battleship. for there seems now
/ "a 81 IN b9f bat gh
was blown up by agencies for which the
/ officers and crew were not responsible.
Opposed TO the Bond Scheme.
There has been a good deal of gossip
/ about the Capitol lately to the effect that
the Administration will recommend to
/ Congress scheme through which Cuba
may purchase its freedom by the issuance
of bonds. which the United States will
! guarantee. | am opposed to any such
plan. Cuba has already won its freedom
! and any proposition looking to the guar
! anteeing of these bonds by the United
! States would be considered by the Amer
! lean people as the imposition of an I'M
warranted burden upon the Cuban pa
triots and in the interest of the bond
spectators Of the United States
Senator Pettigrew's Views.
Senator Pettigrew is also bitterly op-
posed to settling this matter on a money
| basis. and forcing Cuba TO purchase her
freedom.
Whatever the preparations of the Ad-
ministration may be said Senator Pet
tigrew 1t is clear 10 my mind that if the
Maine was blown up by any agency out
side Of the ship itself the people of the
United States will hold the Spanish gov
ernment responsible. and war with that
will be the case. whether Spain disavows
I the act or not; whether she apologies or
not. and whether or not she offers to pay
the indemnity. For two years the Amer
lean people have been calling upon their
| Government to stop the barbarities that
have been practiced on the island of Gu
ba. The time has arrived when patience
has ceased to be a virtue. The President
OF the United States cannot settle this
question from money point of view if he
wants 10. for the American people will
, not submit to It. No indemnity that Spain
might pay Will suffice to recompense the
American people for the loss of the brave
: I American seamen who went to their dea tn
in the harbor of Havana through what is
: believed TO be the treachery of some
/, Spaniard, cognizant of the helpless condi-
5 ton of that ship riding at anchor in the
3 supposedly friendly harbor.
War Feeling Spreads.
IF the report of the Court of Inquiry
shows that this accident was due to out.
. side influences the President viii be ut
terly unable 10 stop the war feeling now
= spreading throughout the length and
0 breadth Of this country. | believe that in
o that event two-thirds of each House o1
e Congress will be willing to vote for q
e declaration Of war with Spain. Public
= men who have given this subject careful
= consideration have reached the conclusion
= that only through such means can this
= matter be successfully dealt with and
n that only by actual hostilities can Spain
: be driven from Cuba and that island
n given her freedom and liberty. I do not
h know what the preparations now being
: carried on by the Administration mean
n but ] do know that l am not willing Il
- trust the Administration. 1t is quite ap-
e parent that if there is any way through
!, which 1t can settle this matter peacefully
r whether dishOnOrably or not such settle
Q ment viii be effected. Spain would prob
= ably be glad 10 pay an indemnity. but 50
- far as I am concerned no indemnity can
! settle the score this Government now
e holds against Spain.
No Blood Money.
There has Of late been a revival OF the
, discussion Of the scheme suggested sew
eral weeks ago that Cuba be given an
opportunity TO purchase its freedom. This
scheme includes the issuance of two OF
three hundred millions of bonds, every
dollar Of which is to be guaranteed by tht
United States. Such a scheme viii neve,
meet with the approval Of Congress. foI
$ Cuba long since won its freedom and i.
] entitled to it without payment of dot
I lar 10 Spain Spain has for years cursed
b the new world with its barbarities il
y Cuba. and It Is time this Government
( joined hands with the patriotic Cupanl
and drove them from this part Of IN,
continent The real friends OF Cuba ar,
willing to appropriate millions OF dollars
hundreds Of millions if necessary-fo